Investigate atmospheric phenomena and interpret meteorological data gathered by surface and air stations, satellites, and radar to prepare reports and forecasts for public and other uses.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

1. Study and interpret data, reports, maps, photographs, and charts to predict long- and short-range weather conditions, using computer models and knowledge of climate theory, physics, and mathematics.

2. Broadcast weather conditions, forecasts, and severe weather warnings to the public via television, radio, and the Internet, or provide this information to the news media.

3. Gather data from sources such as surface and upper air stations, satellites, weather bureaus, and radar for use in meteorological reports and forecasts.

4. Prepare forecasts and briefings to meet the needs of industry, business, government, and other groups.

5. Apply meteorological knowledge to problems in areas including agriculture, pollution control, and water management, and to issues such as global warming or ozone depletion.

6. Conduct basic or applied meteorological research into the processes and determinants of atmospheric phenomena, weather, and climate.

7. Operate computer graphic equipment to produce weather reports and maps for analysis, distribution, or use in weather broadcasts.

8. Measure wind, temperature, and humidity in the upper atmosphere, using weather balloons.

9. Develop and use weather forecasting tools, such as mathematical and computer models.

10. Direct forecasting services at weather stations, or at radio or television broadcasting facilities.

11. Research and analyze the impact of industrial projects and pollution on climate, air quality, and weather phenomena.

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Education: Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Atmospheric and Space Scientists. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Atmospheric and Space Scientists, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In US the average wage for this occupation was:

$47,690 for entry level workers, and $94,810 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Less Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 8,759 Atmospheric and Space Scientists employed in US.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 9,684  employed in US. This represents an increase of 0 job(s) each year, and a total of 10 job openings each year.

Summer Institute - Kopernik Space Education Center Summer Institute offers weeklong science programs for young people in grades 3-12. Programs include Moon Craters and Catastrophes, New Views of Mars, It's All About Me, Meteors and Dinosaurs, Junior Astronomers and Super Science Explorers.

SUNY New Paltz Summer Camp: Mad Science NASA - Mad Science has sparked imaginative learning with their unique brand of engaging and educational live programs and activities. NASA - Learn how different kinds of flying machines work as you explore the principles that we use to move ourselves through the air. Launch several kinds of rockets and use tools for celestial navigation to track their flight path.

American Meteorological Society (AMS) - The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications.

Girls Go Tech: Careers You Can Count On - Math, science and technology play an important part in your life. It is all around you! Be surprised how much fun you can have, and are already having, with math, science, and technolog. Careers in math, science and technology are as varied as they are exciting. Read the activities and then find out more about the careers associated with them.

Girls Go Tech: Careers You Can Count On - Math, science and technology play an important part in your life. It is all around you! Be surprised how much fun you can have, and are already having, with math, science, and technology. Read the activities and then find out more about the careers associated with them.

Imagine the Universe - Imagine the Universe is intended for students age 14 and up, and for anyone interested in learning about our universe, teachers may choose from a number of lesson plans for grades 6 to12 that use mathematics in the study of various science topics.

Space Science Education Resource Directory - The Space Science Education Resource Directory is a convenient way to find NASA space science products for use in classrooms, science museums, planetariums, and other settings. There are several ways to search in the Resource Directory: "Grade/Subject," "Topic," or "Custom Search." The Solar System, Light and Color and Black Holes are some topics.

NASA: Kids Page - Reliable information on space-related topics that include art, stories, games and activities for kids.

NASA's Kids' Club - NASA's Kids' Club has animated, educational and interactive games on the site that teach children about exploring space, building and launching rockets, keeping airplanes on schedule, how a comet travels through the solar system, and more.

Learning at the Marian Koshland Science Museum - The Marian Koshland Science Museum has identified unique, inquiry-based activities that can be used in the classrooms. They are related to its Global Warming and Infectious Disease exhibits that are designed for middle and high-school students and adhere to the National Academies' National Science Education Standards.

Space Operations Officers - Visit this link for information on this career in the military.

NASA Kids Page - Reliable information on space related topics that include art, stories, games and activities for kids.

Challenger Learning Center of the Capital Region, Schenectady, NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

Link Summer Science Explorations - Link Summer Science Explorations introduces students to hands-on, high-tech science. This Summer Exploration offers weeklong science programs that include At Home in Our Galaxy, Planets in the Solar System, Violent Weather and its Effects, Mars, Gas Giants, Alien Moons, and Space Travel and finally, Super Science Explorers.Completed materials need to be returned by April 20, 2007.

EurekAlert! Science for Kids Portal - The EurekAlert! Science for Kids Portal is a central, online source for kid-friendly news and resources. The Portal is housed within EurekAlert!, the editorially independent, online news service operated by AAAS, the science society. Content for the Portal is provided by hundreds of universities, associations, medical centers and other research organizations worldwide.

Atmospheric scientists - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

LiveScience - LiveScience is an original content site focusing on the innovative and intriguing in Science and Technology. The website covers news, views and scientific inquiry from an original, provocative point of view. With articles by respected science journalists and contributors, LiveScience looks at new discoveries, intellectual adventures and the idiosyncrasies of the world that surrounds us. The main topics include Animal Domain, Health SciTech, Forces of Nature, Environment, Technology and Science of Fiction.

Learning at the Marian Koshland Science Museum Webquests - The Koshland Science Museum has created online webquest activities for students interested in learning more about issues presented in the exhibits of Global Warming and Genetic Disease.

StarChild: A Learning Center for Young Astronomers - Easy to navigate astronomer specific information (Solar System, the Universe, Space Stuff, and a Glossary) site useful for teaching and learning.

Astronomy Education Review - A site that makes it easy to find, read about, and use new ideas and resources for teaching and outreach in astronomy and space sciences from fifth grade classrooms to research laboratories.

Challenger Learning Center of Greater Rochester,NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

Challenger Learning Center of the Lower Hudson Valley, Suffern, NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

Challenger Learning Center of Greater Rochester,NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

Challenger Learning Center of the Capital Region:Schenectady,NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

StarChild, A Learning Center for Young Astronomers - Easy to navigate astronomer specific information (Solar System, the Universe, Space Stuff, and a Glossary) site useful for teaching and learning.

Web Weather for Kids! - Learn what makes weather wet and wild, do cool activities, and learn how to forecast the weather on Web Weather for Kids!

Challenger Learning Center of the Lower Hudson Valley:Suffern,NY - A way to honor the memory of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, the learning centers aim to spark interest in science and space travel among youngsters in grades 5 though 8 through realistic mock-ups of Mission Control.

Imagine the Universe - Imagine the Universe site is intended for students age 14 and up, and for anyone interested in learning about our universe. Teachers may choose from a number of lesson plans for grades 6-12 that use mathematics in the study of various science topics.

Kids' Club - Animated, educational and interactive games on the site teach children about exploring space, building and launching rockets, keeping airplanes on schedule, how a comet travels through the solar system, and more.

Tech-Interns, The Source for Undergraduate and Graduate Science and Engineering Internships - This site is an online clearinghouse for information regarding extra-curricular study and employment in technical and science fields. The features of this site include not only a search engine for internship and co-op opportunities, but also links to many other helpful websites on internships, post-graduate employment, scholarships, and financial aid.

Natural Sciences Managers - Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

Product Safety Engineers - Develop and conduct tests to evaluate product safety levels and recommend measures to reduce or eliminate hazards.

Physicists - Conduct research into the phases of physical phenomena, develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply laws and theories to industry and other fields.

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers - Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the earth's internal composition, atmospheres, oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, crystallographers, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.

Hydrologists - Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; study the form and intensity of precipitation, its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and its return to the ocean and atmosphere.

Photographers - Photograph persons, subjects, merchandise, or other commercial products. May develop negatives and produce finished prints.

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists - Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector.

Freight and Cargo Inspectors - Inspect the handling, storage, and stowing of freight and cargoes.