The unique atmosphere of planet Earth enables it to support an endless diversity of life. Just how our atmosphere works is the subject of meteorology.
Meteorology deals with the physical and chemical processes and phenomena in our atmosphere, as well as their spatial and temporal development. Theoretical physics, mathematics, chemistry, statistics and computer science are used for the observation, simulation and prediction of weather and climate, which is why meteorology is a part of physics and is also called “physics of the atmosphere”.
However, the interactions with the earth’s surface must also be considered, because the atmosphere interacts with adjacent compartments, such as lakes and oceans, rainforests, glaciers and deserts. This makes meteorology an interdisciplinary, international subject with strong links with a range of other disciplines such as oceanography, hydrology, soil science, biology and glaciology. Hence, meteorology is one of the geosciences.
Meteorology is therefore more than just the weather forecast and influences many parts of our lives. It therefore includes many different sub-areas, such as biometeorology, agricultural meteorology, environmental meteorology, flight meteorology, energy meteorology, hydrometeorology, satellite meteorology, weather forecasting and climate.
