Invisible in the Storm: The role of mathematics in weather forecasting, a talk by Professor Ian Roulstone (University of Surrey)
Abstract
Although humans have tried to forecast weather for millennia, mathematical principles were used in meteorology only after the turn of the twentieth century. From the first proposal for using mathematics to predict weather, to the supercomputers that now process meteorological information gathered from satellites and weather stations, this lecture will describe the groundbreaking evolution of modern weather forecasting and climate prediction. We shall discuss the challenges of making predictions about a chaotic system, showing what improvements we might yet hope for and what factors still confound us.
About the Speaker
Ian Roulstone is Professor of Mathematics and Head of Department in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, and was formally a research scientist with the Met Office. He has written several books on the topic, including Invisible in the Storm: The Role of Mathematics in Understanding Weather.
Ian is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and worked with Keo Films and BBC Four in the production of Storm Troupers: The Fight to Forecast the Weather.
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No charge is made to attend meetings and non-members are welcome.
