Development prospect of atmospheric science

Atmospheric science is an ancient discipline. Knowledge about weather and climate originated from long-term productive labor and social life experience. As early as the fishing and hunting era and the agricultural era, people gradually accumulated knowledge about weather and climate change. China's twenty-four solar terms and seventy-two climaxes were discovered in Huainan Xun and Yi Shi Xun Jie in the 2nd century BC, which were summarized from production and life practice and used to guide farming activities. Later industrial and agricultural production activities, military activities, navigation, aviation and aerospace activities, as well as the investigation of oceans, glaciers, plateaus and spaces, have constantly put forward new topics for atmospheric science and promoted its development.

/kloc-before the 0/7th century, people's understanding of the atmosphere and various phenomena in the atmosphere was intuitive and experienced. 17 ~ 18 century, due to the development of physics and chemistry, the successive inventions of measuring instruments such as temperature, air pressure, wind and humidity, and the successive discovery of elements such as nitrogen and oxygen, it created conditions for human beings to quantitatively understand the composition and movement of the atmosphere. As a result, atmospheric science research began to enter the stage of quantitative analysis from pure qualitative description. This is a leap in the development of atmospheric science. 1820, under the condition that the meteorological elements such as pressure, temperature, humidity and wind were determined and the meteorological observation network was gradually established, H.W. brandes drew the first weather map in history, which pioneered the methods of modern weather analysis and weather forecast, and opened the way for the development of atmospheric science to theoretical research. This is another leap in the history of the development of atmospheric science. The concept of Coriolis force in 1835 and the relationship between wind and air pressure put forward by 1857 C.H.D C. H. D. Buys Ballot have become the cornerstones of the earth's atmospheric dynamics and weather analysis. Around 1920, meteorologists J. Pierre Knies, H. solberg and T. H.P.bergeron put forward the theory of front, cyclone and air mass, which laid a theoretical foundation for weather analysis and prediction of weather changes after 1 ~ 2 days. 1783, French J.A.C Charlie made a hydrogen balloon with instruments for detecting meteorological elements. In 1930s, radiosondes were widely used, which enabled us to understand the vertical structure of the atmosphere, and the real three-dimensional atmospheric science research began. According to the high-altitude weather map drawn by sounding data, the atmospheric long wave was found. 1939, meteorologist C.-G. Rossby proposed long-wave dynamics, from which the potential vortex theory was derived (see atmospheric dynamics equation). This not only extends the theoretical weather forecast period to 3 ~ 4 days, but also opens the way for later numerical weather forecast and numerical simulation of atmospheric circulation. 1946, I. Langmuir, V. J. Schaefer and B. vonnegut's experiment of "seeding clouds" proved that seeding solid carbon dioxide or silver iodide in supercooled clouds can crystallize supercooled water droplets in the clouds, increase the number of ice crystals in the clouds, promote precipitation, and then enter the experimental stage of weather modification.

In the long development of atmospheric science, climatology, meteorology, atmospheric thermodynamics and dynamics, and physical phenomena such as sound, light and electricity in the atmosphere are the main research contents, which are traditionally called meteorology. With the application of modern science and technology in meteorology, its research scope is expanding day by day. Before 1950s, although great progress had been made in atmospheric science, in sparsely populated areas such as oceans and deserts, due to lack of data and calculation difficulties, it was still impossible to get rid of qualitative or semi-qualitative research status. Since 1950s, with the adoption of various new technologies, especially electronic computers and meteorological satellites, atmospheric science has developed by leaps and bounds. Since 1960s, atmospheric scientific terms have been widely used, which greatly expanded the research content of traditional meteorology. Due to the adoption of various new technologies, especially computers and meteorological satellites, atmospheric science has developed by leaps and bounds, mainly in the following two aspects:

(1) With the continuous adoption of new detection technology, atmospheric science has entered a new stage of macro-macro and micro-micro. Due to the use of meteorological satellite, meteorological rocket, laser, microwave, infrared and other remote sensing detection means, the ability to observe the atmosphere has been enhanced and the observation space has been expanded. Meteorological satellites detect the atmosphere outside the atmosphere, which not only expands the observation range, but also greatly enriches the observation content, such as the vast ocean surface temperature, the microstructure of clouds, the atmospheric radiation balance and so on. Meteorological satellite has become one of the pillars of the development of modern atmospheric science.

(2) With the use of electronic computers, atmospheric science research has entered a new stage of quantitative experimental research. There are very complex nonlinear problems in the interaction of various processes in the atmosphere and the abrupt form of atmospheric phenomena (such as squall line). The emergence of large-scale high-speed electronic computers provides conditions for solving nonlinear equations. To understand the possible state of the atmosphere in a few weeks, months or even a year, we also need to rely on high-speed computers to obtain and process global data and make weather and climate predictions in global models. Electronic computer is another pillar of the development of modern atmospheric science.

The rapid development of atmospheric science is in the ascendant. With the implementation of world climate program and other special projects, on the basis of conventional observation systems, various special projects, such as sea level, solar constant, cloud and radiation feedback, near-sea breeze, soil moisture, carbon cycle, etc., will be observed by means of meteorological satellites, ocean observation satellites, Doppler radar, specially equipped aircraft and new atmospheric chemical observation and analysis methods. Through the above observation and implementation of the plan, we will have a more extensive and in-depth study on the fine structure of climate change and mesoscale weather system and the reasons for its occurrence and development. The research results will continuously improve the level of disastrous weather forecasting, and constantly predict the possible consequences of human activities on the climate, so as to prevent problems before they occur. For example, the greenhouse effect caused by the increase of trace gases such as methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere caused by human activities may soon reach half of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The total effect of these greenhouse effects may lead to great changes in the earth's climate. The in-depth study of greenhouse gases and air pollution makes the importance of atmospheric chemistry, which was neglected in the past, more and more obvious, and atmospheric chemistry will develop more rapidly. In a word, the development of human production and life will constantly put forward new problems and requirements, and promote the development of new theories and branches of atmospheric science. The new development of atmospheric science is bound to continuously improve its ability to serve production and life, such as improving the accuracy of weather and climate forecast, providing more reliable scientific basis for the development and utilization of meteorological resources and the formulation of economic policies, and its economic and social benefits will be immeasurable.

In a word, the development of human production and life will constantly put forward new problems and requirements for atmospheric science and promote the development of new theories and branches of atmospheric science. The new development of atmospheric science will certainly improve its ability to serve production and life, such as improving the accuracy of weather and climate forecast, and providing more reliable scientific basis for developing and utilizing climate resources and formulating development strategies and economic policies.