People without formal weather-observer training could contribute a cloud photograph before they knew how to classify what they had seen. In a March 23 BBC report, Gavin Pretor-Pinney described how the Cloud Appreciation Society received pictures from such observers and looked for patterns among them. His account identifies a modest but concrete contribution: supplying an image for comparison, rather than arriving with an expert description already attached. [S2]
That distinction matters when reading about the new International Cloud Atlas. The Royal Meteorological Society reported that the World Meteorological Organization released the digital reference on March 23, 2017. BBC reporting described its initial format as a web portal open to the public. Readers could consult the reference as well as learn about the observations behind the announcement. [S3][S2]
The people expected to use the Atlas included workers well beyond enthusiast groups. In the Royal Meteorological Society announcement, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas described it as a training resource for professionals in meteorological services, aviation and shipping. Those named sectors give the reference a practical audience. His description establishes the intended professional use; it is not an evaluation of what trainees learned. [S3]
For an interested cloud watcher, reading the Atlas and sending a photograph are therefore different ways to take part. The web portal provides access to the reference; Pretor-Pinney described a separate route through the Society for contributing pictures. Keeping both routes visible makes room for curiosity without requiring every contributor to begin as a trained observer. [S2]
Source documents
- ’New’ wave-like cloud finally wins official recognitionhttps://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39351843
- Digitised International Cloud Atlas launched on World Meteorological Dayhttps://www.rmets.org/metmatters/digitised-international-cloud-atlas-launched-world-meteorological-day