OBSERVATIONAL PROBABILITIES AND UNCERTAINTY RELATIONS FOR METEOROLOGY

Abstract

The probability that an atmospheric feature of a given size will be observed in a region with a network of stations randomly distributed relative to the feature is shown to be a function of the feature and region sizes and the number of stations. The function is developed to give the probability of observing the feature in a network of stations with varying observational capabilities and the probability of observing several features simultaneously. Applications to aircraft reconnaissance, network design, climatology, and prediction are discussed, and effects of a variation in network density are considered quantitatively. Difficulties in meteorological observation are compared with those in atomic physics. Meteorological uncertainty relations, analogous to Heisenberg's uncertainty relation for atomic particles, are obtained and examined.