Friday, June 1, 2012
University of Waterloo Geography professor Richard Kelly is using the power of social media to bolster weather data from satellites with on-the-ground reporting from everyday people.
In order to truly understand how much precipitation is trapped in earth-bound snow Dr. Kelly has asked anyone interested in volunteering to put on some boots, grab a ruler and head to their backyard to measure the amount of snow on the ground. That information can then be transmitted back to Kelly using #snowtweets on Twitter.
The anecdotal information can help researchers monitor changing weather and offer advanced warnings for potential hazards such as spring flooding. #snowtweets has also become a way for people to discuss climate change online.