There is always interesting weather somewhere
Former Climate Physics Master student Leon Saris
After high school I had no idea what I wanted to study, simply because there were too many options that I liked! Until somebody told me that with a degree in physics you could become a weather forecaster. A job in physics while people still understand what you are doing. And let's face it, most people have strong opinions about the weather! And so, I started the Bachelor's programme Physics and Astronomy at Utrecht 木瓜福利影视.
Rupert Holzinger supervised my Bachelor's thesis. We wanted to find a method to determine atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by analyzing air trapped in ice. That way we could get an idea of how the composition of the aerosol would change over time. It looked very promising: the first run showed an expected increase in carbon matter. After graduating, I started the master Climate Physics at IMAU. During my master thesis research, I investigated the robustness of the measurements of my bachelor research. Unfortunately, it turned out that we could not get reliable data. The research method needed more improvements than my master's thesis could handle, so I left the research for others to continue. During my time at IMAU we formed a very nice group with all Climate Physics students. Six years after graduation, we still meet regularly and even go on vacation together.
After graduating I found a job at BMT ARGOSS, an offshore weather forecasting company, where I made worldwide wave- and weather forecasts. Dredging companies, wind farms, oil rigs and shipping all rely on these forecasts. For their offshore activities these costumers are mainly interested in the weather forecast around threshold values: does the weather allow certain operations and if not, when is a better time to do so? The nice thing about making global weather forecasts is that there is always interesting weather somewhere. The offshore part also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of wave growth and how waves propagate across the ocean.
In 2018 the company merged with Infoplaza, located in Houten. Infoplaza is best known for its consumer weather website: Weerplaza.nl. To celebrate the merger, we had a "Dutch weather offshore activity": water skiing (see photo). Making a land weather forecast can also be challenging, even when you are not close to the limits. Predicting a chilly day in summer is different than in winter! As meteorologist at Infoplaza I now work for Dutch companies that somehow depend on weather conditions. For instance, the Dutch rail provider Prorail is one of our clients. They want to be informed when a storm is coming, when snow is expected or when the tracks may become slippery owing to falling leaves. We also predict the weather for event companies, such as ID&T or MOJO, which depend on weather conditions for their outdoor concerts.
At the moment I also present the weather for Weerplaza: you can find me in Dutch newspapers, on the radio and on the website Weerplaza.nl. Recently we built a TV studio in the office, so you can also find me on the screen! At Weerplaza.nl we also write popular articles about interesting weather, or the latest climate research. So, if you have interesting climate research news, let me know!
Leon Saris
Former Climate Physics Master student