Author Topic: NZLWN Quiz (Read 69995 times)

Deano · « **Reply #20 on:** September 23, 2012, 07:57:14 PM »

Is it "something" Rose?

Suezy · « **Reply #21 on:** September 24, 2012, 01:47:09 PM »

It had two names and think the last one was "Gaill" or something similar.

gabba · « **Reply #22 on:** September 24, 2012, 02:44:49 PM »

...Thats on the right track

gabba · « **Reply #23 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:12:28 PM »

Ok - no winners on that one. The name of the boat was the "Andrea Gail". Incidentally, the Perfect Storm was an extratropical low that occurred on October 30 1991. You can read more about it here:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/satelliteseye/hurricanes/unnamed91/unnamed91.html

Tonights question:
What did Lewis Fry Richardson have to do with the science of Meteorology?

TokWW · « **Reply #24 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:51:04 PM »

Now we're going to have to start using Google... LOL!!!

OhauitiWeather · « **Reply #25 on:** September 25, 2012, 01:00:14 AM »

Not good at History but wasn't he a Mathematician, among other things. I think I remember a friend of mine who was a Secondary Maths Teacher using his name to answer a question in a teams Quiz event a few years back. As for what he did for the science of Meteorology I have no idea but I guess it was something to do with recording, although there does not seems to be anything named after him, or forecasting?

Kind regards

beteljuice · « **Reply #26 on:** September 25, 2012, 01:55:10 AM »

First to apply mathematical reasoning to predicting the weather, but it took an impossible amount of time to do the calculations until computers came along !

gabba · « **Reply #27 on:** September 25, 2012, 08:58:58 AM »

That's correct beteljuice. Turns out our man was a busy guy:

Quote

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Fry_Richardson
Lewis Fry Richardson, FRS[1] (11 October 1881 - 30 September 1953) was an English mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist and pacifist who pioneered modern mathematical techniques of weather forecasting, and the application of similar techniques to studying the causes of wars and how to prevent them. He is also noted for his pioneering work on fractals and a method for solving a system of linear equations known as modified Richardson iteration.

In my research I read somewhere that it took him 6 weeks to produce a 6 hour forecast manually. (The result was initially inaccurate until smothing techniques were taken into account in the calculations, making the forecast surprisingly accurate). It wasn't until he got his hands on an an Eniac computer that this was reduced to a 24 hour forecast in 24 hours

iomkiwi · « **Reply #28 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:32:01 AM »

Quote

In my research I read somewhere that it took him 6 weeks to produce a 6 hour forecast manually

So by the time he finished the forecast was 5 weeks 6 3/4 days old?

gabba · « **Reply #29 on:** September 25, 2012, 10:58:54 AM »

Thats what I thought, but the idea was to pick a day, take measurements at a particular point in that day, and then use mathematical calculations to see if a forecast could be generated for 6 hours in advance.

Obviously by the time the mathematical calculations were finished (Wikipedia suggests it was a part time effort as he was on "Ambulance Duty" in France at the time), the point in the day that the forecast was being generated for was well and truly passed. However by taking measurements also at that point, it meant that the mathematical results could be compared with the actual results

TokWW · « **Reply #30 on:** September 25, 2012, 11:28:14 AM »

Thanks Gabba - very interesting! And now we have Tom Ehrensperger performing it automatically on our weather PC's with his software (Wxsim) say 6 times a day (in about 3 minutes) looking out up to 7 days ahead!!! http://wxsim.com/

gabba · « **Reply #31 on:** September 25, 2012, 04:48:29 PM »

Okay this one I just had to ask

Q: Aside of the amusing reference popularized by Frank Zappa, what is the usual cause of a large-scale 'yellow snow' weather effect seen in certain parts of the world?

gabba · « **Reply #32 on:** September 26, 2012, 09:42:34 PM »

Last nights answer is:
Pollen

Tonights question is an easy one:

"Bring Me Sunshine" is a song, made famous by which English comedy duo. Bonus points if you can sing a demo and put it up on Youtube!