Weather Service Office Pohnpei visit and tour

On Thursday 26 June the SC 130/1 physical science class visited the Weather Service Office in Pohnpei. Weather Service Specialist Wallace Jacob began by introducing the students to the services provided by the Weather Service Office. 

Mr. Jacob explained the operations side of the office. Jonald, Rusty  Clayton, Eray listening 


Jonald, Rusty, Clayton, Eray, Ruthy, Emars, Mary-ellen in a group photo.

Weather balloon tracking station. 

Current air pressure readings.

Earthquake map, Ruthy and Emars listening.

Tsunami monitoring station showing oceanic buoys. WSO Pohnpei is responsible for issuing tsunami warnings based on the earthquake and buoy data. 

Forecasting model displaying precipitation, possible thunderstorms, here running the GFS model.


Outside, Mr. Jacob showed the class the min/max thermometer, the air temperature thermometer, and the dew point thermometers that provide data for the hourly meteorological report. The students had prior experience with thermometers during laboratory six.

Wet bulb and dry bulb thermometers. The light is for reading at night. 

Min/max thermometers.


Preliminary data reception check from the weather balloon. The temperature on the right reflects the temperature inside the office where the unit is at the time of this photograph.

Under the direction of Mr. Jacob, Clayton then launched the 10:00 AM weather balloon. 


Photo opportunity as Clayton awaited word to release the balloon.

Back inside the Weather Service Office Mr. Jacob showed the class the data being gathered by the balloon and explained the importance of this data.


The balloon tracking to the west, eastey winds aloft. The ballon will track west until high in the troposphere where the balloon will reverse direction and head west. This phenomenon is known as Walker cell circulation. Surface air in the equatorial Pacific flows to the west, rises to the top of the troposphere, and then flows east towards South America where the air sinks and travels back to the west.

Raw data on temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity. Temperature falls with altitude. 

Balloon release data


Nicole and Emars listening to Mr. Wallace talk about the meteorological report that is filed every hour.


Nicole, Rusty, Clayton, Emars, Eray, Trishia, Jonald, Mary-ellen; everyone still paying attention

Members of the class pose for a group photo.

The class thanks Weather Service Coordinator and Office-in-Charge of WSO Pohnpei, Wilfred Nanpei, for hosting the class. The class also thanks Senior Weather Service Specialist Kenely Andon, and Weather Service Specialist Wallace Jacob for the informative tour of the office. 

The class also thanks the college for supporting this visit that helps bring the physical sciences alive for the students. The students were able to see that the concepts they are learning and the equipment that they are using in physical science class are central to the work of the staff at the weather service office.

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