This panel will present some key historical developments that produced the sub-field of meteorology and climate sciences that has come to be known, broadly, as the social sciences side of the weather and climate enterprise. This corner of the field is composed of a very diverse confederation of academic disciplines and areas of practice, and therefore, of perspectives on the very mission this field should take up. During this session, the panelists will provide an overview of the cornerstones in development for such fields as risk communication, hazards geography and disaster sociology, and discuss the linkages that have - and have not - been made with the weather and climate enterprise.

A primary connection between meteorology and the larger world comes through forecasts of the weather. But where do forecasts come from, how do forecasters make decisions, and how are the methods for both creating and disseminating forecasts changing? The panelists in this session will include forecasters as well as those who have observed and studied the forecasting process and how it has evolved through the history of our field. The discussion will center on the observations needed to make forecasts, along with the observations needed to understand and improve how forecasters do what they do, and the methods used to collect those observations.

The vital role of communication in meteorology has been recognized since the issuance of the very first weather forecasts, but only recently has the scientific study of communication been integrated with the study of weather and climate. Furthermore, the methods for communicating weather and climate information have proliferated: from dissemination almost exclusively through television, radio, and print just 15-20 years ago, to the ability—and the expectation—to access detailed forecasts and high-resolution radar data in the palm of one’s hand today. The panelists in this session will summarize the many methods and perspectives for studying communication in this context —including mass communication of emergency information, risk communication, organizational communication, and so on—and how observations are crucial to advancing understanding.

Ultimately, the impacts of weather and climate fall on communities, and the groups of people living together in these places collectively produce resilience (or fail to do so). Understanding of the ways these groups engage with the environment, including the concepts of vulnerability, emergency preparedness and response, and long-term recovery from weather and climate hazards, require many layers of observations and methodologies. These observations span many scales, including everything from aggregate geographic data to individual perspectives. The panelists will discuss the varied observations required to understand the connection between weather, climate, and communities, and the methods used to synthesize the observations into enhanced preparedness and resilience.

Having established the many connections between observations of individuals, societies, and cultures and observations of weather and climate, this panel will conclude the special symposium by proposing concrete, but forward-looking ideas for strengthening the connections between the researchers and practitioners working in these areas, and for enabling the collection and analysis of new types of observations required to support a thriving weather and climate enterprise.