Meteorology · Observation — Ship Reports
Why are voluntary observing ship (VOS) weather reports valuable to marine forecasting?
- AThey replace satellite imagery entirely
- BThey supply surface observations from data-sparse ocean areas that improve analyses and forecasts✓ Correct
- CThey are used only for climate records, not forecasts
- DThey measure currents, not weather
Explanation
Much of the ocean lacks fixed observing stations, so reports from voluntary observing ships (pressure, wind, sea state, temperature, etc.) fill critical gaps, feeding the numerical models and analyses that produce the forecasts mariners rely on.
Authority: WMO Voluntary Observing Ships scheme; NOAA
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