But after the thermometer, barometer and hygrometer (to measure humidity), they relied for the most part on "surface observations".
… But now both satellite and in-situ radiosonde observations have been shown to corroborate both the surface observations of warming and the model predictions".
National Weather Service, 1993: National Weather Service Observing Handbook No. 7, Surface Observations, NOAA-NWS, Silver Springs MD.
Every morning when chasing I spend time considering the computer model forecasts, synoptic charts, satellite images and surface observations.
Eastman, R., Warren, S. G. & Hahn, C. J. Variations in cloud cover and cloud types over the ocean from surface observations, 1954 2008.
Reddington, C. L. et al. Analysis of particulate emissions from tropical biomass burning using a global aerosol model and long-term surface observations.
Our approach presents a blueprint for the utilization of satellite-derived sea surface observations to predict avenues of connectivity in marine metapopulations.
Steinberger, B. & Calderwood, A. R. Models of large-scale viscous flow in the Earth's mantle with constraints from mineral physics and surface observations.
Worn surface observations revealed that plowing and polishing were the main wear mechanisms.
The failure mechanisms were investigated on the basis of worn surface observations of failed coated specimens.
Since the characteristics of waves depend on the medium through which they propagate, it may be possible to infer properties of the outer core from surface observations.
