Edward Epstein (meteorologist)
Encyclopedia
Edward Epstein was an American meteorologist who pioneered the use of statistical methods in weather forecasting
and the development of ensemble forecasting
techniques.
During the 1960s he was professor of meteorology at the University of Michigan
. For the academic year 1968-9 he was at the University of Stockholm as a visiting scientist, and developed the application of ranked probability score
that became the basis for forecast verification.
In 1973 he joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
in Washington, D.C.
and in 1981 he was appointed director of its Climate and Earth Sciences Laboratory. In 1983 he joined the National Weather Service
's National Meteorological Center as chief scientist of the Climate Analysis Center, and it was there that he published his influential meteorological monograph "Statistical Inference and Prediction in Climatology: A Bayesian Approach."
In 1979 he contracted Parkinson's disease. Although it later became debilitating, he remained active for most of the period until his death on 14 October 2008, in Potomac, Maryland
.
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
and the development of ensemble forecasting
Ensemble forecasting
Ensemble forecasting is a numerical prediction method that is used to attempt to generate a representative sample of the possible future states of a dynamical system...
techniques.
During the 1960s he was professor of meteorology at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. For the academic year 1968-9 he was at the University of Stockholm as a visiting scientist, and developed the application of ranked probability score
Statistical distance
In statistics, probability theory, and information theory, a statistical distance quantifies the distance between two statistical objects, which can be two samples, two random variables, or two probability distributions, for example.-Metrics:...
that became the basis for forecast verification.
In 1973 he joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and in 1981 he was appointed director of its Climate and Earth Sciences Laboratory. In 1983 he joined the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
's National Meteorological Center as chief scientist of the Climate Analysis Center, and it was there that he published his influential meteorological monograph "Statistical Inference and Prediction in Climatology: A Bayesian Approach."
In 1979 he contracted Parkinson's disease. Although it later became debilitating, he remained active for most of the period until his death on 14 October 2008, in Potomac, Maryland
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
.