What does an atmospheric scientist do?

Atmospheric scientists study the weather to predict short-term and long-term patterns. Some, like meteorologists, may work to forecast the weather over a few of days. Others spend research years of data to create models to learn about weather conditions in the past, or model future climate conditions based on pollution, historical temperatures, precipitation records, and observational tools from space. They report their findings in conferences, professional journals, or research papers. Qualifications for the job include a bachelor’s degree, although many research positions require a master’s degree or doctorate.