Some Instrumentation Definitions for Use by Meteorologists and Engineers

To bridge the growing communications gap between meteorologists and engineers, a provisional list of definitions of terms frequently used by both groups is presented. These definitions are divided into four categories: A) Basic terminology (definitions of terms such as sensor, transducer, instrument, and data acquisition system). B) Terms relating primarily to the sensor (definitions of terms such as time constant, distance constant, damping ratio, and hysteresis). C) Terms relating primarily to the instrument (definitions of terms such as sensitivity, resolution, error, accuracy, and linearity). D) Terms relating primarily to the measuring process (definitions and discussions of terms such as precision, reliability, and representativeness). The authors hope this selected set of definitions will not only be of immediate use as a step towards a standard terminology but also will form the basis for a more comprehensive Glossary of Meteorological Instrumentation Terms.