Abstract
An understanding of applied climatology and its information-generating research requires recognition of the total cause-and-effect spectrum including the issue detection, the research effort pursued, the type of product, the users, and their applications of findings. Twenty climatic information studies done at the Illinois Climate Center in 1977-79 are reviewed to illustrate why they were done, often as a result of general inquiries or specific requests, and a few of their key results. The studies each required from weeks to months to complete. Most users of the results fell in two general classes, government or business-industry. The studies revealed applications in three areas: the design of facilities, the planning and/or operations of facilities and activities, and the climatic assessment of weather extremes.
