Unit Objectives Unit Objectives
Preparation for Online and Class
Discussion
Class images
 | Eddy, John A., ed, 1997: Consequences: The Nature & Implications of Environmental Change (3)2. (From GCRIO.) |
Online and Class Discussion
Unit Wrap-up MaterialsSummary prepared by: Minda Huebner, Chris Jutting, and Steve Van HornSatellites play an important role in making remote observations and measurements of global environmental parameters. Satellites provide information through a network of sensors. The motions of satellites are controlled by the balance of the force of gravity and the centrifugal force due to the satellite's orbital velocity.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
Geostationary satellites are positioned a large distance from the earth, this provides the satellite an advantage to view the entire face of the earth at one time. GOES satellites are placed in stationary earth orbits at locations that will give maximum coverage. Some GOES data that is obtained may be imagery (storm warnings or ocean currents), quantitative (sea surface temperatures or wind), and communications (DCS or ARGOS). To monitor earth magnetic fields, solar storms, and sunspots the GOES has a Space Environmental Monitor (SEM). Precipitation estimates, snow cover, sea-surface temperature are some weather-related products obtained from GOES data.
Polar-Orbiting Satellites
Satellites that are put in a low earth orbit can resolve topographic and other environmental features as small as 1 km. One disadvantage to being in a low orbit is that it limits the satellite's view. Polar-Orbiting Satellites are close enough to the earth to obtain high resolution data. Both Polar-Orbiting Satellites and GOES have vertical sounding units for monitoring temperature and moisture. Polar-Orbiting Satellites provide image data for a range of environmental assessment needs and space environmental monitors.
International Deployment of Satellites:
Many nations have deployed and are using satellites. These countries include Russia, China, Japan, India, Canada, and many joint ventures between European nations.
Mission to Planet Earth
Mission to planet Earth is NASA's program that includes a variety of satellites and sensors. There are three satellites discussed in the information that are presently in operation for the program.
Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS)
This satellite helps to measure visible radiation for determining the components of the radiation budget. This is the balance between energy coming in from the sun and energy leaving the earth through thermal and reflected energy.
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)
This satellite takes systematic and comprehensive data for the stratosphere and will furnish new data on the mesosphere and thermosphere. The satellite will take measurements of temperature, pressure, wind velocity, and gas species concentrations at various altitudes.
TOPEX/Poseidon
This satellite enables early warnings of El Nino and La Nina. It will take key measurements in ocean circulations, wave heights, sea surface height anomalies, atmospheric wind speed, and water vapor content over ocean areas.
Dialog to block 2-11
One of the main ideas that was discussed in block 2-11 was the topic of cooling in the lower troposphere. These posts then went on to mention that even though the troposphere is cooling the opposite is happening on the earth's surface. One question that was asked was do these two conflicting temperature trends have and affect on the number of extreme storms that take place. The answer given was there won't necessarily be an increase in the number of storms because there are several factors that need to take place for such an event.
Another topic discussed was the satellites themselves. Many different questions were asked about the satellites including the point to ponder. One such question was how is possible to alter a satellite's coverage in the event of another satellite failing. The answer given for this question was that satellites have station keeping thrusters that can be activated to move a satellite to another position. Also in the case of the GOES system a spare satellite has been put into orbit as a back up to the other two that are already functioning.
 | Visible Earth: a searchable directory of images, visualization, and animations of the Earth |
| Space Report |
| Measuring the Temperature of Earth from Space |
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Anagnostou, E. N., and A. Morales, 2000:
TRMM precipitaiton radar helps address problems of ground-based
weather radar systems. EOS,
81, 513-517. |
|
First Inernational Conference on Geospatial Information in
Agriculture and Forestry |
| Glossary of Remote Sensing |
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Jim Purdom: Satellite Meteorology.
(From the
1997 Unidata/COMET Workshop.) |
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LANDSAT program. |
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NOAA Homepage. |
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Real Time Weather Data (From the University Corporation
for Atmospheric Research) |
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Satellite Altimetry data from TOPEX/POSEIDON processed by
the NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry traces the evolution
and continuation of the 1997 El Nino event |
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Satellite presentations and related information.
(From the 1997 Unidata/COMET
Workshop.) |
| Sea Surface Temperature from 1981 to Present |
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The use of satellite remote sensing. |
| Tropical Deforestation of Rondonia, Brazil |
| USGS Earthshots |
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Baker, Wayman E, George D. Emmitt, Franklin Robertson,
Robert M. Atlas, John E. Molinari, David A. Bowdle, Jan Paegle, R. Michael Hardesty,
Robert T. Menzies, T. N. Krishnamurti, Robert A. Brown, Madison J. Post, John R. Anderson, Andrew C. Lorenc,
and James McElroy, 1995: Lidar-Measured Winds From Space: A Key Component for Weather
and Climate Prediction.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
76(6), 869-888. |
|
Gershon, N. D., and C. G. Miller, 1993: Dealing With the
Data Deluge. IEEE Spectrum, July, 28-32. |
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Le Provost, C. , A. F. Bennett, and D. E. Cartwright, 1995:
Ocean Tides for and from TOPEX/POSEIDON. Science,
267, 639-642. |
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Zorpette, Clenn, 1993: Sensing Climate Change.
IEEE Spectrum, July, 20-27. |
