Earth Science Gallery
2002 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES
Tape Title
Record ID
Date Produced
TRT:
Synopsis
NOAA-M TO ENHANCE WEATHER FORECASTING AND
TO TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS
G02-035 5/29/02 00:17:30 NOAA-M is the third in a series of five advanced TIROS-N (ATN) polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities that will operate over the next ten years. Like other NOAA satellites, NOAA-M will collect meteorological data and transmit the information to users around the world to enhance weather forecasting. These polar-orbiting satellites monitor the entire Earth, tracking atmospheric variables and providing atmospheric data and cloud images. Once on orbit NOAA-M will be renamed NOAA-17 and will provide measurements of the earth's surface and atmosphere that will be used in NOAA's weather forecasting models and for other environmental studies.
TAPE CONTENTS:
ITEM (1): NOAA-M Animations (G02-035) - In the United States, the data NOAA-M collects will be used primarily by NOAA's National Weather Service for weather and climate forecasts. The consistency and accuracy of the prediction of potentially catastrophic environmental events have improved significantly. Better prediction of these events allows emergency managers to activate plans to reduce their impact and protect life and property. In addition, this continuous overlapping source of satellite data has provided the foundation for extensive climate and research programs. The satellite will continue the support of the international COSPAS-SARSAT system by providing search and rescue capabilities essential for detection and location of ships, aircraft, and people in distress.
Credit: NASA
ITEM (2): GOES VS POES Satellite Orbits - NOAA's environmental satellite system is composed of two types of satellites: geostationary operational environmental satellites for national, regional, short-range warning and "now-casting;" and polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites for global, forecasting and environmental monitoring. Both GOES and POES are necessary for providing a complete global weather monitoring system. Both also carry search and rescue instruments to relay signals from aviators and mariners in distress.
a) NOAA-M Orbit (G02-035) - The Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) system consists of a pair of polar-orbiting satellites, which ensures that every part of the Earth is regularly observed at least twice every 12 hours. One operates in an afternoon orbit and the other in a morning orbit with equator crossing times chosen to maximize the usefulness of the data.
b) GOES' View of Earth (G01-A049) - The relative positions and coverage areas of the two satellites (currently GOES-8 and 10). The GOES satellites fly in a geostationary orbit, meaning that they rotate with the Earth to remain in the same spot over the U.S. GOES satellites are also key in monitoring volcanoes, forest fires, thunderstorms, rainfall, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Credit: NASA/NOAA
ITEM (3): Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Products -Polar-orbiting environmental satellites collect global data to determine cloud cover; vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture; surface conditions such as vegetation cover and health, soil moisture, snow and ice cover; and the distribution of aerosols and ozone. In addition they collect and relay information from fixed and moving platforms. The following items depict the different types of products that NOAA-M will provide.
a) Sea Surface Temperature and El Nino (G02-013) - By carefully monitoring changes in sea surface temperatures (SSTs), scientists can track the evolution of powerful climatic events such as El Nino. These images show the huge changes in SSTs associated with the 1997-1998 El Nino. Red colors indicate temperatures 4-5 degrees C warmer than normal. Blue colors indicate cooler than normal SSTs. Data source: NOAA's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument.
b) Weathering Through The Storm With El Nino (G02-013) - Accurately measuring Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) is critical to understanding how the Earth works as a system. This 3-D data visualization displays the complex relationship between the ocean surface temperatures (colors), the wind anomalies (black arrows) and sea surface height anomalies (3-D elevation). The images show how the weakening trade winds helped further the evolution of the warmer than normal waters associated with the huge El Nino of 1997-1998. Data Source: Surface Elevation: Topex/Poseidon; SSTs: NOAA AVHRR; Wind Vectors: Florida State University.
c) Temperature Comparison Between El Ninos (G02-013) - This sequence compares temperatures from the 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Ninos. The images show 1997-98 El Nino developed much earlier and was much more organized than the 82-83 event. Scientists use data from previous El Nino's to develop models that help them better predict the evolution of this year's El Nino event. Data Source: NOAA AVHRR Instrument.
d) Satellite View of Fires (G01-087) - The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI) 2000 field campaign to sub-Saharan Africa in August and September of 2000 was part of an international research effort designed to better understand the relationships between climate change, human activity and the region's ecosystems. The air quality and atmosphere of the region is of particular concern due to the frequency and range of biomass burnings--- southern Africa has some of the most extensive biomass burning in the world. As well, due to a unique wind circulation pattern over southern Africa during much of the year, air pollution can be trapped for weeks and moved hundreds of miles. Researchers involved in the SAFARI 2000 mission planned each day's agenda according to data from instruments like the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) onboard NOAA's Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES). The data here, taken on August 30, 2000, includes fires in Angola, Congo Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania.
e) Satellite View of Fires and Aerosols (G01-087) - Multiple fires spread across the southern part of the African continent in September 2000, as shown by data from another AVHRR onboard the NOAA-14 satellite. The unprecedented amount of fires generated large amounts of aerosols, (overlaid on top) which were observed with the Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument.
f) A Year of Global Fires (G00-073) - SAFARI-92 studies found that biomass burning in Southern Africa left its signature over the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists monitored fires over the entire planet from 1992 to 1993 to better understand the patterns created by biomass burning. Data was collected by NOAA's Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument.
g) Cracks in the Ice: Before and After (G01-003) - According to a paper released in the Journal of Glaciology, major stretches of Antarctica's Larsen Ice Shelf literally collapsed into floating splinters as several recent warmer than normal summers took their toll. The Larsen Ice Shelf is one of several so-called ice shelves in Antarctica. Although not the largest, experts consider it to be most in jeopardy of further recession due to its comparatively northern position. In this sequence, we see how the ice there has changed through time, starting in December 1993 and ending in March 2000. These images are the product of NOAA's AVHRR instrument, (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer), flying aboard that agency's POES (Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite) satellite.
Image dates are the following:
December 26, 1993
February 13, 1995
March 21, 1998
November 21, 1998
March 2, 2000
h) A Longer Growing Season (G01-067) - Over the past 21 years, parts of the Northern Hemisphere have become much greener and the growing season has increased by several days. Researchers using satellite data have confirmed that plant life above 40 degrees north has been growing more vigorously since 1981 due to rising temperatures and buildup of greenhouse gases. The scientists noted that year to year changes in growth and duration of the growing season of northern vegetation was tightly linked to year to year changes in temperature. The green color in these images depicts lush vegetation. The images were captured by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on NOAA's Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites.
i) Global Heat Engine (G01-034) - Scientists say for the first time, we can see patterns of climate change reflected in land vegetation growth which was not possible before. Until now, there has not been a good way to show how vegetation changes over long periods of time in response to sea surface temperatures. The images, which cover a period from 1982 through 1990, show that seasonal variations in plant growth can be quite large. Moreover, recent studies suggest that due to global warming the growing season is getting longer at higher latitudes. Data source: NOAA's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Red colors indicate warmer than normal ocean temperatures and blue colors indicate cooler than normal temperatures. On land, green colors indicate regions with more plant growth than normal and brown colors indicates less growth than normal.
Credits For All Products: NASA/NOAA
ITEM (4): Search & Rescue B-Roll (G02-035) - The Cospas-Sarsat is an International, humanitarian satellite-based search and rescue system which can detect and locate transmissions from emergency beacons carried by ships, aircraft, or people. It has helped more than 13,000 lives (as of January 2002) worldwide since its inception in 1982. NOAA-M supports the SARSAT (Search & Rescue Aided Tracking) part of the COSPAS-SARSAT constellation. Russia provides the COSPAS (Russian for Space Systems for Search of Vessels in Distress) satellites. NOAA spacecraft carry two instruments to detect emergency beacons: the Search and rescue Repeater (SARR) provided by Canada and the Search and Rescue Processor (SARP-2) provided by France.
Credits: NOAA/Navigator Communications
ITEM (5): Weather Forecaster B-Roll (G00-063) - B-roll of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processing weather data.
Credits: NASA/NOAA
[NOAA-M Movie]
[NOAA-M Orbit Movie]
[GOES Orbit Movie]
[Sea Surface Temperature and El Nino Movie]
[Satellite View of Fires Movie]
[Cracks in the Ice Movie]
[Search & Rescue Footage]
NOTE: The material advertised on this page is a "Video File" and is strictly recommended for the media and production companies. This is NOT a finished production but does contain some narration.
[HOME]
[Return to the Earth Science Catalog]
[How to order videotapes]
Earth Science Gallery
2002 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: | Synopsis |
| NOAA-M TO ENHANCE WEATHER FORECASTING AND TO TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS | G02-035 | 5/29/02 | 00:17:30 | NOAA-M is the third in a series of five advanced TIROS-N (ATN) polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities that will operate over the next ten years. Like other NOAA satellites, NOAA-M will collect meteorological data and transmit the information to users around the world to enhance weather forecasting. These polar-orbiting satellites monitor the entire Earth, tracking atmospheric variables and providing atmospheric data and cloud images. Once on orbit NOAA-M will be renamed NOAA-17 and will provide measurements of the earth's surface and atmosphere that will be used in NOAA's weather forecasting models and for other environmental studies. |
TAPE CONTENTS: |
||||
| ITEM (1): NOAA-M Animations (G02-035) - In the United States, the data NOAA-M collects will be used primarily by NOAA's National Weather Service for weather and climate forecasts. The consistency and accuracy of the prediction of potentially catastrophic environmental events have improved significantly. Better prediction of these events allows emergency managers to activate plans to reduce their impact and protect life and property. In addition, this continuous overlapping source of satellite data has provided the foundation for extensive climate and research programs. The satellite will continue the support of the international COSPAS-SARSAT system by providing search and rescue capabilities essential for detection and location of ships, aircraft, and people in distress. Credit: NASA | ||||
ITEM (2): GOES VS POES Satellite Orbits - NOAA's environmental satellite system is composed of two types of satellites: geostationary operational environmental satellites for national, regional, short-range warning and "now-casting;" and polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites for global, forecasting and environmental monitoring. Both GOES and POES are necessary for providing a complete global weather monitoring system. Both also carry search and rescue instruments to relay signals from aviators and mariners in distress.
| ||||
ITEM (3): Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Products -Polar-orbiting environmental satellites collect global data to determine cloud cover; vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture; surface conditions such as vegetation cover and health, soil moisture, snow and ice cover; and the distribution of aerosols and ozone. In addition they collect and relay information from fixed and moving platforms. The following items depict the different types of products that NOAA-M will provide.
| ||||
| ITEM (4): Search & Rescue B-Roll (G02-035) - The Cospas-Sarsat is an International, humanitarian satellite-based search and rescue system which can detect and locate transmissions from emergency beacons carried by ships, aircraft, or people. It has helped more than 13,000 lives (as of January 2002) worldwide since its inception in 1982. NOAA-M supports the SARSAT (Search & Rescue Aided Tracking) part of the COSPAS-SARSAT constellation. Russia provides the COSPAS (Russian for Space Systems for Search of Vessels in Distress) satellites. NOAA spacecraft carry two instruments to detect emergency beacons: the Search and rescue Repeater (SARR) provided by Canada and the Search and Rescue Processor (SARP-2) provided by France. Credits: NOAA/Navigator Communications | ||||
| ITEM (5): Weather Forecaster B-Roll (G00-063) - B-roll of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processing weather data. Credits: NASA/NOAA | ||||
[NOAA-M Movie] [NOAA-M Orbit Movie] [GOES Orbit Movie] [Sea Surface Temperature and El Nino Movie] [Satellite View of Fires Movie] [Cracks in the Ice Movie] [Search & Rescue Footage]
NOTE: The material advertised on this page is a "Video File" and is strictly recommended for the media and production companies. This is NOT a finished production but does contain some narration.
[HOME] [Return to the Earth Science Catalog] [How to order videotapes]