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NOAA-M
Launch date scheduled for June 24, 2002 NOAA-M
TO ENHANCE WEATHER FORECASTING AND TO TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS 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.
NOAA-M
ANIMATION - 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.
SUPER: NASA 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. NOAA-M
ORBIT - 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.
SUPER: NASA / NOAA GOES'
VIEW OF EARTH - 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.
SUPER: NASA / NOAA 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.
SEA
SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND EL NINO - 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 °C warmer than normal.
Blue colors indicate cooler than normal SSTs. Data source: NOAA's Advanced Very
High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument.
SUPER: NASA/NOAA SATELLITE
VIEW OF FIRES - 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. SUPER: NASA/NOAA CRACKS
IN THE ICE: BEFORE AND AFTER - 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 SUPER:
NASA/NOAA
SEARCH
& RESCUE B-ROLL - 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.
SUPER: NOAA/Navigator Communications
Examples
of Data Gathered by POES Instruments:
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