Pioneers in modern atmospheric science helped pave the way

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Pioneers in modern atmospheric science helped
pave the way

• V2 Rocket photographic montage
• J. Bjerknes performed synoptic analyses using
  pictures such as this in 1948 likely the first
  serious attempt to analyze the atmosphere from
  space

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1967 Fujita received Meisinger award for his
contributions to research and applications
development with satellite data In 1985 at the
25th anniversary of weather satellites, Ted
received a special award for his contributions
that led to the success of the U.S. weather
satellite program. Ted was cited for
creative scientific leadership as an
enthusiastic pioneer in the use of satellite
imagery to analyze and predict mesoscale weather
phenomena and to understand severe
thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
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• On April 1, 1960 the first U.S.
• weather satellite was
• launched from
• Cape Canaveral, FL

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First TIROS-1 Image April 1, 1960
Canada
Nova Scotia
Within hours President Eisenhower was viewing
the first images
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• First TIROS television pictures presented
  numerous challenges
• Image rectification
• Navigation
• Cloud type identification
• Calibration

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• Weather map from May 20, 1960 (top) with artist
  rendering of clouds from the TIROS-1
  photographic-mosaic taken that same day (bottom)

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1960 TIROS images provided first opportunity to
use satellite remote sensing to analyze weather
patterns NOAA, NASA and University Pioneers led
the way
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First complete view of the worlds weather in a
24 hour period- from TIROS-9 February 13,
1965 Assembled from 450 individual photographs
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AVHRR computer gridded image of a Polar Low
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40 Years Later

• Meteorological satellites provide essential data
  for weather forecasting to national weather
  services across the globe
• APT - the best good will ambassador ever
• sharing of data and science
• Satellite data are high resolution digital
  renderings from a variety of spectral bands
  whereby both qualitative and quantitative
  information about the atmosphere, clouds, and
  land and sea surface properties are deduced

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Meteorological Applications
Climate Applications
Ocean Applications
Land Applications
Ecological Applications
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SBUV/2 Total Ozone - October 1999
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NOAA-15 polar orbiting satellite 3 channel
composite view of hurricane Bonnie the morning of
August 25
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Hurricane Bonnies warm core revealed in
temperature anomaly cross section derived using
NOAA-15 Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)
data
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Drought in South America
Started in October 1999 and continues
Most affected are Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina,
and UruguayAVHRR data delineates areas of
vegetation stress (Red areas)Data provided to
USDA (Foreign Agriculture Service)
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Experimental Drought and Fire Danger Indices
Reveal Severe Drought and Development of Fire
Danger in the Horn of Africa Region Reached a
Maximum in Late April, 2000
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DROUGHT in Ethiopia Vegetation stress
(indicated in red)started to develop in early
January 2000 and by the beginning of April the
vegetation was in very bad condition, creating
high fire risk and causing an agricultural
disaster. The area of drought-caused extreme
vegetation stress in Ethiopia is nearly 25 of
the area. As much as 75 of the area is
suffering moderate drought. There are indications
that nearly 15 million people of the region are
affected.
FLOODING in Mozambique Twenty-four hour
rainfall estimates (show accumulations of between
100 - 150 mm over northern Mozambique, southern
Tanzania, and Madagascar. Other very localized
areas of heavy rainfall are depicted over Zaire.

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Fires detected on October 8, 1997, using AVHRR
over Borneo, and aerosols over region in
mid-October 1996 versus mid-October 1997
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United States Operational Environmental Satellite
Systems
POLAR MORNING NOAA- 12 / 15
POLAR AFTERNOON NOAA - 14
DMSP
GEOSTATIONARY GOES - 8 75o W
GEOSTATIONARY GOES - 10 135o W
Provide Environmental Data and Information
Critical to the National Economy, National
Security, and the Protection of Life and Property.
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Polar System Evolution
NATIONAL POLAR-ORBITING OPERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE SYSTEM
Reduced number of satellite orbits, combined with
longer life satellites
METOP
0730
0530
0730
1330
1330
1330
0930
0830
0530
0830
0530
Local Equatorial Crossing Time
Local Equatorial Crossing Time
Local Equatorial Crossing Time

• Today
• 4-Orbit System
• 2 US Military
• 2 US Civilian

Tomorrow (2003) 4-Orbit System 2 US Military 1 US
Civilian 1 European
Future (2008) 3-Orbit System 2 US Converged 1
European