U.S. Earth Observation/Environmental Satellites •NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite System (GOESS) • NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellite System (POESS) •DOD Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) •NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Satellites John “JC” Coffey February 2012 NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite System (GOESS) ♦ The system uses two satellites in geosynchronous orbits 19340 nm above the earth, one over the east coast of the US and one over the west coast providing overlapping continuous coverage of the US, Atlantic to the west coast of Africa, and eastern Pacific to 140 degrees west longitude ♦ Satellite instrumentation consists of an imager and sounder • The imager provides 1 channel of visible and 4 channels of infrared images with a scan rate for full earth disc of less than or equal to 26 minutes • The sounder provides temperature and moisture profiles of the atmosphere ♦ Data is continuously transmitted to ground terminals for processing and rebroadcast to primary weather service offices in the US and around the world and to the global research community 2 NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellite System (POESS) ♦ The system uses two satellites in sun synchronous, nearly polar orbits 470 nm above the earth. Each satellite provides global coverage every 14.1 hours. ♦ Satellite instrumentation includes an Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), a High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS), Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) • AVHRR provides visible and infrared images of the Earth and its atmosphere • HIRS provides data to calculate vertical temperature profiles from the Earth’s surface to an altitude of approximately 22 nm. • AMSU-A measures global atmospheric temperature profiles and information on atmospheric water • AMSU-B unit provides global data on humidity profiles ♦ Satellite data are transmitted to NOAA Command and Data Acquisition (CDA) stations for processing and distribution to users 3 DoD Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) ♦ The system is currently using data from four satellites (3 day/night, 1 dawn/dusk) in circular, sun synchronous, nearly polar orbits 450 nm above the earth with an orbital period of 101 minutes. Each satellite provides global coverage twice a day. ♦ Satellite instrumentation includes an Operational Linescan System (OLS); Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I); Special Sensor Microwave Water Vapor Sounder (SSM/T-2); Atmospheric Temperature profiler (SSM/T); Precipitating Electron and Ion Spectrometer (SSJ/4); Ion Scintillation Monitor (SSI/ES); and Magnetometer (SSM). • OLS provides visible and infrared images used to monitor the global distribution of clouds and cloud top temperatures. • SSM/I data are used to derive ocean surface wind, area covered by ice, ice edge, precipitation, cloud liquid water, integrated water vapor, soil moisture, land surface temperature, snow cover, and sea surface temperature. • SSM/T provides atmospheric temperature profiles. 4 DoD Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) (Cont) ♦ Satellite instrumentation (Cont) • SSM/T-2 provides water vapor concentrations. • The space environment sensors (SSJ/4, SSI/ES, and SSM) record along-track plasma densities, velocities, composition, and drift. ♦ Satellite data are transmitted to command and readout stations and forwarded to the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) for processing and distribution to users and the National Geophysical Data Center’s Solar Terrestrial Physics Division Earth Observation Group (NGDC/STP/EOG) for archiving 5 NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) ♦ The NASA EOS includes the following NASA provided satellites: • Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) • Landsat 7 • Quik Scatterometer (QuikScat) • Terra • Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite (ACRIMSAT) • New Millennium Program/Earth Observing-1 (NMP/EO-1) • Aqua • Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) • Aura • ESSP/CloudSat • National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) ♦TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It was designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall and the associated release of energy that helps to power the global atmospheric circulation, shaping both weather and climate around the globe. ♦Satellite Instrumentation consists of: •Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) − 3-channel radiometer measuring reflected solar radiation, emitted terrestrial radiation, and total radiation, will monitor the natural and anthropogenic effects on the Earth's total thermal radiation budget. •Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) − Detects and locates lightning over the tropical region of the globe. The sensor provides information that could lead to future advanced lightning sensors capable of significantly improving weather “nowcasting.” NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) ♦Satellite Instrumentation (Cont): • Precipitation Radar (PR) − An electronically scanning radar, operating at 13.8 GHz that measures the 3-D rainfall distribution over both land and ocean, and defines the layer depth of the precipitation. • TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) − Passive microwave sensor designed to provide quantitative rainfall information over a wide swath under the TRMM satellite. • Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) − Five-channel visible/infrared radiometer that detects radiation at 1 visible, 2 near infrared and 2 thermal infrared wavelengths, allowing determination of cloud coverage, cloud top height and temperature, and precipitation indices. The central wavelengths for the VIRS channels are 0.63, 1.60, 3.75, 10.8, and 12.0 microns. All channels are in operation during the daytime, but only channels 3, 4 and 5 operate during the nighttime. NASA Landsat 7 ♦ Landsat 7 provides data for remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) science and applications around the world. ♦ The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for operating the satellite, distributing the data, and maintaining an archive of Landsat 7 and other remotely sensed data. ♦ The satellite instrumentation consists of the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) • The ETM+ sensor has the seven spectral bands of the original TM: Six acquire Earth reflectance data, one acquires Earth temperature data. The ETM+ also adds a 15-m panchromatic band to obtain higher spatial resolution and improves the spatial resolution of the Earth temperature band to 60-m. NASA Quik Scatterometer (QuikScat) ♦ QuikScat acquires accurate, high-resolution, continuous, all-weather measurements of global (land, ice, and ocean) radar cross-sections and near-surface vector winds over the ice-free global oceans. The wind measurements are used for research investigations as well as in operational weather prediction. Radar cross-sections from land and ice-covered regions are used for vegetation classification/monitoring, cryospheric investigations, and operational ice-edge and iceberg detection and monitoring. ♦ Antenna ceased rotating in November 2009: still providing useful data through cross calibration with other satellites. ♦ The satellite instrument is a Microwave Radar called SeaWinds NASA Terra ♦ Terra provides global data on the state of the atmosphere, land, and oceans, as well as their interactions with solar radiation and with one another. ♦ The satellite contains the following instruments: • Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) − Provides detailed maps of land surface temperature, reflectance, and elevation. • Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) − 3-channel radiometer measuring reflected solar radiation, emitted terrestrial radiation, and total radiation, will monitor the natural and anthropogenic effects on the Earth's total thermal radiation budget. • Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) − Viewing the sunlit Earth simultaneously at nine widely-spaced angles, MISR provides radiometrically and geometrically calibrated images in four spectral bands at each of the angles. NASA Terra (Cont) ♦ The satellite instruments (Cont): • Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) − Provides high radiometric sensitivity (12 bit) in 36 spectral bands ranging in wavelength from 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm. The responses are custom tailored to the individual needs of the user community and provide exceptionally low out-of-band response. Two bands are imaged at a nominal resolution of 250 m at nadir, with five bands at 500 m, and the remaining 29 bands at 1 km. A ±55-degree scanning pattern at the EOS orbit of 705 km achieves a 2,330-km swath and provides global coverage every one to two days. • Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) − Using gas correlation spectroscopy, the sensor measures emitted and reflected radiance from the Earth in three spectral bands. Its specific focus is on the distribution, transport, sources, and sinks of carbon monoxide and methane in the troposphere. NASA Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite (ACRIMSAT) ♦ The purpose of ACRIMSAT is to study Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). ♦ The satellite contains the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor. NASA New Millennium Program/Earth Observing-1 (NMP/EO-1) ♦ EO-1 is a technology validation / demonstration mission designed to demonstrate new technologies and strategies for improved Earth observations.