Transcript Document

OC3522 - Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere and Ocean - Summer 2001
A Brief History of Environmental Satellite Systems
(suggested reading Chapter 4 - Kidder & Vonder Haar,
Reference Appendix A - List of Meteorological Satellites, and
Remote Sensing Tutorial at http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov)
Mosaic of photographs from V-2 rocket 1947
First Generation
TIROS series - research satellites with:
TV cloud imagery
scanning IR radiometer
low resolution E.R.B. experiments
DMSP - Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (classified until 1973)
IR; cloud cover information
ESSA (TOS) became operational system
Nimbus series - NASA research series with:
passive radiometric sensors for sounding atmosphere
survey land and ocean surfaces
7th operated for about 10 years
experiments became operational instruments on several systems
(IR/MW sounding, MW imaging, Ocean color, ERB)
ATS - geostationary research series
first multispectral imagery from geostationary orbit
SMS and then GOES became operational system
Second Generation
Landsat - land (earth resources) research
NOAA - series of operational polar orbiters
SMS/GOES - operational geostationary
Third Generation
TIROS-N/NOAA - operational polar orbiters, advanced sounders and imagers
GOES - added sounders from geostationary orbit
Additional research systems:
SAGE
ERBE
Seasat - active and passive MW for ocean remote sensing (1978)
GEOS-3 - altimeter (1975)
Landsat - 4/5
and many other
Current Generation - too many to list completely
GOES - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
Interesting
Images
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)
OLS - operational line scan
Visible (0.4-1.1 mm)
Infrared (8-12 mm)
Sat: F13
Thu Jan 1 01:04:29 1998
Low-Light capability
Special Sensor Microwave/Imager
n=19 GHz
n=22 GHz
n=37 GHz
n=85 GHz
TIROS-N/NOAA Polar Orbiters
26 Dec 1996 18:24 Z
Channel 2
(from JHU/APL)
Interesting
Images
History of Satellites Ocean Sciences
http://www.oc.nps.navy.mil/~rtt/history.html
Oceanography - early 1900’s invariant ocean
SIO founded in 1912; WHO 1930
- post WWII - ocean’s not invarient
- 1950’s multiship international surveys begin
Repeat Hydrographic surveys
- 1960’s/70’s Growth in technology; current meter advancement, drifters
- 1970/80s - satellite oceanography
SEASAT - 1978 (CZCS; Altimeter; SAR)
NIMBUS - CZCS 1978
TIROS - AVHRR (SST) 1978
GEOSAT - US NAVY - 1985
ERS 1/2 - SST/SSH/Winds/Waves - 1991
SSMI - 1992 (ICE)
TOPEX/Poseidon - SSH/Winds/Waves 1992
RADARSAT - 1995
SeaWifs - 1997
GFO - US NAVY - SSH/Winds/Waves - 1998
SeaWinds - 1998
Infrared
http://coastwatch.nmfs.hawaii.edu/topex/pictures/latest_hawaii.gif
http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/applications/images/coral-reef-monitoring.gif
Mystery Plankton Bloom in the Bering Sea June 5, 2001
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html
http://www.es.ucsc.edu/~swifs/oceanscience.htm#Productivity
A
B
C
http://www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/ccrs/tekrd/radarsat/images/pei/rpei01e.html
Objectives: Seasat A was the first
satellite designed for sensing of the
Earth's oceans with active microwave
instruments. Specific objectives were
to collect data on sea-surface winds,
ocean topography, sea-surface
temperatures, wave heights, wave
length and direction, atmospheric
water, and sea ice features. The
mission ended after 116 days due to a
failure of the vehicle's electric power
system.
The mission demonstrated the
feasiblity of using microwave sensors
to monitor ocean conditions, and laid
the groundwork for future ocean
missions.
http://www.earth.nasa.gov/history/seasat/seasat.html
The major difference between Seasat-A
and previous Earth observation
satellites was the use of active and
passive microwave sensors to achieve
an all-weather capability.
Current and future satellites