Recent Advances and Future Prospects for Weather, Climate, and Ocean Space Observations,
Abstract
Recently significant advances have been made in the application of space observations to weather, climate, and ocean phenomena. Initial results from the Global Weather Experiment indicate a positive satellite impact on synoptic-scale forecast skill. New atmospheric and surface parameters have been retrieved from the TIROS-N sounding system in addition to profiles of temperature and moisture. At the scales of regional and mesoscale weather, new developments have included stereo topography, using observations from two geostationary satellites, and high temporal resolution sounding and imaging of atmospheric temperature and moisture structure from recent Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GEOS). Some exciting General Circulation Model (GCM) experiments have indicated roles of sea surface temperature and soil moisture anomalies in controlling monthly-to seasonal climate. In oceanography, a method has been developed to estimate ocean-atmosphere heat fluxes from satellites, and marked progress has been made in developing techniques for the remote sensing of directional ocean wave spectra. Seasat radar altimeter data have revealed new information on the dynamic topography of the oceans, and Seasat scatterometer winds have been shown to enhance forecast skill. Future prospects include continued improvements in these areas of research and emphasis on the development of active optical (lidar) and microwave (radar) systems for the remote sensing of the atmosphere and oceans. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADP002004
Entities
People
- D. Atlas
- W. R. Bandeen
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration