MORE HERE... (
http://www.dailywireless.org/2004/05/28 ... satellite/)
Atmospheric Monitoring Via Satellite
Worried about the coming Ice Age? Roland Piquepailles Technology Trends has just the ticket The Satellite A-Train.
NASA says the information gathered by a train of different satellites sweeping over the same spot will improve the understanding of how clouds and aerosols regulate the Earth s climate.
A satellite formation, consisting of six satellites flying in close proximity, may be operational in the near future.
The six satellites of NASA's A-Train
The first satellite, Aqua (acquires precise atmospheric and oceanic measurements), was launched in 2002. The second one, Aura (observes the atmosphere), will be launched in June 2004, while CloudSAT (will use advanced radar to slice through clouds to see their vertical structure), CALIPSO (will provide key measurements of aerosol and cloud properties needed to improve climate predictions), and PARASOL (Frenchs CNES microsatellite project will measure the radiative impact of clouds), will start their missions in October 2004. The last one, OCO, will join them in 2006 and provides space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal anthropogenic driver of climate change.
The individual missions and the A-Train formation are described in this paper, Formation Flying: The Afternoon A-Train Satellite Constellation (PDF format, 6 pages, 263 KB).
The satellites will cross the equator within a few minutes of one another at around 1:30 p.m. local time. By combining the different sets of observations, scientists will be able to gain a better understanding of important parameters related to climate change.
The satellite formation will help answer these important questions.
What are the aerosol types and how do observations match global emission and transport models?
How do aerosols contribute to the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB)/climate forcing?
How does cloud layering affect the Earth Radiation Budget?
What is the vertical distribution of cloud water/ice in cloud systems?
What is the role of Polar Stratospheric Clouds in ozone loss and denitrification of the Arctic vortex?
The National Climate Data Center is the worlds largest active archive of weather data while the National Center for Atmospheric Research watches the sky. Are phenomena like abrupt climate change a serious threat? Talk of the Nation asks the experts (ra).
Dozens of Interactive Map Products are available for things like satellite fire detection, environmental modeling and multibeam bathymetric data using a free Web mapping interface.
NOAA will soon have a new $61 million Satellite Operations Center in Suitland, Md. The new building, expected to open in 2005, will be the nerve center for current and future environmental satellite operations.
The Satellite Operations Control Center provides command, control and communications for three sets of satellites: NOAAs geostationary operational environmental satellites (GOES); NOAAs polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites (POES), and the Department of Defenses Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).
It will also contain operations for the Cospas-Sarsat system which uses NOAA and Russian satellites to detect and locate emergency beacons that emit distress signals from pilots, mariners and hikers as well as the National Naval Ice Center which provides worldwide operational ice analyses for armed forces of the United States, allied nations, U.S. government agencies and the private sector.
Day After Tomorrow may carry suspension of disbelief too far but Mother of Storms by John Barnes, provides an option. It merges climate change, game networking, politics and pornography together to make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
Here are some photos of the Nebraska Tornados and a piece from This America
