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Axion 3D Atlas
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sats
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1998-01-23
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{bigtext=20,85,"NOAA"}
{4}National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
{4}To see the orbit of the NOAA satellites, click {s,"00,2",here}{4}!
Several satellites in the NOAA system, including the GOES, monitor search and
rescue frequencies as part of an international program known as COSPAS (a Russian
abbreviation of space system for search vessels in distress). However, the prime
customer is NOAA'S National Weather Service, which uses satellite date to create
forecasts for television, radio, and weather advisory services.
NOAA's operation weather satellite system is composed of two types of satellites:
geostationary operation environmental satellites (GOES) for short-range warning
and "now-casting" and polar-orbiting satellites for longer-term forecasting. Both
kinds of satellites are necessary for providing a complete global weather monitoring
system.
(Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites){4}
GOES is a scientific satellite that provides the kind of continuous monitoring
necessary for intensive data analysis. They circle the Earth in a geosynchronous
orbit, which means they orbit the equatorial plane of the Earth at a speed matching
the Earth's rotation. This allows them to hover continuously over one position on
the surface. The geosynchronous plane is about 35,800 km (22,300 miles) above the
Earth, high enough to allow the satellites a full-disc view of the Earth. Because
they stay above a fixed spot on the surface, they provide a constant vigil for
atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods,
hail storms, and hurricanes. When these conditions develop the GOES satellite monitor
storms and track their movements.
GOES satellite imagery is also used to estimate rainfall during the thunderstorms
and hurricanes for flash flood warnings, as well as estimates snowfall accumulations
and overall extent of snow cover. Such data help meteorologists issue winter storm
warnings and spring snow melt advisories. Satellite sensors also detect ice fields
and map the movements of sea and lake ice.
The data gathered by GOES-I, combined with that from new Doppler radars, will make
possible a revolutionary flood and water management system devised by National Weather
Service hydrologists, greatly aiding water resource managers as they make critical
decisions about allocating precious water resources, particularly those of the western
states.