Sienna Rhodes
Atmospheric sounding has played a pivotal role in transforming weather prediction. The process involves using instruments called sounders to probe the sky vertically for details on temperature, moisture, and water vapour, revealing nuanced changes in the Earth's atmosphere. The development and launch of advanced satellites, such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), have enabled scientists to measure various wavelengths with high precision. This technology has not only improved weather forecasting on Earth but has also been instrumental in understanding the climates of other planets, such as Mars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Publication of Kaplan's paper | 1959 |
| Title of Kaplan's paper | "Inference of Atmospheric Structure from Remote Radiation Measurements" |
| Number of spectral channels in Nimbus-3 SIRS instrument | 8 |
| Number of channels in the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) | 2,378 |
| Number of channels in Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) | 2,211 |
| Number of channels in Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) | 22 |
| Number of soundings weather satellites take per day | Hundreds of thousands |
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What You'll Learn
- The Nimbus satellite fleet provides forecasts on weather, storms, and search and rescue
- Atmospheric sounding helps understand climates of other planets
- Atmospheric sounding reveals subtle changes in Earth's atmosphere
- Hyperspectral sounding allows satellites to distinguish features at various wavelengths
- Atmospheric sounding provides early storm warnings
The Nimbus satellite fleet provides forecasts on weather, storms, and search and rescue
The Nimbus satellite fleet has been instrumental in providing forecasts on weather, storms, and aiding in search and rescue operations. The Nimbus program, named after the Latin word for "rain cloud", comprised seven satellites launched between 1964 and 1978 into near-polar, Sun-synchronous orbits. These second-generation US robotic spacecraft were designed to collect data on atmospheric science, ocean and air temperatures, air pressure, and cloudiness, and the Earth's ozone layer.
The Nimbus satellites revolutionized weather forecasting and our understanding of the atmosphere. They were the first to provide daytime and nighttime images of hurricanes, offering meteorologists unprecedented views of storms and pioneering the use of satellite technology for hurricane warnings. The Nimbus 3 satellite, launched in 1969, played a crucial role in this regard. It utilized the first technology that allowed satellites to locate and receive data from weather-observation stations in remote locations, greatly improving forecasting accuracy.
The Nimbus fleet also made significant contributions to search and rescue operations. The Nimbus 3 satellite, for instance, demonstrated the first satellite-based search and rescue system, successfully rescuing two hot air balloonists in the North Atlantic in 1977. Furthermore, Nimbus satellites aided in tracking a Japanese adventurer attempting a solo dogsled expedition to the North Pole. Tens of thousands of people have been rescued through the Search and Rescue Satellite-aided Tracking (SARSAT) system on NOAA satellites, a testament to the lifesaving impact of the Nimbus program.
The insights gained from the Nimbus missions laid the foundation for modern Earth-observing fleets. The data collected by these satellites helped develop the first global data sets on the ozone layer, oceanic plankton, and atmospheric temperatures. Additionally, Nimbus satellites contributed to our understanding of the destruction of the ozone layer by atmospheric chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The legacy of the Nimbus program continues to shape our ability to study weather patterns, atmospheric phenomena, and other Earth systems.
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Atmospheric sounding helps understand climates of other planets
Atmospheric sounding has helped scientists understand the climates of other planets beyond Earth. In his 1959 paper, Kaplan predicted that "Earth satellites hold the promise of continuous and truly global sounding of the atmosphere". Sixty years later, his prediction came true, with the development of advanced satellite technology that can measure the temperature, moisture, and water vapour of other planets.
Sounding technology has been used on the Mariner, Voyager, and Cassini missions to provide insights into the temperature and composition of Mars and the outer planets. This technology has become increasingly sensitive and precise at measuring wavelengths, with the introduction of "hyperspectral sounding" in the mid-1980s. Hyperspectral sounding allows satellite instruments to distinguish features at various wavelengths with high precision.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), for example, has 2,378 channels in the infrared range, enabling it to capture detailed information about the atmosphere. This has led to dramatic improvements in weather forecasting, with microwave sounding systems and hyperspectral infrared making significant contributions to weather forecasts.
By utilising atmospheric sounding, scientists can measure the vertical distribution of physical properties in the atmospheric column of other planets, such as pressure, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, liquid water content, and ozone concentration. This data helps in understanding the unique climates and atmospheric conditions present on these distant worlds.
Overall, atmospheric sounding has played a crucial role in expanding our knowledge beyond Earth, providing valuable insights into the complex climates and atmospheric compositions of other planets in our solar system.
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Atmospheric sounding reveals subtle changes in Earth's atmosphere
Atmospheric sounding has played a crucial role in transforming weather prediction. This process involves using instruments called sounders to probe the sky vertically for details on temperature, moisture, and water vapour, revealing subtle changes in the Earth's atmosphere. The development and improvement of these instruments have been led by NASA and NOAA.
The foundation for this technology was laid by Kaplan, who, in a 1959 paper titled "Inference of Atmospheric Structure from Remote Radiation Measurements," outlined ideas that transformed weather forecasting. Kaplan's work recognised that temperature is a measure of the kinetic motion of molecules. By understanding the atmospheric infrared spectrum, satellites can measure the radiation of different molecules at various altitudes. This allows scientists to determine temperature, moisture, and gas composition at different altitudes.
Over the years, atmospheric soundings have become increasingly sensitive and precise at measuring wavelengths. The development of hyperspectral sounding in the mid-1980s was a significant advancement, allowing satellite instruments to distinguish features at various wavelengths with high precision. This technology has been crucial in understanding the climates of other planets, such as Mars.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), launched in May 2002, is a notable example of a hyperspectral instrument. It has 2,378 channels in the infrared range, far surpassing the spectral channels of previous instruments. The Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 satellites, which orbit the Earth from pole to pole, are equipped with advanced hyperspectral sounders, contributing significantly to weather forecasts. These advancements have led to dramatic improvements in weather forecasting, providing valuable data for diverse applications and early storm warnings.
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Hyperspectral sounding allows satellites to distinguish features at various wavelengths
In the mid-1980s, scientists developed hyperspectral sounding, a new way of observing the Earth from space. Hyperspectral sounding is a process that allows satellites to distinguish features at various wavelengths with high precision. This process is also known as hyperspectral imaging.
Hyperspectral imaging collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. It aims to obtain the spectrum for each pixel in the image of a scene, enabling the identification of materials or detection of processes. Each image represents a narrow wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum, also known as a spectral band. These images are combined to form a three-dimensional (x, y, λ) hyperspectral data cube for processing and analysis. The x and y represent the two spatial dimensions of the scene, while λ represents the spectral dimension, comprising a range of wavelengths.
Different objects on Earth's surface reflect, absorb, scatter and emit light at specific wavelengths, creating a unique spectral fingerprint that hyperspectral imagers can identify. This technique has greatly enhanced our perception of the Earth's surface and its features, providing greater precision than multispectral imaging.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), a hyperspectral instrument launched in May 2002, has 2,378 channels in the infrared range, a significant improvement over previous instruments with only a few spectral channels.
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Atmospheric sounding provides early storm warnings
Atmospheric sounding has transformed weather prediction, and it all started with the work of Kaplan, who worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Lab, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1959, he published a paper titled "Inference of Atmospheric Structure from Remote Radiation Measurements", which laid the foundation for modern weather forecasting.
Kaplan's ideas led to the development of instruments called sounders, which probe the sky vertically for details on temperature, moisture, and water vapour, revealing subtle changes in the Earth's atmosphere. NASA and NOAA have been at the forefront of developing these technologies.
Today, weather satellites take hundreds of thousands of soundings daily, playing a crucial role in providing early storm warnings. These satellites can detect and measure the radiation of different molecules at various altitudes, including water, carbon dioxide, and ozone. This capability is based on the understanding that everything with a temperature radiates, including the molecules of gases in the atmosphere.
By analysing the radiation emitted by these molecules at different altitudes, scientists can determine temperature, moisture, and gas composition. This data is invaluable for predicting storms and other extreme weather events. The development of hyperspectral sounding in the 1980s further enhanced the precision of these measurements, with instruments like the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) offering significantly higher spectral resolution than its predecessors.
The combination of advanced technologies, such as hyperspectral infrared and microwave sounding systems, has dramatically improved weather forecasting accuracy. These systems have become indispensable tools for providing early warnings of impending storms, allowing communities to prepare and mitigate potential impacts.
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Frequently asked questions
Atmospheric sounding is the process by which instruments called sounders probe the sky vertically for details on temperature, moisture, and water vapour, revealing subtle changes in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Atmospheric sounding has transformed weather prediction by providing a way to collect data about the current state of the atmosphere, which can then be used to predict how it will change. Weather satellites now take hundreds of thousands of soundings a day, playing a vital role in early storm warnings.
Sounders are instruments that can measure the radiation of different molecules at different altitudes. They can be used to provide temperature, moisture, and gas composition data.
