Pages

10.14.2012

Yes, It's NOAA


How'd That Weather Satellite Get In My Building?


This is an example of one of the three GOES satellites that are parked high in the atmosphere over the US. They send streams of data captured by cameras and sensors back down to regional weather offices.  There are also several environmental satellites that orbit between the poles and what appears to be several dozen other weather satellites run by other countries. 

Our military has their own system which can "see" object as small as an oil tanker. The military satellites can also "see" at night, unlike NOAA's spacecraft.



Though this building does house the local NOAA regional weather center, it is much more than that. Located adjacent to (and partnered with) Colorado University in Boulder, Colorado, the Earth Sciences Research Laboratory is a major center for atmospheric exploration and conditions. The center is currently running major studies on Arctic air, ozone, carbon dioxide and global modeling.



On the broadest end of the spectrum, the ESRL keeps a watch on weather in our solar system. One of the areas of keen interest is tracking solar storms and the impact they have on the earth. In years past solar flares have produced enough radiation to fry many electronic components. This room contains all the inputs currently measuring activity on the sun.



On the other end of the spectrum, this woman is analyzing local conditions. If you are a weather nut like me, then you may be familiar with something called "Forecast Discussion." At the bottom of every National Weather Service online page are a series of links to more information about the daily weather.

I look at Forecast Discussion quite often. The lead forecaster on every shift writes up a synopsis of his or her predictions that usually expresses varying degrees of confidence in their forecast. Kind of a big picture sort of thing. This woman was getting ready to write the forecast discussion for this day. As the weather gets trickier (whether it be tornado or winter weather seasons) the room fills with more forecasters attempting to nail down what is coming our way next.

Tours are free but limited to just one day a week. Me? I think it's going to rain this winter.

No comments:

Post a Comment