Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations (2003) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3. The Impact of Weather and Climate on Society and a Vision for the Future
3. The Impact of Weather and Climate on Society and a Vision for the Future
Pages 22-34
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 22... ...
Together, the increased sensitivity and the availability of more accurate information are creating more and new users of environmental information and are heightening the value of this information. Satellites provide an essential component of a global observing system that serves as a foundation for an Earth Information System, a comprehensive environmental database that will support a large variety of users for the benefit of society.
|
From page 23... ...
IMPROVEMENTS IN WEATHER INFORMATION PRODUCTS The last several decades have seen major advances in the scientific understanding of weather and climate, and these advances, enabled by observational and computer technologies, have led to major improvements in warnings of severe weather, in short- and medium-range weather forecasts, and in climate outlooks on time scales ranging from a month to a year or longer. For example, the warnings of flash floods, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms by the National Weather Service (NWS)
|
From page 24... ...
Lead T'me (Y2) FIGURE 3.1 Improvement in National Weather Service (NWS)
|
From page 25... ...
The Impact of Weather and Climate on Society and a Vision for the Future 1 00% 80% 60% 40% 20% ~ 0% 400 300 ° 1 200 100 o FIGURE 3.1 Continued Tornado Warnings , _ ;~K ,r~ .
|
From page 26... ...
' . i i i i i j i j j ; j ; _ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1~0 19B1 1~2 1~S 19B4 1~6 1~6 1~7 1~8 1~9 1~0 1~1 1~2 1~S 1~4 1~6 1~6 1~7 1~8 1~9 :~0 :~1 FIGURE 3.2 Trends in 500 hPa geopotential height anomaly correlations from 1980 to 2001 at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
|
From page 27... ...
Weather derivatives are financial instruments that allow energy and other companies sensitive to weather and climate variability to spread out the risk associated with these uncertainties by purchasing "insurance" against such risks (Zen", 2000; Rosenfeld, 20011. A multibillion-dollar industry that provides this protection against weather risks has emerged: it is an industry that is very sensitive not only to accurate weather forecasts but also to accurate historical climate data.
|
From page 28... ...
Imagery and derived parameters will provide highly resolved observational data in a near-real-time, quasi-synoptic manner where our national securityforces need support. Some importantinformation productswill include highly resolved nearshore sea surface height, solar coronal emissions, ocean color, precipitable water, shallow water bathymetry, full wind profiles (including light and variable winds, which are critical for aircraft-carrier operations, especially in tropical areas)
|
From page 29... ...
These suggestions i ncl ude, for example, using expert systems in preparing forecasts, continuing the positions of science operation officers in National Weather Service field offices, and conducting joint research projects involving both research and operational communities. Key to an enhanced technology-infusion process is much more extensive interaction between the research and operational communities.
|
From page 30... ...
But, like the wind-shear problem, it also requires sustained governmental support for the research necessary to improve the operational forecasts, as well as focused and committed resources to carry out the transition to operations and the operations themselves. THE UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF THE VALUE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES As the goal of providing the Earth Information System is realized, many products, with both personal and commercial value, will be generated from the ElS's comprehensive databases.
|
From page 31... ...
A long-range vision, or goal, implicit in many plans and reports and in the missions of NASA and NOAA is to observe the . Improved satellite observations and their more effective use in numerical models are essential because the satellite uniquely provides the global perspective required for the Earth Information System.
|
From page 32... ...
The future global numerical models are envisioned to have a spatial resolution of 1 kilometer or better in the horizontal dimension and about 100 meters in the vertical dimension For this vision of the Earth Information System to become a reality and maximize the return on the satellite research investment, a much more efficient means of transitioning from satellite research experiments to operational systems is required.
|
From page 33... ...
Courtesy of United Kingdom Met Office. (NRC, 1 9991.2 With the appropriate physics and data-assimilation procedures, the models will take advantage of the satellite observations specified with very high spatial resolution, producing both nowcasts and forecasts for a diverse user community.
|
From page 34... ...
For this vision of the EIS to become a reality and maximize the return on the satellite research investment, a much more efficient means of transitioning from satellite research experiments to operational systems is required.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.