Weather forecasting requires meteorological satellites orbiting our planet. These satellites are used to detect and analyze all the characteristics of the atmosphere and the various factors that influence climate and atmospheric phenomena. They are also of great importance to human activities and development. In the past, they were relevant for military operations and planning in a wide range of situations.
In this article, we'll tell you all about the features, operation, and importance of weather satellites.
Key features
Observing the atmosphere and its conditions is fundamental to understanding the planet's climate. Weather satellites are responsible for observing, detecting, and recording all weather forecasts. Various types and characteristics of probes are used for different atmospheric studies. Some of these have limitations, such as the amount of solar radiation they can receive. For example, there are weather satellites that operate using infrared radiation and do not require sunlight to function. However, if more precise data or real-time information is needed, a very wide instantaneous broadcast is required.
The use of weather satellites began after World War II. It took 10 years to launch the first satellite, starting in 1947, as the field was under continuous study and research. The idea quickly emerged as a way to explain weather phenomena for military purposes. Currently, different detection methods are used, and the entire spectrum is utilized, from ultraviolet to microwaves, including the visible spectrum and radio waves.
Conditions for the use of meteorological satellites
To achieve the correct use of meteorological satellites, certain conditions must be met, such as the following:
- Being in a location far enough away to allow coverage of the entire area where you want to make the prediction. A field of view is needed that allows the identification of cloud masses and all the geophysical characteristics of the terrain. This serves to establish the possible consequences that meteorological phenomena can cause on the ground at ground level.
- The satellite's movement must be planned in such a way that your field of vision appears every 12 hours. It is convenient to travel twice over the same cloud system to be able to correctly identify the atmospheric disturbances that are associated with the cloud system.
- The speed of movement of the satellite must be such that it allows a precise location of all the cloud systems under study with respect to the terrestrial areas to which it influences.
- Usually almost all storms move east from west. For this reason, weather satellites must have a westward motion component. We are referring to the west with respect to the earth's surface. In this way, it is able to detect atmospheric disturbances that may appear depending on the cloud system that is being analyzed.
- The entire earth's surface must be covered at least once a day. Thanks to this, you can have a panoramic view of the entire global atmospheric scenario.
All the conditions we have established are met as long as the satellites are positioned at a radius of 2.01 Earth units. Measurements must always be taken from the Earth's center and with a rotation period of approximately 4 hours.
Usefulness of meteorological satellites
Let's explore the potential uses of data collected by weather satellites . We know that since 1966, the Earth's surface has been continuously photographed, at least once a day. Not all photos are used in real time; they are archived for various statistical analyses and climatological research. As we know, climatology is the science that studies all meteorological and atmospheric factors over geological time. In other words, climatology could be described as the sum of all variables and their behavior over time.
This information obtained from weather satellites has been very useful in numerous cases. Let's look at some examples:
- On planet Earth there are different large areas in which information is obtained thanks to conventional methods such as deserts, polar zones and ocean expanses of the northern and southern hemispheres where humans cannot study in situ. Thanks to this type of technology we can obtain information about these places without having to be in them.
- Another of the cases where the information obtained with meteorological satellites has been very useful is for the location and monitoring of hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms. It is vitally important to obtain information about the behavior of these extreme meteorological phenomena in order to be able to take extreme precautions and avoid possible disasters.
The data provided by meteorological satellites can be used to obtain charts of sea surface temperatures. The temperature on the sea surface is an important variable since it is the determining factor for the movement of marine currents. This information is not only useful for the weather, but also for navigation and fishing.
Methods for obtaining information
The only system capable of obtaining complete coverage of atmospheric temperature at different altitudes is meteorological satellites. Launching a meteorological satellite requires a launch vehicle. The advantage of space shuttles is their ability to be used for data collection in laboratories for longer periods than suborbital flights. Thanks to these vehicles, information can be obtained on the following aspects:
- Temperature control in all parts of the atmosphere and the earth's surface.
- External and internal communications.
- Atmospheric data processing.
- Control of the stability and maneuvers of both commercial and military aircraft.
- Influence of cosmic rays on our planet.
- Astronomy.
- Plasma physics
- Environmental observations
I hope that with this information you can learn more about meteorological satellites and how they work.