1 00:00:00,010 --> 00:00:04,010 [slate] 2 00:00:04,030 --> 00:00:08,040 [slate] 3 00:00:08,060 --> 00:00:12,070 So the cool thing about NOAA 4 00:00:12,090 --> 00:00:16,120 satellites is that we have a lot of capability. Not only can we warn you about the 5 00:00:16,140 --> 00:00:20,180 bad weather, but we can also tell you about the good weather as well. So everyone wants to see 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,250 the spring coming through. Well through our satellites you actually have the ability to see spring 7 00:00:24,270 --> 00:00:28,340 actually coming through by the vegetation, by actual blooming. You can actually see 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,370 it getting greener through the season. 9 00:00:32,390 --> 00:00:36,500 [slate] 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,640 So NOAA satellites, we have actually two sets. We have a polar orbiting satellite. So if I use 11 00:00:40,660 --> 00:00:44,800 my hands as the globe, we have a polar orbiting set that actually pulls data 12 00:00:44,820 --> 00:00:48,980 from the planet, but actually pushes that information into the numerical model 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,170 that forecasters use to actually forecast the conditions and weather. And then we also have the geostationary 14 00:00:53,190 --> 00:00:57,360 So as we sit in geostationary sync, we can actually look at 15 00:00:57,380 --> 00:01:01,400 one spot on the globe for a continuous timeframe. And its from that benefit that we can actually 16 00:01:01,420 --> 00:01:05,450 watch weather move from east to west or from west to east. And as a result of that 17 00:01:05,470 --> 00:01:09,510 we can watch entire systems develop and actually go through their entire evolution. 18 00:01:09,530 --> 00:01:13,550 [slate] 19 00:01:13,570 --> 00:01:17,590 So in the past 60 years we've made tremendous advancements 20 00:01:17,610 --> 00:01:21,650 in the science and meteorology as well as with satellites. Satellites 21 00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:25,720 now have the ability, at least the current GOES series, has the ability to see 22 00:01:25,740 --> 00:01:29,800 more information, three times more information than the previous series. We also have a 23 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:33,910 ability to have four times the resolution. And what that provides forecasters 24 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:38,020 now is a greater understanding of real-time development which gives them 25 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,150 a greater ability to provide forecasts for what's going to happen. 26 00:01:42,170 --> 00:01:46,310 And for the climate monitoring perspective we now have multiple channels 27 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:50,500 more channels in which we can see or interrogate the atmosphere and have a better understanding 28 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,680 of what the atmosphere is doing over a longer 29 00:01:54,700 --> 00:01:58,710 and prolonged period of time. [slate] 30 00:01:58,730 --> 00:02:02,890 [slate] So NOAA is able to pull all that data 31 00:02:02,910 --> 00:02:06,930 from the satellites, both from the polar orbiters as well as the geostationary, into 32 00:02:06,950 --> 00:02:10,980 the numerical models in which forecasters use to give you your daily forecasts. The same forecast 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,060 that you use on the phone or that you see on your nightly news. All that information 34 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,150 goes into those numerical models to provide you with high temperatures, 35 00:02:19,170 --> 00:02:23,240 winds, and when you can expect the winds be stronger 36 00:02:23,260 --> 00:02:27,350 or more importantly when you can see the temperatures dropping off. So 37 00:02:27,370 --> 00:02:31,380 all that information goes into those daily forecasts. 38 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,440 [slate] 39 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:39,490 So the good news is with both satellites, with the polar orbiting as well as 40 00:02:39,510 --> 00:02:43,560 the geostationary satellites, you can see all types of weather. And 41 00:02:43,580 --> 00:02:47,640 in weather speak all scales of weather. You can see the very large scale and the very 42 00:02:47,660 --> 00:02:51,740 small scale. Specially with the geostationary with the ability to see 43 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,850 directly into one area, we can target one specific area for forecasters 44 00:02:55,870 --> 00:02:59,980 and they can look at actual storms that will develop and move through 45 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,120 a particular area. In the case of the mid-west if you see a thunderstorm that's going to develop 46 00:03:04,140 --> 00:03:08,310 they have the ability to task that satellite, or request that satellite, to look at 47 00:03:08,330 --> 00:03:12,490 particular area for severe weather every 30 seconds. So they 48 00:03:12,510 --> 00:03:16,670 have near real-time capabilities to watch a storm mature 49 00:03:16,690 --> 00:03:20,720 and it's through that they have the ability to actually forecast and warn you on where 50 00:03:20,740 --> 00:03:24,760 to get out and if you have to actually take shelter. [slate] 51 00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:28,800 [slate] 52 00:03:28,820 --> 00:03:32,990 Well satellites have come a long way, but right now where they have become is actually 53 00:03:33,010 --> 00:03:37,020 an essential tool for emergency managers to manage the message 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,070 on when people need to both get out and get away or even to stay 55 00:03:41,090 --> 00:03:45,140 put because of severe weather that could be moving into the area. That information goes directly 56 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,220 into operation centers, more importantly it goes directly into the forecasters that provide 57 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,310 that forecast to those emergency managers to provide you with that message 58 00:03:53,330 --> 00:03:57,350 whether there's going to be shelter in place or that you need to evacuate. 59 00:03:57,370 --> 00:04:01,370 [slate] 60 00:04:01,390 --> 00:04:05,540 [slate] So the question is how different would the world be without satellites 61 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,710 Well again we'd actually be blind. Without the ability to forecast 62 00:04:09,730 --> 00:04:13,890 conditions as they are going to develop and more importantly how they would impact us over the next 63 00:04:13,910 --> 00:04:18,070 day, two days, or even the next couple of weeks. Now we have the capability to 64 00:04:18,090 --> 00:04:22,110 look at our atmosphere and look at the conditions and actually forecast for those conditions 65 00:04:22,130 --> 00:04:26,140 over at least a 3-7 day period with good confidence. [slate] 66 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,180 [slate] 67 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,240 So how do the NOAA satellites work together in providing us with a forecast? 68 00:04:34,260 --> 00:04:38,320 Well the polar satellites as they rotate over the Earth they actually 69 00:04:38,340 --> 00:04:42,400 are providing atmospheric data that goes directly into the models. And it's with those models 70 00:04:42,420 --> 00:04:46,490 that forecasters provides you with that forecast whether it's the 12 day 71 00:04:46,510 --> 00:04:50,610 3 day or next 24 hour forecast. Geostationary 72 00:04:50,630 --> 00:04:54,750 satellites however, it has the ability to watch one specific spot of the globe 73 00:04:54,770 --> 00:04:58,900 and watch systems develop and move through. So it provides near real-time 74 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,080 capability for forecasters to see how conditions will develop and more importantly how 75 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:07,090 storms will move through the area. [slate] 76 00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:11,250 [slate] 77 00:05:11,270 --> 00:05:15,430 So the cool thing about our new satellite for the GOES satellite is that we have a lightening mapper onboard 78 00:05:15,450 --> 00:05:19,600 And that lightening mapper looks at one specific spot, specifically when thunderstorms 79 00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:23,780 are developing and it gives us an idea of the intensification of that lightening. And lightening 80 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,810 and its activity is a key indicator for forecaster to know how strong 81 00:05:27,830 --> 00:05:31,850 the storm is, more importantly where is it is within its life 82 00:05:31,870 --> 00:05:33,613 and how soon it will actually die off.