Andrew Yee
November 5th 04, 03:29 PM
Office of Public and Constituent Affairs
NOAA
Washington, D.C.
Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA Satellites and Information Service
(301) 457-5005,
Ben Sherman, NOAA Ocean Service
(301) 713-3066 ext. 178,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/19/04
NOAA 2004-103
FUTURE NOAA SPACECRAFT WILL IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF AMERICA'S COASTAL WATERS
During a recent meeting in Corvallis, Ore., scientists from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, the Office of Naval Research and academia
discussed using data from a highly advanced imaging device -- set to go onboard
the next generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
(GOES-R) -- to track red tides, oil spills, upwelling and other U.S. coastal
water management issues more effectively. NOAA is an agency of the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
The device, called the Hyperspectral Environment Suite, will be a major imaging
instrument on the GOES-R spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in 2012. HES
will include a capability to image all U.S. coastal waters and is expected to
provide critical data to resource managers and researchers studying climate,
fisheries, coastal ecology and oceanography.
The scientists are part of the Coastal Ocean Applications and Science Team,
which is a new effort to ensure that GOES-R data meet stringent research and
application criteria to better monitor and study coastal waters.
"NOAA is working with other government agencies, academia and the private sector
in efforts to build an integrated ocean observing system, a shared collection of
data that the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy strongly recommends as a critical
step in improving ocean and coastal resource management," said Richard W.
Spinrad, assistant administrator of NOAA's National Ocean Service. "Having the
type of detailed data that the HES imaging instrument can provide is a critical
component of building such a system."
"Having the best possible management of coastal waters will have a positive
impact on America's marine economy and better protect citizens who live in
coastal communities," said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator of NOAA's
Satellites and Information. "The imager's data will also provide coastal
officials improved information, enabling better decisions."
Withee pointed to a key advantage of coastal imaging from GOES spacecraft.
"Because it's stationary, GOES can stare at an area of interest for long
periods, taking advantage of openings in the cloud cover to capture developments
in coastal waters from start to finish."
COAST is reviewing coastal waters imaging requirements for HES, with a goal of
having a technical approach to implementing the applications a year from now.
The team will also identify, develop and test new products that help NOAA
achieve its operational mission in the coastal ocean.
"COAST represents a new partnership between NOAA and the scientific community.
GOES-R HES will provide a fundamentally new capability to study the complex
processes in our coastal oceans," said Mark Abbott, chair of COAST and dean of
the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.
NOAA's Satellites and Information is the nation's primary source of space-based
oceanographic, meteorological and climate data. It operates the nation's
environmental satellites, which are used for ocean and weather observation and
forecasting, climate monitoring, and other environmental applications. Some of
the oceanographic applications include sea-surface temperature for hurricane and
weather forecasting and sea-surface heights for El Nino prediction.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the
prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing
environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.
On the Web:
* NOAA
http://www.noaa.gov
* NOAA Satellites and Information Service
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov
* NOAA Ocean Service
http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/
* NOAA Satellites Page
http://www.noaa.gov/satellites.html
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/images/goes-n2.jpg (269KB)]
Artist's rendering of NOAA GOES in a geosynchronous position above the Earth.
Please credit "NOAA".
NOAA
Washington, D.C.
Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA Satellites and Information Service
(301) 457-5005,
Ben Sherman, NOAA Ocean Service
(301) 713-3066 ext. 178,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/19/04
NOAA 2004-103
FUTURE NOAA SPACECRAFT WILL IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF AMERICA'S COASTAL WATERS
During a recent meeting in Corvallis, Ore., scientists from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, the Office of Naval Research and academia
discussed using data from a highly advanced imaging device -- set to go onboard
the next generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
(GOES-R) -- to track red tides, oil spills, upwelling and other U.S. coastal
water management issues more effectively. NOAA is an agency of the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
The device, called the Hyperspectral Environment Suite, will be a major imaging
instrument on the GOES-R spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in 2012. HES
will include a capability to image all U.S. coastal waters and is expected to
provide critical data to resource managers and researchers studying climate,
fisheries, coastal ecology and oceanography.
The scientists are part of the Coastal Ocean Applications and Science Team,
which is a new effort to ensure that GOES-R data meet stringent research and
application criteria to better monitor and study coastal waters.
"NOAA is working with other government agencies, academia and the private sector
in efforts to build an integrated ocean observing system, a shared collection of
data that the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy strongly recommends as a critical
step in improving ocean and coastal resource management," said Richard W.
Spinrad, assistant administrator of NOAA's National Ocean Service. "Having the
type of detailed data that the HES imaging instrument can provide is a critical
component of building such a system."
"Having the best possible management of coastal waters will have a positive
impact on America's marine economy and better protect citizens who live in
coastal communities," said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator of NOAA's
Satellites and Information. "The imager's data will also provide coastal
officials improved information, enabling better decisions."
Withee pointed to a key advantage of coastal imaging from GOES spacecraft.
"Because it's stationary, GOES can stare at an area of interest for long
periods, taking advantage of openings in the cloud cover to capture developments
in coastal waters from start to finish."
COAST is reviewing coastal waters imaging requirements for HES, with a goal of
having a technical approach to implementing the applications a year from now.
The team will also identify, develop and test new products that help NOAA
achieve its operational mission in the coastal ocean.
"COAST represents a new partnership between NOAA and the scientific community.
GOES-R HES will provide a fundamentally new capability to study the complex
processes in our coastal oceans," said Mark Abbott, chair of COAST and dean of
the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.
NOAA's Satellites and Information is the nation's primary source of space-based
oceanographic, meteorological and climate data. It operates the nation's
environmental satellites, which are used for ocean and weather observation and
forecasting, climate monitoring, and other environmental applications. Some of
the oceanographic applications include sea-surface temperature for hurricane and
weather forecasting and sea-surface heights for El Nino prediction.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the
prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing
environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.
On the Web:
* NOAA
http://www.noaa.gov
* NOAA Satellites and Information Service
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov
* NOAA Ocean Service
http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/
* NOAA Satellites Page
http://www.noaa.gov/satellites.html
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/images/goes-n2.jpg (269KB)]
Artist's rendering of NOAA GOES in a geosynchronous position above the Earth.
Please credit "NOAA".