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Earth Observations from Space: The First 50 Years of Scientific Achievements (2008)

Chapter: Appendix A: Examples of Scientific Accomplishments and Relevant Satellite Missions

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Examples of Scientific Accomplishments and Relevant Satellite Missions." National Research Council. 2008. Earth Observations from Space: The First 50 Years of Scientific Achievements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11991.
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Page 121
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Examples of Scientific Accomplishments and Relevant Satellite Missions." National Research Council. 2008. Earth Observations from Space: The First 50 Years of Scientific Achievements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11991.
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Page 122

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Appendix A Examples of Scientific Accomplishments and Relevant Satellite Missions TABLE A.1  Examples of Landmark Satellite Missions That Have Contributed Significantly to the Scientific Accomplishments Discussed in this Report Satellite Accomplishment ATS/SMS/GOES • Weather observations of the tropics and midlatitudes from geostationary altitude (2, 3) Meteosat • Tropical cyclone detection and forecasting (3) GMS Aura • Observing stratospheric ozone (5) • Observing trace gases in the stratosphere, ozone chemistry (5) • Observing trace gases in the troposphere, tropospheric chemistry and transport (5) • Tropospheric ozone (5) • Global climatology of aerosols (4) CloudSat • Global distribution of cloud properties (4) CALIPSO Envisat • Stratospheric ozone (5) • Stratospheric trace gases (5) • Tropospheric ozone (5) • Tropospheric trace gases (5) ERS 1 and 2 • Observing stratospheric ozone (5) • Observing trace gases in the stratosphere (5) • Tropospheric ozone (5) • Observing trace gases in the troposphere (5) • Glacier extent and position of equilibrium line (7) • Understanding ocean tides (8) • Westward-propagating sea surface height variability (8) • Mapping global fires (10) • First images of earthquakes (11) Explorer 7 • Earth radiation budget (2, 4) GPS • Plate tectonics (11) GRACE • Analysis of groundwater (6) • Geodesy (11) • Mean Gravity Model (11) ICESat • Ice shelf collapse (7) continued 121

122 APPENDIX A TABLE A.1  Continued Satellite Accomplishment LAGEOS • Geodesy (11) Landsat • Seasonal snow cover (6) • Increasing growing season (9) • Studying plant physiology (9) • Monitoring agricultural lands (10) • Estimating tropical deforestation (10) • Mapping global land cover (2, 10) • Understanding desertification (10) • Monitoring urban areas (10) Nimbus series • Observing stratospheric dynamics (5) • Observing distribution and decrease of stratospheric ozone (5) • Measuring stratospheric trace gases (5) • Antarctic ozone hole (5) • Tropospheric ozone (5) • Declining Arctic summer sea ice (7) • Satellite images corroborate Sverdrup’s theory (8) • First global maps of marine primary productivity (9) • First atmospheric soundings (3, 4, 5) NOAA • Impact of a volcanic eruption on climate (4) • Global sea surface temperature observations (8) • Atmospheric temperature and moisture soundings for weather prediction (3) • Monitoring global total ozone column over Antarctica (5) QuikScat • Ocean wind measurements reveal two-way ocean-atmosphere interaction (8) RadarSat • Nonuniform and dynamic ice streams in Antarctica (7) • Declining Arctic summer sea ice (7) SRTM • Use of satellite-derived elevation data in hydrology (6) • First fine-resolution topography map (11) Terra/Aqua • Distribution of tropospheric carbon monoxide, ozone precursor (5) • Mapping global fires (10) • Indirect effects of aerosols (4) • Global distribution of cloud properties (4) • Global climatology of aerosols (4) • Global marine and terrestrial primary productivity (9) • The carbon cycle (9) TIROS • Weather imagery (2, 3) • Numerical weather prediction (3) TOPEX/Poseidon • Global mean sea level (8) • Understanding ocean tides (8) • Westward propagating sea-surface height variability (8) • Discovery of internal tides and their contribution to ocean mixing (8) • El Niño (9) TRMM • Precipitation over the oceans and the tropics (6) • Ligntning as source of tropospheric NOx (5) UARS • Stratospheric ozone distribution (5) • Role of chloride in ozone depletion (5) • Transport and partitioning of chlorine species in stratosphere (5) • Depiction of tropical tape recorder (5) NOTE: ERS = European Remote Sensing Satellite; GOME = Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment; GPS = Global Positioning System; GRACE = Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment; ICESat = Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite; NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; SRTM = Shuttle Radar Topography Mission; TIROS = Television InfraRed Observation Satellite; TOPEX = Topography Experiment; TRMM = Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

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Over the past 50 years, thousands of satellites have been sent into space on missions to collect data about the Earth. Today, the ability to forecast weather, climate, and natural hazards depends critically on these satellite-based observations. At the request of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Research Council convened a committee to examine the scientific accomplishments that have resulted from space-based observations. This book describes how the ability to view the entire globe at once, uniquely available from satellite observations, has revolutionized Earth studies and ushered in a new era of multidisciplinary Earth sciences. In particular, the ability to gather satellite images frequently enough to create "movies" of the changing planet is improving the understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and helping society to manage limited resources and environmental challenges. The book concludes that continued Earth observations from space will be required to address scientific and societal challenges of the future.

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