| |
|
|
| |
 |
| Weather Satellites |
|
| Scientists who investigate weather phenomenon are called meteorologists. To study a particular feature, may require an observation from a larger area. By combining great number of observations and analysing them by computers it is possible to get information about a large weather system. |
| |
| Satellites orbiting far above the earth's surface provide a new 'observing platform' for meteorologists. One satellite picture may show an area of over one million square kilometers. Low altitude weather satellites orbit at heights between about 800 km and 1100 km. Many are put into a circular polar orbit. On each orbit, the television camera used on the TIROS (Television Infra Red Observation Satellites) series can cover a strip about 3500 km wide around the earth. The strip is made up of a number of pictures taken one after the other, with some overlaps between them. This way the whole surface of the earth may be scanned twice every 24 hours. |
| |
| Weather satellites also helps the
meteorologists to calculate the temperature, the pressure, humidity as well
the wind speed and directions. At high altitudes, satellites track special balloons which are swept along by narrow bands of fast moving air. The most important tasks of satellites are the detection and tracking of powerful tropical storms. Recently it has become possible to make a film of satellite pictures taken at half hourly intervals. By running such a film through ordinary projector, it is easy to see the motion of cloud formations over a period of several days, taking place in less than a minute. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Get FREE Live Tutoring
(No credit card required)
Customer Care
Click to get customer service, technical support and subscription help.
Refer-A-Friend
Get One Month Free!
When you refer a friend
|
|
|
