By Kristin Bullok
April 20 – A new study reports the use of satellite data to study the formation of meddies — large disks of circulating water hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface. Using this method, researchers tracked these warm, salty eddies as they emerged from the Mediterranean Sea into the cooler Atlantic Ocean.
Published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography, the results demonstrate how satellite and infrared data can be used to study the ocean in novel ways. Previous studies of meddies were time consuming and required using networks of ocean floats and temperature sensors. The new approach combines temperature information from satellites and depth information from infrared data to study subsurface features over a large area. Meddies contribute to the overall circulation patterns and heat flow of the ocean, and the new technology should provide information on how these whirlpools affect weather patterns and climate.
Several National Research Council reports address the use of satellites for ocean and climate studies. Toward an Integrated Arctic Observing Network recommends an international effort to integrate various instrumental approaches in the artic and surrounding areas, including buoys and satellites, to study, predict, and respond to arctic and global climate change. Climate Data Records From Environmental Satellites — Interim Report outlines important considerations for using satellites to generate useful climate data. Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications recognizes the broad utility of satellite data and recommends specific steps the government can take to encourage new applications for remote sensing. The report also provides examples of remote sensing applications for coastal areas.
- Toward an Integrated Arctic Observing Network (2006)
- Climate Data Records From Environmental Satellites — Interim Report (2004)
- Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications (2001)
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