Latest news with #GOES-RSeries
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Here's Why NASA Is Watching Volcanoes From Space
NASA is closely monitoring volcanoes from space to better understand and predict volcanic eruptions, which can have significant impacts on the environment, climate and human populations. NASA is also studying the changing tree leaves, which can indicate the eruption of a nearby volcano. Scientists believe they can detect these changes from space by monitoring these changes. The US-based space agency has deployed satellites and instruments to monitor the volcanoes, such as Landsat 8 and 9 gives high-resolution images of volcanic activity and ash deposits, Sentinel-5P tracks sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases, GOES-R Series provides real-time imagery of volcanic eruptions and ash clouds, MODIS monitors volcanic ash and aerosols in the atmosphere. Why Is Watching Volcanoes From Space Important? "Volcano early warning systems exist," volcanologist Florian Schwandner, chief of the Earth Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, who had teamed up with climate scientist Josh Fisher of Chapman University in Orange, California and volcanologist Robert Bogue of McGill University in Montreal a decade ago, said as quoted by NASA in a report published on May 15, 2025. "The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier." NASA reported that volcanic hazards pose a threat to approximately 10 per cent of the global population, particularly those living or working near active volcanoes and constant tracking can enable the authorities to prepare and respond accordingly. NASA's satellite instruments can detect volcanic ash and gases, such as sulfur dioxide, which can affect global climate patterns and pose hazards to aviation and human health. The observations also help to understand the climate impacts. Studying volcanoes from space helps scientists get a better understanding of geological processes, the Earth's interior and the interactions between volcanoes and the atmosphere.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
NOAA's most advanced weather monitoring system will be operational soon
Has anyone noticed some weird/missing data from satellite imagery over the past few weeks? There's a reason for that! The old satellite that has been used for years is moving, with the most state-of-the-art satellite set to replace it. Basically, all of the images that are taken from space come from satellites, machines that are launched into space and orbit Earth, or another object and send back information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA collaborated on the sophisticated Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, also known as GOES-R Series. Now, for those wondering, what in the world is a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite? It's a satellite that sits above the equator at a speed matching the Earth's rotation, which allows it to constantly view the same area of the Earth at all times. There are four satellites in the GOES-R series, with its coverage spanning from the west coast of Africa to New Zealand and from near the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle — the last of which (GOES-19) will become operational April 7, 2025. The GOES-R Series imager scans the Earth five times faster with four times the resolution and three times the number of channels than previous satellites for more accurate and reliable forecasts/severe weather warnings. The imager provides images of weather patterns, hurricanes and severe storms as frequently as every 30 seconds. And there are various other benefits from the GOES-R. GOES-16 was launched in 2016 and has been operational ever since for the eastern half of the US. GOES-17 was launched in 2018 as an on-orbit backup. GOES-18 was launched in 2022 and now serves as the operational satellite for the western half of the US. GOES-19 was launched in 2024 and is slated to take over GOES-16 as the main operational satellite for the eastern half of the United States, while GOES-16 becomes the on-orbit backup. During the few weeks it took for GOES-16 and GOES-19 to drift into their new positions, some of the normally flawless satellite images coming from GOES-16 were degraded, which is the reason it looked all wonky/weird earlier. The satellite images will likely no longer be degraded as of Monday when the new GOES-19 satellite officially replaces the old one. But why does this matter? Satellites are the main source of critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. GOES-19 is the culmination of nearly five decades of research, with its primary instrument being the ABI. It's the most advanced weather-observing and environmental monitoring system, providing enhanced imagery and atmospheric measurements, real-time mapping of lightning activity, and space weather observations. The ABI is a tool that can view Earth with sixteen different channels, each measuring energy at different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum to obtain information about Earth's atmosphere, land, and ocean. There's also a brand new instrument, the Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR), which will support NOAA's Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) mission. It will be the nation's first operational coronagraph and will serve as the primary source for information about impending geomagnetic storm conditions, allowing the Space Weather Prediction Center to issue warnings one to four days in advance. Tools like these significantly improve detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property, and our nation's economic health and prosperity.
