Name__________________________
Period__________Date____________
Remote
Sensing of the Earth by Satellite
Infrared satellite images are constantly being taken of
GOES Satellites (Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellites) Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) circle the Earth in a
geosynchronous orbit over the equator. This means they observe the Earth
from the exact same place all the time. This allows the GOES satellites to
continuously monitor a single position on the earth's surface. From 35,800
kilometers (22,300 miles) above the earth, GOES satellites provide
half-hourly observations of the earth and its environment. Earth coverage
of the GOES-8
and GOES-10 satellites is shown
below.
(GOES West)
(GOES West)
(GOES East)
|
Images provided by: Satellite Coverages and Orbits (NCAR) |
An
infrared sensor aboard the satellite measures the infrared radiation emitted by
objects in the atmosphere such as clouds, or ocean and land surfaces. Using
special calculations the infrared emitted can be converted into the temperature
of the object. The information
collected
is used to create maps of the surface using a gray scale, dark gray or black
for warm surfaces and bright white for cold surfaces.
Infrared:
Electromagnetic
radiation at wavelengths
longer than the red end of visible light and shorter than microwaves
(roughly between 1 and 100 microns). A micron is one-millionth of a meter.
(10-6 meters.) This seems to be the unit of choice for the
infrared.
This
investigation uses a special computer program called an applet, which uses the
information collected by the GOES East and West satellites, and produces a map
that covers the
There
are questions toward the end of the
assignment to test your understanding of this introductory reading.
Procedure:
1. Go to the web site http://64.55.87.13/amsedu/WES/composite_ir.html and allow a
few moments for the picture to load.
2. After the picture loads,
place the mouse cursor on the very tip of
3. The white and bright white
areas are the tops of clouds. Move your cursor around and investigate the
temperatures of the cloud tops. What is the temperature in degrees Celsius and
Fahrenheit and the latitude and longitude of the coldest clouds on the
map.________ ° Celsius _______°F at latitude________degrees N. and longitude
________degrees W.
4. Investigate some of the dark
gray or black areas on the map. These areas are (warmer)(colder) than the cloud
tops. This is because they are at a
much higher altitude above the Earth’s surface.
5. Scroll to the area on the
lower border of the map where you will see the date and the time of the map
. The date is______________
6. The time is ________UTC
which is the same as Greenwich Mean Time along the prime meridian( O° longitude). How many hours earlier are we
(75° west longitude)________hours. So the Eastern Time for this map would
be_________.
7. From what you have already
learned in earth science about the differences in heating of land and water
predict whether the land or water surfaces on this date should be warmer. The (water)(land) surfaces should be warmer
at this time of year.
8. Now test your prediction by
placing the cursor over cloud free areas (dark) in adjacent(neighboring) areas
of land and water at the same
latitude. Do this in several spots
to confirm your results. The water areas were (warmer)(colder) than the
adjacent land areas. This (is)(is not) consistent with your prediction.
9. Why did you have to make
sure that you were at the same latitude to test your
hypothesis?___________________________________________________________
10. Questions to test your
understanding of introductory reading:
Cross out the word that makes the statement false
and replace it with a word that makes the statement true. If the statement is already true than simply
write true after the statement.
(a) a geostationary satellite is
positioned over the North Pole of the Earth
(b) the satellites are called
GOES because it “goes “ around the earth
(c) GOES west shows a view of
the North and South American west coast
(d) The satellite directly
measures the temperature of objects within its view.
(e) The maps created by these
satellites are in color
11. Now devise a simple test you could perform to determine whether temperature is related to latitude, using this applet to collect data and reach a conclusion. In the box on the last page, write a Purpose, a Hypothesis, make a data table, and make an inference about your collected data. Just like the latitude variable in procedure #8 that you had to keep constant, what are some variables that you have to keep constant in your experiment? Don’t forget to list them
Purpose: Hypothesis: Variables
to keep constant: Data
Table: Inferences: