CONTACT: Patricia Viets FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/19/96
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will distribute vital information about the oceans to federal agencies and other organizations from the first of a new series of environmental satellites launched by Japan on Aug. 17, the agency announced.
NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service will distribute data electronically to users in the United States, Japan, and other countries around the world for use in weather forecasting and environmental monitoring.
The Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS), launched by the National Space Development Agency of Japan, will observe and monitor the global environment. NOAA, which has enhanced its processing and communications systems to support the data, will use and share data products from several of the instruments.
"NOAA will be a near-real-time user of data from the NASA Scatterometer and NASDA's Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner," said Helen Wood, NOAA's director of satellite data processing and distribution. "Access to these data will provide U.S. and other users with enhanced environmental monitoring capabilities through NOAA's ocean remote-sensing program."
The scatterometer will measure wind speed and direction over the ocean. These data are important in short-term weather warnings and forecasts and will play a key role in our ability to understand and predict complex global weather patterns and climate systems.
Ocean color data will play a vital role in protecting coastal ecosystems and building sustainable fisheries. The data are useful in monitoring pollution and river discharge, detecting and monitoring noxious algal blooms, and locating optimum fishing grounds.
"NOAA is extremely pleased with the successful launch of ADEOS and looks forward to the important new data stream," said D. James Baker, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. NOAA is a partner in the implementation and operation of the ADEOS program. The National Space Development Agency of Japan and NASA signed an agreement on ADEOS in October 1994.
In addition to the scatterometer, NASA is flying a Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aboard ADEOS. TOMS will measure ozone concentration in the atmosphere. NOAA is evaluating TOMS data for possible use in volcanic ash tracking in support of aviation safety.
The satellite will also carry other instruments provided by Japanese and French agencies.
###NOTE: Further information on environmental satellites can be found on the Internet at: http://www.nnic.noaa.gov/SOCC/SOCC_Home.html
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