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Instrument Onboard
Joint Polar Satellite To Offer Improved Weather Forecasts By Steve Hall |
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February 15, 2012 - A powerful instrument, Cross-track
Infrared Sounder (CrIS) has been designed to give
scientists more refined information about Earth’s
atmosphere and improve weather and climate forecasts is
now active and sending its first data back to Earth from
America’s newest polar-orbiting satellite, Joint Polar
Satellite System (JPSS).
Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is the latest
generation of U.S. polar-orbiting, non-geosynchronous,
environmental satellites. JPSS will provide the global
environmental data used in numerical weather prediction
models for forecasts, and scientific data used for
climate monitoring. JPSS will aid in fulfilling the
mission of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), an agency of the Department of
Commerce.
Data and imagery obtained from the JPSS will increase timeliness and accuracy of public warnings and forecasts of climate and weather events, thus reducing the potential loss of human life and property and advancing the national economy. The JPSS is developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who is responsible for operation of JPSS. |
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The
Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) will produce high
resolution, three-dimensional temperature, atmospheric pressure,
and moisture profiles that will be used in NOAA’s weather
prediction computer models to forecast severe weather days in
advance. Over longer timescales this information will also help
scientists understand climate phenomena such as El Niño and La
Niña.
CrIS is
one of five instruments aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting
Partnership satellite (NPP), which NASA launched on October 28,
2011 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Since it
reached orbit, those instruments, including four used in space
for the first time, are undergoing extensive, initial checkouts
before starting regular science observations.
“Having
data from CrIS will improve the quality, timeliness and accuracy
of NOAA’s weather and climate predictions, which directly
benefits everyone in America,” said Mary Kicza, assistant
administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service.
The Suomi
NPP team is expected to continue commissioning activities until
the end of March. After that is complete NOAA will operate Suomi
NPP, and process and distribute the data to users around the
world. |