Barale / Gower / Alberotanza Oceanography from Space

Revisited
2010
ISBN: 978-90-481-8681-5
Verlag: Springer Netherland
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 374 Seiten, eBook

To all those sailors / Who dreamed before us / Of another way to sail the oceans. The dedication of this Volume is meant to recall, and honour, the bold pioneers of ocean exploration, ancient as well as modern. As a marine scientist, dealing with the oceans through the complex tools, ?lters and mechanisms of contemporary research, I have always wondered what it was like, in centuries past, to look at that vast ho- zon with the naked eye, not knowing what was ahead, and yet to sail on. I have tried to imagine what ancient sailors felt, when “the unknown swirls around and engulfs the mind”, as a forgotten author simply described the brave, perhaps reckless, act of facing such a hostile, menacing and yet fascinating adventure. Innovation has always been the key element, I think, for their success: another way, a better way, a more effective, safer and worthier way was the proper answer to the challenge. The map of our world has been changed time and again, from the geographical as well as the social, economic and scienti?c points of view, by the new discoveries of those sailors. One of the positive qualities of human beings is without doubt the inborn desire to expand their horizons, to see what lies beyond, to learn and understand.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Barale, Vittorio

Gower, J.F.R.

Alberotanza, L.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface.

Contributors.
Oceans from Space, a Once-a-Decade Review of Progress: Satellite Oceanography in a Changing World; J.F.R. Gower.
Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of the Ocean: an Overview; C.L. Gentemann et al.
SMOS and Aquarius/SAC-D Missions: the Era of Spaceborne Salinity Measurements is about to begin; G. Lagerloef and J. Font.
Discoveries about Tropical Cyclones Provided by Microwave Remote Sensing;

K.B. Katsaros
Direct Surface Current Field Imaging from Space by Along-Track InSAR and Conventional SAR; R. Romeiser et al.
Scatterometer’s Unique Capability in Measuring Ocean Surface Stress;

W. Timothy Liu et al.
Interpretation of SAR Signatures of the Sea Surface: A Multi-Sensor Approach;

L.M. Mitnik and V.A. Dubina.
Perspectives on Oil Spill Detection using Synthetic Aperture Radar; M. Vespe et al.
Determining Ocean Circulation and Sea Level from Satellite Altimetry: Progress and Challenges; L.L. Fu.
Absolute Dynamic Topography from Altimetry: Status and Prospects in the Upcoming GOCE Era; M.H. Rio.
The Marine Geoid and Satellite Altimetry; W.H.F. Smith.
Oceanic Planetary Waves and Eddies: a Privileged View from Satellite Altimetry;
P. Cipollini et al.
Sea Surface Temperature Measurements from Thermal Infrared Satellite Instruments: Status and Outlook; C.J. Donlon.
The Validation of Sea Surface Temperature Retrievals from Space-borne Infrared Radiometers; P.J. Minnet.
Use of TIR from Space in Operational Systems; H.M. Beggs.
The Past, Present and Future of ther AVHRR Pathfinders SST Program;

K.S. Casey et al.
Some Reflections on 35 Years of Ocean Color Remote Sensing; H.R. Gordon.
Field Radiometry and Ocean Colour Remote Sensing; G. Zibordi and K.J. Voss.
Forecasting the Coastal Optical Properties using Satellite OceanColour;

R. Arnone et al.
Ocean- Colour Radiometry: Achievements and Future Perspectives; S. Sathyendranath and T. Platt.
Acronyms.
Subject Index.

Leseproben

"Chapter 1 Oceans from Space, a Once-a-Decade Review of Progress: Satellite Oceanography in a ChangingWorld (S. 1-2)

Jim F. R. Gower

1.1 Introduction

At the first Oceans from Space conference in Venice in 1980, we celebrated NASA’s launch of two ocean satellites, Seasat and Nimbus 7, which showed the amazing capabilities of the new images and measurements from space.We saw that altimetry could measure currents and waves, that ocean color could measure surface chlorophyll and plankton blooms, that SAR could measure waves and ocean fronts, that scatterometers could measure surface wind, and that microwaves could map ice and measure sea surface temperatures through cloud. We looked forward to the launch of NOSS, the planned US National Ocean Satellite System, which would “operationalize” satellite oceanography, and which as a result would be much more expensive.

At the second conference in 1990, we were a sadder but wiser group, NOSS had failed to appear, the CZCS had eventually died, and we were seeing gaps in our data time series. At the same time, we had become uncomfortably aware that global climate change was likely upon us, and that we needed continuing time series of exactly these types of data.

By 2000 we were again happier, celebrating the new strengths of the global ocean satellite community. MODIS had been launched, the ERS satellites marked the start of ESA’s major role in global earth observation. Japan had a brief success with ADEOS, Russia had contributed radar satellites, and Topex/Poseidon had collected a significant time series of altimetric data.

Today in 2010, we can continue to rejoice in our new data sources, but we now have no remaining doubt of the dangers inherent in allowing un-checked growth in carbon dioxide concentration in the earth’s atmosphere. We see the need for global, stable, long-term time series of ocean satellite data to show us the changes that are occurring. Happily, we now have more satellites and a much greater capability for transmitting and processing data. This capability takes us beyond the problem often talked about in the 1980s of “Drinking from a Fire-Hose.” I was never sure that the analogy made the problem of handling large data flow seem serious. Drinking from a fire-hose might be slightly messy, but one would never need to go thirsty.

1.2 Ocean Satellites Showing a ChangingWorld

Climate change is giving us all something to think about. It has huge social, economic and ethical implications. Scientifically though, it is fascinating. It keeps me from retiring, and I am sure I am not alone in this. At the 2000 conference I said I would like to stay working long enough to see the world agree that human-induced climate change is happening, and to start to do something serious about it. I can now see that this fails to give me any well-defined retirement date.

A consensus has been reached, but there will always be hold-outs. Action will be expensive and will bene- fit some people more than others.Wind farms are being built, and there are rumours that coal-fired power stations are being closed, though many more are being built. Today in Canada, we stress that the coal we are exporting is “metallurgical” (i.e. needed for steel production) and therefore in some sense “greener” than coal being burned for generation of electricity.

We are having a harder time excusing our tar sands, but exports of this relatively “high carbon” oil continue to increase. It seems that the effects of climate change need to be much more strongly felt, by many more people, before serious and concerted action occurs. Ocean satellites are providing a number of time series that demonstrate the problems we are facing. I have my favorites and maybe you do too. I would like to present a few here, and to suggest that we might consider awarding a Venice prize for the chosen “best”. Some time series are longer than others and some, though short, already have fascinating implications."