• Satellites can only gather data from the sea surface and only penetrate the sea surface a couple of centimeters. They use altimeters to measure the distance between the satellite and the sea surface to determine the slight variations in sea level. These variations can be manipulated to determine sea surface temperature, wind speeds, wave heights, sea floor topography, and ocean currents.

• All remote sensing devices measure reflected and emitted radiation using certain bandwidths. The wider the bandwidth used in the sensing, the more overall radiation is measured. The narrower the bandwidth used in the sensing, the more detailed the information and imagery is sensed since only a fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum is being measured.

• Oceanographers like to have satellites with several instruments that measure different narrow bandwidths to gather very detailed information. By using several instruments to do this they are able to make very detailed pictures of the radiation and measure radiation across the spectrum at the same time.

• Satellites don't have infinite bandwidth capabilities becuase it takes far too many sensors and far too much equipment to measure all wavelegths of the electromagnetic spectrum in detail.

• If I was able to design an active transeiver disregarding physics and CPU limitation, I would make an instrument that could measure all bands of radio waves in detail. I would design my passive receiver to sense all bandwidths of electromagnetic radiation and be able to analize the inforamtion in detail.

• Active satellites, like Radarsat and the Ers-1, use radar to gather information on the surface of the earth. The satellite actually sends out radio waves that bounce off the earth's surface detecting differnet substances depending on the band of radar used. Passive satellites , like the Topex and the Goes, use spectrometers to sense differnet bandwidths of radiation reflected and emitted from the earth and atmosphere.

• When a satellite is filtered, only certain wavelengths of radiation are measured to provide specific information on a certain aspect of the earth's surface or atmosphere.

• Oceanography and Meteorology Links
  • National Weather Service
  • Nasa pictures
  • other Nasa pictures
  • Shuttle pictures

• Cool Links
  • Animal Planet
  • Harmony Central
  • U.S. Naval Academy
  • Movielink
  • Shuttle Launch
  • Electronic Cards
  • Free Web Space

Email me on:
[email protected]

This page has been visited times.