Hurricane Sandy battered the New York metropolitan region. Floods, blackouts, fires, and gas shortages left many feeling vulnerable. A number of areas are still recovering, and damages are expected to top $50 billion.
In Sandy’s wake, we should reflect on the importance of maintaining the satellites that allow us to track severe weather. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s polar-orbiting climate satellites are critical to weather prediction models. Without these early-warning systems, our losses would have been much greater.
Unfortunately, our polar satellites are in jeopardy. Dr. Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, has warned that launches of new polar satellites aren’t keeping pace with the failure of older instrumentation. And these delays could cloud our ability to forecast extreme weather.
Funding reductions have set back the deployment of the Joint Polar Satellite System, a collaboration between NOAA and NASA. Until this next generation of polar satellite is operational, the U.S. is relying on a stop-gap satellite called Suomi. But technical glitches have raised concerns about its longevity, with expectations that it will stop working by 2016.
If Suomi falters before the Joint Polar Satellite System is operational—which is looking almost unavoidable—we will suffer from less accurate predictions of extreme weather, flooding, and storm surges.
We can’t afford to bungle this essential eye on our planet—it is vital to weather forecasting, maritime commerce, aviation, and military operations.
Web Links
Climate Blindness Risked
U.S. Satellite Plans Falter, Imperiling Data on Storms
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/us/dying-satellites-could-lead-to-shaky-weather-forecasts.html
Joint Polar Satellite System Budget Recommendations
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/jpss/budget/index.html
Photo, taken on September 8, 2012, courtesy of Mathew Straubmuller via Flickr.