Satellite Oceanography

Lesson I. Satellite Oceanography Overview

The goal of this unit is to give a basic overview of satellite oceanography, its uses and
applications.

Key words: satellite, global climate, ocean circulation, altimetry, and sea level measurements
Covering about seventy percent of the Space provides this place. Satellites
Earth's surface, the oceans are central circling the Earth can survey an entire
to the continued existence of life on ocean in less than an hour. These
our planet. The oceans are where life satellites can "look" at clouds to study
first appeared on Earth. The largest the weather, or at the sea surface
creatures on Earth (whales) and the (when it's not cloudy) to measure the
smallest (bacteria and viruses) live in sea's surface temperature, wave
the oceans. We rely on the ocean for heights and direction of waves. Some
many things, including: food, water satellites use radar to "look" through
transportation, recreation, minerals the clouds at the sea surface.
and energy. Oceans store energy.
When ocean currents change, they One other important characteristic
cause changes in global weather that we can see from space is the
patterns and can cause droughts, color of the ocean. Changes in the
floods and storms. color of ocean water over time or
across a distance on the surface
However, our knowledge of our provide valuable information.
oceans is limited. Ships, coastlines,
and islands provide places from which In this series of programs, we will
we can observe, sample, and study discover satellite imaging,
small portions of oceans. But we can TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry, the view
only look at a very small part of the of the ocean from the space shuttle,
global ocean this way. We need a measuring currents from space,
better place from which to study marine mammal tracking and tracking
oceans. El Niño.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 1 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

What is a Satellite?

A satellite is any object that orbits or sun. We’ll look at the man-made
revolves around any other object. For satellites that orbit the Earth and sun,
instance, the moon is a satellite of the highly specialized tools that do
Earth and the Earth is a satellite of the thousands of tasks every day.

This can be made into an overhead.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 2 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Satellite Oceanography
Satellites can orbit the Earth several temperature of the water can even
times a day. By placing instruments cause it to move. Therefore, physical
on a satellite, an oceanographer can oceanographers, the scientists who
obtain data from all over the world in study the movements of the ocean,
a short amount of time. These have had to develop many different
instruments are able to measure the instruments to study the ocean.
temperature of the ocean surface, the Scientists are also coming up with
height of the water, the speed of the many more purposes for satellite
wind above the water and many other measurements. For example, the
things. original purpose of the
TOPEX/Poseidon was to measure sea
Satellites can take measurements over surface height. However,
the entire Earth's surface in just a few oceanographers at the University of
days. As a result, oceanographers are Texas have used these measurements
now able to better study phenomena, to track whale migrations.
which affect entire oceans or even the
entire planet. This makes satellite Space Oceanography encompasses
measurements ideal for scientists who oceanographic research and
study the Earth’s climate, El Niño or technological development resulting
the monsoons in the Indian Ocean. from manned and unmanned systems
Satellites also allow scientists to get in Earth’s orbit. These systems
measurements in places which are observe and measure oceanographic
hard to reach by ship, such as parameters such as seas surface
Antarctica. Oceanography is the winds, sea surface temperature,
scientific study of the oceans. waves, ocean currents and frontal
Because there are so many different regions. The scope of oceanographic
things to study in the ocean, there are research embraces the sciences of
many different types of physics (including acoustics),
oceanography. The type of geology, biology and chemistry. The
oceanography in which the technological developments include
movements of the ocean are studied is new sensing methods and sensor
called physical oceanography. Many systems to acquire oceanographic data
different things cause the movements with specified degrees of resolution,
of the oceans. For example, wind can accuracy, coverage and timeliness.
create waves, the moon and the sun Some oceanographic phenomena
create tides, and the rotation of the were first observed and photographed
Earth creates currents. The by astronauts in space. Sensor

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 3 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

technology then evolved to observe accuracy of the physics in

the same phenomena from unmanned oceanographic forecasting models
spacecraft. As our scientific improves, there arises a need for real-
knowledge of the world’s oceans time, global (encompassing all ocean
increases, and as a consequence the basins), daily oceanographic
observation systems.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 4 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Discussion Questions

1. What is a satellite? What materials can a satellite be composed of?

2. What can create movement of the oceans?

2. How is the position of the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite determined?

4. Scientists use two types of satellites to study the environment. A geostationary

satellite remains above the same spot on the Earth's equator from an altitude of
about 22,500 miles and can "see" an entire hemisphere all the time. A polar
orbiting satellite travels in a circular orbit, passing above the North and South
Poles while the Earth rotates beneath it. This type of satellite can "see" details as
small as a mile or less. Which of these satellites probably would be better for our
ocean color instrument? Would one prove better than the other to track hurricanes
and other large weather systems?

Answer to #4:
A polar-orbiting satellite potentially can "see" everywhere in the world in about
two days, and its orbit is low enough so that it can detect smaller details than a
geostationary satellite. It will pass over a certain area once daily at the same time
of day, which is important for instruments that use sun illumination for
measurements of ocean color or land vegetation. A geostationary orbit can view
almost an entire hemisphere at the same time, is able to track hurricanes and
weather systems by making measurements every half hour or so and also is used
for meteorological purposes.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 5 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 6 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Activity I-1. Design a Satellite

Source: athena.wednet.edu
Remind students that satellites are used for communication, spying, search and
rescue, scientific research, meteorology, navigation, and space and exploration.
The basic components of a satellite can include solar panels to generate electricity,
antennae to send signals and sensors to measure temperature, wavelength, latitude
and longitude, or local distress signals.

Objective: Design a satellite and invent a mission for it.

1. Discuss the following with students:

• What do satellites look like?
• What are the orbits they follow?
• How do they stay in orbit?
• What are some of the tasks they perform?

3. Look at examples of actual satellites and point out and discuss the features and
designs.

3. Supply cans, egg cartons, paper or foam cups, and other materials to allow
students to build their own satellite models.

4. Ask them to address these questions before they design their models:
• How is your satellite powered? ( Real satellites are powered by solar panels,
fuel cells that convert chemical energy to electrical energy, or by nuclear
energy.)
• What is its mission?
• What kinds of remote sensing activities will you want it to perform?
• How will it acquire this data? (What kind of equipment will it use?)
• How will it communicate with people on Earth?
• What kind of orbit will you chose for it (polar or geostationary)?

5. Using a string, suspend satellites from the ceiling of the classroom.

6. Use a satellite model and a globe to illustrate how satellites orbit the Earth in a
geostationary or a polar orbit.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 7 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
7. Write a press release to be issued by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) about what your satellite will do during its mission.
Within it provide a brief biography of the Mission Commander (you) and any
selected crewmembers. The press release should be no longer than two pages,
double-spaced. The most important information should go in the first
paragraph.

Materials

• Photographs or illustrations of • wire

satellites • cardboard
• Cans • tape
• Milk • rubber bands
• Cartons • glue
• egg cartons • markers
• paper or foam cups • crayons
• plastic pipe cleaners • string
• aluminum foil • globe.
• buttons
• coins

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 8 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Activity I-2. Orbit Model

Source: athena.wednet.edu
Satellite orbits lie in planes that bisect the orbited body. If the Earth were not
rotating, each orbiting satellite would pass over the same point on the Earth with
each orbit, crossing the equator repeatedly at the same longitude. Because the
Earth is constantly rotating, each orbital pass of the satellite (as indicated by the
model described in this activity) appears to be to the west of the previous one. In
reality, the Earth is rotating eastward as the orbital plane remains fixed.

Students will examine the factors determining the length of a satellites orbit
around Earth.

Recognize that the Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours, or:

60 minutes x 24 hours = 1440 minutes

1 hour 1 day 1 day

Dividing 360 degrees by 1440 minutes shows that the Earth is rotating 0.25
degrees every minute. Here's the math:

360 degrees = 0.25 degrees

1440 minutes 1 minute

The satellites that we will want to track travel around the Earth in approximately
102 minutes. Thus, we can see that if the satellite crossed the equator at 0 degrees
longitude on one orbit, it would cross over 25.5 degrees longitude 102 minutes
later.

0.25 degrees = 25.5 degrees

1 minute 102 minutes

The extremely large size of the Earth in relation to the very modest thickness of the
atmosphere leads to frequent, intentional distortions of scale in map projections.
Constructing a true scale physical model of an orbiting satellite's path will lay the
groundwork for insights into geographical configurations on a three-dimensional
sphere, and the physical characteristics of the satellite's orbit.

Given the following information, answer the questions that follow.

If you are tracking a satellite, the following figures will be a close approximation.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 9 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Km Miles
Mean orbital altitude 860 534
Width of field of view 2900 1800

Orbital period….102 minutes

Determine the scale of your globe by measuring either its diameter or

circumference and comparing that to the Earth's actual diameter or circumference.

The following is a series of questions to test for understanding. The answers to

each question follow on an accompanying page.

Questions

1. What is the Earth's diameter? What is the diameter of the globe?

2. What is the ratio of the model diameter compared to the Earth's diameter? This
is your scale measure.

Using a piece of wire (#10 works well), position the wire in such a way as to center
the wire over your location on the globe. Experiment with different ways of
supporting the wire slightly above the globe. With our globe, we were able to rig a
support from the globe support bar already in place. The height of the globe
support bar was almost the exact height as our orbital plane, which we will be
discussing shortly. The globe should be able to rotate under the wire. You may
want to add a piece of plastic transparency material to the wire. This will represent
the width of the Earth that the satellite will image on a typical pass. Because this
width is approximately 1800 miles, the scale plastic strip will be approximately
2.5" wide.

3. Just how high should we position the wire above the globe?

On a large sheet of paper, draw a circle of the same diameter as your globe.

(continued on next page)

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 10 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
This surface will represent the surface of the Earth. Write the scale of measure in
the lower right-hand corner as a legend. Draw a circle having the same center as
the first, but with a radius of 534 miles more than your first circle. This will
represent the orbit of the satellite over the Earth's surface. Label point H on the
inner circle (Earth's surface) as your town or city. Draw a straight line through this
point. That will represent the horizon as it appears from your location.

The satellite we wish to examine can only be received while in an unobstructed

straight line from the antenna; thus, it can only be received while above the
horizon. The point at which we first receive a satellite's signal is known as
Acquisition of Signal (AOS) and the point at which we lose the signal is referred to
as Loss of Signal (LOS). A good analogy would be to think of sunrise as AOS and
sunset as LOS.

On your drawing, label two points that lie directly under the points at which the
satellite will come into (AOS) or go out of (LOS) receiving range.

Refer to your diagram and answer the following questions:

4. How many miles from your location are the points on Earth over which the
satellite will come into or leave receiving range?
You may wish to draw a circle on your globe to represent this range, known as
the acquisition circle.

5. Knowing the period of a complete orbit, find a way to calculate the amount of
time that the satellite will be in range if it passes directly overhead as you've
illustrated.

Rotate the globe to position the wire so that the northbound orbit will cross the
equator at 0 degrees longitude. If the Earth were not rotating, the satellite would
always follow the path illustrated by the wire. Would this path ever bring the
satellite over your school?

Polar orbiting weather satellites have an orbital period of about 102 minutes. This
means they complete a trip around the world in approximately 1 hour and 42
minutes.

The Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 11 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
6. How many degrees does the Earth rotate in 1 minute?
7. How many degrees does the Earth rotate in 1 hour?
8. How many degrees does the Earth rotate in 102 minutes?
9. How many orbits will the satellite complete in one day?
10. How many miles does a satellite travel during one orbit?
11. How many miles does the satellite travel during each day?
12. How many times will your location be viewed by this satellite in one day?

Answers

Question 1

The sample calculations given here are based on the use of a 12-inch diameter
globe and should be proportionally adjusted for use of other materials. The
diameter of a globe can be determined by first finding the circumference using a
measuring tape.

Earth Model
Diameter 8100 miles 12 inches
Circumference 25,500 miles 37.75 inches
Path Width 1800 miles 2.5 inches
Orbit altitude 534 miles .75 inches

Question 2

Using the circumference, a ratio can be established as follows:

37.75 inches = 1 inch

25,500 miles 675 miles

Question 3

By the scale established above, the orbital height of 500 miles is represented by a
scale distance of:

1 inch = .75 inch

675 miles 500 miles

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 12 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
Thus, on this model of the Earth, using a 12-inch diameter globe, the wire
representing the orbital plane should be placed approximately 3/4" above the
surface of the globe.

Question 4

Assume the satellite pass is directly overhead of point H ( your home location). R
equals the radius of our reception area (acquisition circle) and D equals the
diameter of the reception area.

Having established the AOS and LOS points on the orbital curve, project lines
from both the AOS and LOS points down to the center of the Earth. Label this
point G (Earth's Geocenter). With these lines in place, go back and label the two
points where these two lines intersect the Earth's surface. Appropriately label these
points A and L. If we measure the angel formed by points AGL, we find it to be 55
degrees. This is angle D (diameter of acquisition circle). Angle R is half of angle D
(R = radius of acquisition circle). Why is it important to know this angle? We are
interested in knowing the size of our acquisition circle, that is, the distance from
our home location (point H) that we can expect to receive the satellite signal.

We've previously determined that the circumference of the Earth is approximately

25,500 miles. Thus:

360 degrees x 55 degrees

25,500 miles 3800 miles

We know that the satellite signal will be present for 55/360 of this distance. Using
your calculator, 55/360 represents .1528 of the total circle. Thus, if we multiply
the Earth's circumference (25,500 miles) by .1528, we can determine the distance
(diameter) of our acquisition circle, which in this case is equal to 3896 miles. Half
of that, or R, is 1948 miles. For a receiver in Maine, a satellite following a path as
indicated on Figure A would be somewhere south of Cuba when the signal is first
heard (AOS), and to the north of Hudson Bay when the signal is lost (LOS).

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 13 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
Question 5

Let's look at some numbers. Remember that it takes 102 minutes for a NOAA-class
satellite to make one complete orbit around the Earth. We now want to determine
the fractional part of the orbit, the exact time inside our acquisition circle, that the
signal will be usable to us. Using the same math as before, the satellite will be
available for 55/360 of one complete orbit. As previously defined, 55/360= .1528.
This number times the orbital period of 102 minutes yields 15.6 minutes. This
means that on an overhead pass, we expect to hear the satellites signal for
approximately 15.6 minutes. Using a reliable receiver with outside antenna will in
fact yield the above reception time.

Question 6

The Earth rotates 360 degrees in 1440 minutes. Thus

360/1440= .25 degrees/minute

Question 7

If the Earth rotates .25 degrees each minute, then:

.25 x 60 = 15 degrees / hour

Question 8

If the Earth rotates .25 degrees each minute, then:

.25 x 102=25.5 degrees/orbit

Question 9

The satellite will be on its 15th orbit at the end of 24 hours since it completes 14
orbits in one day and begins a 15th. More precisely:

1 orbit x 1440 minutes = 14.12 orbits

102 minutes 1 day 1 day

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 14 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
Question 10

The satellite will travel the equivalent of the circumference of each orbit, or 25,500
Earth miles. However, the circumference at orbital altitude is approximately
38,850 miles.

Question 11

25,500 miles/orbit x 14.12=360,060 miles/day (approx.). These are miles traveled

at ground level. More precisely, the circumference of the orbital circle is about
28,850 miles, thus,

28,850 miles/orbit x 14.12= 407,362 miles/day

Question 12

At least four times per day. The satellite will usually come within range on two
consecutive orbits, sometimes three. Usually figure on a pass to the east of your
location, nearly overhead, and then to the west. Remember that at one part of the
day the satellite will be on an ascending pass (crossing the equator going north)
and at another time of day the satellite will be on a descending pass (crossing the
equator going south).

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 15 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 16 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

Student Information Sheet Lesson I

Satellite Oceanography Overview
Satellites can orbit the Earth several temperature of the water can even
times in a day. By placing instruments cause it to move. Therefore, physical
on a satellite, an oceanographer can oceanographers, the scientists who
obtain data from all over the world in study the movements of the ocean,
a short amount of time. These have had to develop many different
instruments are able to measure the instruments to study the ocean.
temperature of the ocean surface, the Scientists are also coming up with
height of the water, the speed of the many more purposes for satellite
wind above the water and many other measurements. For example, the
things. original purpose of the
Satellites can take measurements over TOPEX/Poseidon was to measure sea
the entire Earth surface in just a few surface height. However,
days. As a result, oceanographers are oceanographers at the University of
now able to better study phenomena Texas have used these measurements
which affect entire oceans or even the to track whale migrations.
entire planet. This makes satellite Space Oceanography encompasses
measurements ideal for scientists who oceanographic research and
study the Earth’s climate, El Niño or technological development resulting
the monsoons in the Indian Ocean. from manned and unmanned systems
Satellites also allow scientists to get in Earth’s orbit. These systems
measurements in places which are observe and measure oceanographic
hard to reach by ship, such as parameters such as sea surface
Antarctica. Oceanography is the winds, sea surface temperature,
scientific study of the oceans. waves, ocean currents and frontal
Because there are so many different regions. The scope of oceanographic
things to study in the ocean, there are research embraces the sciences of
many different types of physics (including acoustics),
oceanography. The type of geology, biology and chemistry. The
oceanography in which the technology developments include new
movements of the ocean are studied is sensing methods and sensor systems
called physical oceanography. Many to acquire oceanographic data with
different things cause the movements specified degrees of resolution,
of the oceans. For example, wind can accuracy, coverage and timeliness.
create waves, the moon and the sun Some oceanographic phenomena
create tides, and the rotation of the were first observed and photographed
Earth creates currents. The by astronauts in space. Sensor

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 17 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography
technology then evolved to observe
the same phenomena from unmanned
spacecraft. As our scientific
knowledge of the world’s ocean
increases, and as a consequence the
accuracy of the physics in
oceanographic forecasting models
improves, there arises a need for real-
time, global (encompassing all ocean
basins), daily oceanographic
observation systems.

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 18 Unit II Satellite Oceanography

 Satellite Oceanography

1998 Project Oceanography Fall Series 19 Unit II Satellite Oceanography