Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/109821
NEWSLINK Polar Satellites Helped Plot Sandy Accurately Polar-orbiting satellites proved key to producing Hurricane Sandy forecasts that weren���t hundreds of miles off target, according to a new study by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather An images from an ECMWF experiment shows where Hurricane Sandy was predicted to be located five days out���with the normal satellite data inputs into the model (above) and without any polar-orbiting satellite data (below). Without polar-orbiting satellite data, the model shows Sandy staying out to sea. Garmin Navigates Way to S&P 500 NOAA 8 G E O W O R L D / F E B R U A R Y 2 O 1 3 Forecasts (ECMWF), an independent, intergovernmental organization. The satellites allowed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify the hurricane���s New Jersey landfall location within 30 miles, five days before landfall. Without the satellites, NOAA models might have shown Sandy remaining at sea. ���This study shows the value of polar-orbiting satellites in developing life-saving forecasts with longer lead times,��� said Kathryn Sullivan, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, and deputy NOAA administrator. ���Had we thought the brunt of the storm was going to stay out in the Atlantic, or if residents had only a day to prepare or evacuate, the results would have been even more devastating.��� Polar-orbiting satellites employed by NOAA provide data consisting of accurate, high-resolution atmospheric temperature and water-vapor information. The information serves as critical inputs to forecast models that help predict the intensity and location of severe weather events days in advance. The satellites circle Earth from pole to pole to provide daily full-global coverage as Earth rotates beneath them. NOAA continues to work with NASA to develop and launch new polar-orbiting satellites as part of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The JPSS-1 satellite should launch in early 2017. Satellite navigation company Garmin Ltd. became a component in the S&P 500 index, joining other technology players such as Amazon.com, Apple, Autodesk, Dell, Google and Oracle. The index includes 500 large-cap companies across a wide range of industries and serves as a gauge for the overall performance of the U.S. stock market. Garmin replaces printing and services firm R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., which moved to the S&P MidCap 400 index. ���The S&P 500 index is widely recognized as a bellwether of the American equities market, and we are honored to be listed among some of the most recognizable and enduring brands in the world,��� said Min Kao, chairman and CEO of Garmin Ltd. ���This is tremendous recognition for our company and our commitment to long-term, sustainable growth.��� Garmin, launched in 1989, has produced more than 100 million products in its history, with most of those GPS-enabled.