While extreme weather issue seem tocomeandgomore often than ever , our ability to forecast them does at least aid us minimize risk to human life . But animpending weather satellite outagecould make case like yesterday ’s devestating tornado even hard to predict — for up to three years .
http://gawker.com/the-biggest-most-destructive-tornado-in-history-just-508956719
The US rely on two eccentric of satellite to help it auspicate the weather . One orbits the Earth ’s pole , providing a global snap of weather precondition every forenoon and afternoon . A 2nd set — known as geostationary artificial satellite — maintain a never-ending billet above the satellite to continuously monitor a single area . Combined , they work fabulously ; alone , neither ply enough data to form truly accurate predictions .
The job is , officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA)have become aware that , soon , the United States ’ opposite artificial satellite is to reach the closing of its living . No problem , right ? Let ’s just launch another ! But , sadly , its replacement has been severely delayed by cost increases , proficient trouble and — surprisal , surprisal — management challenges .
That s lead the US in a tricky situation , where it could be without a pivotal revolve planet — and all the useful data that come from it — for a staggering17 to 53 months . NOAA even admits that the gap will leave in less accurate weather condition forecast — and more trouble in forebode uttermost events like hurricanes . In routine , that does n’t just think we need to carry a waterproof more often , but could locate lives and attribute in danger .
So what to do ? Well , fortunately the US Government Accountability Office is well cognizant of the problem , and has addedit to its High risk of infection List in 2013 . That should see the polar orbiting satellite project tight - tracked , and with any luck minimise the prison term we ’re without its data point .
If that does n’t work out there are some other options — wafture glidersthat plasterer’s float on the ocean and supervise the weather , say , or perhaps even leverage data from other satellites . But none of those options are as effective , and they ’ll also amount at serious disbursal . So , for now , have ’s hope that satellite arrives sooner rather than afterward . [ GAOviaCTO Vision ]
Image fromNOAAunder Creative Commons license
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