Chapter Wrapup

The satellites of the Earth Observing System provide a constant source of remotely sensed data that can be utilized in numerous studies related to the climate and environment of our planet. Whether they’re used in monitoring wildfires, ozone concentrations, potential algae blooms, or tropical cyclones, the applications described in this chapter just scratch the surface of the uses of the EOS, and they give only a modest outline of how these geospatial tools affect our lives. This chapter’s lab will have you start working with EOS imagery, using Google Earth to get a better feel for some of the applicability of the data. Also, check out the Apps, Blogs, and Social Media box for a NASA app for your mobile device, as well as some blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and YouTube videos showcasing the many satellites of the EOS and their applications.

In the next chapter, we’ll dig into a new aspect of geospatial technology: modeling and analyzing landscapes and terrain surfaces.

Important note: The references for this chapter are part of the online companion for this book and can be found at http://www.whfreeman.com/shellito2e.

Apps, Blogs, and Social Media

These are a sampling of available apps for your mobile device (note that some apps are for Android, some are for Apple iOS, and some may be available for both) as well as some blogs and social media outlets related to this chapter’s concepts.

Some representative apps for use on your phone or tablet:

  • Earth-Now: An app from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab featuring global climate data and information from EOS missions.
  • WxSat: An app that displays weather imagery obtained from a geostationary satellite.

For further up-to-date info, read up on these blogs:

  • Earth Matters (a NASA Earth Observatory blog showcasing applications of the Earth Observing System satellites): http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/earthmatters
  • EarthNow (a blog concerning Science on a Sphere applications and visualizations): http://sphere.ssec.wisc.edu

On Facebook, check out the following:

  • NASA Earth Observatory: http://www.facebook.com/NASAEarthObservatory
  • NOAA Satellite and Information Service: https://www.facebook.com/NOAANESDIS

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Become a follower on Twitter of:

  • NASA Earth Observatory: @NASA_EO
  • NOAA Satellites: @NOAASatellites

On YouTube, watch the videos of the following:

  • Earth Observing Fleet with NPP and Aquarius [1080p] (a video showing the orbital paths of the various EOS satellites): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT-WhWHPyk4
  • NASA | Aqua’s AMSR-E Scans Earth’s Water Cycle (a NASA video showcasing applications of Aqua’s AMSR-E instrument): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCi9Iyib94
  • NASA | Aqua MODIS: Science and Beauty (a NASA video which shows several applications of the MODIS instrument on Terra and Aqua): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jqFxZI_2XY
  • NASA Aura (a NASA YouTube channel with several videos showcasing the applications of Aura’s instruments): http://www.youtube.com/user/NasaAura
  • NASA Earth Observatory (a YouTube channel with videos from the Earth Observatory): http://www.youtube.com/user/NASAEarthObservatory
  • Science on a Sphere (a NOAA YouTube channel containing many videos showcasing remotely sensed imagery via SOS): http://www.youtube.com/user/scienceonasphere