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- Office of Systems Development (OSD)
- Office of Satellite and Products Operations (OSPO)
- Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
- Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)
- Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R)
- International and Interagency Affairs Division (IIAD)
- Office of Space Commercialization (OSC)
- Commercial Remote Sensing & Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA)
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NOAA operates a fleet of environmental satellites that maintain a watchful eye on the Earth. Hover and click on the satellite missions in below menu to learn more about our missions and how they serve the public.
More details on missions and products »
- Polar Orbiting Environmental SatellitePOES
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- Geostationary Orbiting Environmental SatelliteGOES
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- Defense Meteorological Satellite ProgramDMSP
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- Jason-2Jason-2
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- National Polar-orbiting PartnershipSuomi NPP
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- Geostationary Orbiting Environmental SatelliteGOES-R
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POES
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POES Daily Image - Orbits at approximately 833 kilometers above the Earth, over the North and South poles providing global coverage every 6 hours
- Data from POES series supports environmental monitoring applications including weather analysis and forecasting, climate research and prediction, sea surface temperature, atmospheric soundings of temperature and humidity, ocean dynamics research, volcanic eruption monitoring, forest fire detection, global vegetation analysis, and search and rescue,
- This images shows Sea Surface Temperature (SST)-the water temperature close to the ocean's surface
- POES Website
GOES-O
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GOES East Daily Image - Provides continuous coverage of the Western Hemisphere
- Data are critical for identifying severe weather, snow storms, tropical storms and hurricanes
- View GOES West
- View Goes East
- View Goes Full-Disk Image
DMSP
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DMSP Daily Image - Providing global coverage twice per day
- Data captured from DMSP sensors contributes to the generation of this daily global map of snow and ice cover
- Along with data from other satellites and sources, scientists use snow and ice cover observations study climate change and sea level-rise
- DMSP Website
JASON
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Jason-2 Daily Image - Jason-2 is the latest in a series of ocean altimeter missions designed to observe ocean circulation, sea level rise, and wave heights.
- This image is part ofa new suiteof data products produced by NOAA to predict where hurricanes are likely to form, strengthen, or weaken.
- Pink = surface water at 26 degrees Celsius or warmer
Purple = deep layers of warm water. - It was these deep reserves of warm Gulf of Mexico water that allowed for the development of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in quick succession.
- Jason-2 Website
Suomi NPP
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Suomi NPP Image - Suomi NPP is the preporatory mission for the JPSS
- The satellite orbit the earth approximately every 100 minutes, and covers each location twice a day
- Enhanced capabilities of S-NPP allow it to gather more information and in higher resolution than its predecessor the NOAA POES satellites.The ability to see Earth in true color is a prime example of these advancements. NPP is the precursor to JPSS, NOAA NASA Joint Polar Satellite System
- JPSS Website
GOES-R
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GOES-R Real-Time Simulation - GOES-R Series satellites are the next generation of geostationary weather satellites. Launch Readiness Date:October 2015
- GOES-R Series will greatly improve detection/observation of meteorological phenomena that directly impact public safety, protection of property, and economic health and development.
- GOES-R will advance observation of the Earth's ocean and atmosphere and improve space weather monitoring.
- This image is a real-time simulation of how GOES-R will measure atmospheric water vapor over the United States
- Orange = dry air, Blue-white = moist air
- http://www.goes-r.gov
Global Data: Understanding Our World as it Changes
Ocean Depth
Using data from satellites, ships, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the NGDC develops high resolution models of the ocean floor. Use the slider to reveal different depth levels in the ocean. All blue = sea level, each step is 500m below sea level. The term "bathymetry" refers to the ocean's depth relative to sea level. It is the study of the "beds" or "floors" of water bodies, including the ocean, rivers, streams and lakes.
Source: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/relief.html
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
Ocean Depth
Using data from satellites, ships, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the NGDC develops high resolution models of the ocean floor. Use the slider to reveal different depth levels in the ocean. All blue = sea level, each step is 500m below sea level. The term "bathymetry" refers to the ocean's depth relative to sea level. It is the study of the "beds" or "floors" of water bodies, including the ocean, rivers, streams and lakes.
Source: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/relief.html
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
Ice Cover
Satellite data has allowed the tracking of sea ice extents since 1978. During the warmest years, like the winter of 2005-2006, sea ice is observed to reach a winter maximum extent that is smaller than in the years before or after. The summer minimum Arctic ice extent for 2010 was the third lowest over the period of satellite observations of the polar ice. The minimum record summer Arctic sea ice extent was in 2012. This dataset visualization shows the weekly Arctic Ice Extent for 2007.
Source:
http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/snow/HTML/snow.htm
Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
Climatologies
This dataset visualization shows daily climatology observations for 2010-2011. Climate models use quantitative methods to simulate the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. They are used for a variety of purposes from study of the dynamics of the weather and climate system to projections of future climate. All climate models balance, or very nearly balance, incoming energy as short wave (including visible) electromagnetic radiation to the earth with outgoing energy as long wave (infrared) electromagnetic radiation from the earth. Any unbalance results in a change in the average temperature of the earth.
Source:
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/pathfinder4km/available.html
National Oceanographicl Data Center (NODC)
Vegetation Health
NOAA scientists use satellite observations of vegetation greenness to develop Vegetation Health products that can be used as proxy data for monitoring vegetation health, drought, soil saturation, moisture and thermal conditions, fire risk, greenness of vegetation cover, vegetation fraction, leave area index, start/end of the growing season, crop and pasture productivity, teleconnection with ENSO, desertification, mosquito-borne diseases, invasive species, ecological resources, land degradation, and more. This dataset visualization shows a weekly 'greenup' for 2007.
Source: http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/vci/VH/vh_browse.php
Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
Social Media
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Vislab YouTube Feed
Arctic Ice Breaks Up in Beaufort Sea
A series of intense storms in the Arctic has caused fracturing of the sea ice around the Beaufort Sea along the northern coasts of Alaska and Canada. High-resolution imagery from the Suomi NPP satellite shows the evolution of the cracks forming in the ice, called leads, from February 17 -- March 18 2013. The general circulation of the area is seen moving the ice westward along the Alaskan coast.20th Anniversary of the "Storm of the Century" March 1993
What started out as an area of low pressure off the coast of Texas on March 12, 1993 quickly developed into what many people refer to as "The Storm of the Century." The evolution of this winter superstorm can be seen in this imagery from the GOES-7 satellite, using both visible and colorized infrared data. As the storm developed in the Deep South, it spawned 15 tornadoes in Florida and dumped from 8 to 33 inches of snow from Alabama to the Carolinas. As the storm moved north and intensified, conditions became even worse. With a central pressure of 961 millibars, usually found only in Category 3 hurricanes, whiteout conditions were common. Snowfall exceeded 2.5 feet in some locations.
When the storm passed, at least 270 people were dead and $5.5 billion dollars in damage were sustained. The National Climatic Data Center still ranks the 1993 as the most impactful winter storm to hit the Northeast. Though the 1978 and 1996 blizzards may have brought more intense localized conditions, the scale of the 1993 storm has not been equaled in recent history.Early March Storm Affects Large Swath of the U.S.
A winter storm that brought 24 inches of snow to Rocky Boy, MT, 11 inches to La Grange Point, IL, and 9 inches to Bellefontaine, OH, impacts the mid-Atlantic on Wednesday, March 6 before delivering more snow to parts of the Northeast. Heavy wet snow, more than a foot deep in spots, in parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia resulted in downed trees and power outages, while a sloppy mix of rain and snow fell along the I-95 corridor, including Washington, D.C. This movie spans March 3 through the morning of March 6, 2013, made from GOES East infrared imagery.February 8-10, 2013, Snowstorm from the GOES Satellite
This movie shows the imagery over New England during the historic snow event spanning February 8-10, 2013. The snowstorm in New England brought historic snowfall to many communities in New England with snow totals in excess of 2 feet. Blizzard warnings along the coast were put in place ahead of high winds that reached 83 miles per hour in Cuttyhunk, MA, 82 in Westport, CT, and 81 in Mount Washington, ME. This movie starts February 6, 2013, and goes through February 10, 2013. The imagery is a mix of visible and infrared channels from GOES East.A Shroud of Cold Air Descends on the U.S.
A drop in the jet stream sent temperatures across the United States plummeting over the Martin Luther King Jr Holiday weekend. The pronounced change in temperatures can be seen in this weather data from NOAA/NCEP's Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis. Areas colored blue are below freezing. The diurnal cycle of heating and cooling can be seen over time, but the pattern is clear: much of the U.S. is pretty cold.A River of Atmospheric Moisture Moves Across the Pacific
Plumes of moisture stream across the entire Pacific basin and head toward the U.S. coastline. Over the first week of December 2012, over a foot of rain is expected to fall in parts of Northern California and up into British Columbia.
This animation shows the total precipitable water in the atmosphere for November 28 - December 6, 2012 using the NOAA Global Forecast System model - one of the main weather models used by forecasters across the world. Dark blues are areas of high moisture content in the atmosphere. The large "tongues" of moisture can be seen extending thousands of miles across the ocean.The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season in 4.5 Minutes
After 19 named storms (10 hurricanes), the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season has come to a close. This season was a relatively active one -- with 7 more storms than the historical average. Though the official season lasts from June 1 -- November 30th, 2012 started off early with Alberto and Beryl appearing in May. Later on, Isaac pummeled the Gulf Coast, and in October, Sandy caused destruction throughout the Northeast.
This animation shows all of the GOES East satellite imagery from June 1 -- November 28th. In September, NOAA was able to quickly transition GOES East from the GOES-13 to the backup GOES-14 satellite when problems arose with the GOES-13 imager. GOES-13 returned to service in mid-October. Slight shifts in the imagery in this animation can be seen in late September out in the eastern Atlantic, however it is also clear that no service was lost during this transition. During the 2012 Season, NOAA also began ingesting data from the newly launched Suomi-NPP satellite into the operational forecast models, providing more accurate measurements of atmospheric properties to better predict storm intensification and movement.NOAA National Weather Service Accurately Predicted Sandy's Path
Five days before Sandy made landfall along the New Jersey coastline, NOAA's National Hurricane Center accurately projected the storm's path. This satellite animation shows Sandy's progress from the southwest Atlantic northward into the Northeast U.S. and how it followed the National Hurricane Center's track issued at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 25 (Advisory #13). This movie's imagery is from GOES East from October 21, 2012 0345Z through October 31, 2012 1315Z and uses the track file located at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gis/forecast/archive/al182012_5day_013.zipHigh Speed Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Sandy
As the NOAA GOES-13 satellite provides on-going operational coverage of Hurricane Sandy, a special Super Rapid Scan Operations (SRSO) has been scheduled for GOES-14, NOAA's backup geostationary weather satellite. Focusing just on the area of the storm, the GOES-14 SRSO is capturing infrared and visible data every minute and relaying that information to forecasters on the ground. This animation shows the GOES-14 SRSO for October 29, 2012 as Hurricane Sandy is approaching the U.S. coastline. The GOES-14 SRSO imagery is intended for research purposes in preparation for the next generation of geostationary satellites, called GOES-R. Highly detailed cloud structures can be seen in this imagery, along with precise tracking of the center of circulation.NOAA Changes GOES Satellite Positions in Space
NOAA's geostationary satellites are typically centered over 75 degrees west longitude (GOES East) and 135 degrees (GOES West). However, when the satellite in the GOES East position began having data quality issues, the backup satellite GOES-14 was called into service. From its position at 105 degrees west longitude, it has been acting as GOES East for the past week. NOAA has decided that it is time to move GOES-14 into the traditional GOES East spot in space, replacing GOES-13. The maneuver begins October 1, 2012 and will take 33 days. At that time, GOES-13 will be moved into a storage spot where work to diagnose and fix the data quality issues from the imager and sounder instruments will continue.
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NESDIS News Feed
Down to the Deep: NOAA's Serious Mapping Mission Makes for Fascinating Exploration
If Hollywood director James Cameron reaches the bottom of the Mariana Trench-6.8 miles (10,900 meters) below the waves-this month, he will get a look at the deepest known spot on the ocean floor.Mar22, 2012 00:00:00 -0500
NPP to JPSS Transition Complete
NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) has taken over operations of the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) now that all five of the satellite’s instruments are activated and routinely collecting scientific data.Mar06, 2012 00:00:00 -0500
VIIRS captures massive Dust Cloud over Texas
Wind gusts upwards of 70 miles per hour pushed a 6,000 foot high dust cloud through Lubbock, Texas on February 20. From its orbit 500 miles above Earth's surface, the Suomi-National Polar Partnership (NPP) satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) captured this image...Mar01, 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Message from Assistant Administrator Mary Kicza on the President's 2013 Budget
The President submitted his FY 2013 budget request to the Congress on February 13. I want to provide you with the details of the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) portion of the budget as well as context for the decisions that were made as this budget was developed.Feb21, 2012 00:00:00 -0500
NPP Resumes Mission Checkout Phase
NPP Resumes Mission Checkout PhaseJan19, 2012 00:00:00 -0500
GOES Transitions from 11 to 15
New technology brings higher resolution imagery and more exacting scienceDec 5, 2011 00:00:00 -0500
Why Change Satellites?
An FAQ about the GOES -11 to Goes-15 transitionDec5, 2011 00:00:00 -0500
NPP Satellite Acquires First VIIRS Image
The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite, NPP, acquired its first measurements on Nov. 21, 2011Nov21, 2011 00:00:00 -0500
NPP Successfully Launched
America's newest polar-orbiting satellite roared into orbit this morning, setting the stage for enhanced weather data NOAA scientists will use to develop life-saving severe weather forecasts days in advance.Oct28, 2011 05:028:00 -0500
National Ice Center Gears Up for Winter Ice Rescues
With fall and winter's colder temperatures approaching, the U.S. Coast Guard's Ninth District will soon be using satellite data from the National Ice Center (NIC) to aid in rescue missions involving anyone missing or in potentially life-threatening situations on the ice in the Great Lakes area.Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500