relative to the aquatic coastal process of interest. There is often a trade off, with higher
spatial resolution spaceborne systems having longer revisit times and vice versa.
In the late 1980s to early 1990s, the temporal resolution requirements of coastal
management programs were poorly assessed or comprehended by the space sector. In
hindsight, this is not surprising given that several of today’s aquatic applications of
spaceborne sensors did not exist at that time. However, as a result, subsequent
spaceborne environmental sensing programs did not live up to expectations from an
operational usage perspective. The satellite systems that emerged in the 1990s tended to
perform at or beyond engineering and academic research expectations, but usually fell
short of operational utilization expectations. Similarly, projections of the commercial
potential for such satellite systems proved to be widely optimistic. The latter has had
significant impact on the extent to which the private sector is now willing to invest in
spaceborne environmental satellite programs. And as several space agency development
programs are focused on industrial development, it is likely that this has had an indirect
effect on public-sector budgets for Earth-observation programs.
As a means of providing additional practical information for the operational
user, we classified sensors (superscripts in Tables 1- 4) as being (C)ommercial,
(Met)eorological, (Mil)itary or (R)esearch and Development sensors. However, we
also listed sensors considered to be in a (T)ransitional phase, and we suggest the aquatic
satellite community itself is in a phase of transition. One could argue, correctly, that
certain sensors listed in Tables 1 through 4, such as SeaWiFS and the AVHRR, are
existing examples of operational oceanographic satellite sensors, even though we did
not identify them as such. There are few indications, however, that NASA and the
private sector intend to continue to use the SeaWiFS program model for future
oceanographic satellite sensors. NOAA’s AVHRR is designated as a (Met)eorological
sensor, and it is feasible that the meteorology community will expand its mandate
and infrastructure to include the operation of other dual use satellite sensors.
Scatterometers, for example, are already destined for this path and we foresee further
synergies between meteorology and oceanography.
Finally, as a word of caution, a limitation to publishing the type of tables included
in this chapter is that they become dated. Fortunately, the internet now solves this
problem with updates provided periodically online (e.g. www.oeatech.com and
www.ioccg.org).
7. Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by DRDC-Atlantic through PWGS Contract
W7707-021909.
8. References
Antoine, D., A. Morel, B. Gentili, H.R. Gordon, V.F. Banzon, R.H. Evans, J.W. Brown, S. Walsh,
W. Baringer and A. Li, In Search of Long-term Trends in Ocean Color, EOS, Vol. 84(32), 2003, 301309.
Chelton, D.B., J.C. Ries, B.J. Haines, L-L Fu, and P.S. Callahan, Satellite Altimetry, in Satellite Altimetry
and Earth Sciences, L-L Fu and A. Cazenave (eds), Academic Press, 2001, pp 1-131.
Kramer, H.J., Observation of the Earth and its Environment – Survey of Missions and Sensors, 4
th Edition,
Springer Verlag, 2002.
Liu, W.T., Wind Over Troubled Waters, Backscatter, Vol. 12(2), 2001, 10-14.
Whitehouse, B.G., Analysis and Recommendations for a Canadian Forces Maritime Environmental
Assessment Program, DRDC-Atlantic Report No. CR 2003-176, DND/DRDC, Halifax, Canada, 2003,
64 pp.
214
Whitehouse and Hutt
spatial resolution spaceborne systems having longer revisit times and vice versa.
In the late 1980s to early 1990s, the temporal resolution requirements of coastal
management programs were poorly assessed or comprehended by the space sector. In
hindsight, this is not surprising given that several of today’s aquatic applications of
spaceborne sensors did not exist at that time. However, as a result, subsequent
spaceborne environmental sensing programs did not live up to expectations from an
operational usage perspective. The satellite systems that emerged in the 1990s tended to
perform at or beyond engineering and academic research expectations, but usually fell
short of operational utilization expectations. Similarly, projections of the commercial
potential for such satellite systems proved to be widely optimistic. The latter has had
significant impact on the extent to which the private sector is now willing to invest in
spaceborne environmental satellite programs. And as several space agency development
programs are focused on industrial development, it is likely that this has had an indirect
effect on public-sector budgets for Earth-observation programs.
As a means of providing additional practical information for the operational
user, we classified sensors (superscripts in Tables 1- 4) as being (C)ommercial,
(Met)eorological, (Mil)itary or (R)esearch and Development sensors. However, we
also listed sensors considered to be in a (T)ransitional phase, and we suggest the aquatic
satellite community itself is in a phase of transition. One could argue, correctly, that
certain sensors listed in Tables 1 through 4, such as SeaWiFS and the AVHRR, are
existing examples of operational oceanographic satellite sensors, even though we did
not identify them as such. There are few indications, however, that NASA and the
private sector intend to continue to use the SeaWiFS program model for future
oceanographic satellite sensors. NOAA’s AVHRR is designated as a (Met)eorological
sensor, and it is feasible that the meteorology community will expand its mandate
and infrastructure to include the operation of other dual use satellite sensors.
Scatterometers, for example, are already destined for this path and we foresee further
synergies between meteorology and oceanography.
Finally, as a word of caution, a limitation to publishing the type of tables included
in this chapter is that they become dated. Fortunately, the internet now solves this
problem with updates provided periodically online (e.g. www.oeatech.com and
www.ioccg.org).
7. Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by DRDC-Atlantic through PWGS Contract
W7707-021909.
8. References
Antoine, D., A. Morel, B. Gentili, H.R. Gordon, V.F. Banzon, R.H. Evans, J.W. Brown, S. Walsh,
W. Baringer and A. Li, In Search of Long-term Trends in Ocean Color, EOS, Vol. 84(32), 2003, 301309.
Chelton, D.B., J.C. Ries, B.J. Haines, L-L Fu, and P.S. Callahan, Satellite Altimetry, in Satellite Altimetry
and Earth Sciences, L-L Fu and A. Cazenave (eds), Academic Press, 2001, pp 1-131.
Kramer, H.J., Observation of the Earth and its Environment – Survey of Missions and Sensors, 4
th Edition,
Springer Verlag, 2002.
Liu, W.T., Wind Over Troubled Waters, Backscatter, Vol. 12(2), 2001, 10-14.
Whitehouse, B.G., Analysis and Recommendations for a Canadian Forces Maritime Environmental
Assessment Program, DRDC-Atlantic Report No. CR 2003-176, DND/DRDC, Halifax, Canada, 2003,
64 pp.
214
Whitehouse and Hutt