(Key) Hurricane Satellite Could Fail Anytime

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Breitbart.com/AP

An aging weather satellite crucial to accurate predictions on the intensity and path of hurricanes could fail at any moment and plans to launch a replacement have been pushed back seven years to 2016.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chief said the failure of the QuikScat satellite could bring more uncertainty to forecasts and widen the areas that are placed under hurricane watches and warnings.

If the satellite faltered, experts estimate that the accuracy of two- day forecasts would suffer by 10 percent and three-day forecasts by 16 percent, which could translate into miles of coastline and the difference between a city being evacuated or not.

"We would go blind. It would be significantly hazardous," said Wayne Sallade, emergency manager in Charlotte County, which was hit hard by Hurricane Charley in 2004.

In the letter to a Florida congressman, NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher blamed the delays on technical and budget problems. Scientists said if QuikScat failed, they may have to rely on less accurate satellites.


Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8PNFB600&show_article=1

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Thank you Republicans for not funding this crucial need! :sarcasm:

[hatrack]

1. We CERTAINLY don't need to spend money on frills like hurricane warning systems!

We need to spend more money spreading Freedom (TM), Liberty (R) and Democracy (Pat. Pending) to those areas in dire need of all three, just as the Beloved Leader has stated!

:eyes:

[Aviation Pro]

2. This is a false flag....

...there is predictive software that although not certified yet is much better than QuikScat. I saw it demonstrated during hurricane Ophelia and it showed the recurve seven full days out. This is a case of an emergency manager poor mouthing.

[TheMadMonk]

4. And where does that software get the numbers to crunch?

Almost certainly satellite data (including QuickSat?). And if it's still essentially in development, (albeit final stages) it's quite possible that it piggy backs on other systems not dedicated and therefore not necessarily available for hurricane watch. It might be the best thing since sliced bread, but if it doesn't work because Landsat is on the wrong track this month, it's essentially useless.

I have no idea in this is the case or not. But it is certainly possible given what I know of the subject.

[Aviation Pro]

6. I think there are 32 different parameters....

...and that's everything from 200-850mb analysis (radiosonde, satellite and aircraft observations) to GOES-8 data. All I know is that I was at the Key West WFO, the meteorologist who showed me the software showed the display, I saw the recurve it was predicting in seven days and seven days later it recurved.

[cobalt1999]

10. There are many computer models out there and being refined each year.

There problem is the number of variables vs. the speed of the computer. You can get models to predict quickly, but to do that you need fewer variables. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of variables in the real world. So even using super-computers (which all weather models use now), you are limited. Combine that with less accurate data inputs (such as when the satellite fails), then you really decrease the accuracy rate.

While one model may be a hurricane prediction right a once and another be wildly off, the next time the opposite can happen. No one model is ever relied upon.

[partylessinOhio]

3. But, but, but...

We can afford an endless war soon to be expanded to Iran and God knows where else but we can't launch a weather satellite until 2016?

What does Madame Squeaker say about this?

[Barrett808]

5. k & r

[Joe Bacon]

7. Why worry? Pat Robertson will pray any storm away!

Just think of all the money we'll save by just taking it to Pat in prayer!

[Elspeth]

8. Hurricane Satellite, Air Traffic controllers--it's like we're falling apart

Our infrastructure is dying

[MatrixEscape]

9. As far as infrastructure is concerned ...

Has anybody here looked into just how messed-up it is?

Ah, hmmm. We really do need a WPA project to get cheap labor and employ those hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans that will be piling-up soon.

See, it will get fixed, no matter how much it is crumbling beneath us and without any FUX News reports to that effect!

[Elspeth]

12. WPA? With this bunch?

Not happening

[ramapo]

11. 2016?? WTF is wrong with this country???

Nine years to replace a friggin' weather satellite? Is this a joke?? The space program went from zero to the moon in nine years and we can't put up a weather satellite.

Unbelievable.

[madfloridian]

13. Hurricane Satellite May Fail Any Time

Source: Associated Press, Lakeland Ledger

MIAMI - An aging weather satellite crucial to accurate predictions on the intensity and path of hurricanes could fail at any moment and plans to launch a replacement have been pushed back seven years to 2016.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chief said the failure of the QuikScat satellite could bring more uncertainty to forecasts and widen the areas that are placed under hurricane watches and warnings.

If the satellite faltered, experts estimate that the accuracy of two-day forecasts would suffer by 10 percent and three-day forecasts by 16 percent, which could translate into miles of coastline and the difference between a city being evacuated or not.

"We would go blind. It would be significantly hazardous," said Wayne Sallade, emergency manager in Charlotte County, which was hit hard by Hurricane Charley in 2004.


Read more: http://theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070613/NEWS/706130537/1039

[bananas]

14. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2139855&mesg_id=2141489

[undergroundpanther]

15. Disagree but it's fishy to me

Bush doesen't want Global warming monitored too..
Wonder why? Maybe this is why..

http://www.unknownnews.org/050909a-up.html

[Vinca]

16. The good news just keeps on coming.

It will take decades to repair the damage done to this country by the Republican greed machine over so many years.