Context:
An article explaining how the weather department uses satellites to track North India’s fog was published recently.
Day and Night Microphysics RGB Imager:
- by the India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- Significance – efficiently and quickly identify other cloud types in mid and upper atmosphere
- Satellite used – Kalpana 1, INSAT3A, INSAT3D and INSAT3DR
- INSAT3D – red-green-blue, or RGB imager having colour determination by solar reflectance and brightness temperature.
Solar reflectance – ratio of the amount of solar energy reflected by a surface and the amount of solar energy incident on it.
Brightness temperature – relationship between the temperature of an object and the corresponding brightness of its surface
- Radiometer and atmospheric sounders – to understand various atmospheric characteristics
- Radiometer – measures various useful properties of radiation.
- Atmospheric sounders – measure temperature and humidity, and study water vapour functions .
- Wavelengths – visible radiation (green), shortwave IR (red), thermal IR(blue)
- Applications – Low clouds & fog analysis, efficient Cloud Analysis, fire hot spots, moisture boundaries, etc.
Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)
- Launched by ISRO
- Geostationary satellites
- Applications – telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue operations.
- largest domestic communication system in the Indo-Pacific Region and was commissioned in 1983.
- joint venture – Department of Space, Department of Telecommunications, India Meteorological Department, All India Radio and Doordarshan.
- Eg: KALPANA-1 (exclusive meteorological satellite by PSLV), INSAT3A, INSAT3D and INSAT3DR
Indian Meteorological Department:
- Principal agency for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology
- under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
- Functions:
- Weather forecasting and publications
- Meteorological observations and training
- Seismology ad Climate research
- Issues warnings for cyclones, heavy rainfall, heatwaves etc.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used?1. Assessment of crop productivity2. Locating groundwater resources3. Mineral exploration4. Telecommunications5. Traffic studiesSelect the correct answer using the code given below.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 4 and 5 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Indian Remote Sensing satellites are used in areas of agriculture, water resources, forestry, ecology, geology, water sheds, marine fisheries and coastal management whereas Geo-stationary satellites are used in telecommunication and traffic studies.
