- April 10, 2007
- Posted by: EARSC
- Categories: EARSC News, Internationalization
The NOAA administrator and the Brazilian ambassador to the United States, joined by dignitaries from Argentina and Brazil, will host a news conference to announce the successful repositioning of a NOAA environmental monitoring and weather observing satellite. South Americans and many millions of other people in the Western Hemisphere will benefit from the shift, which means that coverage in the region will be continuous and no longer disrupted as a result of hurricanes and other severe weather events in the U.S.
As an important illustration of international cooperation, the repositioning will bring significant new protection for lives and livelihoods in South America. During the last decade, nearly 70,000 deaths from natural disasters were reported in the region. The new satellite coverage will help limit the effects of natural disasters, including severe storms, floods, drought, volcanic ash clouds and fires. Already the coverage is contributing to fire detection in the Amazon rainforest of western Brazil.
The repositioning is part of a new Western Hemisphere initiative designed to advance the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS, which is working to provide comprehensive Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide, transforming the data they collect into societal benefits that include global public health, energy, agriculture, weather and climate.
Relevant Web Sites:
Media Contact:
Madelyn Appelbaum,
NOAA, (202) 482 4858
