Development of Earth Satellite Technology for the Telemetry of Hydrologic Data1

Abstract

The use of satellite telemetry is playing a major role in the collection of hydrologic data. Advancing technology and availability of government satellites have permitted many agencies to take advantage of new procedures for acquiring data from automated remote data collection stations. Experiments with Earth satellite technology started in the 1960's and 1970's, with the polar‐orbiting National Aeronautics and Space Administration Nimbus and Landsat satellites. Subsequent advancements took place through the development phase to operational systems using the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This satellite system supports more than 2,500 active telemetry sites, of which approximately 1,200 are Geological Survey stream‐gaging stations for the collection of hydrologic data. A satellite data collection system is made up of three primary components; a small battery‐operated radio, and Earth‐orbiting satellite, and an Earth receive and data processing station. The data relay satellites' vast aerial view of the Earth's surface gives satellite telemetry a large advantage over ground‐based systems for the collection of real‐time hydrologic data for flood warning, reservoir management, irrigation water control, hydropower generation, and the operation of hydrologic stations.

Real-Time Remote Monitoring Urban and Architectural 3d Digital Design and Spatial Simultaneous Simulation.

“…However, only 2% of all data observations were successfully relayed due to different problems such as satellite orbit effects, hardware malfunction, overloading of recording devices, battery failure, etc. (Paulson, 1975;Turner and Woodham, 1980). In the same year (1972), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) began experimenting using satellite-relay systems included significantly reduced manpower resources to operate large data-collection networks and automatically process data (Glasgow et al, 2004).…”

Water, climate change, and forests: watershed stewardship for a changing climate

“…Advances in automated sampling and telemetry technologies are also providing important opportunities for wildland and urban water resource management. For example, stream and well monitoring stations linked via satellite telemetry can provide real-time information (Paulson and Shope 2007). Use of these systems could be expanded to collect and transfer hydrologic data to inform numerous activities that will be affected by climate change: water quality and supply management, flood warning, reservoir management, irrigation management, and hydropower generation.…”

Operation of hydrologic data-collection stations by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1997

“…A satellite data-collection system consists of a data-collection platform (which, in general, is a small battery-operated radio transmitter), an Earth-orbiting satellite, and an Earth receive and data-processing station. The demand for a cost-effective means of collecting hydrologic data in real time for hazard-warning systems and water management has increased rapidly (Paulson and Shope, 1984). In 1995 the U.S. Geological Survey began to provide real…”