Category Archives: Remote sensing

Investigating Clouds With New Radar Technology

Posted on 28 March, 2022 by danaallen

By: Christopher Westbrook Since I joined the University of Reading in 2005 as a research assistant, I have been using radars at the Chilbolton Observatory to study the processes in clouds. I’m very excited at the moment to be part … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Clouds, Microphysics, radar, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Metrology, Earth Observation and Climate Data

Posted on 22 November, 2021 by danaallen

By: Jonathan Mittaz  Metrology is the science of measurement which both defines the System International (SI, The International System of Units, 2019) as well as mathematical frameworks for measurement uncertainties (for example see the GUM: Guide to the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Climate change, earth observation, Measurements and instrumentation, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Green shoots from the grassroots at the 26th Conference of the Parties

Posted on 15 November, 2021 by danaallen

By: Chris Merchant On the opening two days of COP26, I was in Glasgow to raise awareness of the climate and environmental data freely available from satellite observations of Earth. While the news media focus on big political headlines from COP26, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Climate change, earth observation, net zero carbon, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Soil Moisture Monitoring with Satellite Radar

Posted on 26 July, 2021 by danaallen

By: Keith Morrison-Department of Meteorology & Will Maslanka-Department of Geography & Environmental Science Everyone knows about the impacts from intense and/or prolonged rainfall – flooding, like that experienced in the Thames Basin during the Summer of 2007, and the Winter of … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, earth observation, radar, Remote sensing, soil moisture | Leave a comment

Satellite data used to provide life-saving weather forecasts in tropical Africa

Posted on 22 March, 2021 by danaallen

By: Peter Hill Much of the population of tropical Africa are vulnerable to severe weather, often caused by intense storms that can generate heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding. For instance, thousands of fishermen drown each year in Lake Victoria … Continue reading →

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Why do clouds matter when we measure surface temperature from space?

Posted on 8 February, 2021 by danaallen

By: Claire Bulgin We can use satellites up in space to measure the surface temperature of the Earth over the land and sea.  Satellites have now been making measurements for 40+ years and these data are really helpful for understanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Clouds, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Sea Surface Temperature Climate Data Record

Posted on 25 May, 2020 by danaallen

By: Owen Embury Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface and knowing its temperature is crucial for understanding both weather and climate. Historically, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have been measured in situ – from ships and automated buoys – … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Oceans, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Measuring Lake Water Temperature From Space

Posted on 18 May, 2020 by danaallen

by: Laura Carrea ‘Climate change’, and ‘global warming’: these have been two of the most referenced terms in the media in the past few years.  These words sometimes generate controversy and discussion not only on social media or between friends, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Climate change, earth observation, Remote sensing | Leave a comment

Mapping bio-UV products from space

Posted on 6 May, 2019 by danaallen

By: Michael Taylor Solar radiation arriving at the Earth’s surface in the UV part of the spectrum modulates photosynthetically-sensitive life on the land and in the oceans. UV radiation also drives important chemical reaction pathways in the atmosphere that impact … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, earth observation, Remote sensing, Solar radiation | Leave a comment

Why was the sky Orange?

Posted on 10 September, 2018 by

By William Davies I was sitting in my house one morning in October 2017, engrossed in what I was doing. Gradually I noticed that an eerie darkness was smothering the natural light in the room. I stopped and looked outside. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aerosols, Atmospheric chemistry, Atmospheric optics, Climate, Climate modelling, earth observation, Environmental hazards, Numerical modelling, Remote sensing, University of Reading | Leave a comment