The Use of Meteorological Satellite In Data Support of Transoceanic Transfer Offshore Equipment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Conventional meteorological and oceanographic data can now be augmented by those obtained through satellite observations. One result of this development is the provision of more effective support for long range transfer of offshore equipment. Examples drawn from a recent transatlantic crossing illustrate the increases in safety and efficiency facilitated by the use of satellite data. Presently available satellite information is summarized and its use by meteorologists to provide assistance for weather sensitive offshore operations is outlined. INTRODUCTION The past difficulties involved in providing meteorological and oceanographic support for operations over the oceans can be partially attributed' to the usual complexities associated observational voids. In many weather charts for areas over the Pacific Ocean there have been stretches comparable in size to the continental United States for which no observations have been available. This sparcity of observations has often caused developing tropical storms to remain undetected for days. The development of satellite technology and the evolution to the present weather satellite program has significantly decreased the observational gaps over the earth. This has greatly enhanced the capability of the meteorologist-oceanographer to provide timely guidance for the long range transfer of equipment such as self-propelled drillships, tows of drilling rigs and prefabricated components of offshore platform It is the purpose of this paper to:outline some of the ways in which satellite data are employed in the prediction problem with the prediction of environmental conditions. In addition, the meteorologist forecasting for many ocean areas has been faced with vastshow examples of how satellite information was particularly useful in a recent movement of a drillshipindicate the impact of future improvements in the satellite observational system USE OF SATELLITE INFORMATION IN FORECASTING The availability of satellite data brings about many obvious improvements in forecasting accuracy. In the past the prime satellite output for operational use has been in various forms of cloud pictures" which have contributed to increased accuracy in the specification of existing atmospheric conditions. Knowledge of the existence and location of a previously undetected storm will certainly lead to a better forecast for that region. The optimum utilization of satellite data would consider them as an additional set of information to be meshed with all other data resulting in the most accurate estimate of the state of the atmosphere and of the ongoing time dependent physical processes. This improved depiction of the atmosphere provides for. higher quality input to existing prediction techniques. and opens the door to development and application of more sophisticated and realistic time dependent atmospheric models. This optimistic outlook for forecast improvement must be tempered by the realization that new techniques introduce new problems requiring resolution. Satellite data exhibit different characteristics than the observational information obtained by conventional methods.