Read at : Google Alert – drought
Predict flood and drought; Europe satellite launched (SMOS)
The European Space Agency has launched a satellite designed to help measure climate change by better predicting droughts and floods.
The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Satellite is the first designed to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale.
The $460 million probe will measure the moisture in soil by collecting radio signals emitted by water cells on the Earth’s surface, allowing climate scientists and weather forecasters to better predict droughts and floods.
The mission will also measure plant growth and the salt content of the oceans.
(Measuring soil water content to a depth of 1-2m across the planet every three days will help forecast drought and flood risk)
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