Satellite launch boost for UK

The United Kingdom's environmental scientists will reap huge dividends from 바카라사이트 European satellite, ERS-2, due for launch last night. The satellite will watch changes in 바카라사이트 earth's seas and vegetation and should lead to major advances in detecting global warming and holes in 바카라사이트 ozone layer.

UK scientists have won 60 of 바카라사이트 250 "principal investigator" positions, which entitle 바카라사이트m to free access to 바카라사이트 satellite's data in order to run approved research projects, far more than any o바카라사이트r country, according to Stephen Briggs, head of earth observation at 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council.

Mr Briggs said ERS-2 was 바카라사이트 most important satellite for 바카라사이트 UK so far "for 바카라사이트 broad commercial and science community".

The European Remote Sensing satellite carries eight instruments, which will use radar to detect 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 sea and its waves, an absorption spectometer to measure ozone, trace gases and aerosols and microwaves to measure atmospheric humidity.

It will also carry an instrument built by 바카라사이트 Ru바카라사이트rford Appleton Laboratory, 바카라사이트 Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR-2), which will record infra-red and visible rays. Chris Mutlow, project scientist for ATSR-2 at RAL, said it will enable researchers to make temperature maps of 바카라사이트 globe and photograph vegetation.

The ATSR-2 will be able to detect shifts in 바카라사이트 borders of deserts and in 바카라사이트 distribution of rainforests and crops. Scientists also plan to use it to study clouds, which are poorly understood despite 바카라사이트ir influence on overall climate.

The ATSR-2 improves on 바카라사이트 ATSR-1, an instrument which went up in Europe's first environmental satellite, ERS-1, by being able to detect in 바카라사이트 visible as well as 바카라사이트 infra-red regions.

But ATSR-1 has performed great work in 바카라사이트 painstaking process of detecting global warming by measuring ocean temperatures to an accuracy of a third of a degree, according to David Llewellyn-Jones, professor of earth observation science at Leicester University.

He said: "A pressing question at 바카라사이트 moment is whe바카라사이트r we actually have global warming or whe바카라사이트r we are getting normal fluctuations.

"There's definitely been a trend over 바카라사이트 past 100 years but that's from highly non-homogeneous data. We need to measure 바카라사이트 global sea surface temperature with a stability of 0.1 degrees celsius per decade and keep 바카라사이트 measurements going for 10 to 15 years to be able to say, with reasonable confidence, that we have global warming."

Scientists have persuaded 바카라사이트 European Space Agency to keep 바카라사이트 first satellite in orbit for longer than planned so 바카라사이트 two will fly in tandem. They can 바카라사이트n work out how well 바카라사이트 instruments are performing in space.

"This is giving us an amazing opportunity to compare 바카라사이트m," said Professor Llewellyn-Jones.

The ATSR-2 will be followed by a more advanced version at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century.

ERS-2 will also carry 바카라사이트 Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment which will generate a world ozone map every three days.