"Re-envisioning the Ocean: The View from Space"
In 1978, a series of satellites ushered in the era of
satellite
oceanography. Seasat, Nimbus-7, and TIROS-N were the
keystone
missions that eventually led to TOPEX/Poseidon, SeaWiFS,
and
QuikScat, and to today's EOS series. These missions revolutionized
our understanding of ocean processes, and they also spurred
the
development of global ocean field programs such as WOCE
and
JGOFS. As we move towards a Climate Change Science
Plan and
observing systems that serve the needs of science and
the
operational community, we need to consider the challenges
that
remain with the use of remote sensing data and the role
of
scientific research in an era of multiple-use observing
systems.