Weather & Climate Services - Success Stories

Satellite remote sensing

A team of highly-trained IMSG scientists, many with PhD degrees, are researching and developing satellite remote sensing algorithms for the NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research. These algorithms transform raw satellite data into physical parameters such as rainfall/snow, snow and ice cover, atmospheric water vapor, cloud cover, sea surface wind, land vegetation, soil moisture, ocean currents, and drought indicators. These parameters are routinely input into numerical weather models to generate global and regional weather forecasts.

Our scientists are developing remote sensing algorithms for the next-generation of NOAA environmental satellites such as NPOESS and GOES-R. They also support NOAA’s Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation to develop new approaches to directly assimilate satellite data into numerical weather models to improve weather forecasts.

Modernization of hydro-meteorological service

An IMSG team is currently conducting a feasibility study to recommend and plan solutions for the Ghana Meteorological Agency. The objective is to provide state-of-the-art weather forecasts for aviation, agriculture and the general public in Ghana for the next 15 years.

IMSG’s experience shows that without comprehensive lifecycle support, intensive training (in operations, maintenance, and usage) and compatible meteorological capabilities, meteorological equipment will not be able to deliver their full potential. Therefore, our recommendations for Ghana are not only about equipment, but also on the capabilities and the training of personnel; the concept of operation, collection and utilization of observation data; international cooperation; and other factors.