Satellite that predicts floods is launched by European scientists



A satellite which will make flood prediction easier by tracking water flows around the Earth was today launched by European scientists.

The Smos spacecraft will also improve weather forecasts and gauge the impact of climate change.

The £282million probe monitors the amount of moisture held in soils and of the quantity of salts dissolved in the oceans.

Scroll down to bottom to watch a video showing how the satellite works

Orange dawn: The Smos satellite is launched aboard a rocket at Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia

Experts hope the European Space Agency mission will be able to fill important gaps in our knowledge about the planet’s vital water cycle.

The satellite, which was lifted into space from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia, could also help develop more accurate weather forecasts.

Global estimates of soil moisture will also help forecast drought and flood risk.

When a storm breaks, for example, the ability of rainwater to percolate down depends on the type of soil and how much water it is already holding.

The probe, which also monitors photosynthesis and plant growth, can measure moisture to a depth of up to 7ft.

Vital work: A computer generated image of the probe which tracks water flows around Earth

It is also critical for calculating Earth’s carbon cycle, the process by which heat-trapping carbon dioxide is released and absorbed, especially by plants and the oceans.

Climate change, scientists agree, is largely caused by CO2 pollution that has upset that natural balance.

Its second job is to measure changes in the salt content of sea surface waters, data that will enhance our understanding of what drives global ocean circulation patterns.

Ocean circulation helps moderates climate, notably by transporting heat from the equator to the poles.

Some studies have suggested that global warming could disrupt these cycles in ways that could dramatically alter regional weather patterns.

Catastrophe: But last year's Venice floods could have been predicted by Smos

Variations in the salinity of ocean waters depend on the addition or removal of fresh water through evaporation and precipitation and, in polar regions, on the freezing and melting of ice.

‘Climate change is a fact, but its impact on precipitation, evaporation, surface runoff and flood risks is still uncertain,’ said Yann Kerr, a researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Biosphere from Space and scientific director for the Smos mission.

‘The availability of water plays a more important role on these impacts than temperature itself.’

Scientists rely heavily on computer models to project weather and climate patterns, and having additional data based on concrete observations will make those models more accurate.

Data will be collected by a single instrument called Miras, the large Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis.

Tewkesbury, 2007: The city floods regularly and can now be more prepared as soil moisture is measured

Smos, which stands for Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity, is set to conduct its mission over three years, with a possible two-year extension.

A second ESA satellite lifted into space today called Proba-2 is designed to demonstrate innovative in-orbit technologies.

It will test a new type of lithium-ion battery, an advanced data and power management system, a dual-frequency GPS receiver, an experimental solar panel, an exploration micro-camera and a dozen other technologies.

Proba-2 will also conduct experiments related to solar observation and space weather.

Now watch the video...



