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series of 16 gray shades on photograph-like images covering an area of 1560X3000 n.mi. of the 

 earth's surface. The images are transverse mercator projections at scales of 1:15,000,000 or 

 enlarged to 1:7,500,000 with a thermal resolution of 1.6°C. The outstanding characteristic of 

 this system are: 1. the high repetition rate of coverage (minimum of four time daily), 2. near 

 real time data availability, 3. high resolution (1/3 and 2 n.mi.) visual and infrared images, and 

 4. the global coverage. As in other infrared systems, cloud cover prevents sea surface observations. 

 The high repetition rate, however, increases the probability of obtaining clear sky conditions and 

 most critically allows detection of rapid oceanic changes over large regions anywhere on the globe. 



The availability of near real-time remotely sensed sea surface thermal data is a major break- 

 through for oceanographic and other ocean operations. The system provides a synoptic sea 

 surface thermal structure for direct incorporation into the conduct of operations within minutes 

 of the satellite overpass. For example, DAPP operators, with HRIR data on effective radiation 

 temperatures and thermal patterns of the sea, can provide search and rescue units information on 

 water temperatures (survival times). In the case of ocean currents documented in marine atlases, 

 they can also provide probable direction and speed of drift. In the case of Operation NUGGET 

 RANCH (10 Oct. - 10 Nov., 1972) the synoptic HRIR data were used over the Sea of Japan to 

 suppliment simultaneous surface measurements, for making decisions on spacing and positioning 

 of ship tracks, to detect and position water masses, and to measure water mass boundary move- 

 ments, rather than to substitute for standard oceanographic methods. Extensive aircraft, ship 

 current meter and coastal observations were used to verify the oceanographic information content 

 of these satellite observations. The field experiments clearly displayed the practical utility of both 

 the DAPP and this entire approach to determining oceanic variability. In the end, the DAPP data 

 were actually used to steer the entire oceanographic operation. It gave the near real-time synoptic 

 overview, the optimum perspective for operational decision making. 



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