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<br /> <br />Rainsat <br /> <br />A study to determine whether data <br />Irom Geostationary Orbiting En- <br />vironmental Satellites (GOES) can <br />be applied 10 the prairie provinces <br />is under contract lor the federal <br />government's Atmospheric Environ- <br />ment Services (AES). <br />The contract is part of the AES <br />Rainsat projecllo improve one-<lay <br />forecasts by combining radar and <br /> <br />satellite technology. <br />This study has developed soft- <br />ware allowing GOES data to be pro- <br />cessed on the minicomputers 01 the <br />Alberta Research Council. Satellite <br />images, which provide less quan- <br />titative data than weather radar im- <br />ages, are being studied lor their <br />capacity 10 extend the elfective <br />viewing area of the radar. <br /> <br />" <br />',: <br /> <br />..... , <br />, <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />- <br />... <br /> <br />This sat9/1ite image 01 clouds ovor central North America shows convective <br />storm clusters oHen responsible for heavy rainfall. The A/berta Research <br />Council is contributing its weather radar observations to the interpretation of <br />these images for producing a more accurate system to forecast storms. <br /> <br /> <br />Flood <br />forecasting <br /> <br />Rainfall information from weather <br />radar is supplied to Alberta Environ- <br />ment, which sponsors a river flow <br />forecasting project at the Alberta <br />Research Council. <br />Radar can measure rain accurate. <br />ly over a much larger area than the <br />system of 12 rain gauges currently <br />used by Alberta Environment. Radar <br />data cover about 70,000 km2. More <br />than 1000 rain gauges would be <br />required to cover the same area. <br />Computer systems and programs <br />are being developed to process the <br />data into readily usable forms for <br />Alberta Environment, inCluding coror <br />displays 01 radar-derived rainfall <br />maps. <br /> <br />r <br /> <br />- <br />