The NOAA Satellite Analysis Branch: Using Satellite Data to Support Disaster Mitigation and Warning Services

The Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) is a 24x7 operational unit with the primary mission of analyzing near-real-time satellite data and relaying expert knowledge of satellite products to inform users in their response to various environmental hazards. Knowledge relay is accomplished through the issuance of operational products, reports, briefings, and other forms of communication. SAB’s users are wide reaching and include all NOAA Line Offices, federal, state, local, and foreign government agencies, emergency responders, and the public. Maintaining the quality and user utility of these life-saving products requires integrating cutting edge science and an increasingly broad array of satellite capabilities and techniques, continually expanding data distribution, and actively performing user-oriented outreach. This talk will highlight SAB’s four operational desks (Volcanic Ash, Fire and Smoke, Marine Pollution, and Tropical Cyclone Classifications) and our various upon-request products (e.g., methane, marine mammal, vessels, and marine debris identification, etc.). Finally, the future of SAB products and services will be discussed as more advanced satellites with increased spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions emerge.