An Introduction to Satellite-Based Applications and Research for Understanding Climate Change - Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change - page 10

accurate will become the central scientific debate as the observations become more
reliable with lower uncertainties through better calibration. Since models have many
physical pathways with differing and complex physics, it will take a substantial
period of time to assess which model physics components should be used. As the
environmental research community successfully achieves their goals by improving
the satellite data and its applications, the climate trends will not only be a debate
about the observations but also the model-dependent physics used to facilitate
understanding the climate as well. The question of climate trends will shift in the
level of detail along with our understanding of the climate.
1.6 Topic Overview
With the goal of adding an incremental improvement to our climate understanding,
the chapters in this text have been grouped into the following four areas:
1.6.1 Part I Overview of Satellite-Based Measurements
and Applications
This section addresses the vitally important calibration of satellite instruments and
their data since accurate calibration is the key to high-quality climate products and
services. With high-quality calibration, the data can be used to support climate
change studies and large-scale atmospheric trends and improve our understanding
of the forcings that drive the global atmospheric systems. As one looks to the future,
the development of new instruments and their potential value to society need to be
addressed. Calibration will be essential for using the satellite observations effectively.
1.6.2 Part II Atmospheric and Climate Applications
Precipitation and temperature are two very important measurements for under-
standing how our climate will change and how it will affect different regions.
Using the microwave and precipitation measurements, a set of papers addresses
global precipitation monitoring, the development of a historical precipitation
record, and suitable methods for developing atmospheric temperature climate
data records for better monitoring climate trends.