My research consists of obtaining data by telemetry from either polar or geostationary weather satellites and interpreting the data in terms of meteorological parameters. In the past, polar APT and WEFAX antennae were constructed and images were obtained from which land surface, cloud tops and sea-surface temperatures were measured. Students who have worked in these areas and have constructed the receiving stations are: Luna Chen (MS 1991) and C. Keith Warren (MS 1993). Luna Chen constructed a unique 5/8 wavelength double dipole antenna for obtaing polar APT data. Keith Warren constructed a
double-loop yagi array for obtaining Meteosat-3 and innovated a technique for measuring sea-surface temperatures from the WEFAX data.

A polar HRPT station has been constructed by Xuxing Zhao, from which high resolution images in five channels (visible and infrared) are obtained. These channels have a 1.1 km resolution and allow more detailed meteorological parameters to be measured than with the APT data. Plans are to use the HRPT data to measure the emissivity of the earth in the Northwestern North Carolina area and to develop a method for predicting fog in the western part of North Carolina. The satellite dish feedhorn, downconverter, receiver and frame capture boards were a generous gift from Quorum Communications, Inc. of Irving, Texas (Tel: 214-915-0256)(BBS 214-915-0346). The satellite dish is five feet in diameter and uses two DC motors to move the altitude and azimuth axes. A Kansas City Tracker board and modified altitude, azimuth and time table allows the antenna to track the polar satellite in an open mode. The modifications in the table allow the antenna to track with altitudes greater than 90 degrees so that data will not be lost for overhead passes of the satellite. 981123