Weather Monitoring Frequencies Subject to Pollution

jd writes "In a case of technology vs. technology, the ICU (the body governing the use of radio frequencies around the globe) has been asked to secure radio frequences used for weather monitoring. In-car radar, mobile phones and other commercial and military applications are now using these same frequencies. However, weather satellites can't simply be re-tuned. There is only one very narrow band that detects water vapor but not liquid water, for example. This frequency has been sold to developers of car radar systems. The more this happens, the less useful weather radar and weather satellites will be. The noise will simply swamp the data, making what is collected useless. The article doesn't give a 'doomsday' timeframe, when we'll have no better ability to forecast the weather than they did in the 1800s, but that is what they are talking about."

Comments

Oh well

[t_allardyce]

Don't bother asking the FCC for help - they're too worried about someone saying fuck or showing their tits. Seriously tho, what sort of idiot would actually sell these frequencies if they knew what they were used for?

Cool, so Ka has double meaning now?

[Motherfucking Shit]

There is only one very narrow band that detects water vapor but not liquid water, for example. This frequency has been sold to developers of car radar systems

So now a hit on the Ka band could mean "Cops" or "Killer Avalanche?" And people are complaining? Give me weather alerts on my radar detector any time!

One thing is for sure

[eclectro]

Our cars are more important than anything else. Everyone should know that by now, including weathermen who can't predict the weather anyway.

in the 1880s

[Anne Thwacks]

Yeah, I remember the 1880's - we had remote sensing of the weather by floating light-bouys, and processed the data with a Cray super computer.

Oh, wait, I think that was the 1980s. In the 1880s, we had that thing with a man with a brolly and a woman in a summer dress hanging from seaweed. You could tell the weather according to which one came out of the house. AFAICT, the reliability was much the same as today.

My uncle Jack sticking a wet finger in the air and saying "Arrh, it looks like a [fine|rough] day tomorrow - I think I need a wee dram!" was more fun though!

Re:Weather data weak

[Vellmont]

The evidence you present for prediction innacuracy is "a kid at your son's school" and his "science project"? Have I fallen into the twilight zone where this is considered even remotely credible evidence?

Re:Weather data weak

[gmhowell]

Most weather forecasters are just reading NOAA or NWS feeds anyway.

And your girlfriend's pussy isn't all that sensitive. Her backdoor, OTOH...

I can see the Lawsuits

[Alien54]

some clueless corporate guy sues for damages due to bolluxed weather prediction, only to find out that the reason the weather forcasts are bolluxed up is because he sued for the right to use the frequencies they need to do better quality weather prediction in the first place.

Like this would never happen.

Re:Hoisted on our own petard... again...

[EvilStein]

All of those SAT type words (petard, myopia, despotism) and I'm still rolling over the fact that you described LA as "like some surreal cow patty" ;)

I am very easily amused at 6am. ;)