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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. NOAA operates a network of weather satellites, the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and cooperates with the National Ice Center.1 Mission
The NOAA has a two-fold mission:
- Environmental assessment and prediction—to observe and assess the state of the environment, while protecting public safety and the United States' economic and environmental security through accurate forecasting.
- Environmental stewardship—protect ocean, coastal and living marine resources while assisting their economic development.
2 History and organisational structure
Various forerunner organisations existed before NOAA was formed [1], including the United States Coast Survey (established in 1807 and renamed the Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1878 to reflect the role of geodesy), the United States Weather Bureau (established in 1870), the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries (established in 1871).
The NOAA was formed in 1970 after Richard Nixon proposed creating a new department to serve a national need "...for better protection of life and property from natural hazards...for a better understanding of the total environment...[and] for exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources..." On October 3, NOAA was established under the Department of Commerce and incorporated all the preceding departments, as well as Environmental Data Service, National Satellite Center, Research Libraries and other governmental departments under one banner.
2.1 National Ocean Service (NOS) and National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
National Ocean Service (NOS) was formed from the old Coast and Geodetic Survey, and in turn created a new division called the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The NOS protects 12 National Marine Sanctuaries and is an advocate for coastal and ocean stewardship. It also introduced electronic nautical charts which they combine with GPS to enhanced the safety and efficiency of navigation of U.S. waterways. The NGS specifies latitude, longitudeMap of Earth showing vertical lines of longitude Longitude sometimes denoted λ, describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. Longitude is given as an angular measurement ranging from 0° at, heightHeight is a measurement of the distance from the bottom to the top of something which is upright. The measurement must be taken vertically, otherwise it is termed the length (or sometimes, the width). Like length and width, it is measured in units of leng, scaleScale (botany) Scale (zoology) Scale (music) Scale (measurement) Scale (chemical) Scale (social sciences) Scale (spatial) Scale (computing) Order of magnitude Logarithmic scale Scale model Architect's scale Engineer's scale., gravityThis article covers the physics of gravitation. See also gravity (disambiguation). Gravitation is the tendency of masses to move toward each other. The first mathematical formulation of the theory of gravitation was made by Sir Isaac Newton and proved ast, and orientation throughout the United States. Aviation safety, in particular the orientation of runways, depends on this system. An example of the work the NGS does is the work they did taking measurements of the Washington MonumentThe Washington Monument is a large white marble obelisk built on The Mall in Washington, DC as a memorial to the United States of America's first president, George Washington. The monument was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of th. When it was covered in scaffolding for renovations in 1999For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album 1999 is a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the UN. Events Kosovo War Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy Y2K prep, NGS surveyors confirmed the height and stability of the structure.
