What does SMS mean in OCEAN SCIENCE

SMS stands for Synchronous Meteorological Satellite. It is a type of satellite which is used to observe the Earth's meteorological, surface, and other environmental conditions from a geosynchronous orbit.

An SMS works by collecting data from its instruments about weather events such as clouds, pressure systems, humidity levels and other atmospheric conditions as it orbits the earth in geosynchronous orbit. The collected data can then be used by scientists and researchers for further study.

One advantage of using an SMS is that it can provide continuous coverage of our planet over large areas while being stationary relative to Earth's surface allowing more detailed observations compared to low-Earth orbiting satellites. Additionally, owing to its position in space, an SMS can provide better images even during nights than low-orbiting satellites since it is not passing through shadows created by the sun.

An SMS typically carries a variety of instruments such as imagers (visible/infrared), sounders (multispectral/microwave), lasers, radiofrequency analyzers or radiometers (for microwave irradiance measurements), altimeters (measuring land elevation), and many others depending on mission objectives.

Synchronous Meteorological Satellites are typically launched by governments or private companies for commercial purposes but some also operate under international collaborations like EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) or NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).