Page 199 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

The many years of Russian experience conducting in the atmosphere of island regions (e.g., Karman
oceanographic experiments by crews on the long-term, vortex streets, Helmholtz gravitational shear waves,
orbital stations—Salyut, Mir and ISS—have made it etc.) are of particular importance among hydro-
possible to evaluate the actual informational potential meteorological phenomena observable by the
of VIO of the world’s oceans. Also, this has allowed for VIO method. Experiments have also proven the
the development of a flight-tested method of solving capability to identify and record, through imagery
specific issues of oceanography, and of developing from space, optically active events in the atmosphere—
equipment and procedures for the remote sensing e.g., terrigenous dust and sand flows (Image 13), fog,
of the ocean. These procedures and methods are volcanic ash clouds over the ocean, etc.—and regions
frequently reviewed while conducting oceanographic with signs of intensive thunderstorm activity. Applicable
experiments with cosmonauts’ participation, as is to the hydro-physical area of oceanic research, the VIO
currently done on the space station as part of some method ensures obtaining documented data on the
space experiments (e.g. Diatomea, Seiner, etc.). nature of local water circulation (Image 1), icebergs
The main object of search and observation for a (Image 6), the structure of surface agitation fields
cosmonaut researcher while working on this category (Images 7 and 8), broken ice (Image 5), and the
of task using VIO is large-scale, color-contrast color and transparency of water (Images 1, 9 and 10).
formations on ocean surfaces related to the mass The results of such data interpretation are used to
growth of phytoplankton (see chart on following describe the most significant elements of general ocean
page, Image 1). A wide variety of cloud formations water circulation, and to deal with hydro-optic tasks.
are constantly present in the field of view for space To date, a significant amount of information obtained
station crews observing the ocean surface along the from the VIOs of the oceans from space has been
flight path. In addition, the following are observed collected and grouped according to various objects of
among cloud fields above the ocean: cloud indicators environmental monitoring. As applicable to open ocean
of tropical cyclones in varying stages of development ecosystems, the most broadly represented are the
(Image 2), lineaments (Image 3) identifying jet streams, results of observations and color photographs of
cumulus clouds with powerful vertical development the ocean characterizing the diversity of forms and
above the ocean surface under intensive atmospheric condition of coral reefs (Images 11 and 12), the
convection (Image. 4), and other phenomena of interest morphology of different sizes of phytoplankton fields,
for maritime meteorology that serves the shipping, and the hydro-dynamic specifics of the environments
aviation and seafood industries. in which they live (Image 1).
Tropospheric cloud formations characteristic The most important aspect of the VIO method is the
of the movement of air masses past obstacles capability to evaluate the environmental condition of
the ocean atmosphere system in real time to identify
anomalous processes and phenomena in the ocean
environment. These processes and phenomena include
surfactant films (Image 14), oil and petroleum products
One feature of oceanographic spills (Image 16), contamination of clean ocean waters
research conducted with the with surface runoff (Image 15), and rinsing agents of
participation of cosmonauts on ferromanganese nodules mined from the sea floor
in mining areas of the oceans.
orbital stations—including the Currently, VIOs from space have broad practical
historical Salyut and Mir, and applications for resolving issues pertaining to the
research of biological resources of the world’s
the current space station—is the oceans. The increased attention to this area of
broad application of the method research is explained by the relevance of the problem,
of scientific visual and instrumental the capability to conduct research using relatively
inexpensive commercial photography equipment,
observation (VIO) of the world’s and the existence of an algorithm of searching and
oceans from space. identifying highly productive waters of the world’s
oceans that have been tested by crews on Russian
space stations, and subsequently patented.

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