A review of satellite meteorology and climatology at the start of the twenty-first century

The observation of the atmosphere by satellite instrumentation was one of the first uses of remotely sensed data nearly 50 years ago. Since then a range of satellites have carried many different meteorological sensors capable of monitoring the dynamics of the atmosphere and the capture and retrieval of information about atmospheric parameters for use in meteorological and climatological applications. The utilization of satellite observations for meteorology and climatology is essential since the atmosphere is a global feature, and conventional observations of it are primarily land-based. Satellites, with their synoptic view, provide much information benefiting numerical weather prediction models to improve weather forecasting and the ability to monitor weather systems, in particular those that pose a threat to humankind, over the entire Earth. Development of new observational capabilities has led to new insights into atmospheric processes and their interaction, allowing the consequences of anthropogenic activities, such as climate change, to be monitored.