How Was it Done?

By Solar Eagle dipping a thermometer into the water.

Expect a photograph soon. ;-)

The actual technique is using satellite imagery in the infrared spectrum.

The data is messaged by reducing the dynamic range and colorized to represent the variations based on some normalized value representing green.

Infrared X-ray vision goggles and then water colors on a transparent globe.

From the outside looking in. A satellite with infrared cameras.

It's fun to watch the colors change when you adjust just one little pot.

Jason-2: Using Satellite Altimetry to Monitor the Ocean

"Altimetry satellites determine the height of the ocean surface with respect to a reference such as the average global sea level (known as the Earth's "geoid"). Orbiting altimeters make very precise measurements of the ocean's surface topography to derive the speed and direction of ocean currents and eddies, and to observe tides and other features.

Altimetry satellites determine the distance from the satellite to the Earth's surface by measuring the time it takes a radar pulse to travel from the satellite to the surface and back."

https://www.eumetsat.int/jason/print.htm

it is a Jason2 image but not exactly what I was looking for.

the mission's main instrument, derived from the Poseidon-2 altimeter on Jason-1. It is a compact, low-power, low-mass instrument offering a high degree of reliability.

Poseidon-3 is a radar altimeter that emits pulses at two frequencies, 13.6 GHz (Ku-band) and 5.3 GHz (C-band), and analyses the return signal reflected by the surface. The signal round-trip time is estimated very precisely, to calculate the range after applying corrections.

The primary goal of the dual-frequency operation is to provide a precise ionospheric correction. Besides a differential ionospheric path delay, Ku- and C-band signals are differentially and significantly affected by geophysical quantities, such as atmospheric precipitation and sea surface roughness.

DVANCED MICROWAVE RADIOMETER (AMR)

The AMR, supplied by NASA, measures radiation from the Earth's surface at three frequencies (18, 21 and 37 GHz).

These different measurements are combined to determine atmospheric water vapour and liquid water content.

Once the water content is known, it is possible to determine the correction to be applied for radar signal path delays.

the rainbow scale at the base of the pic is NOT temp. it is deviation of millimeters from a set Norm. if the measurements indicate a rise in height the temp is assumed to be higher. a lower height reading being a lower temp. warmer water expands, cooler water condenses. so as the sat circles 800+miles overhead it scans daily taking the same readings. the sat has reflectors mounted on it so ground based lasers can get it's exact position in relation to it's readings yielding precise measurements in mm even though it's nowhere near the water. cool stuff

There are actually buoys with thermometers at different depths strung along the Equatorial axis that are being used to determine temperatures at various depths for El Nino readings. The graphs are available at WeatherWatch site, under videos by Nathan Cool, related to the El Nino conditions, and other places like Storm Surf. The satellite technologies , I believe, are more surface temp related.

Thermal imaging cameras have come down in price quite a lot in the last year or two. While not as accurate as cryogenically cooled devices, these units use a micro-bolometer array (basically an array of tiny thermistors). Each thermistor is a bridge suspended above the substrate, and the tiny size means that the response is fairly rapid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbolometer

I bought one of these this past year and have a lot of fun with it. It plugs into the usb port of an iphone or android device.

Thermal footprints:

whats your point?

He's asking for a ride to orbit. ;-)

OK, probably should have hit the OT button. Just fascinated with thermal imaging and thought I'd share.

I thought it was interesting and on subject as much as 90% of everything posted by us here.

dkwarner,s and Ah's also added to my meager knowledge of what's out there.

I can't justify one, I'll have to live with my IR thermometer.

Thanks.

If you wait a year or two, I suspect the price will tumble. There is competition in the consumer market now between Seek and FLIR. Others may soon follow.

I would not be at all surprised if it shows up as an automotive accessory in the not too distant future, maybe with a heads up display projected on the windshield. (Car makers seem to like hi tech stuff to sell cars.) If that happens, hopefully manufacturing volume might then drive the prices down.

Which iPhone has a USB port?

I just got a http://www.flir.com/flirone/ a couple of months ago. It has already led to saving our company tens of thousands of dollars in previously wasted energy! I got the IOS version that connects to the Lightning port on an iPhone 5 or newer.

At $250, It's one of the, if not THE, best investment we've ever made in equipment.

Here's the most important photo:

I got one for my wife along with the iPhone 5. That thing is awesome.

It also can overlay the visible spectrum with the infrared image if I remember correctly.

Yes, the IR image is superimposed over the visible image. If you swipe down from the top or up from the bottom, the portion of the IR image above or below your finger is removed, revealing that portion of the visible image.

If there is a way to keep part or all of the IR layer hidden, I don't know it. I'd love to be able to print the two layers separately.

So far, I don't know if they have an App for the computer that allows the same function after the image is transferred to the computer. I'm currently importing the images into Photos on my Mac, and don't have that capability (that I'm aware of...).

BTW, That image was of #2 wires feeding a defective rotary air compressor, running at 50A, 480V, continuously, regardless of the load. The 129°F shown was by no means the hottest point on the wires, and the photo was taken outside on a cool day with the cover removed from a wire raceway.

What is the temperature range? I was thinking about one for the re-heat ovens.

Ooooh! Great find! I hadn't seen that yet. Thanks!

Germanium wave response coincides (sensitive) to IR bandwidth.

The challenge is doing it with Aluminum, Tin, Copper, Carbon, Silicon or Silver just by using this butterfly's color technology

and, perhaps we could use it in generating solar electricity.

I have, prospects...I do lack resource or collaboration may be.