The use of satellites to monitor global transmission of microbes

Most atmospheric parameters relevant to microbe dissemination into the atmosphere, including aerial transport and deposition, can be monitored by temperature and humidity, aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and wind through current meteorological and other satellite systems. A wide range of these parameters are already extracted and distributed operationally on a regional or global basis like cloudiness, cloud height, cloud motion, winds, surface temperature and atmospheric temperature profiles, and precipitation estimates, Some of these products like cloud motion, winds, and temperature profiles enter weather forecast models for initialization purposes. These models predict the global state of the atmosphere (some include precipitation and cloudiness) quite reliably for several days. Thus, an important part of the necessary technical framework for global disease spread and transmission monitoring exists.