# What does "GOES" mean in this link?  (Rain and water related)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 9, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620 "2015-05-09T13:10:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620/1 "2015-05-09T13:10:15Z")

</div>

On this page from the Corp of Engineers, rainfall and lake level use “GOES”, which I assume is an acronym for something. Any ideas? “GOES” is not Google friendly.

[http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/webdata/gagedata/FTCO2.current.html](http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/webdata/gagedata/FTCO2.current.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620/2 "2015-05-09T13:21:15Z")

</div>

> **[Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite)**
>
> The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), operated by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service division, supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research. Spacecraft and ground-based elements of the system work together to provide a continuous stream of environmental data. The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Meteorological Service of Canada use...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620/3 "2015-05-09T13:25:01Z")

</div>

I was going to suggest it might have something to do with the [Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite), but your link doesn’t seems to support that idea. (e.g. Hard to see how a satellite measures voltage).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620/4 "2015-05-09T14:32:59Z")

</div>

> [@Xema](#):
>
> I was going to suggest it might have something to do with the [Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite), but your link doesn’t seems to support that idea. (e.g. Hard to see how a satellite measures voltage).

[This link](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/measurements.html) suggests that it’s for the transmitter battery, i.e. it’s not part of the environmental data per se but auxiliary info to indicate that the electronics are operating normally.