rvin bse g S O ys th t r e a m E
THE EARTH OBSERVER A Bimonthly EOS Publication May/June 1999 Vol. 11 No. 3
In this issue EDITOR’S CORNER
SCIENCE TEAM MEETINGS Michael King EOS Senior Project Scientist Joint Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) Science Team Meeting ...... 3
Report on the EOS CHEM Science Team I’m happy to report that on Meeting ...... 4 June 19, NASA’s Quick CERES Science Team Meeting ...... 5 Scatterometer (QuikSCAT)
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer satellite was launched aboard (MODIS) Science Team Meeting Summary .... 10 an Air Force Titan II launch
The First PICASSO-CENA Science Team vehicle from Vandenberg Air Meeting Minutes ...... 20 Force Base. QuikSCAT’s
Summary of the Mini-SWAMP Meeting...... 26 SeaWinds microwave scatterometer will provide new Summary of NASA EOS SAFARI 2000 Workshop ...... 32 near-surface wind speed and direction measurements under all weather and cloud conditions over SCIENCE ARTICLES the Earth’s oceans. The satellite achieved its initial elliptical orbit with A Portable Integrating Sphere Source for a maximum altitude of about 800 km above the Earth’s surface about Radiometric Calibrations from the Visible to an hour after launch. the Short-Wave Infrared ...... 14
Global Observations of Aerosols and Clouds During the first two weeks after launch, QuikSCAT fired its thrusters from Combined Lidar and Passive Instruments as many as 25 times to circularize and gradually fine-tune its polar to Improve Radiation Budget and Climate Studies ...... 22 orbit. Eighteen days after launch, the SeaWinds instrument was turned on for the first time. Members of the project engineering and An Associate of Arts in Community Colleges for Training in Earth Science Project ...... 27 science teams spent the next 12 days performing detailed checks of the instrument and initially calibrating its radar backscatter and ocean MODIS Land Surface Temperature Validation . 29 wind measurements. Although calibration and validation of the Report of EOS Volcanology IDS Team measurements will continue for several months, QuickSCAT formally Meeting ...... 36 began its primary mission of mapping ocean wind speed and NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise Participates direction, starting about 30 days after launch. The primary mission is in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals ...... 38 scheduled to continue for two years. ANNOUNCEMENTS QuikSCAT is managed for NASA’s Office of Earth Science by the Jet Major Accomplishment ...... 4 Propulsion Laboratory, which also built the SeaWinds scatterometer EOS Scientists in the News ...... 40 instrument and will provide ground science processing systems. Earth Science Education Program Update ..... 42 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Information/Inquiries ...... Back cover THE EARTH OBSERVER • May/June, 1999 Vol. 11 No. 3
Boulder, CO. Additional information on more than 30 scientific disciplines empha- and ingest/archive/distribution readiness QuikSCAT can be found on the QuikSCAT sized by the EOS program. The workshop tests, complemented by Terra End-to-end web site at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ and Media Directory together represent an Science System (TESS) tests. A Mission missions/quikscat/quikindex.html. invaluable resource for accurate and Operations and Science System (MOSS) timely dissemination of EOS mission and also took place in late July. These tests Launch of the EOS flagship satellite Terra science information to major media have revealed satisfactory network (formerly known as AM-1) has been outlets. performance for the current requirements, delayed until no earlier than September but the network may not be able to 13, 1999. A rash of Pratt & Whitney RL-10 Landsat 7 continues to perform very well support system distribution throughput engine failures on Delta launch vehicles three months after its successful launch for significant requirement increases. (similar to the Atlas IIAS vehicle slated to from Vandenberg Air Force Base on April Much of the processing for EOS data will launch Terra) prompted the decision to 15. Since then, in addition to the normal be done via Science Investigator-led postpone the launch. Consequently, a post-launch checkout activity, a great deal Processing Systems (SIPS), and will flight constraint on the RL-10 engine has of effort has been devoted to extracting contain high-speed ingest capabilities for been issued by Pratt & Whitney. With the and publicizing a few scenes for media data products in the next major release of uncertainty of the resolution of the flight and public relations purposes. The EOSDIS software, which will be installed constraint, NASA has decided not to Landsat 7 Team is now returning to the at the DAACs beginning in late July, and proceed with preparations for fueling the critical task of completing the on-orbit extending through November. All Terra spacecraft (the next major step in the independent verification plan required to processing, ingest, and distribution launch flow). Terra will not be launched acclimate the instrument to its space software is expected to be in place in time until there is the highest confidence that environment. Landsat 7 imagery has now for operational data flow from Terra. all aspects of the launch will meet with been geo-referenced to the Worldwide success. Reference System (WRS) Path-Row coordinate system. This milestone The EOS Project Science Office and the achievement allows consistent correlation Goddard Public Affairs Office organized a with other Landsat imagery, and opens the Science Writers Workshop at the American door for operational data acquisition and Geophysical Union headquarters in ordering. Landsat 7’s orbit is now 8 days Washington, DC on June 24. The goal of out of phase with Landsat 5, providing the meeting was to educate science maximum Earth coverage for monitoring journalists from Nature, Scientific American, acute geophysical phenomena like floods, Discovery On-Line, Physics Today, and other forest fires, and other natural disasters. publications on the EOS programs, global- The first Landsat 7 imagery was made change science objectives, and information available to the public in late July. Full resources. Several prominent scientists scenes that have been corrected for sensor and NASA officials spoke on EOS mis- effects and spacecraft geometry (Level sions, science, and media resources. On One processing) will become available June 25, workshop participants attended a from the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, series of lectures and demonstrations by South Dakota at a price of $600 each. More EOS project and data managers at information on Landsat 7 and the Landsat Goddard Space Flight Center. An EOS program can be found on the Landsat Global Change Media Directory was also program web site at: http:// distributed at the workshop. The Media geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/landsat/ Directory provides journalists with a landsat.html. ready source of international expertise on global climate change and policy. The 237 The EOS Data and Information System scientists listed in the directory represent (EOSDIS) recently conducted data flow
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• AMR flights in Tibet, May-July 2001, Thailand, April-June 2002, and Joint Advanced Microwave Scanning Mongolia, Aug-Oct 2002, for soil- Radiometer (AMSR) Science Team moisture validation. Meeting The AMR is undergoing a major refurbish- ment. The main change is an improved in- — E. Lobl ([email protected]), AMSR-E Science Team Coordinator, Earth flight calibration scheme. There will be 3 System Science Laboratory, University of Alabama in Huntsville test flights to validate the correct perfor- mance of the AMR. E. Sakai (NASDA/ EOSD) presented to the Joint Science team ADEOS-II AMSR homepage: the results from the February data format se.eorc.nasda.go.jp/eorc/AMSR/amsr EOS meeting; both instruments will have the same data format, and this format will be PM-1 AMSR-E homepage: the same as the EOSDIS-recommended wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/AMSR data format.
C. Kummerow (AMSR-E Precipitation group lead) presented a detailed summary of the updated AMSR-E Precipitation Validation Plan. The main components of A Joint AMSR Science Team meeting was • AMR flights in May-July 2000 over this plan are: 1) Extending the TRMM held in Firenze, Italy, 19 March 1999, Nagaoka, ground-radar network to higher latitudes, immediately following the Microrad ’99 2) operating the mobile (10 cm) radar (to Specialists meeting. Most of the discussion • one ground-based radar in the Bay of obtain beam-filling statistics, 3) freezing- revolved around validation of the AMSR Wakasa, and possibly one in Siberia, level retrieval, vertical-profile statistics, products. A summary of the Japanese cumulus/stratus confirmation), and 4) an Validation plan was presented. • an automatic snow-station network intensive field campaign (using the ER 2 in Siberia. and a microphysics aircraft), in 2002 in Dr. A. Shibata (ADEOS-II AMSR Lead Alaska/Seattle. A similar mission is Scientist) presented a summary of the The post-launch validation would consist planned for 2004 in Punta Arenas, Chile. Japanese Validation plan, including the of a continuation of the pre-launch status of the AMR aircraft-radiometer activities. These activities will be aug- F. Wentz (AMSR-E Ocean suite lead) refurbishment. The pre-launch activities mented by: showed some results from his TMI work, (1999-2000) rely mostly on generating where he found wind-speed (roughness) ‘match-up’ data sets with SSM/I and TMI. • AMR flights in May-July 2001 in anomalies upwind of Hawaii and off the The data used to generate these data sets Tibet, for precipitation validation southern tip of Africa. He discussed a would be from radiosondes, buoys, possible validation plan for the wind and radars, and GTS-provided snow-depth • AMR, AMSS, PSR, AVIRIS, air-borne SST retrievals in these areas. measurements. Soil-moisture data will laser altimeter, and SAR flights in the come from GAME IOP in Tibet and Okhotsk Sea, Arctic and Antarctic P. Gudmansen (Professor emeritus, Thailand and SGP’99. The field experi- Oceans, and Alaska, for sea-ice Technical University of Denmark) ments and campaigns considered are: validation, presented his proposal for GRASP, a validation campaign for sea ice in the • continuous monitoring of two • campaigns in Tibet and Siberia to Arctic Ocean, near the north coast of ground-based radiometers on islands measure snow depth, density, and off the coast of Japan (Hekurajima grain size in Jan-Feb 2001 and 2002, and Aogashima), for snow validation, (Continued on page 19)
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Report on the EOS CHEM Science Team Meeting Major Accomplishment: — Anne Douglass ([email protected]), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
The PICASSO-CENA proposal (Dr. David Winker, principal investigator) was selected for development under An EOS CHEM science team meeting was The CHEM the NASA Office of Earth Science’s held April 12-14, 1999 (Monday – Wednes- Project has Earth System Science Pathfinder day) at the Convention Center in Pasa- developed Working (ESSP) program. PICASSO-CENA is dena CA. The CHEM Project now has two Groups to address various the next phase in NASA’s strategy to meetings annually. The spring meeting is project needs. The current understand the impact of aerosols oriented towards data products and groups are: Data Systems, Mission and clouds on the Earth’s climate science issues which are anticipated to be Operations, Education/Outreach, system. The primary goal of the addressed using CHEM data, while the Algorithm, and Validation. The Working mission is to provide global, high- fall meeting [the Chemistry Annual Project Groups met at various times during the spatial-resolution measurements of Steering Meeting (CHAPS)] is oriented first two days of the meeting, and reported the vertical distribution and optical towards project issues. The April 1999 to the full group on Wednesday. Working properties of tropospheric aerosols meeting had two purposes. The first was Group reports from this meeting and and clouds that will significantly to enhance the CHEM science team by general information about these sub- improve our understanding of the developing interactions between the data groups can be found on the CHEM web effects of aerosols and clouds on the providers (instrument teams and their PIs) site (http://eos-chem.gsfc.nasa.gov). Part Earth’s radiation budget. It combines and data users (IDS investigators, mem- of the final morning was spent discussing a 3-channel lidar with innovative bers of the instrument science teams not validation needs for EOS CHEM, and the passive sensors to obtain this unique directly involved in data production, and goal of planning validation campaigns data set. A key aspect of PICASSO- the outside science community). The that will meet the dual goals of satisfying CENA is flying in formation with second was to discuss validation needs for CHEM needs while addressing focussed NASA’s EOS-PM and CloudSat CHEM. The agenda included presenta- science questions. A presentation on the satellites to produce a coincident tions on the four CHEM instruments: the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation global data set that is essential for Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), High Experiment (SOLVE) provided a concrete accurate quantification of aerosol and Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder example of this strategy. Discussion at this cloud radiative effects. PICASSO- (HIRDLS), Tropospheric Emission meeting was focussed on the validation CENA is a joint enterprise between Spectrometer (TES), and Ozone Monitor- needs of the CHEM platform, emphasiz- the NASA Langley Research Center ing Instrument (OMI), and presentations ing that several constituents are measured (LaRC), the French Centre National on sources of data in the CHEM timeframe by more than one instrument. Science d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and such as the Solar Stellar Irradiance questions to be addressed in the manner Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE), and of SOLVE, while fulfilling these validation Ball Aerospace and Technologies the ENVISAT mission, which ESA will needs, will be the subject of the Workshop Corporation (BATC), Hampton launch in 2000. There was also a presenta- for Integration of Satellite Calibration/ University (HU), and other university tion on the planned standard data Validation and Research-Oriented Field partners. The PICASSO-CENA assimilation products expected in support Missions in the Next Decade to be held in spacecraft will be launched in 2003 of the mission. In addition, there were August 1999 in Snowmass, CO. and will operate for 3 years. more than 30 contributed science talks and posters.
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5-year averages from 1985-89 showed significant differences. The agreement in CERES Science Team Meeting clear-sky values and the disagreement in all-sky values indicates that changes in — Gary G. Gibson ([email protected]), NASA Langley Research Center cloud properties between the Earth — Shashi K. Gupta ([email protected]), Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and NASA Langley Research Center CERES time periods are responsible for the differences.
Yong Hu (Hampton University, HU) examined the discrepancy between theoretical and observed cloud absorption. The 19th Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Instrument Status: TRMM, Terra, Using the Precipitation Radar on TRMM Energy System (CERES) Science Team and EOS-PM to identify deep convective clouds, he meeting was held in Williamsburg, VA on determined from the corresponding April 27-29, 1999. The major items of Leonard Kopia (LaRC) presented details of CERES measurements that the mean business for this meeting were: (1) the investigation into the voltage con- albedo of such clouds is about 0.70 for identifying current problems in cloud verter anomaly on the CERES instrument precipitating deep convection and 0.74 for validation and expected ways of reducing flying on the TRMM spacecraft. The team non-precipitating deep convection. All those to a level acceptable for validation recommended replacement of all low- clouds gave 11-µm brightness tempera- and archiving; (2) identifying current voltage converters in the five CERES flight tures <205 K. Theoretical albedos ranged problems in CERES Surface and Atmo- models. Kopia also reported that all from 0.74 to 0.79. spheric Radiation Budget (SARB) valida- instrument build and test activities are on tion and expected ways of reducing those schedule. Kory Priestley (LaRC) showed Patrick Minnis (LaRC) gave an overview problems to a level acceptable for valida- that calibration goals continue to be met of the CERES cloud optical property tion and archiving; (3) clarifying the and exceeded. Ground-to-orbit calibra- retrieval subsystem and showed good approaches to improving angular distribu- tions are consistent to within 0.12, 0.08, initial results for cloud physical and tion models (ADMs) and identifying when and 0.29% for the total, window, and microphysical property retrievals. The we begin producing the second edition of shortwave (SW) channels, respectively. Visible-Infrared Scanner (VIRS) calibration the CERES-Tropical Rainfall Measuring On-orbit results show no significant gain appears to be stable. Surface-based Mission (TRMM) products; and (4) change in any channel. Bruce Wielicki retrievals of cloud properties at the ensuring that the instrument calibration is reviewed the CERES/TRMM operations Atmospheric Radiation Measurement stable, that we optimize the time of data strategy for supporting field experiments. (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) and collection for CERES-TRMM, are fully The first priority is to conserve the the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) sites prepared to rapidly validate the AM instrument until the Terra launch to compared well with CERES-derived cloud (Terra) data, and that we have a firm and conduct intercalibrations between the two properties. rigorous basis for stating the uncertainties CERES instruments. Robert B. Lee III in the CERES measurements (LaRC) discussed Terra launch readiness Norman Loeb (HU) summarized recent and on-orbit operations for calibrations findings of the ADM team. Albedo Bruce Wielicki (NASA Langley Research and consistency checks. estimates based on ADMs using fixed Center, LaRC), CERES Co-Principal optical-depth classes show a large Investigator, opened the meeting with an ERBE-like Data and Validation dependence on viewing geometry. EOS program status report. The Earth Albedos based on ADMs which use Dave Young and Richard Green (both of Observing System morning satellite percentiles of cloud optical depth show LaRC) gave an update on ERBE-like (Terra) is now scheduled to be launched substantially less dependence on viewing validation. A comparison of tropical no sooner than September 13, 1999. EOS- geometry and agree with direct integra- means from CERES during 1998 and Earth PM is still on schedule for a December tion albedos. Results from the Polarization Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) scanner 2000 launch. and Directionality of the Earth’s
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Reflectances (POLDER) experiment atmosphere, as well as optical and results for a 3-D cloud study in which he demonstrated the importance of defining physical properties of aerosols and clouds simulated radiance patterns in order to ADMs by cloud fraction, cloud optical which influence the Earth’s radiation study the errors inherent in using plane- depth, and cloud phase. budget. Taneil Uttal (NOAA) gave a brief parallel radiative-transfer theory in summary of CloudSat capabilities for satellite retrievals. Tom Charlock (LaRC) presented a status obtaining vertical profiles of clouds. She report on the validation of SARB data then described the SHEBA (Surface Heat Qing Trepte (SAIC) presented improve- products. He noted several improvements Budget of the Arctic) experiment and ments to the CERES cloud-masking to the radiative transfer code, and re- showed some results on observations of techniques for both day and night time. viewed several ongoing validation Arctic clouds using lidar and radar Pat Heck, Analytical Services and Materi- experiments. instruments. als, Inc. (AS&M), discussed improved techniques implemented in the cloud Education and Outreach Working Group Reports optical property retrieval algorithm for determining cloud phase using 1.6-µm Lin Chambers (LaRC) gave a brief update Instrument Working Group: Robert B. Lee data. Sunny Sun-Mack (SAIC) presented µ on recent activities of the Students’ Cloud III led the Instrument Working Group new databases of 1.6- m clear-sky Observations On-Line (S’COOL) project, (WG) meeting in discussions of the products, including maps of 1.6-to-0.63- µ which is a part of the Outreach and accuracy of the CERES instrument on m reflectance ratios that are used in the Education programs at NASA/LaRC. TRMM. Measurement accuracy and cloud mask. Michael King (GSFC) Under this project, students in secondary precision goals have been satisfied. The commented that he could provide new schools around the world make observa- group is examining the instrument ground directional and bidirectional models for tions of the atmosphere and submit them calibration data in an attempt to under- snow and ice that would assist with cloud to the S’COOL database. These observa- stand the 1% inconsistency in the ERBE- masking. tions are then used for validation of like 3-channel checks performed by Kory Jay Mace (U. Utah) summarized cloud coincident satellite data. At present, over Priestley for deep convective clouds property retrievals from the ARM pro- 250 schools from the U.S. and 20 other (0.8%), and Richard Green on the Tropical gram. The availability of data from the countries on all continents are participat- Mean day/night check (1.2%). This SGP, TWP, and North Slope of Alaska sites ing in the S’COOL project. inconsistency is within the CERES goal of was included in discussion of CERES 1% SW absolute calibration accuracy; validation. Michael King suggested that Invited Presentations calibration changes are not currently he reduce the data volume for the CERES planned. Two EOS Earth Science System Pathfinder team by matching the surface-based retrievals with TRMM and Terra over- (ESSP) missions have been selected to fly Cloud Working Group: Patrick Minnis led a passes. in formation with EOS-PM to provide discussion of cloud retrieval, archival, cloud profiling data. The Pathfinder data dissemination, and validation issues. Chuck Long (Penn State) presented a Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol summary of his cloud-cover retrievals Spaceborne Observations - Climatologie Q. Han (U. Alabama-Huntsville) dis- from a NOAA hemispheric sky imager, Etendue des Nuages et des Aerosols cussed the uncertainties in cloud retrievals including a comparison of these retrievals (PICASSO-CENA) includes a lidar induced by the variation of ice crystal with cloud amounts derived from satellite instrument, and the CloudSat mission will shapes in clouds. He quantified large data using the Layered Bispectral Thresh- fly a cloud radar. Dave Winker (LaRC) uncertainties caused by inaccurate ice old Method of Minnis. gave an overview of the PICASSO-CENA crystal shapes, which are reflected in large mission. The payload consists of a lidar, an errors in bidirectional reflectance func- Surface and Atmospheric Radiation Budget oxygen A-band spectrometer, an imaging tions and optical depth. (SARB) Working Group: The SARB and infrared radiometer, and a wide-field-of - Surface-only Working Groups met jointly. view camera. Data from these instruments Ron Welch (U. Alabama-Huntsville) gave The meeting was co-chaired by Thomas will be used to measure the vertical examples of a new cloud classifier that Charlock and David Kratz (both from distributions of aerosols and clouds in the utilizes VIRS data. He also presented LaRC).
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Bill Collins (NCAR) gave an invited Tim Alberta (AS&M) presented results of launches 60-ft-diameter balloons, which presentation on the results from an an analysis of surface-measured fluxes carry a 200-lb payload and stay at 60-70- experiment in which aerosol radiative from the CERES/ARM/GEWEX Experi- thousand feet for extended periods of properties were forecast over areas of the ment 2 (CAGEX2) and the CERES ARM time. These balloons will make radiomet- Indian Ocean. In the first part of this Validation Experiment (CAVE). In many of ric measurements and launch dropsondes. experiment, a chemical transport model these measurements, the diffuse radiation (CTM) was used with aerosol sources and was substantially less than that computed Thomas Charlock (LaRC) apprised the meteorological data to produce the with the Fu-Liou code even without group of the Ultra Long Duration Balloon forecast. In the second part, satellite data aerosols. Many of the pyranometers (ULDB) program being planned by were assimilated with the CTM. Compari- registered negative values for diffuse NASA/GSFC and the Wallops Island sons of the forecasts with and without radiation during the night. The magnitude facility. These balloons will stay at about satellite data assimilation showed signifi- of these negative values was found to be 35 km for extended periods of time, and cant differences. related to the net LW flux at the instru- will carry Eppley pyranometers and other ment. A correction algorithm for diffuse scientific payloads. The first balloon will Fred Rose (AS&M) gave a report on a radiation was developed based on this be launched in the Southern Hemisphere wide range of SARB activities. Rose relationship, and daytime diffuse- in December 2000, and will stay up for showed comparisons of several SW and radiation measurements were corrected about 30 days. Subsequent balloons will longwave (LW) parameters derived in the using this algorithm. stay up for up to 100 days. SARB subsystem with corresponding single-satellite-footprint (SSF) parameters Martial Haefflin (Virginia Polytechnic Shashi Gupta (AS&M) discussed the from satellite retrievals. Comparison of Institute & State University, VPI&SU) problem faced by the Meteorology, Ozone, calculated and observed top-of-atmosphere presented results of a simulation of and Aerosol (MOA) subsystem during (TOA) albedos over cloudy scenes showed physical processes inside a pyranometer, May-June 1998 because of the interruption significant differences as a function of which can be used to quantify uncertain- of the ozone data stream from the Strato- cloud optical depth and phase. These were ties in SW radiation measurements. spheric Monitoring-group Ozone Blended attributed to the lack of sensitivity to Haefflin showed that monitoring the Analysis (SMOBA/NCEP) which is the cloud optical depth and phase in the temperature of the inner dome is impor- primary source of ozone for MOA. He ADMs used in CERES processing. Rose tant for modeling the energy exchanges presented a plan to deal with such also showed that the inclusion of the between the detector and the surround- interruptions in the future. CERES window channel in the constrain- ings. ment algorithm helped to better constrain CERES ADM Working Group: Norman the lower tropospheric humidity (LTH) Seiji Kato (HU) compared CERES re- Loeb led the ADM WG meeting with a and the surface skin temperature. Several trieved and modeled TOA irradiances for general overview of critical ADM/ improvements were implemented in the scenes containing warm stratus clouds. inversion research issues. Fu-Liou model and SARB processing as a Cloud parameters used in the model result of these studies. computations were based on measure- Yong Hu showed some early comparisons ments made at the ARM SGP site in between clear-sky SW Bidirectional John Augustine (NOAA) and Chuck Long January 1998. He concluded that CERES Reflectance Distribution Functions apprised the WG of surface-measured retrievals overestimated TOA albedo over (BRDFs) from CERES Rotating Azimuth data available from six locations of the thick clouds, and underestimated it over Plane Scanner (RAPS) data with those NOAA SURFRAD network for validation thin clouds, and he stressed the need for from theory. Overall, the CERES BRDFs of CERES/SARB products. Augustine stratifying ADMs by cloud optical depth. tend to show more limb brightening described the instrumentation and the relative to theory. One possible cause for radiation and ancillary measurements John Augustine apprised the group of the this may be cloud contamination of made at these facilities. Long described an Global Air-ocean IN-situ System (GAINS), oblique CERES-RAPS views not observed innovative method for estimating effective a NOAA program from which valuable by the VIRS on TRMM, which observes cloud amounts at a site directly from the data can be obtained for validation of the scenes only at near-nadir viewing solar radiation measurements. CERES retrievals. The GAINS program zenith angles. Hu’s results emphasize the
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need for a means of improving cloud Differences were shown to depend that simulation of the non-scanner field- screening for shallow CERES viewing systematically on column-mean relative of-view with the higher resolution zenith angles. humidity (RH). gridded scanner data eliminates seasonal variations in scanner/non-scanner Lin Chambers (LaRC) presented results of Richard Green (LaRC) led a discussion on correlations. The working group discussed a theoretical examination of Norman the definition of flux for CERES. It was the first results from Subsystem 10. Loeb’s “percentile-approach” for con- proposed that CERES radiance-to-flux Comparisons of monthly mean fluxes structing ADMs. She found that retrieved conversion be first performed relative to a derived with and without the use of fluxes show smaller angular bias and rms pixel’s location at the Earth’s surface, and geostationary data were shown. errors using the percentile-approach than then adjusted to the TOA (defined at 30 the “fixed-tau” approach (which ignores km) by applying a ~1% correction to Investigator Presentation Highlights retrieval errors in determining ADM scene account for the flux dependence on height. types). She points out, however, that even The question of whether a 30-km height is Bryan Baum (LaRC) presented a tech- the percentile approach does not entirely appropriate generated much discussion. nique for identifying pixels in which a thin correct for the influence of 3D cloud ice cloud overlaps a thick water cloud effects (e.g., shadowing in the forward Time Interpolation and Spatial Averaging using data from the MODIS Airborne scattering direction). (TISA) Working Group: David Young led Simulator (MAS). The technique is based discussions of software development, on properties of water and ice clouds Shalini Mayor (AS&M) presented spectral current temporal and spatial averaging computed with a discrete-ordinate code clear-sky BRDFs over the ARM SGP site studies, ongoing CERES ERBE-like and uses measured reflectance at 1.63 µm inferred from the Unmanned Aerospace validation efforts, and the first results and brightness temperature at 11 µm. Vehicle (UAV) Multispectral Pushbroom from the CERES enhanced temporal Imaging Radiometer (MPIR) instrument interpolation algorithms using data from Don Cahoon (LaRC) presented results and the CERES helicopter. These were geostationary satellites. Maria Mitchum from the CERES ARM Radiation Experi- compared with BRDFs derived from (LaRC) presented an overview of the ment (CARE) conducted during August Geostationary Operational Environmental status of the operational code for the 1998 at the ARM SGP site. Cahoon also Satellite (GOES) data (at the TOA). RMS seven TISA subsystems; all subsystems described the CERES validation facility differences (comparing angular bins) were have been delivered to the Langley being set up on the Chesapeake Light- generally between 15-30% for a solar Distributed Active Archive Center house platform, about 25 km east of ° Virginia Beach, VA, in the Atlantic ocean. zenith angle of 45 , and increased to 30- (DAAC). Recent algorithm changes 45% for a solar zenith of 75°. Surface include the inclusion of overlap data and a This facility is expected to be operational wetness was found to be an important data filter for striping in the geostationary by August of 1999 and will be used to factor. data. Near-term plans include geostation- monitor spectral SW radiation reflected ary satellite data inter-calibrations using from the ocean surface. Norman Loeb examined the anisotropy in VIRS data, and modifications to handle CERES LW- and window-channel radi- CERES data from multiple instruments. Robert Cess (State University of New ances as a function of cloud properties in Takmeng Wong (LaRC) presented a York at Stony Brook) presented results of a overcast conditions over ocean. While technique for identifying and removing study conducted by Meredith Croke, a limb darkening was shown to increase bad data records from the GOES-8 data high school student who worked with him dramatically with decreasing IR emissivity files. This data filter, which compares the last summer. This study showed the (especially in the window channel), there mean and standard deviation of radiances relationships between the change in global was less sensitivity to cloud-top tempera- from consecutive scan lines, has been mean climate (represented by global mean ture. incorporated into the operational code. Ts) and cloudiness over three different Stéphanie Weckmann (VPI&SU) presented regions of the U.S., namely, the coastal Bill Collins presented comparisons of a technique for removing the spatial southwest, the coastal northeast, and the clear-sky TOA outgoing LW radiation resolution bias between monthly mean southern plains. Cloudiness in all three (OLR) from three satellite Earth-radiation flux estimates from scanner and non- regions was found to increase with missions with theoretical calculations. scanner measurements. The results show increasing Ts. Cloudiness was also
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correlated with other indices of regional resulting clouds exhibit more realistic of the atmosphere. Ramanathan showed climate. microphysics and cloud-radiation interac- further that the weighting function for G tions. is distributed uniformly throughout the Thomas Charlock (LaRC) presented an troposphere, and that water vapor essay on detecting a climate-change signal Alexander Ignatov (representing Larry feedback on G was always positive and the importance of a continuous long- Stowe, NOAA/NESDIS) presented results contrary to Lindzen’s hypothesis. term record of broadband TOA ERB for its from continuing work on retrieval of detection. He showed from the results of a aerosol properties from VIRS pixel-level David Randall (Colorado State Univer- simple 1-D radiative-convective model data and current SSF product. Their sity) presented early results from a that, taking into account the heat taken up algorithms retrieve aerosol properties futuristic climate model which is also by the deep oceans, a substantial imbal- from VIRS radiances in channels 1 and 2 easily compatible with CERES data. It is a ance in global-annual TOA ERB is (0.63 µm and 1.6 µm, respectively). He finite-difference model in which all except required to cause a warming trend. He showed size distribution, Angstrom 12 grid boxes are hexagons (the remaining showed further that the CERES instru- exponent, and the dependence of aerosol 12 are pentagons). The spatial resolution ment exhibits sufficient year-to-year optical depth (AOD) on solar and viewing of this model is roughly equivalent to the stability and precision to measure the TOA zenith angles. T42 resolution of the Community Climate imbalance needed to produce a warming Model (CCM3). A very attractive feature trend. Charlock stressed the need to Robert Kandel (LMD France) presented a of this model is its quasi-isotropic geom- produce a long-term record of broadband brief overview of the TOA ERB measure- etry, i.e., grid boxes share walls with all TOA radiation budget and identified it as ments obtained during the last 25 years neighboring boxes. This feature results in a key resource for refining and validating and examined the data looking for climate better performance by the model in the the next generation of coupled atmo- trends. He examined zonal mean OLR for polar regions. sphere-ocean climate models. the 40°N-to-40°S band averaged for mid- seasonal months over several years Shi-Keng Yang (representing Jim Miller, Jim Coakley (Oregon State University) obtained from ERBE, ScaRaB, and CERES. NOAA/National Centers for Environmen- gave a progress report on his new pixel- He also examined the tropical means tal Prediction, NCEP) presented results of level cloud-retrieval studies. He is (averaged over 20°N-to-20°S) for SW and an examination of the radiation module identifying techniques for extracting cloud LW radiation looking for trends. He used in the current version of the NCEP information from clusters of fairly pointed to much variability within the data assimilation model. The model homogeneous cloud pixels in order to system on regional scales but a weak yielded about 10-20 Wm-2 higher OLR assist in deriving cloud properties for trend, if any, on the global scale. over the tropical Pacific ocean when individual pixels. compared with ERBE results. He attrib- Bing Lin (HU) presented estimates of uted this discrepancy to the very low Leo Donner (NOAA/GFDL) presented turbulent heat fluxes over tropical oceans values of upper tropospheric humidity results of a General Circulation Model derived from TRMM data. He summa- found in the model. experiment in which a mesoscale compo- rized earlier work on the retrieval of nent using vertical convective velocities, turbulent heat fluxes and showed that Science Team Logistics in addition to the mass fluxes, was added retrievals from TRMM Microwave Imager to the cumulus parameterization of the (TMI) data have a much higher accuracy. The next CERES Science Team meeting is model. He suggested that the current scheduled for early December 1999 at the parameterizations do not predict the ice V. Ramanathan (Scripps Institution of NASA Langley Research Center. The focus formation and also miss the large radiative Oceanography) presented an outline of a will be threefold: the progress of valida- forcing associated with cumulus convec- study of water vapor greenhouse effect tion for clouds, ADMs, SARB, and TISA, tion. Donner showed that the new (G) to be based on CERES data. Based on new science results from the science team, parameterization is based on more explicit earlier work, he showed that the clear-sky and an examination of the first results treatment of mesoscale processes. It needs value of G for the mid-latitude summer from CERES on Terra. less frequent and less penetrative convec- atmosphere was about 130 Wm-2, which is tion to produce cumulus clouds. The much larger than for any other constituent
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delivery is planned for July 1999. Blanchette reviewed the Geolocation Version 2.1 (at-launch) schedule. Version Moderate Resolution Imaging 2.2 will be worked on post-launch, and will include MODIS metadata and a Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Science robust G-ring algorithm. Team Meeting Summary MODIS L1B Readiness and Software Plans — Mike Heney and Deborah Howard ([email protected]) Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Bruce Guenther provided an overview of MODIS L1B software readiness and plans for updates. He said that the current version, 2.1.5, incorporates all science updates received through March 1999. The next delivery, due at the end of May, includes many enhancements such as The complete set of these minutes and possibility that the recent Centaur saturation fixes, a revised thermal-band attachments is available in Portable anomaly during a Titan IV launch could look-up table, a refined uncertainty Document Format (PDF) on the MODIS impact Terra’s launch. Grady reported that algorithm, and minor code fixes. Guenther Meetings Page at http:// the spacecraft and instruments are ready presented the post-launch, L1B timeline modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/ for launch. that includes rapid-response changes, low- SCITEAM/minutes.html. to-moderate-impact changes, and frequent MODIS Sensor Status look-up table updates resulting from Introduction calibration and characterization activities. Bruce Guenther presented a comparison of Computer Resources of MCST (CROM) The MODIS Science Team meeting was Level 1B (L1B) products with MODIS PFM will likely develop and implement these held May 3–6 at the Greenbelt Marriott instrument specifications. The electrical updates. near Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). crosstalk on the instrument has been Vince Salomonson welcomed participants mitigated, with residual effects to be Goddard DAAC Status for and said the meeting would focus on data evaluated on orbit. Guenther presented a Production products and algorithms. He suggested summary chart on the status of L1B that a Terra meeting at the launch might parameters on a band-by-band basis; it Steve Kempler reviewed the status of the be held in California to coincide with the will be maintained on the MODIS Charac- Goddard DAAC (GDAAC) ingest and launch of the Terra spacecraft, with the terization Support Team’s (MCST’s) production processing of MODIS data. He MODIS Protoflight Model (PFM) instru- Website. He reviewed the instrument outlined the projected at-launch data flow ment on board. activation sequence, identifying guiding and discussed the current system status. objectives and providing major mile- The GDAAC is conducting a series of Terra Project Status stones. Operational Readiness Exercises (OREs) to evaluate the system’s functionality and Kevin Grady stated that three major MODIS Level 1A and Geolocation performance. Kempler reported on the reviews of the Terra spacecraft, the pre- Status status of the Science Software Integration ship, launch-vehicle readiness, and flight and Test (SSIT) system. Some manual Jeff Blanchette provided a status report on operations reviews, took place in April. intervention still is required for processes MODIS Level 1A (L1A) and geolocation Planned pre-launch activities include final that should run automatically. The code. Product Generation Executive (PGE) spacecraft testing, propellant loading, and mitigation approach includes working on 01 was delivered in March, land control- spacecraft closeouts. Remaining liens fixes to the automated system, document- point matching software has been devel- include demonstration of the operational ing the interim manual process, and oped, and island control-point software readiness of all ground systems and a training operators.
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MODAPS Status for Production and geosynchronous altitude, Red Eye. This set of Calibration-Applicable Archive Test Distribution will be proposed as a New Millennium Scenes (CAATS) will be used to test the project. impacts of calibration changes on Level 2 Ed Masuoka reported on the status of the products. MCST envisions good commu- MODIS Adaptive Processing System EDC Status for Archiving and nications with the user community. Level Distribution (MODAPS) for production and distribu- 1B data and code will be widely available, tion of MODIS Level 2, 2G, and 3 science and the MCST Web pages will provide Brad Reed discussed the EDC status for data products. He said that the ingest information describing the L1B products, MODIS Land data archiving and distribu- portion of the Science Investigator calibration, and change histories. tion. Full-up system tests will begin after Processing System (SIPS) interface works the SIPS interface becomes available with and that MODAPS is able to receive and Validation and Geolocation EOS Core System (ECS) Version 5A. Data ingest L1 products from the GDAAC. initially will be distributed to the public Robert Wolfe described the MODIS Masuoka reviewed open items, including via File Transfer Protocol (ftp) and 8-mm Geolocation Validation and Operational Earth Science Data Type (ESDT) file tape. The ECS Version 5B release also will QA plans. The geolocation process mismatches, network bandwidth issues, support distribution via CD. Issues to be involves instrument characterization, and complete SIPS delivery. He discussed resolved include data release approval, ground control-point matching, error the status of at-launch PGEs, reported on release scheduling, and questions of data analysis, and production software model n-day test results and provided a schedule visibility. updates. The long-term focus will be on for integration into the at-launch monitoring the stability of instrument MODAPS system. He also outlined the NSIDC Status for Archiving and geometric parameters and refining the Quality Assurance (QA) and Validation Distribution geometric characterization of the instru- resources. A suite of software packages ment. Wolfe said that geolocation is and some workstations are available for Greg Scharfen reviewed the National relative to Band 0, and that band-to-band validation work onsite at GSFC. Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) status registration information is measured by for archiving and distributing Level 2 and GDAAC Archiving and Distribution MCST. 3 snow and ice data products. ECS Version of MODIS Data 4PY is running in all three modes; version Validation and Operational QA of 5A is expected in June. NSIDC success- L1B Steve Kempler provided an update on the fully participated in the Terra End-to-End MODIS Oceans and Atmospheres data Bruce Guenther summarized planned Science System (TESS) test. Acceptance archiving and distribution by the GDAAC. validation and operational QA activities testing is ongoing, and participation in The EROS Data Center (EDC) will process for MODIS L1B products. Categories upcoming E-T-E and ground-system tests land data. He reviewed at-launch data include 10 operational activities, 19 is planned. NSIDC will provide polar- flows and current operational status of calibration activities, and 19 vicarious gridded products at launch, with produc- launch-critical capabilities. The group activities. These activities will be mapped tion volume dependent on MODAPS discussed how to respond to the expected into radiometric, spectral, spatial, and resources. Issues in work include the demand for early MODIS data products. other validation studies. Regarding QA, preparation of a draft operations agree- Suggestions included producing data Guenther discussed converting radiomet- ment and an upcoming review of the SIPS- samplers to allow the user community to ric uncertainty into a 4 bit (0-15) scaling ECS Interface Control Document (ICD). familiarize themselves with MODIS data index using an exponential scaling and how to use it, and posting informa- function. He reviewed the uncertainty MODIS Routine Operations tion on data product availability at values corresponding to each index value conferences and in publications. on a band-by-band basis and presented an Bruce Guenther presented the MODIS overview of L1B QA products. routine operations plan. A Field Campaign New Millennium Red Eye Proposal Form is available on the MCST Web site; L1B Radiance Validation code and look-up tables will be available Dennis Chesters notified the MODIS via e-mail subscription. Calibration/ Kurt Thome discussed L1B radiance Science Team of a proposed project to Validation Workshops are planned and a validation. He reviewed the validation obtain Landsat 7-like datasets from
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process and outlined the field calibration for release to the public media. Herring viewed by NOAA data Product Oversight plan that includes on-orbit instrument reviewed the Earth Observatory Web site, Panels (POPs) with input from the MODIS cross calibration between field campaigns. found at http://earthobservatory.nasa. Science Team before release. Panel He said that joint campaigns with other gov. Other outreach activities include a approval will be required for the routine groups would be welcome. The initial QA partnership with the Smithsonian release of data products. volume is expected to be four or five Institution’s American History and scenes over the first several months, Natural History museums, work with the MODIS PFM/FM1 Status ramping up to one scene per day as Learning Channel on documentaries on Neil Therrien provided a status update for experience is gained in collecting field ”Fire” and ”Ice,” and publication of the MODIS PFM and FM1 instruments. data and in training students for field articles in popular magazines. Comple- The PFM instrument is at the Vandenberg campaign work. mentary Web sites include the Terra page Air Force Base (VAFB) launch facility, and at http://www.terra.nasa.gov and the MODIS test equipment is up and running. Science System Status Global Fire Monitoring site at http:// Spacecraft-level science checks for MODIS modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/fire_atlas. Mike Moore of Earth Science Data and have been completed. A thermal vacuum Information System (ESDIS) provided a MODIS Direct Broadcast Data Level retest is scheduled for mid-May, and the Science System status update. He said that 1 Processing System Status FM1 instrument completion is scheduled since the last MODIS Science Team for midsummer 1999. Guenther summa- Daesoo Han reported on the status of the meeting, the Flight Operations System rized the improvements of FM1 over PFM, MODIS L1A and L1B Direct Broadcast (FOS) has been replaced by Raytheon’s including improved polarization measure- (DB) system. MODIS direct broadcasting EOS Mission Operations System (EMOS). ments and scan-mirror-scatter quality, and will operate except when the spacecraft is He presented a list of the ECS Release 4 at- the reduction or elimination of light leaks in range of a Deep Space network station. launch capabilities and reviewed ingest in the system. Approximately 1 GB of data will be and archive issues being worked. Data- available per 10-to-12-minute overhead Oceans Products Status base configuration problems prevent some pass. The MODIS DB Ground Team types of searches from working; patches (MDBGT) is providing the source code Bob Evans reviewed the status of the for this are being developed. All funda- needed to produce Level 1 and a limited Oceans science products. Version 2.2 mental search, order, and distribution number of Level 2 products. The Release 1 delivery reduces the number of ESDTs requirements defined in the ECS baseline processing system has been tested and is from over 2000 to about 160. Science have been verified. ready for release. Future work includes algorithms have been updated, and incorporating MODIS production software program efficiency improvements have Early Science and Science Outreach changes and adding Level 2 products into been made. In particular, improvements the DB system. made to HDF file utilization resulted in Yoram Kaufman said the Terra outreach reducing the amount of time spent team coordinates outreach activities of the NOAA Plans reading the file from 60 minutes to about 1 PIs through the Executive Committee for minute. The ability to make products now Science Outreach (ECSO). David Herring Gene Legg described NOAA’s plans for falls within the CPU resources that SDST added that the team is establishing an EOS MODIS data. Their objective is to examine specified; it is important to get the new Rapid Response Network and managing and determine the applicability of EOS Version 2.2 software into the production the Earth Observatory web site. The Rapid Prototype Operational Instruments (POIs) system. Evans is confident that the Oceans Response Network headed by Jim Collatz, to NOAA’s warning and forecasting team will be able to produce good plans to foster rapid turn-around of Terra obligations. NOAA is primarily interested products at launch. and Landsat 7 imagery over significant in data from the continental United States Earth events. They have a verbal agree- and its coastal waters, and will be produc- MODIS Science at the University of ment with the USGS Center for the ing products that correspond to the first 10 Wisconsin Integration of Natural Disaster Informa- PGEs. Data products should be available tion (CINDI) to share information, and within 180 minutes of NOAA’s receipt of Paul Menzel discussed the status of will work to produce data visualizations Level 0 data. MODIS data will be re- MODIS science at the University of
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Wisconsin. He reviewed updates to the A launch slip would result in no MODIS ered the contents for an Atmospheres Web MODIS cloud mask and summarized overflight data to validate. He described site. Suggestions included an overview of collaborative work with Zhengming Wan planned early science efforts that will products, links to product sites, calendar, on surface emissivity and soundings. focus on iron limitation for ocean produc- staff listings, a bulletin board and image Menzel presented results from the March tion, fluorescence efficiency, and regional visualization tools, product imagery, and 1999 Winter Exercise (WINTEX) field phenomena. some early sample designs. They talked study and a MODIS Vicarious Calibration about parameters for releasing data to the campaign over the Antarctic Plateau. It is MODLAND Summary community and how to get data out expected that Top of Atmosphere (TOA) quickly and accurately. accuracies in upwelling radiance over Chris Justice summarized the MODLAND Antarctica should be on the order of 0.05 breakout sessions. He noted that data Closing Remarks K. He closed with a summary of MODIS system issues dominated the discussions. direct broadcast capabilities at Wisconsin; The Land group will continue prototyping Vince Salomonson closed the plenary the system should routinely be acquiring QA data for the n-day test. He suggested session, noting that all topics were well- data by the end of 1999. that user services coordination is needed. covered by the discipline groups. He was An integrated land schedule has been very supportive and enthusiastic about an Night-Time Band 36 MODIS Data developed, combining the MODLAND early products meeting in the launch +6 production, QA, and Validation timelines. month timeframe. After announcing the Jan-Peter Mueller presented a proposal for Justice presented a strawman proposal for next meeting would take place near VAFB a new product, using night-time band 36 Land early products and images, and he within 3 days of the Terra launch, data to quantify urbanization. Analyses listed validation opportunities and Salomonson declared the meeting indicate that MODIS should be able to resources. He said that closer links with adjourned. detect night-time lights at higher spatial other sensors are needed to perform cross- resolution and with better radiometric calibration, validation, and multisensor calibration than is possible with the science. MODLAND suggests an Early Defense Meteorological Satellite Program- Products meeting at about 6 months post- Operational Linescan System (DMSP- launch to focus on how users can obtain OLS). Mueller would like to use the night- data, product quality, and improvements time band 36 data early on to determine in the data. A Science Results meeting the feasibility of producing new post- would follow at about 12 months after launch products. Guenther commented launch. that taking one orbit’s worth of this data every other day should not overload the Atmospheres Summary system, and that some night-time data collections ordinarily would take place for Michael King chaired the Atmospheres SWIR calibration. Breakout session. The group discussed mostly data processing and system issues, Oceans Summary including the PGE update schedule. PGE55, Clear Sky Radiance (CSR), is still Wayne Esaias summarized the Oceans being worked and may not be imple- Breakout sessions. He acknowledged mented at launch. This code takes clear tremendous progress in the MODAPS scenes from cloud mask and writes the file system over the past 6 months and to granule. It is then integrated into the emphasized a need to integrate the Oceans daily global composite. Time series are products through Level 3 into the system. used by cloud mask and cloud product to Esaias discussed validation plans that better determine the clear scenes. Al- include a validation cruise scheduled for though CSR would improve cloud mask, off the coast of Mexico from October 1–21. it can run without it. The group consid-
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tions of sources associated with a particu- lar flight instrument (Johnson et al. 1998a). A Portable Integrating Sphere Source This type of transfer radiometer can measure the radiance of a source at a for Radiometric Calibrations from the finite, limited number of wavelengths Visible to the Short-Wave Infrared with fixed bandpasses. The source radiance at other wavelengths — often
— Steven W. Brown ([email protected]), and B. Carol Johnson, National Institute of important for the calibration facility — is Standards and Technology, Optical Technology Division, Gaithersburg, MD then calculated by interpolation between the radiometer fixed wavelengths. The accuracy of the sphere radiance at intermediate wavelengths derived from filter radiometer measurements therefore depends, in part, on the validity of the interpolation scheme. A stable field source I. Introduction Transfer radiometers from various could in principle be used at the calibra- laboratories are often calibrated using tion facility to validate the radiance of a The National Aeronautics and Space different techniques. When they subse- target source at any wavelength, as long as Administration’s (NASA’s) Earth Observ- quently measure the radiance of a source, suitable radiometers were available. ing System (EOS) Project Science Office results among the instruments vary by has established a program in conjunction approximately 2 % in the visible, increas- To address these issues, we have designed with the National Institute of Standards ing to greater than 5 % in the short-wave and built a stable, portable, integrating and Technology (NIST) to validate infrared1. We would like to reduce the sphere source. Similar in principle to the radiance scales of sources at NASA variance in radiance measurements made SeaWiFS Quality Monitor (Johnson et al. calibration facilities and to establish with the transfer radiometers. A portable, 1998 b), the source was designed to be traceability to national standards main- stable sphere source could be calibrated used at EOS calibration facilities in tained at NIST (Butler and Johnson 1996a, for spectral radiance at NIST using the conjunction with the transfer radiometers b; Butler and Barnes 1998). Under the Facility for Automated Spectral Irradiance over the wavelength range from 400 nm to auspices of this program, several portable and Radiance Calibrations (FASCAL), the 2500 nm. Deployment of the source gives transfer radiometers have been built by fundamental U.S. facility for radiance us extra flexibility in implementing the NIST for NASA to measure radiance in the calibrations (Walker et al. 1987). Measur- EOS radiance validation program. We are visible (Johnson et al. 1998a), the short- ing this source with transfer radiometers now able to include source-based sphere wave infrared (Brown et al. 1998), and the from NIST and other institutions would radiance validation measurements in thermal infrared (Rice and Johnson 1998) validate their radiance responsivity scales addition to previously established wavelength regions. The portable radiom- and tie them to the national radiance scale detector-based methods. In this applica- eters travel to EOS satellite instrument maintained at NIST. Using this approach, tion, it is important that the sphere source builder facilities and EOS vicarious problems in the radiance responsivity maintain a radiance scale traceable to calibration facilities in order to measure calibrations of the field instruments could FASCAL in the field. While the monitor the radiance of designated sources, often potentially be identified and the variabil- detectors provide a measure of the in conjunction with radiometers from ity in radiance measurements using stability of the sphere output over a other U.S. and international laboratories. different instruments reduced. limited wavelength range, the true The results are then used to validate the stability of the sphere output must be radiance scales of the sources and to tie Many of the transfer radiometers are filter- measured at several wavelengths over the these scales directly to the radiance scale based instruments, with filter center spectral range of interest to verify the maintained by the national standards wavelengths and bandpasses selected for source radiance stability. Optimal use of laboratory. a specific application, such as for calibra- the source will therefore require that a reliable, stable, well-characterized 1 Butler, James J., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, private communication. radiometer accompany the source to a
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particular field site and verify that its Lamp 1 Lamp 2 interface. In addition, the current to the radiance did not change upon shipping or lamps is monitored by recording the upon use in the field. voltage drop across a calibrated shunt resistor. This signal is also input into the In its first application, the sphere source DMM and recorded on a computer. The was shipped to a field site in Honolulu, Lamp 3 Lamp 4 current to the lamps, the voltage drop Hawaii in support of the Marine Optical PD 1 PD 2 across each lamp, and the two photodiode
Buoy (MOBY) program (Clark et al. 1997). DAC signals are automatically recorded in a These programs provide in situ measure- data file every 10 s, along with the time, Control Box ments of water-leaving radiance for whenever the source is turned on. comparison to satellite-derived results. Shunt Resistors This paper presents a description of the DMM 1 DMM 2 Fig. 1. Schematic The source can be operated in two modes, diagram of the instrument and results of stability portable integrating either passively or actively. In the passive Power Supply 1 measurements of the source radiance both sphere source. PD1 control mode, the power supply current is and PD2 refer to the Si prior to and after its initial deployment. Power Supply 2 set through the GPIB bus and subse- and InGaAs monitor photodiodes, quently monitored for stability. In the II. Description respectively. active control mode, the power supply current is remotely controlled by an The sphere is 30.5 cm in diameter, with a external voltage. In this mode, the voltage 10.2 cm exit aperture. Spectralon2 was upper module. The lower module contains to the power supply is continuously chosen for the sphere walls for higher a second interface electronics box, two updated to maintain a constant voltage throughput in the short-wave infrared and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), two drop across the calibrated shunt resistor, for stability during shipping. The sphere calibrated shunt resistors, two digital thus stabilizing the current supplied to the comes equipped with four, 30-watt, multimeters (DMMs) and two power lamps. The two twelve-bit DACs and a quartz-halogen lamps located at 90-degree supplies. The second shunt resistor, digital voltage divider provide the control intervals around the surface. Baffles are multimeter and power supply are voltage to the power supply. The total placed between the lamps and the exit redundant; they are included as a safety resolution of the external voltage control aperture of the sphere. Two monitor backup measure. However, they are also signal is greater than 16 bits, enabling the photodiodes are placed near the bottom of designed to be used with standard current from the power supply to be set the sphere. The first is a silicon (Si) irradiance lamps. This provides an with very high precision. At the moment, photodiode equipped with a photopic additional source capability with the the source is operated under passive filter; the second is an indium gallium instrument for irradiance calibrations and, control. arsenide (InGaAs) photodiode equipped when used in conjunction with a reference with a 200-nm bandpass filter centered at plaque, radiance calibrations. III. Operation 1400 nm. The lamps are wired in series. Each lamp can be individually turned on Lamp connections, timers, ON/OFF The sphere radiance, measured with the or off during operation; timers record the switches and photodiode amplifiers are Visible Transfer Radiometer (VXR), is total number of operational hours on each included in the top electronics box. The shown in Fig. 2 for lamp combinations lamp. bottom electronics box supplies power to ranging from all lamps on to one lamp on. the source and receives the lamp voltage The data are given by symbols; the solid There are two modules associated with the and photodiode signals from the top box. lines are cubic spline fits to those data. portable sphere source, as shown in Fig. 1. These signals are then input into a DMM, One of the primary functions of the The integrating sphere source and an and read into a computer through the measurement assurance program is to interface electronics box are located in the General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) validate measurements made by calibra- tion laboratories involved in calibrating the spectral response of sensors developed 2 Identification of commercial equipment does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National as part of EOS. We designed the sphere Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that the equipment identified is necessarily the best available for the purpose. radiance to be comparable to radiance
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200.00 0.050
Four Lamps Lamp Off Three Lamps 0.040 (a) 150.00 Two Lamps One Lamp /sr/nm] 2 SBRS Source 0.030 100.00 0.020
50.000 0.010 Radiance [µW/cm
Lamp Current Change [%] 0.0 0.0000 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 -0.010 Wavelength [nm]
Fig. 2. Sphere radiance measured with the VXR for all four lamp levels. 0.40 The dashed line is the maximum radiance of the SBRS source used to calibrate MODIS. (b)
0.20 levels of those calibration sources. For example, the dotted line in Fig. 2 is the maximum level radiance from the sphere source at Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. 0.0 This source was used to calibrate the radiance responsivity of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer -0.20 (MODIS), currently scheduled to be launched on Terra (formerly AM-1), the first of several satellites to be de- ployed over the 18-year life of the EOS mission. Si Monitor Signal Change [%] -0.40
In Fig. 3, we show the operational characteristics of the 0.50 source over the course of an hour as lamps were gradually turned off. Single lamps were turned off after 20 min, 31 (c) min, and 42 min. In Fig. 3 (a), we show the change in lamp current, measured as a voltage drop across the calibrated 0.0 shunt resistor. With the exception of small changes of short duration (shown by the arrows), the lamp current was stable as lamps were turned off. The lamp current de- creased by approximately 0.03 % over the first 10 min of -0.50 operation, then continued to decrease slightly (on the order of 0.01 %) over the next 50 min. InGaAs Monitor Change [%]
The two monitor photodiode signals — shown in Figs. 3 (b) -1.0 0:00 10:00 20:00 30:00 40:00 50:00 60:00 and (c) — showed very different behaviors. The Si monitor photodiode signal was several times more stable than the Elapsed Time [min] IGA monitor photodiode signal. The Si monitor photodiode signal changed on the order of 0.5 % over the first 20 min Fig. 3. Change in (a) the lamp current, (b) the Si monitor photodiode signal, and (c) the InGaAs monitor photodiode signal over the course of an hour as individual lamps were (four-lamp level), then remained stable to within 0.1 % over turned off. () Four lamp level; (o) three lamp level; () two lamp level; (∆) one lamp the next 40 min (Fig. 3 (b)). On the other hand, over the first level. The Si and InGaAs photodiode signals were normalized to their values at the end 20 min (4 lamp level), the InGaAs monitor photodiode of each lamp sequence. signal changed by over 2 % (Fig. 3 (c)). As the second and third lamps were turned off, the InGaAs signal continued
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to increase with time: approximately 0.5 % source of the instability in the InGaAs the current to the lamps. However, relative over the next 10 min (3 lamp level), and monitor diode output. uncertainties on the order of 0.05 % or less 0.3 % for the following 10 min (2 lamp (Fig. 4) are much less than the uncertainty level). During the next 10 min (1 lamp The VXR measured the sphere radiance in the sphere radiance as determined by level) the signal decreased on the order of continuously for 5 min for each lamp FASCAL3 (Barnes et al. 1998), and much 0.4 %. Because the radiant power emitted level, starting at elapsed times of 15 min (4 less than the uncertainties currently from quartz-halogen lamps is typically lamp level), 25 min (3 lamp level), 36 min required for EOS sensors such as MODIS less sensitive to changes in the lamp (2 lamp level), and 47 min (1 lamp level). (Barnes et al. 1998). Thus, an additional current in the short-wave infrared than in The data from all six channels showed radiance uncertainty on the order of 0.05 the visible or ultraviolet wavelength similar trends over the five-minute % or less arising from slight changes in the ranges, they are often more stable in the acquisition times. As expected, the sphere current supplied to the lamps will not short-wave infrared than in the visible was more stable at longer wavelengths. noticeably increase the overall uncertainty (Early and Thompson 1996). Conse- This is illustrated in Fig. 4 for lamp levels of the sphere radiance. Based on the quently, these results may indicate a three and four; the standard deviation of measurements of the voltage drop across stability problem with the InGaAs monitor the individual radiance measurements the shunt resistor and the Si monitor detector rather than an instability in the continuously decreased as the measure- diode, a 10-min warm-up time prior to sphere output in the short-wave infrared. ment wavelength increased. data acquisition is sufficient for most applications. To verify this hypothesis, we measured the As discussed in Early and Thompson sphere radiance at 1500 nm (4-lamp level) (1996), changes in the lamp current are To determine the repeatability of the with the Short-Wave Infrared Transfer reflected in the sphere radiance. The slight instrument, the sphere radiance was first Radiometer (SWIXR) (Brown et al. 1998) changes in the lamp current shown in Fig. measured with the VXR (for all four and compared the results with the InGaAs 3 (a) are also seen in the Si monitor levels); then the system was turned off. monitor data. After a 10 min warm-up, the photodiode signal (Fig. 3 (b)) and in the After a short wait, the system was turned InGaAs monitor signal increased by 0.6 % VXR measurements. Consequently, the back on and the radiance again measured. over the subsequent 5 mins, while the slight temporal variations in the current The VXR remained stationary during SWIXR signal increased by 0.06 %. One supplied to the lamps contribute to these measurements. The sphere radiance source of instability in the InGaAs monitor uncertainties in the sphere radiance. Since repeated for all lamp levels to within signal was thought to be the filter selec- we are currently operating the system in 0.1 %; for most levels, the radiance values tion. We had a filter in front of the InGaAs the passive mode, the short-term fluctua- agreed with each other to within 0.05 %. photodiode that included the 1380 nm tions in the sphere radiance can poten- To test the system reproducibility, the wavelength region – a known wavelength tially be reduced through active control of radiance was measured with the VXR one region of instability in sphere sources arising from water absorption in the 0.045 sphere. The filter was replaced with one centered at a wavelength of 1540 nm, with 0.040 Four Lamp Level a FWHM bandwidth of 20 nm. The Three Lamp Level 0.035 measurements were then repeated, and, as expected, the change in the InGaAs 0.030 monitor diode signal decreased — by a factor of three. The signal change remains 0.025 Fig. 4. Standard deviation of measurements of the larger than expected, however, and sphere radiance at six 0.020 additional work is required to identify the wavelengths taken with Standard Deviation [%] the VXR for the four-lamp 0.015 level and the three-lamp level. The acquisition time 3 The expanded uncertainties (k=2) in spectral was 5 min for each 0.010 channel. radiance for this type of sphere source measured by 400 500 600 700 800 900 FASCAL is approximately 1 % at 400 nm, decreasing to 0.5 % at 900 nm. Wavelength [nm]
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1.0025 day, and the system turned off. The sphere Four Lamps source and the VXR were subsequently 1.0020 Three Lamps moved to a different location. The Two Lamps 1.0015 following day, the instrumentation was One Lamp turned on, the VXR again aligned to 1.0010 measure the central region of the sphere aperture, and the sphere radiance mea- 1.0005 sured. As shown in Fig. 5, the sphere 1.0000 radiance measured on the two subsequent Fig. 5. Ratio of days repeated to within approximately Radiance Ratio [A/B] 0.99950 radiance 0.1%. measurements taken 0.99900 with the VXR on two different days, Based on these measurements, we 0.99850 A and B. concluded that the system was stable and 400 500 600 700 800 900 the radiance reproducible in the short Wavelength [nm] term. We next wanted to test the stability of the source upon shipping the instru- 1.008 0.80 ment to the MOBY field site. The sphere 0.75 radiance was measured by the VXR prior 0.70 1.006 Fig. 6. Ratio of to shipping and immediately upon its 0.65 sphere radiance return to NIST. 0.60 measurements with 1.004 Change [%] 0.55 the VXR prior to 0.50 and after The calibration facility at the MOBY site is 0.45 (debugged) the trip 400 500 600 700 800 900 1.002 to the MOBY field not sealed from the atmosphere, and Wavelength [nm] site. Inset: Radiance measurements were often made after change upon sunset. During the measurements, a 1.000 debugging the sphere. () Four number of small bugs entered the sphere lamp level; (o) three and thereupon expired — most likely from 0.9980 lamp level; () two ∆ the extreme thermal environment they lamp level; ( ) one Radiance Ratio [Before/After MOBY] lamp level. encountered. Upon return to NIST, those 0.9960 bugs remained in the bottom of the 400 500 600 700 800 900 sphere. The VXR initially measured the sphere radiance with the bugs remaining Wavelength [nm] in the sphere. The sphere was then carefully and literally debugged, and the 870 nm the average sphere radiance had capabilities used to validate the radiance radiance again measured. As shown in the increased by 0.2 %. For comparison, the of sources at EOS calibration facilities. The insert in Fig. 6, the bugs caused a slight silicon monitor photodiode signal for the source was designed to operate in the decrease in the sphere radiance – approxi- four lamp levels changed by –0.15 %, -0.23 %, radiance range used to calibrate EOS mately 0.5 % from 600 nm to 900 nm, +0.11 %, and +0.06 %, respectively. These satellite sensors such as MODIS. At 550 increasing to 0.75 % at 411 nm. After data correlate well with changes in the nm, for example, the source radiance debugging, sphere radiance measure- sphere radiance measured by the VXR at ranges from approximately 50 µW/cm2/ ments before and after the MOBY site visit 550 nm. sr/nm at the four-lamp level down to agreed on average to within 0.05 % for the approximately 10 µW/cm2/sr/nm for the VXR channels ranging from 440 nm to 780 IV. Summary one-lamp level. The source radiance is nm (Fig. 6). At 411 nm, the sphere radiance repeatable to within 0.1 % in the short measured after MOBY had decreased by In summary, we have developed a term. After shipping the instrument to approximately 0.5 % over the radiance portable integrating sphere source to Hawaii, using it in the field, shipping it measured prior to the site visit, while at complement existing measurement back and debugging it, the sphere
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radiance as measured by the VXR de- Butler, J. J., and B. C. Johnson, 1996b: creased slightly — approximately 0.5 % — Calibration in the Earth Observing System Continued from page 3) at 411 nm and increased slightly — (EOS) project - Part 2: Implementation. The AMSR Science Team Meeting approximately 0.2 % — at 870 nm. The Earth Observer, 8(2), 26 - 31. radiance did not noticeably change at the Butler, J. J., and R. A. Barnes, 1998: other measured wavelengths. The Si Greenland. Further details about this Calibration strategy for the Earth Observ- monitor diode seems to accurately reflect campaign can be obtained from Professor ing System (EOS)-AM1 Platform. IEEE the radiance level in the visible wave- Gudmansen at [email protected] Trans. on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 36, length range, though it exhibits decreased
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quarters PICASSO-CENA point of contact, shared his excitement about the PICASSO- CENA mission and flying lidars in space
The First PICASSO-CENA Science for atmospheric remote sensing. He was also pleased to announce that PICASSO- Team Meeting Minutes CENA and CloudSat were targeted for a May 18-19, 1999 dual launch scheduled early in 2003 to fly in formation with EOS — Lelia Vann ([email protected]), PM-1. Lastly, he requested Acting PICASSO-CENA Science Manager, Langley Research Center support from the PICASSO- CENA team in convincing both Congress and the general public of the importance of the PICASSO-CENA mission by clarifying the importance of the measurements obtained. The first post-selection Pathfinder challenge will be to preserve the baseline Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol measurements under the realities of space- Dave Winker stepped through the science Spaceborne Observations-Climatologie hardware development. Speaking from portion of the proposal, beginning with Etendue des Nuages et des Aerosols lessons learned about previous missions, the mission concept, then proceeding to (PICASSO-CENA) science team meeting he urged us to strategize early about the science objectives and requirements was conducted at the Radisson Hotel in science relaxation and descope plans. He flowdown. He presented examples of Hampton, VA, on May 18-19. Dave advised the PICASSO-CENA science team LITE approaches and measurements Winker, the PICASSO-CENA Principal to re-examine the minimum science where appropriate for clarification. Dave Investigator (PI) from Langley Research requirements and consider relaxing discussed the descope plan that was Center (LaRC), welcomed all participants, spacecraft requirements before deselecting presented in the proposal. He emphasized briefly reviewed the agenda, and noted science instruments or derating instru- that we are not locked into the minimum that all 21 PICASSO-CENA science team ment performance. Jim stressed the mission defined in the proposal, but that members were present. importance of developing calibration and we do need to solidify the minimum validation strategies early in the program. mission by the end of the calendar year. [See related article by Winker on page 22] He recommended defining aircraft and/or Dave provided a definition, an approach, Day 1 correlative spacecraft measurements as and an example of the Vegetation Canopy Ann Carlson, the Acting Assistant Director soon as possible. Because the ultimate Lidar (VCL) Descope Options. for Atmospheric Sciences at LaRC, gave a deliverable is valuable science data, early special welcome to our French partners release of preliminary data is desirable Debbie Carraway, the PICASSO-CENA and our CloudSat partners. Ann noted the and can assist in developing outreach Project Manager at LaRC, gave the hard work previously performed by the goals as well as implementing the Science PICASSO-CENA project overview and PICASSO-CENA proposal team that and Data Analysis Program (SDAP). The status. She pointed out the major mile- resulted in the winning proposal and was SDAP will set aside approximately 10% of stones and their corresponding dates. The confident that the same hard work would the mission cost for peer-reviewed most critical event is the Mission Confir- result in a successful mission. investigations using PICASSO-CENA data mation Review (MCR), scheduled for July products. Jim’s final thoughts were on the 2000. The MCR is basically the “go/no go” Jim Garvin, the ESSP Project Scientist at challenges associated with the laser decision point of the mission. Debbie Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), system in spite of the recent successful highlighted the following two documents delivered his perspective of the PICASSO- bench testing. He encouraged an airborne as deliverables from the science team in CENA mission. He stated that PICASSO- simulation of the PICASSO-CENA lidar February 2000: “Descope Plan” and CENA offers revolutionary science performance. He also offered strategies for “Science and Mission Requirements associated with the role of aerosols in the optimizing sampling versus instrument Document (SMRD).” An example outline Earth’s radiation budget, and that our lifetime. Bob Curran, the NASA Head- of the VCL SMRD was presented.
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Pat McCormick, a PICASSO-CENA Co- science data telemetry and data are organization, and near-term plans. He Principal Investigator (Co-PI) from transferred within 48 hours. stressed the importance of defining Hampton University (HU), gave an interfaces early and working as a team overview of several specific HU activities: Chris Hostetler, a PICASSO-CENA Co-I at with the science working groups, HU, an International Science Advisory Panel LaRC, presented the Aircraft Validation mission operations, and the DAAC to (ISAP), algorithm implementation, Unit (AVU) objectives and status. The reach common scientific goals. Chris outreach, and validation. Pat has estab- AVU consists of an aircraft-based oxygen introduced the spiral model concept of the lished a 7-member ISAP to broaden A-band spectrometer (ABS) and a lidar. A software development life cycle for science scientific oversight, expand the usefulness decision on making the AVU polarization data products. This concept uses an and application of the data products, and sensitive or insensitive will be made by incremental build and test approach as the provide a vehicle for broad international the end of May from technical and cost requirements are developed and vali- collaboration. Dianne Robinson presented analyses being conducted by Ball. The dated. The data-management schedule a variety of activities being planned for near-term schedule was shown and presented showed operational code the outreach program. A sunphotometer, indicates data acquisition beginning in running on the DAAC by September 2002. the graphing calculator, and a web-site February 2000, with data available to contest were just a few suggested activities support the MCR in August 2000. Bob Charlson, a PICASSO-CENA Co-I that are being proposed. from the University of Washington, Dave Winker presented the data products restated the first PICASSO-CENA science Jacques Pelon, a PICASSO-CENA Co-PI contained in the Step 2 proposal and objective from the proposal and identified from the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace in talked about utilizing Algorithm Theoreti- what type of information was needed to France, presented the French science cal Basis Documents (ATBDs) to describe estimate direct aerosol “forcing” and its organization and activities. Currently, the algorithms, data handling and uncertainty. He stated that there is a need there are three focused working groups: processing, software interfaces, and to distinguish between natural and Climate and Chemistry Modeling, Cloud processing requirements used in generat- anthropogenic forcing. This can only be Properties and Climatology, and Aerosol ing these data products. He compared a done with a set of in situ aerosol measure- Properties and Climatology. Each working simple data flow from telemetry to Level 2 ments to yield the chemical composition, group is led by one of the French products with that envisioned for optical properties, and microphysical PICASSO-CENA science team members. PICASSO-CENA. properties. He presented an example of an Jacques presented future validation plans autocorrelation versus lag distance to as well. He also presented the science team obtain an indication of how often to organization and identified working sample and how close in situ measure- John Stadler, the PICASSO-CENA Systems groups for major retrieval algorithms. The ments need to be to the mission measure- Engineer from LaRC, delivered the primary working groups are: Lidar, A- ments to be useful for estimating radiative mission overview including the instru- Band Spectrometer (ABS)/Wide Field forcing. There is a tradeoff between spatial ment descriptions, payload overview, Camera (WFC), Imaging Infrared Radiom- offset and sampling duration that needs to PROTEUS spacecraft bus, PICASSO- eter (IIR), and Fluxes. Other teams that be characterized for adequate aerosol CENA satellite, formation-flying strategy, might generate joint data products with forcing determination. and the resource margins. the PICASSO-CENA and CloudSat teams Mary Beth Wusk, the PICASSO-CENA are being considered. In addition, an Graeme Stephens, a PICASSO-CENA Co-I Mission Operations Manager from LaRC/ outline of a generic ATBD was provided. and the CloudSat PI from the Colorado G&A Technical Software, presented the Each working group is responsible for State University, gave the CloudSat mission operations concept. The satellite generating its corresponding section of the mission overview showing the tight utilizes both the S-band and X-band for ATBD. formation flying with PICASSO-CENA for communications. The S-band is used for coincident lidar-radar profile information both command and telemetry of space- Chris Currey, the PICASSO-CENA Science and coincident EOS PM-1 information for craft and instrument critical data, and S- Data Manager at LaRC, presented the data band data are transferred to NASA four management system overview including times a day. The X-band is used for the the DAAC interface, system sizing, (Continued on page 25)
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PICASSO-CENA will be flown in forma- tion with the EOS PM satellite and with Global Observations Of Aerosols And the recently selected CloudSat to provide a Clouds From Combined Lidar And comprehensive suite of coincident measurements of atmospheric state, Passive Instruments To Improve aerosol and cloud optical properties, and Radiation Budget And Climate Studies radiative fluxes. The mission will address critical uncertainties in the direct radiative — David M. Winker ([email protected]), NASA Langley Research Center forcing of aerosols and clouds as well as aerosol influences on cloud radiative properties and cloud-climate radiation feedbacks (Figure 1).
PICASSO-CENA is planned for a three- year mission, with launch in early 2003. 1. Introduction PICASSO-CENA is being developed within the framework of a collaboration Current uncertainties in the between NASA and CNES. effects of clouds and aerosols on the Earth 2. Science Objectives radiation budget limit our understanding of the Atmospheric aerosols directly affect the climate system and the Earth’s energy balance by absorbing and potential for global climate scattering shortwave (SW) solar radiation, change. Pathfinder Instru- and by absorbing and emitting longwave ments for Cloud and (LW) infrared radiation. Aerosols indirectly Aerosol Spaceborne affect this balance by modifying the Observations - Climatologie reflectance and lifetime of clouds through Etendue des Nuages et des their role as cloud condensation nuclei, Aerosols (PICASSO-CENA) but this indirect forcing is poorly quanti- Figure 1. PICASSO-CENA flies in formation with EOS PM-1 to is a recently approved obtain greater value data than obtainable from either mission alone. fied. Unlike greenhouse gases, tropo- satellite mission within In addition, the recently selected CloudSat will be flying in formation spheric aerosols are highly variable in with PICASSO-CENA which will greatly enhance the data collected. space and time due to variable sources NASA’s Earth System This unique 3-year coincident global set of data on aerosol and cloud Science Pathfinder (ESSP) properties, radiative fluxes, and atmospheric state enables new and short atmospheric residence times. observationally based assessments of the radiative effects of aerosol program which will address Thus their radiative effects are also highly and clouds. This information will greatly improve our ability to these uncertainties with a predict future climate change. variable. The uncertainties in these effects unique suite of active and may be more than half the entire green- passive instruments. house gas effect, but of opposite sign (Kiehl and Brieglieb, 1993; Jones and [See also related article by Vann on page 20] imaging infrared radiometer (IIR), and a Slingo, 1996). The Lidar In-space Technology Experi- wide-field camera (WFC). Data from these ment (LITE) demonstrated the potential instruments will be used to measure the Currently, aerosol forcing estimates are benefits of space lidar for studies of clouds vertical distributions of aerosols and based on calculations using chemical and aerosols (Winker et al., 1996). clouds in the atmosphere, as well as transport models (CTMs). Large uncer- PICASSO-CENA builds on this experience optical and physical properties of aerosols tainties in the estimated direct aerosol with a payload consisting of a two- and clouds which influence the Earth forcing are due to the fact that many of the wavelength polarization-sensitive lidar, an radiation budget. input parameters are not well known. oxygen A-band spectrometer (ABS), an Additionally, there are no existing global
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observations of aerosol direct forcing, 3. Instruments 1. Level 2b products involve more aerosol properties, or aerosol source complex algorithms than Level 2a and will strengths against which these model To address these issues in a cost-effective require a longer period of validation before estimates may be checked. Future EOS manner, a payload consisting of four co- being made available for distribution. missions include instruments which will aligned, nadir-viewing instruments has improve current satellite aerosol observa- been defined: Table 1. PICASSO-CENA science data products. tions. However, EOS capabilities are not Data sufficient to allow accurate, measurement- ◊ A two-wavelength, polarization- Level Data Products based estimates of aerosol direct forcing. sensitive lidar providing high- 1 lidar browse images, calibrated Understanding the Earth radiation budget resolution vertical profiles of aerosol lidar profiles, calibrated ABS and requires observations of radiative fluxes at and cloud properties. The change in IIR radiances, uncalibrated WFC the top of the atmosphere (TOA), at the backscatter with wavelength allows a images surface of the Earth, and at levels within classification of aerosol size. The 2a lidar backscatter profiles, aerosol ratio of orthogonally polarized the atmosphere. Cloud imager and CERES and cloud height/thickness, aerosol broadband radiation observations from components of the 532-nm backscat- extinction profiles/optical depth, cloud extinction profiles/optical EOS PM will provide estimates of TOA ter allows the identification of cloud depth, cloud ice/water phase fluxes to an accuracy approaching 1.5 W/ ice/water phase. m2 for monthly zonal and global means 2b aerosol single-scattering albedo ice- (Wielicki et al. 1995). However, uncertain- ◊ An oxygen A-band Spectrometer particle size, cloud-layer emissivity, cirrus asymmetry parameter, ties in estimates of mean radiative fluxes (ABS) having sufficient spectral surface and atmospheric radiative at the Earth’s surface will be much larger, resolution (0.5 cm-1) to resolve the fluxes primarily due to the limitations of passive line structure of the oxygen A-band sensors in characterizing the vertical (centered at 765 nm). ABS spectra distribution of multilayer clouds. combined with lidar profile data are 4. Observing Strategy combined to retrieve aerosol and Improved representations of cloud cloud optical depth, aerosol absorp- The PICASSO-CENA orbit was chosen to processes in models are also required in tion, and cirrus asymmetry param- provide space-time coincidence with EOS order to decrease uncertainties in cloud- eter (Stephens and Heidinger, 1999). PM observations. EOS PM is in a sun- radiation interactions. The fundamental synchronous 705-km circular orbit with an problem is in modeling the cloud feedback ◊ An Imaging Infrared Radiometer ascending node equatorial crossing time of loop. The largest uncertainties involve the (IIR) providing calibrated radiances 13:30 local time. PICASSO-CENA will fly use of models to: (a) predict cloud at 10.5 µm and 12 µm over a 40-km at the same altitude as EOS PM, and its properties based on atmospheric state, and swath. These two wavelengths are orbit will be maintained so that a point on (b) to use these cloud properties to chosen to optimize joint lidar/IIR the ground will be observed by the two calculate radiative-energy fluxes. retrievals of cirrus emissivity and platforms within 6 min of each other. particle size. Nearly simultaneous observations of all The inclination of the PICASSO-CENA three parts of the cloud feedback loop are ◊ A Wide Field Camera (WFC) cover- orbit differs slightly from that of EOS PM, necessary to accurately predict the future ing the 620-nm-to-670-nm spectral so that over the course of the 3-year impact of greenhouse gases. Near- region providing images of a 25-km mission, PICASSO-CENA will slowly simultaneity is required because of the swath with a spatial resolution of 125 precess across the viewing swath of AIRS, short time scales and nonlinear relation- meters. The WFC provides meteoro- CERES, and MODIS. Coincident observa- ships typical of cloud processes. The logical context and highly accurate tions—allowing an assessment of viewing- ability of cloud models to reproduce spatial registration between angle biases in EOS PM retrievals—will be feedback physics cannot be adequately PICASSO-CENA and EOS-PM. obtained for all seasons and atmospheric tested with observations that are conditions. decoupled in space and time. The data products to be derived from PICASSO-CENA are summarized in Table
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5. Measurement Objectives uncertainty in determining downward LW optically thin clouds as a function of radiative fluxes at the surface and in cloud properties. 5.1 Aerosols estimating LW radiative heating in the ◊ For the same amount of condensed The single most important advance that atmosphere. Calculated heating rates water, ice crystals and supercooled PICASSO-CENA provides is a high differ by as much as 30% of the typical water droplets alter radiative fluxes sensitivity to aerosols, even over bright zonal-mean LW heating rate of -2 K/day, in significantly different ways. Lidar and heterogeneous land surfaces and and the resulting uncertainties in regional depolarization measurements will under other conditions which are difficult monthly mean surface LW fluxes are as 2 provide the first spaceborne vertical or impossible for passive sensors, such as high as 20 W/m . All current satellite profiles of cloud-particle phase and above clouds or beneath thin cirrus. cloud retrievals detect only an upper cloud layer or retrieve one equivalent improve our understanding of the radiative influence of mixed-phase Lidar provides high sensitivity to aerosol, cloud layer. Improved estimates of surface LW fluxes and atmospheric heating rates clouds. but retrievals of ta involve uncertainties on the order of 30%. This is sufficiently will be obtained by combining CERES 6. Summary accurate at low optical depths, but at TOA flux measurements with coincident higher optical depths (t > 0.04) joint lidar- observations of multilayered clouds from a The comprehensive combined data set to ABS retrievals provide a significant PICASSO-CENA. be acquired by PICASSO-CENA and EOS improvement over the retrievals from PM will allow fundamental scientific either MODIS or from lidar alone. Secondly, PICASSO-CENA provides new advances in our understanding of the measurement capabilities which, when links between aerosols, clouds, and Simultaneous observation of aerosol combined with EOS PM observations, will radiation necessary to accurately assess allow a far more complete closure of the properties by PICASSO-CENA and of future climate change. Realizing this radiative fluxes and atmospheric state feedback loop than possible using EOS potential will require careful coordination PM alone. EOS PM will provide atmo- from EOS PM will provide direct measure- with supporting modeling and correlative ments of aerosol forcing and the key spheric state information and TOA measurement efforts. parameters that control it. PICASSO- radiative fluxes, and PICASSO-CENA will provide coincident information on cloud CENA will provide: (1) vertical distribu- 7. References tion of aerosols; (2) two-wavelength altitude, thickness, and optical and microphysical properties. These new aerosol backscatter measurements for Jones, A., and A. Slingo, 1996: Predicting measurement capabilities from PICASSO- classification of aerosol size; (3) aerosol cloud-droplet effective radius and indirect CENA will enable significant progress in optical depth; (4) aerosol single-scatter sulphate aerosol forcing using a general our understanding of cloud-radiation albedo; and (5) aerosol source strength, an circulation model. Q. J. R. Meteor. Soc. 122, feedback mechanisms: essential input to CTMs used to assess 1573-1595. aerosol radiative forcing. ◊ The first measurements of ice-cloud Kaufman, Y. J., et al., 1997: Operational Further, PICASSO-CENA will allow asymmetry parameter from a remote sensing of tropospheric aerosol improved assessments of aerosol indirect combination of the PICASSO-CENA over land from EOS Moderate Resolution forcing through greatly improved aerosol lidar and ABS. These measurements Imaging Spectrometer. J. Geophys. Res. 102, measurements as well as by unambigu- will provide critical information on 17051-17067. ously distinguishing clouds embedded in the relationship between cloud an aerosol layer from those located above optical depth and cloud reflectance. Kiehl. J. T., and B. P. Brieglieb, 1993: The or below the layer. relative roles of sulfate aerosols and ◊ PICASSO-CENA observations of greenhouse gases in climate forcing. 5.2 Clouds optically thin clouds such as Science 260, 311-314. subvisual cirrus and jet contrails will The spatial overlap of multilayered clouds be combined with simultaneous NRC, 1996: A Plan for a Research Program on —which comprise over half of all surface CERES TOA radiative fluxes to Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate observations—represents the largest evaluate the radiative forcing of Change. National Academy Press.
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Stephens, G. L., and A. K. Heidinger, 1999: MODIS/EOS spectral radiance. J. Geophys. Winker, D. M., et al., 1996: An Overview of Molecular line absorption in a scattering Res 102, 16971-16988. LITE: NASA’s Lidar In-space Technology atmosphere - Theory. (accepted, J. Atmos. Experiment. Proc. IEEE 84, 164-180. Sci.) Wielicki, B. A., et al., 1995: Mission to Planet Earth - Role of clouds and radiation Tanre, D. et al., 1997: Remote sensing of in climate. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 76, 2125- aerosol properties over oceans using the 2153.
(Continued from page 21) The First PICASSO-CENA Science Team Meeting Minutes unique overlap of data for studying Imager Radiometer (IIR), the A-band The lidar working group leader, Chris clouds. Graeme emphasized the need for Spectrometer (ABS), and the lidar. Hostetler, provided an example of the identifying joint activities early and types of activities that would be required suggested organizing a “tiger team” now Jacques Pelon presented ice-crystal size of the lidar working group as a demon- to address these areas. Several areas for and cirrus-effective-emissivity retrieval stration of typical activities that may be considerations are A-band redundancy, using two IIR channels and a cirrus required of the other working groups. The algorithm development, validation, etc. radiation scheme that uses the ratio of the ultimate deliverable from each working two channels. group is an algorithm theoretical basis He gave an A-band tutorial on the second document (ATBD) from which the Level 1 day. He stated that using absorbing and Dave Winker presented a top-level and Level 2 processing code can be non-absorbing bands within the A-band to schedule of the science team activities and developed. A draft of the ATBD is targeted measure the abundance of oxygen to infer how they are phased to the mission in support of the Preliminary Design surface pressure within a 0.5-mbar milestones. From this schedule, it becomes Review (PDR) that is currently scheduled accuracy has been done. He walked clear that preliminary algorithms need to for June 2000. through the clear-air problem and then be defined and provided by each working introduced the atmospheric scattering group for Level 1 and Level 2 production Other related activities were presented by problem. Graeme discussed the basic coding to begin by July 2000. As men- Ray Hoff, Co-I from the University of question of separating the atmospheric tioned previously, each working group is Maryland-Baltimore Campus, and by Jim scattering from surface reflection. He also expected to provide algorithms from Coakley, Co-I from Oregon State Univer- introduced the complexity of 3D effects which production code can be written and sity. Ray Hoff utilized LITE backscattering and addressed when 3D effects invalidate tested. data to compare with results from the the retrieval. Graeme provided two papers Northern Aerosol Regional Climate Model that are to appear in Journal of the Atmo- He also proposed to submit a high-level (NARCM). The model was not entirely spheric Sciences (1999). mission-concept paper to the Bulletin of the complete, but preliminary results agreed American Meteorological Society (BAMS) quite well. Jim Coakley presented lessons Deb Vane, the CloudSat Deputy PI from this summer/fall and an instrument learned from the Indian Ocean Experi- JPL, presented some obvious discussion paper(s) to BAMS after the PDR in early ment (INDOEX). topics for a dual launch, joint mission, and 2001. A technical splinter session with other science-related topics. She stressed CloudSat and PICASSO-CENA project the importance of making a decision soon personnel was held resulting in a number regarding the A-band instrument redun- of agreements, issues, and action items. dancy. The next (second) science team meeting will be held this fall (the November The second day began with presentations timeframe) and the third science team of the retrieval algorithms for the Infrared meeting will be held next May or July.
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ongoing strategy for the routine exchange of information with the instrument team Summary of the Mini-SWAMP Meeting leaders and, in particular, providing them advance warning of new events and/or — David Herring ([email protected]), Science Systems & Applications, Inc. plans that impact on-orbit operations in — Yoram Kaufman, Terra Project Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center the first 50 days after launch. Herring took an action item to identify someone to routinely send these updates to the team leaders. Bruce Barkstrom took an action item to distribute an explanation of the benefits from the three moonless maneu- vers and the need for three of them so that the Terra community may discuss this The Science Working Group for the topic at the next meeting. AM Platform (SWAMP) convened twice during the EOS-IWG, held June Kaufman reported that, based 15-17 in Vail, CO. The purpose of these upon a request from the “mini-SWAMP” meetings was to EOS Interdiscipli- discuss the latest information regarding nary Science Terra’s (formerly EOS AM-1) launch community, timeline and flight operations, as well as leaders to notify the Terra principal tentative plans for the first public presen- him within two weeks investigators will generate, tation of Terra images. The meetings were which conferences and/or special by mid-August, a Web site that chaired by Yoram Kaufman, with David issues they plan to organize for the Terra shares information on Terra’s data Herring taking the minutes. team. Kaufman stated that the special products. This Web site should include the issues/conferences could be discipline- details regarding the initial 50-percent The ASTER team reported that the specific, but that each should be open to data production, data products, validation Japanese Ministry of International Trade all instrument teams. It was tentatively plans, knowledge of accuracy, file struc- and Industry (MITI) prefers to release agreed that Vince Salomonson would ture, etc. Once established, this site will be ASTER’s first images as soon as possible coordinate an IGARSS special issue; Anne announced to the EOS IWG listserv. after it acquires data—within 27 to 40 days Kahle would take the lead for American after launch. Earlier in the planning Geological Society (AGS); and Jon Ranson process, the Terra strategy was to wait and will coordinate Terra special issues jointly release the first images from all five activities to ensure that there is a good instruments simultaneously during a balance of events and information press conference at NASA Headquarters exchange. 70 to 80 days after launch. David Herring took an action item to organize a follow- Regarding Terra flight operations, up teleconference with representatives Francesco Bordi took an action item to from all instrument teams to discuss this send to all instrument principal investiga- issue and agree upon a platform-wide tors a recommended strategy for imple- strategy. menting on-orbit spacecraft maneuvers, as well as an update on present plans for Kaufman said principal investigators must maneuvers based on the current launch soon begin thinking about and organizing date. The Terra team members are to send special issues in scientific journals focused their comments to Bordi within two weeks on the Terra mission research objectives. after receipt of his recommendations. Jim He asked the Terra instrument team Drummond proposed developing an
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Development Methods and Timing
An Associate of Arts in Community The first stage of development required the establishing of a test laboratory with Colleges for Training in Earth Science both Macintosh and PC platforms. With (ACTES) Project the laboratory in place and teaching facilities obtained, the next step was to obtain permission to develop a new — Jay W. Skiles ([email protected]), Principal Investigator, SETI Institute, “field” of instruction at the college. The NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA College’s Committee on Instruction concurred in the creation of this new field of study, i.e., Earth Systems. The new designation, ESYS, was put in place with an application made to the state Chancellor’s office for it to be designated a new program. The Committee on Instruc- Introduction ◊ An AA degree program that would tion also gave support for the offering of a be developed during the project with special class leading to the development of In February of 1996, NASA’s Earth Science the primary objective of integrating a permanent introductory class in the new Enterprise (then Mission To Planet Earth) remotely sensed data into a wide field. With just minimal notice about the awarded to the College of San Mateo and variety of courses. NASA Ames Research Center a three-year project, ten students were enrolled in the first ESYS class at the college. This grant for a project entitled, “ACTES: “An ◊ The material developed would be response occurred with just a brief Associate of Arts in Community Colleges made available for use in other mention of the class or program in the for Training in Earth Science – Implement- community colleges. The material schedule of classes, since the program had ing a Pilot Program for Remote Sensing would be available in both print and been established too late for regular Analysis and Earth Science Applications.” “on-line” form to provide maximum placement into the schedule and catalog. The grant was made in response to an access. application by the College of San Mateo This student response compares quite well and NASA’s Ames Research Center with ◊ College of San Mateo (CSM) would with the experience of California State the general objective of achieving a become a source of curricular University (CSU) Monterey Bay in its community college curriculum, credit for materials for other community startup program in remote sensing. With which would be transferable to senior colleges. institutions and increase the use of data this experimental class, we were able to test some materials in a classroom setting. which had been accumulated by NASA’s ◊ A laboratory for students would be The full program of courses for the major satellite and aircraft research programs. put into place for testing and use of was submitted to the Committee on This program of study would be made materials developed under the grant. available through conventional means and Instruction in April 1997 and two new courses were taught in the academic year would make use of the Internet for both ◊ CSM would recruit students and test 1997-98. instruction and dissemination. Further- materials to be developed during the more, it was expected that the develop- project. ment of the curriculum would increase The first phase of the Internet work involved establishing a homepage for the interest in Earth science careers among ◊ CSM would disseminate information program and introducing the concept of students and increase the awareness of about the program and the available the program through the Internet. A multi- NASA Earth science research and data in materials. the general science curriculum. page site (now more than 15 pages) is in place and may be visited at the address: The project had a variety of objectives that “http://www.smcccd.cc.ca.us/smcccd/ included: csm/actes/actes.html”. Outlines of the
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classes were also mounted on the Internet available to all community colleges the basic concepts of the study of site in preparation for offering some as part of the dissemination of data, data presentation, file elements of the major “on-line.” Addition- material. This program, written in types, and modes of visual ally, information about the skill set and java script, can be adapted for use by representation. proposed matriculation models were also other colleges. c. An introductory course in made available on line. remote sensing complete with 18 3. A graphic “concept map” was instructional modules for use on- Courses and Major Completed created as a guideline for develop- line or as assistance to classroom ment and dissemination. instruction. This material also In the last year (1998-99), the group of five may be easily adapted by any courses that is the heart of the major in 4. A toolbox containing graphic community college for use on- Earth Systems was approved by the spreadsheets with illustrations for line. It is in “html” encoded form college Committee on Instruction. The use in classroom instruction was for web mounting. The course major was also accepted and placed in the developed. This toolbox is designed introduces the basic concepts of catalog to be published for the academic to be used with Microsoft Excel and the study of remote sensing, the year 1999-2000. Coincident with those is specifically organized to assist electro-magnetic spectrum, approvals was the acceptance of three of students in global geometry and a sensor devices and technology, the courses for Internet instruction. The variety of geometric calculations. and file storage and file types. State of California requires separate d. A course outline with exercises approval for “distance” learning courses, 5. A resource World Wide Web page for in-class instruction of GIS and this approval was obtained from the with links and annotated bibliogra- and GPS concepts and software. Committee on Instruction. At this time the phy was created. It was decided early on that this articulation process was put into motion was an inappropriate class for to ensure that the new courses would be 6. Five course outlines and lessons were on-line or web instruction due to transferable to nearby California State developed: the expense and sophistication Universities. Discussions are ongoing with a. An introductory course in Earth of the software involved. CSU Monterey Bay with its remote- Systems (ESYS 100) complete Instead, the materials available sensing program and with other CSU’s with 15 instructional modules suggest a methodology and with Geographic Information Systems for use on-line or as assistance to resources necessary for instruc- (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems classroom instruction. This tional development of the (GPS) programs. Presently, all courses are material may be easily adapted subject. transferable for regular college credit. by any community college for e. A course outline for a summary use on-line. It is already in project called the “practicum.” Products “html” encoded form for web mounting. The course introduces The above materials in number six above As required, products of the program, the basic concepts of the study of are available on line at the ACTES web site curriculum modules, and other support- Earth Systems with emphasis on for downloading after June 1, 1999. They ing materials have been produced. Among earth geometry, GIS, GPS, and will also be available soon on CD-ROM. them are: remote sensing. b. A course in visual representation The Future 1. A website for the ACTES program of data complete with 15 with descriptions of the courses, skill instructional modules for use on- Experience with several of the courses has sets, suggested matriculation models, line or as assistance to classroom led to the development of strategies for and examples of student participa- instruction. This material may be the future. It seems clear at this stage that tion. easily adapted by any commu- the coursework involving global position- nity college for use on-line. It is ing and geographic information systems, 2. An automated on-line counseling in “html” encoded form for web now taught as a single course, needs to be program which will be made mounting. The course introduces divided into two separate courses. A
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proper sequence of these courses will be important as we have noticed a tendency for students to attempt GIS courses without the proper foundation MODIS Land Surface Temperature coursework. Validation A second area for future development is to -—Zhengming Wan ([email protected]), University of California, Santa Barbara, CA expand the availability of the introductory Earth Systems course as a “basic” science course for all undergraduates. We con- sider that the introductory course pro- vides a sound introduction to the science generally, in addition to being the begin- ning course of the Earth Systems major. In order to validate the Moderate Resolu- Ground-based TIR Instruments As a full major established in both the tion Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) college catalog and the semester schedule, Land Surface Temperature (LST) algo- In order to achieve these two objectives, a Earth Systems is self-sufficient. The major rithm and product, the MODIS LST group continuous effort has been made to has emerged from its formative develop- at the University of California, Santa improve the performance of the TIR ment to take its place among the interdis- Barbara (UCSB), has worked with the instruments used in ground-based ciplinary majors offered by CSM and is thermal-infrared (TIR) instrumentation, measurements and to establish the available to other community colleges. methodology, and field measurements following necessary functions: Furthermore, Earth Systems has a bright since 1993. Six of the field campaigns future as a basis for transfer science majors conducted in 1995-1998 were supported 1. accurate spectral measurements of and as a basis for employment in the by the flights of the MODIS Airborne surface emissivity and surface- expanding fields of remote sensing, GIS, Simulator (MAS) (http://asapdata.arc. leaving radiance in the range of 3.5 to and GPS. nasa.gov/ames_index.html 14.5 µm, gives information on the test sites and Points of Contact: flight lines). 2. spectral measurements of surface- Professor Kenneth D. Kennedy leaving radiance at multiple viewing College of San Mateo Objectives angles in order to compare with the email: ([email protected]), MODIS observation at its exact The primary goal of the field campaigns is viewing angle, Professor William B. Rundberg to validate the accuracy of the MODIS LST College of San Mateo algorithm at an accuracy better than 1 K 3. temporal measurements of the email: [email protected] through validation field campaigns. The surface-leaving radiance and/or LST secondary goal is to validate the calibra- in order to exactly match the MODIS J. W. Skiles, Ph.D. tion accuracy of seven TIR bands at a observation time, SETI Institute, NASA Ames Research radiance accuracy better than 0.5-1.0% Center through vicarious-calibration field 4. appropriate spatial coverage and email: [email protected] campaigns. These seven bands are used in sampling of the in situ LST measure- the day/night MODIS LST algorithm for ments for comparisons with the simultaneous retrieval of land-surface MODIS observation at its 1-km pixel emissivity and temperature. Details of the scale, MODIS LST algorithm are given in its algorithm theoretical basis document 5. accurate portable blackbodies to (ATBD) (http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ calibrate TIR instruments in the field. atbd/modistables.html).
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A TIR spectrometer was purchased in Laboratory and field measurements of the scaling the ground-based LST measure- 1993. This TIR spectrometer is equipped infrared bidirectional reflectance distribu- ments (in FOV of 25-50 cm) up to the MAS with an InSb/MCT sandwich detector that tion function (BRDF) and emissivity can and MODIS pixel size is the spatial can provide radiance data at a selectable also be made with the UCSB Spectral variation of LST at the 0.2-1-m scale. There spectral resolution of 1-to-32 wave- Infrared Bidirectional Reflectance and are two approaches to measuring the numbers in the spectral range of 3.5-14.5 Emissivity (SIBRE) instrument, which temporal spatial variation of LST at this µm. The 4-wavenumber resolution was includes a TIR spectrometer, a hemispheri- scale. One is to move a broadband selected in our field measurements. At this cal pointing system, a TIR source, and radiometer along a cable at a speed of spectral resolution, the speed of the reference plates. The spot size viewed by 1 m/s. Another is to measure the 2-D LST spectrometer is 8 spectra per second. A the SIBRE instrument is approximately 3 distribution continuously with an IR series of custom improvements was made cm in diameter so materials with small- camera. An AGEMA IR camera provides to this TIR spectrometer, including the scale surface structure can be examined. A LST images in 320 lines with 240 pixels per installation of a beam expander, a scan- beam expander can also be used to give a line. In the high-speed mode, the camera ning mirror, three blackbody boxes in 12-cm spot for larger structured surfaces. can provide 30 image frames per second. front of the spectrometer, and a water The accuracy of the averaged image of cooling system that allows the spectrom- Heimann thermometers with a FOV of LST each second is better than 0.3 K. The eter to work in a more stable condition. approximately 50 cm at a distance of 2 m measured time series of the 2-D LST image are used as broadband radiometers for is used to analyze the temporal and spatial The field-of-view (FOV) of this improved LST measurements. Their spectral filters of variations of LST at the 0.2-1-m scale and TIR spectrometer is approximately 25 cm 10-13 µm minimize the effects of uncer- at the MAS pixel scale (50 m). when it is placed on a platform 3 m above tainties in spectral emissivities on the the ground. This TIR spectrometer with atmospheric and emissivity corrections. Besides the TIR measurements, a radio- the scanning mirror can scan a range of sonde is launched before the MAS and/or angles to provide temporal and angular These TIR instruments are calibrated with MODIS overpass to measure the atmo- spectral surface radiance and atmospheric a full-aperture blackbody in a range of spheric temperature and water vapor downwelling irradiance (with a diffuse temperatures wide enough to cover the profile. Based on the measured atmo- reflector). The measured downwelling surface-temperature conditions in the spheric profiles and surface emissivity and irradiance is used in the atmospheric field. A water-bathed-cone blackbody is temperature, the radiance at the top of the correction of the ground-based measure- also used to check the accuracies of the atmosphere (TOA) can be obtained ment data. The accuracy of the TIR TIR instruments (including the full- through atmospheric radiative-transfer spectrometer is better than 0.15 K in the 8- aperture blackbody) routinely in the simulations. The convolution of the 14-µm range. In this spectral range the laboratory. High-precision thermistors derived TOA radiance with MAS/MODIS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single (with accuracy better than 0.1 K) used in spectral response functions gives the spectrum of the TIR spectrometer is blackbodies provide the traceability to the radiance values in the MAS/MODIS greater than 1000. At least 256 sets of NIST standard. bands corresponding to the measured spectra are averaged in order to obtain a atmospheric and surface conditions. The high SNR in the medium-wavelength Up to 12 Heimann thermometers are MAS/MODIS calibration accuracy can be range down to 3.5 µm. deployed at different locations over an determined from the comparison between area ranging from 100 m by 100 m to 2 km such derived TOA band radiances and the A similar TIR spectrometer was combined by 2 km in order to measure the spatial MAS/MODIS band radiances. It is highly with a 5-inch infragold integrating sphere variations at the MAS and MODIS pixel desirable to conduct vicarious-calibration for measurements of the spectral direc- scales. Up to 16 small thermistor field campaigns over large flat homoge- tional-hemispherical emissivity. This datalogger packages are also deployed neous sites at high elevations under dry instrument is primarily used for emissiv- over the lake or playa test site. The clear-sky conditions in order to effectively ity measurements of samples such as ice, thermistors are placed a few millimeters reduce the uncertainties in the measured water, silt, sand, soil, and vegetation beneath the lake or playa surface. atmospheric conditions (due to temporal leaves. and spatial variations) and in the atmo- A potentially large uncertainty source in spheric radiative-transfer simulation.
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Synergism of Ground-based and northern and southern portions, respec- A vicarious calibration field campaign Airborne Measurements tively) and one snow-field site. The MAS over the area of Mono Lake, CA, is calibration error was estimated with the planned for February/March 2000. MAS/ Railroad Valley playa, Nevada, and the MAS data over Mono Lake and in situ AVIRIS flights have been requested for area of Mono Lake, California, were measurement data over the snow-field this campaign. selected as primary test sites. The Railroad site. The uncertainty to be determined in Valley playa is greater than 15 km in future field campaigns is involved with A vicarious field campaign over Uyuni diameter at a surface elevation of 1440 m the spatial variations of LST at the scales Salt Flats, Bolivia, is being planned for above sea level. The surface temperature is from 0.2-1 m up to the MAS pixel size. May 2000. There will be no MAS flight for relatively homogeneous in the central Another field campaign will be conducted this field campaign. portion during the dry summer season. there in February/March 2000 to validate This site is one of the test sites used to the calibration of MAS and MODIS TIR A field campaign over Railroad Valley, NV, validate LST in the high-temperature bands. Once MAS calibration is validated and the area of Mono Lake, CA, is range. The first field campaign with MAS and its long-term stability is established scheduled for June/July 2000 for the flights over this site was conducted jointly through regular vicarious calibration MODIS LST validation. MAS/AVIRIS with the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal activities, MAS can be used to validate the flights have been requested for this Emission Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) calibration accuracy of MODIS TIR campaign. team and other calibration/validation channels. At that point, MAS can also be scientists in August 1995. Mono Lake is used to validate MODIS LST products in Collaboration will occur during the greater than 15 km in diameter at a surface areas with heterogeneous land-cover types ASTER calibration/validation field elevation of 1945 m above sea level. There and/or in complicated terrains where it is campaign over Mauna Loa, Hawaii, in are forests, grasslands, and mountains in almost impossible to obtain accurate April-June 2000. MASTER flights have the Mono Lake area. A flat short-grass ground-based measurement data at the been requested during the PACRIM-II field of approximately 2 km by 2 km, to MODIS pixel scale. The MAS data deployment. the south of Mono Lake is covered by acquired over the MODIS Land validation snow for a period of several days to a few core sites will also be used to validate the We will join the SAFARI 2000 field weeks after each major snowfall. The MODIS LST product. campaign to conduct ground-based TIR Mono Lake area is one of the test sites measurements over Makgadikgadi Salt used to validate LST in the medium- and Field Campaigns Planned for 1999 Pans, Botswana in August 2000. low- temperature range. and 2000 Close collaboration with the ASTER team Six field campaigns were conducted with A field campaign over Railroad Valley, NV, and other groups will be maintained for MAS flights for the validation of MODIS and the area of Mono Lake, CA, is future MODIS LST validation activities, LST algorithms in Railroad Valley, scheduled for the period of September 20 and new opportunities for collaboration in Nevada, and in the areas of Mono Lake to October 15, 1999. During this period, 16 the international efforts to validate LST at and Death Valley, California, in 1995-1998. ER-2 flight hours will be used for daytime the global scale will be pursued. Only the data collected in the field and nighttime MAS flight missions. The campaign conducted near Mono Lake in Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging March 1998 could be used for the vicari- Spectrometer (AVIRIS) has been requested ous calibration of the MAS thermal for daytime flight missions. The ER-2 channels because of the calm clear-sky and flight schedule will be coordinated with dry atmospheric conditions during that Kurt Thome of the University of Arizona, campaign (column water vapor less than who has also requested an alternative 0.4 cm). The MAS noise-equivalent platform for a MASTER (the MODIS and temperature difference was estimated ASTER Airborne Simulator) flight to with MAS data over three lake-surface coincide with overpasses of ASTER and sites (unfrozen Mono Lake, and frozen Landsat 7 during this period of time. Grant Lake covered by snow and ice in its
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workshop, Implementation Breakout Groups met to define approaches for Summary of NASA EOS SAFARI 2000 coordinating and integrating activities of Workshop the science steering committee, the airborne operations teams, and the ground-based measurement teams. — Bob Swap ([email protected]), Tim Suttles ([email protected]), Michael King, Harold Annegarn, Bob Cook, Jim Drummond, Bill Emanuel, John Gille, Reports were presented on the breakout Peter Hobbs, Chris Justice, Luanne Otter, Stuart Piketh, Steve Platnick, Jeff Privette, group deliberations, and other discussions Lorraine Remer, Gary Shelton, and Hank Shugart were held on coordination between U.S. and in-region research activities; identifi- cation of potential collaborative partner- ships; data policy and principles; and Memorandum of Understanding, Letter Overview Agreements, and International Protocol Clouds and Radiation needs. The final session concluded with Terrestrial Ecology Aerosols The Southern SAFARI-2K Core Experiment writing assignments to key participants African Regional Biogenic with the objective of converting the Regional Emissions Science Initiative, Transports & Transformations Pyrogenic workshop results into a U.S. Implementa- SAFARI 2000, tion Plan for SAFARI 2000. Deposition Industrial presents an opportu- Impacts nity to study global- Land Cover and Trace Gases The vision of SAFARI 2000 was presented change issues on a Land Use Change with the breadth of that vision having Modeling regional scale in a followed, in part, from the remaining Ecosystem Processes Biogeochemical Cycling Radiative Forcing comprehensive Transport and Deposition Emissions Modeling unanswered questions from SAFARI 92. fashion. A level of Integrated Modeling Those questions focus on: total emissions excitement exists at and magnitude of different emission the prospect of Figure 1: Schematic of SAFARI 2000 Core Experiment sources; varying emission estimates and coordinating and the validation of these estimates; tempo- leveraging off of existing inter-agency and July 26-30, 1999. Participants in the ral, spatial, chemical, and optical charac- international research activities in South- workshop numbered approximately 60 teristics of the regional atmosphere as ern Africa to successfully conduct SAFARI and were affiliated with various universi- related to these emissions; and impacts of 2000. As part of the progression in the ties and national government agencies. these emissions on biogeochemistry, coordination and planning of this regional radiative forcing, air quality, and rain science initiative, North American and The Boulder Workshop was conducted production. The concept of a SAFARI 2000 Southern African scientists came together over 2 1/2 days. Day 1 was devoted to a Core Experiment to address many of these to participate in the NASA EOS SAFARI review of the evolving plans for the unanswered questions was presented 2000 workshop held during May 12-14, science initiative, the status and progress (Figure 1). The Core Experiment aims to 1999 at the National Center for Atmo- of funded and planned investigations, and study aerosol and trace-gas emissions, spheric Research, in Boulder Colorado. keynote presentations on each of the core their transports and transformations, their elements of the Science Plan. These deposition and their impacts in Southern The Purpose of the Workshop was to reviews and presentations set the stage for African as determined by ground-based, review the SAFARI 2000 science plan; activities on Day 2, which included and in situ and remotely sensed airborne identify specific measurement needs and Discipline Breakout Groups to address the measurement campaigns. The SAFARI critical gaps in that plan; define and strategy for core-element activities and 2000 Core Experiment comprises the coordinate aircraft platforms and activi- potential gaps and Airborne/Surface following core elements: Terrestrial ties; plan and coordinate U.S. contribu- Measurement Breakout Groups to address Ecology; Land Cover and Land Use tions to the SAFARI 2000 Implementation the measurement requirements and Change; Aerosols; Trace Gases; Clouds Meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, during capabilities. On the final day of the and Radiation; and Modeling. Research
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and EOS validation activities associated the charge to evaluate the core-experiment 1) flux-tower measurements of trace with each of the core elements were concept and to identify research areas gases (CO2, O3 and reactive nitrogen discussed by the discipline-specific deemed important and not yet sufficiently species) and aerosols at both the breakout groups. addressed by SAFARI 2000. These Mongu and Skukuza micrometeoro- breakout groups discussed existing data logical tower sites; There was some concern in the breakout sets, funded projects, and proposed groups, given the workshop attendees projects related to SAFARI 2000. The 2) deposition studies, especially those present at Boulder, about being able to workshop participants generally reached studies focusing on the dry deposi- address some of the objectives of the consensus regarding the broad science tion of aerosols; and Science Plan to a sufficient level. The goals, the core elements and associated breakout groups identified the need to activities, and the idea of a core experi- 3) atmospheric profiling of the bound- involve a broader community of scientists ment associated with SAFARI 2000, but it ary layer and troposphere via balloon to discuss ways to achieve some of the was concluded that questions remain studies, acoustic sounders, and objectives of the Science Plan. In particu- concerning informational and personnel additional rawinsondes. lar, the groups identified the need to gaps in the initiative. The workshop strengthen the modeling activities (e.g., participants stressed the importance for A number of proposals are currently interdisciplinary modeling, integrated getting cooperation between measure- under development to address some of modeling, transport modeling, and ments and modeling groups. While many these needs. The most likely funding ecological modeling). Such issues should of the research activities were viewed as sources appear to be the NASA Research be addressed at the upcoming workshop relatively straightforward in terms of the and Analysis Program and the National in Gaborone. development of a research strategy, others Science Foundation. The South African that were perceived as having high science Weather Bureau agreed to construct a A proposed Management Structure for benefit required more discussion and proposal to submit to national, regional, U.S. participation was presented and input from researchers with a different and international funding agencies for the couched within the existing SAFARI 2000 complement of expertise than was present procurement of additional rawinsondes to management structure. This will be at the workshop. augment daily ascents performed rou- developed for review at the Gaborone tinely by regional meteorological services. workshop. Guidelines for participation in There was consensus on several cross SAFARI 2000 were also presented. The cutting needs: The Land Modeling and Data Breakout need for interactions and negotiations 1) need for an interdisciplinary model- Group stressed the need for in-region field between U.S. and regional scientists to be ing component examining interac- observations during the initial phase of facilitated by the regional and U.S. tions over several time and space the growing season. Flux-tower and SAFARI 2000 secretariats was also scales; aerosol and trace-gas deposition data, stressed. Adherence to established especially for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur international protocols regarding Memo- 2) need for modest resources to support for incorporation into site-specific and randums of Understanding, overflight the integrating modeling activities regional models were stressed as program- permissions, and mutually agreeable associated with SAFARI 2000; and matic needs. Involvement of the vegeta- shipping procedures were also discussed. tion canopy lidar (vcl) instrument team in The U.S. international agreements are to 3) need to further strengthen research SAFARI 2000 was highly desirable for the be worked by the NASA Office of External components that link surface determination of canopy structure and Relations and facilitated by the regional emission processes of aerosols and fuel load. The need for climate data SAFARI 2000 secretariat. trace gases to the atmospheric records, AVHRR-archived data, and chemistry and transport in the free hydrological data in terms of soil moisture Discipline Breakout Groups troposphere via the planetary and rainfall was also articulated. The boundary layer. involvement of the Tropical Rainfall Three discipline breakout groups, Land Measurement Mission (TRMM) and their Modeling and Data, Aerosol-Clouds and Specific activities requiring additional data products in SAFARI 2000 was seen as Radiation, and Trace Gases, were given attention and strengthening include: highly desirable. The possibility of using
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the gauged Vaal River catchment and the quested additional ancillary data sources 6) enhancement of existing meteoro- South African Weather Bureau’s (SAWB) in the form of rawinsondes and drop- logical infrastructure within the overlapping radar network to validate the sondes as well as access to data sets from region—augmentation of upper-air TRMM products for the southern African the NASA Data Assimilation Office (DAO) sondes and trajectory analysis sub-continent was identified as a possible and the SAWB. Input from transport support. project that could produce a significant models is also required for mission test of our understanding of the hydro- planning and post –intensive data 7) the need to better constrain estimates logical cycle. There is a possible modeling analyses. A suggestion was made that of the contributions of biogenic comparison exercise that would make use those researchers who have the expertise emissions to the budgets of aerosol of a benchmark data set collected along to tie aerosol transports and deposition to and trace gases in the region. the Kalahari Transect that could provide ecological modeling provide the leader- an important regional-scale test of the ship necessary to address this goal of Additional points included the need to current site of dynamic global vegetation SAFARI 2000. understand biogenic hydrocarbon models. A clearly defined source of production, especially during the critical funding to support the necessary integra- The Trace Gases Breakout Group was able time of vegetation leaf out. The Trace tive and interdisciplinary modeling to make significant advancement in Gases working group also identified a exercises required by SAFARI 2000 is meeting the charges given to them during number of questions and implementation needed. Data issues focused on the use of the workshop. Through their extensive strategies to address those questions in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory discussions and deliberations, they were their group report. Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL able to produce a number of recommenda- DAAC) on the U.S. side and a regional tions to the SAFARI 2000 steering commit- The discipline groups, especially the mirror data site, most likely to be located tee. Chief among them were the following: Land-Modeling and Data Group, ex- in Botswana to handle and disperse the 1) strong need for compilation and pressed the need for involvement of data collected in SAFARI 2000. It is maximum utilization of existing regional scientists and their scientific planned that the establishment of a mirror databases that include a variety of input especially in the areas of identifica- data center with meta-data links estab- forms of printed material, CD tion of surface sites and processes of lished by regional participants will be publications, and electronically scientific interest to the SAFARI 2000 clarified at the Gaborone meeting. stored data; effort. There was also a feeling that those investigators new to the region should The Aerosol-Clouds and Radiation 2) the formation of a measurement- familiarize themselves with the science Breakout Group discussed objectives modeling liaison working group to and data products of existing research centered around the physical and chemical aid in the designing of in situ flight efforts. Along these lines, it was suggested characterization of aerosols and their plans and sampling strategies; that those researchers in need of such radiative effects, linking aerosol character- information should contact the SAFARI istics to fire sources, and cloud-aerosol 3) need to measure dew composition 2000 webpage (http://safari.gecp.virginia. interaction in maritime clouds. The and precipitation concentration to edu) and /or the regional coordination implementation strategy required to address issue of dry and wet aerosol secretariat. The general feeling during the address those objectives was viewed as sinks; Boulder workshop was that the Gaborone straightforward. In terms of objectives meeting is an important vehicle to further focusing on the evolution of physical, 4) the study of frequency and intensity interactions, discussions, and negotiations chemical, and optical properties of of lightning as a measurement of involved with SAFARI 2000 collaborative aerosols, biogenic aerosol, and cloud- opportunity to aid in determining the research activities, especially in the area of aerosol interaction in continental clouds, production of NOx; strengthening the land components with the implementation strategy is not yet the objective of being able to collaborate clear, but discussion has commenced. 5) need for inter-comparison of airborne with local experts and further develop Similarly, linking aerosol and cloud and spaceborne systems; logistical arrangements. studies to ecological modeling, requires further attention. This group also re-
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Aircraft Breakout Groups airborne campaigns. The experiments for the August-September, 2000 intensive requiring in situ observations include: flying campaign. SAFARI 2000 intends to use the atmo- spheric gyre as a physically integrating Terra Underflights—radiometric calibra- Recommendations mechanism. This is beneficial in that tion and data product validation for southern African climatologies exist that aerosol retrievals, smoke/cloud masking, Summary Recommendations were arrived allow for the establishment of a relation- and fire detection and characterization; at from the various discussions during the ship between information in the long-term meeting: satellite record and the local observation Namibian stratus studies—cloud retriev- 1) Need for the additional involvement sites. Airborne measurements are essential als and indirect effects; and funding of interdisciplinary, to achieve the goals of the experiment. integrative modeling activities Aircraft platform availability and partici- Biomass burning studies—“box studies,” linking land and atmosphere pation were discussed in detail. The fire emission factors, chemical, physical platforms committed to involvement in and optical evolution of emissions 2) Need to strengthen links between SAFARI 2000 include the NASA ER-2; the downwind of fires; ground observations and airborne University of Washington Convair 580; observations and the South African Weather Bureau Industrial source studies—flights of • Augmentation of regional Aerocommander 690s. The opportunity to opportunity looking at possible direct and rawinsonde network to profile- have the Proteus, a newly-developed, indirect forcing effects. the free troposphere high-altitude, high-endurance remote • Acoustic sounder and pilot- sensing platform received much interest The types of proposed flight tracks to balloon studies to describe the from the workshop participants. Its meet the above needs are as follows: planetary boundary layer availability to SAFARI 2000 is subject to • Instrumentation of existing 1) Cross-section wall flight sampling of the Proteus team’s success in securing towers for flux studies of heat, the gyre with multiple aircraft additional resources. moisture, momentum, and 2) Probe investigation flights of the aerosols/trace gases to describe Consensus was achieved among key U.S. interactions between vegetation gyre, both Lagrangian and Eulerian, and regional scientists to consolidate the by single aircraft and boundary layer scientific decision-making processes • Aerosol and trace-gas deposition related to airborne operations during the 3) Biomass burning flights—fire studies to detail atmospheric August-September 2000 campaign at detection and smoke/emission contribution to vegetated Pietersburg, RSA. Coordination, commu- sampling flights systems nications, and planning associated with aircraft missions will be conducted 4) Coordinated flights involving remote 3) Involvement of a TRMM validation through the SAFARI 2000 aircraft mission- sensing observations platforms activity within SAFARI 2000 was control center at Pietersburg. For aircraft (satellite, ER-2, Proteus) and in situ deemed highly desirable planning at the control center, it is observational platforms (Convair essential to have daily meteorological 580, Aerocommander 690A’s) 4) Coordination of all U.S.-sponsored forecasting and access to Meteosat Satellite activities in SAFARI 2000 through the 5) Marine stratus Imagery. To initially facilitate this project regional secretariat office and coordination and planning, the August – 6) Overwater flights compliance with protocols and September 2000 flying campaign will international agreements for in- begin with all of the aircraft involved with The various logistical needs for these country research SAFARI 2000 based at Pietersburg for at different flight missions were discussed. least one week. There was general agreement concerning 5) Need for funding to support regional the utility of convening an airborne scientists, outside of South Africa, to The In-Situ Aircraft Group focused on planning simulation exercise to be held in participate in SAFARI 2000 design of the SAFARI 2000 dry-season the region early next year in preparation
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clear that as data for these sites become available, the volcanology community at Report of EOS Volcanology IDS Team large will see a dramatic increase in the number and quality of observations that Meeting can be made in the thermal infrared.
— Pete Mouginis-Mark ([email protected]) Team Leader — Joy Crisp ([email protected]) Deputy Team leader 2) Howard Zebker (Stanford) and Harold Garbeil (Univ. Hawaii) have been working extensively with radar interferometry studies of volcanoes. The most notable recent success has been the analysis of the 1995 eruption of Fernandina volcano in the Galapagos Islands, where the dimen- sions of an intrusive dike have been The latest meeting of the EOS Volcanology Some of the highlights of the meeting quantified. There is a growing database of Team was held at the University of Hawaii included: pre- and post-eruption radar scenes that at Manoa May 18th – 23rd, 1999. Numerous will provide exciting new perspectives on Team Members were in attendance, 1) Anne Kahle (JPL) reviewed the current intrusive processes as well as the role of including members from CSIRO (Austra- plans for volcano data acquisitions as an topography on the emplacement of new lia), the Open University (England), JPL, ASTER Science Team Acquisition Request lava flows. Additional radar studies, this NASA Goddard, and universities in (STAR). Luke Flynn (Univ. Hawaii) time of the 1998 eruption of Cerro Azul California, Michigan, and North Dakota. covered the comparable acquisition plans (also in the Galapagos Islands), are Many people from the University of for Landsat 7, since he is also a Landsat 7 expected to enable the flow path of the Hawaii, including several graduate Science Team member. Particularly new lava to be compared with predictions students, were also able to participate in important will be the thermal studies of based on digital-elevation data collected the discussions. active lava flows and domes from ASTER from the TOPSAR instrument. and ETM+ on Landsat 7, as well as the The main goal of the meeting was to digital-elevation models that will be 3) Over the last year, considerable effort prepare the Team for the impending derived from stereo ASTER scenes. More has been expended by Arlin Krueger launch of the Terra spacecraft. A critical than 30 different volcanoes around the (NASA Goddard), Bill Rose and Gregg part of this preparation was a review of world will be monitored on a regular basis Bluth (Michigan Tech. Univ.), Dave the volcano data sets that will be collected by the Team using these two sensors. Schneider (Alaska Volcano Observatory), by each instrument, since many of the These volcanoes include Erebus (Antarc- and Fred Prata (CSIRO) on the analysis of high-resolution observations will not be tica), Lascar (Chile); Galeras (Columbia); volcanic plumes, and how the entrained made continuously by Terra, Landsat 7, or Arenal and Poas (Costa Rica); Fernandina gas phase sometimes disassociates from the foreign-partner radars. There was also (Galapagos Islands); Erta Ale (Ethiopia); the ash when the plume reaches high the need to demonstrate our web-based Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion Island); altitude. Understanding this process is software and the computer code that has Fuego, Pacaya, and Santa Maria (Guate- vitally important for quantitative models been developed by the team for the mala); Hekla and Katla (Iceland); Agung of eruption plumes as aircraft hazards, analysis of thermal monitoring and and Merapi (Indonesia); Stromboli, and also as impacts on short-term climate volcanic gas studies. Other goals were to Vulcano, and Mt. Etna (Italy); Sakura-jima change; for instance, the sulfate aerosols develop a strategy for how the Team will and Unzen (Japan); Popocatepetl (Mexico); can significantly affect the Earth’s radia- interact with the media, what our public Ruapehu and White Island (New tion budget. Various Team-developed outreach efforts will be in the first six Zealand); Cerro Negro, Masaya, and Telica retrieval algorithms were discussed, as months of the mission, and what other (Nicaragua); Manam and Rabaul (New well as ideas for new sensors/missions to data sets are becoming available to the Guinea); Mayon (Philippines); Soufriere augment the EOS data sets. Lori Glaze volcanology community. Hills (Montserrat); Kilauea (Hawaii); and (Proxemy Research) and Lionel Wilson Nyamuragira and Nyriagongo (Zaire). It is (Lancaster Univ., England) have devel-
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oped software for the analysis of plume but now that the full potential of these lively debate ensued during this part of geometry with MODIS data, which has GOES data has been realized, a number of the meeting, as many of the volcanic been used with AVHRR data to study alternative ways of supporting this as a eruptions seen by Terra and other space- plumes from the 1989 eruption of Redoubt separate effort are being pursued. craft will have immediate social and volcano, Alaska. This algorithm will also economic impacts. Where real-time data be valuable for the analysis of plume These web-based activities are expected to become available (for example, via MODIS heights, particularly if real-time MODIS become even more important when Terra Direct Broadcast), great care will have to data become available, due to the extreme is flying, because they will often be the be taken to follow the appropriate agency hazards posed by eruptions to aircraft initial method by which the volcanology procedures when contacting the respon- encountering the plume. Arlin Krueger community will learn about the new data sible officials (e.g., IAVCEI, 1999). This reviewed the status of the retrieval sets and, in the case of MODIS thermal care must be included whenever press algorithms for mapping abundances of alerts, as near-real-time observations. The releases are written by the Team and the ash and sulfur dioxide using TOMS data. MODIS alerts will be presented via a EOS Project Science Office, as well as our similar web-based interface and will cover other interactions with the media (always 4) Innovative gas studies using FTIR the Earth once every 1.5 days. Global, contacting responsible officials before the measurements were presented by Peter regional, and special-interest volcano press). The IDS Team has already estab- Francis (Open Univ.) for Mt. Etna and maps will provide easy access to near-real- lished strong ties with foreign volcano Masaya. These field measurements used time MODIS data of hot spots. In addition observatories through the real-time hot targets placed several kilometers to building a comprehensive database for collection and analysis of GOES thermal away, and demonstrated the use of solar future science investigations of volcano data. These data are displayed on a public and lunar illumination sources. The thermal activity, they will also help the Web site in the form of maps of locations potential for using similar ground-based Team to direct high-resolution instruments of thermal alerts in near real-time, which measurements to validate TES data for such as ASTER, and Landsat 7, and EO-1 can be viewed and interpreted by anyone. plumes was discussed. Aircraft thermal- instruments to designated targets. In no case are remote-sensing interpreta- infrared data (TIMS and AES) for sulfur- tions by the EOS Volcanology Team dioxide mapping at Kilauea volcano were 6) A series of brief discussions of the radar released directly to the general public; described by Vince Realmuto (JPL). Vince remote-sensing and topographic studies rather there is always a local responsible has developed a new version of his sulfur- being conducted by investigators from volcanologist who is informed of the dioxide retrieval algorithm that can be run Hawaii was provided. These presentations observations and then takes the appropri- on a PC, thereby enabling many more included a new method for the determina- ate steps. It was recommended that the investigators to use this technique once tion of lava effusion rates from time-series same attention to detail concerning the ASTER data become available. Monitoring analysis of digital-elevation models (Scott potential impact of the Terra data on local the temporal variation of gas flux at Rowland, Univ. Hawaii), temporal studies and foreign communities dealing with volcanoes around the world is expected to of lahar formation at Mt. Pinatubo (Ronnie volcanic activity be followed. Warnings or contribute to our understanding of the Torres and Steve Self, Univ. Hawaii), and forecasts should not be made based on global budgets of tropospheric and the analysis of catastrophic landslide remote-sensing data alone. It should be stratospheric sulfur dioxide. emplacement on Socompa volcano, Chile left up to the on-site volcanologist team (Mary MacKay, Univ. Hawaii). All of these leader or spokesperson to incorporate the 5) Excellent computer demonstrations studies hold great promise for the Team’s remote-sensing information into their were given by Luke Flynn and Eric Pilger ability to work with new digital-elevation decisions and statements. (Univ. Hawaii) on the real-time detection data to be produced from ASTER and the and analysis of volcano thermal anomalies up-coming SRTM, VCL, and ICESat We also heard about preliminary plans to by GOES, the derivation of maps of sulfur- missions. Topographic difference maps, present a workshop at the upcoming dioxide abundance in plumes (Vince that can estimate volumetric rates of International Association of Volcanology Realmuto), and a new volcano database change, were seen to hold particular and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior created by Chris Okubo (Univ. Hawaii). promise for studying active volcanoes. (AVCEI) meeting next year. In addition, The GOES data were initially used to members of the Team are in the final model our planned MODIS thermal alerts, Outreach efforts were also discussed. A phases of editing a Monograph for the
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American Geophysical Union on the “Remote Sensing of Active Volcanoes” that we hope will introduce many NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise traditional geologists to satellite remote- sensing methods. Ideas for a second Participates in the Odyssey of the Mind review article in an international journal World Finals for the Team’s approach to volcano remote sensing were also discussed. — Steve Graham ([email protected]), EOS Project Science Office, Raytheon ITSS Finally, the meeting ended with an informative trip to Kilauea volcano on the Big Island. The focus of this trip was to explore some of the ASTER calibration/ validation sites that may be used during the Terra mission, as well as to identify some possible study sites for joint Univ. Hawaii/CSIRO aerosol studies. We also visited some active lava flows and ocean entry points. It rained much of the time!
More details of the Volcanology Team’s efforts are available at: http:// www.geo.mtu.edu/eos/
The real-time use of GOES data for volcano monitoring can be seen at: What are kids doing after school? If long-term problems, the “EnvirOMental http://volcano1.pgd.hawaii.edu/ they’re like the more than 250,000 kids Challenge.” worldwide who annually participate in Reference the Odyssey of the Mind (OM), they are By sponsoring an OM problem, it was putting after school hours to good use NASA’s goal to inspire students to gain a IAVCEI Subcommittee for Crisis Protocols, towards a positive end—a trip to the better understanding of the global 1999: Professional conduct of scientists annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. environment by exploring the interaction during volcanic crises. Bulletin Volcanol., The University of Tennessee-Knoxville between the Earth’s systems of air, land, 60: 323-334. hosted more than 5500 finalists, from water, and life. OMers participating in the kindergarten through college age, May 26- EnvirOMental Challenge problem this 29, 1999 at the largest creative problem- year were given the task of finding an solving competition for children and environment that an Earth species can live young adults. in. One of OM’s overall goals is to help students learn real-world skills such as Odyssey of the Mind long-term problems “working with others as a team, evaluat- are creative challenges that encourage kids ing ideas, making decisions, and creating to think divergently; in other words, to solutions.” stretch their imaginations and develop skills that will serve them well in the real “Having NASA as a sponsor really gave world, where there is not always one right us a jumping off point. They definitely answer for every question. This year, influenced the nature of the problem NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise, through because they are one of the only organiza- a grant, proudly sponsored one of the five tions that studies the entire Earth.” said
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Lynn Macey, Co-International Problem In addition to sponsoring the 50 states and 42 countries. Each Septem- Captain. EnvirOMental Challenge, members of ber, kids anxiously await the unveiling of GSFC’s EOS Project Science Office hosted the year’s challenges, and then form teams Teams of 5 to 7 students compete in one of an Earth Science Enterprise exhibit at the to develop a unique solution. Working four age groups, with divisions being 1999 World Finals. Posters, Lithographs, with an adult coach who can steer but not determined by the age of the oldest team Fact Sheets and other outreach and advise them, teams typically develop, test, member. All teams receive the same educational materials were distributed to abandon, and redevelop a variety of problems. However, the complexity of approximately 8000 students, coaches, and solutions before perfecting the one they’ll their solutions varies according to their parents during the four-day finals take to local competition. If they prevail at age group and all are judged on creativity, tournament. During the exhibition, many local tournaments, they’ll move on to design, and style. of the students, coaches, and parents regionals and then World Finals. The OM expressed sincere thanks for NASA’s Association, Inc., provides curriculum and Teams choosing to solve the support and also commented that the support materials for teachers who want EnvirOMental Challenge presented a EnvirOMental Challenge was the most to incorporate the competition’s spirit of performance about an Earth species that challenging and rewarding of this year’s creative problem solving into daily required atmosphere, water, and land for five problems. classroom activities. survival, and whose home habitat suffered disruption and was deemed uninhabit- Now in its 20th year, Odyssey of the Mind See table below for the results of the 1999 able. Four potential new habitats were involves children and adult volunteers in World Finals EnvirOMental Challenge. available but whether the Earth species could live in any of them was unknown. During the performance, the team collected samples representing atmo- sphere, water, and land from the habitats Division I and analyzed them with a discriminating 1. Del Prado Elementary School Boca Raton, FL 2. Valwood School Valdosta, GA device to determine whether each habitat 3. North School Des Plaines, IL was suitable for the species. The result of 4. Glenlyon-Norfolk School Victoria, BC the evaluations had to be communicated 5. Trombly Elementary School Grosse Pointe Par, MI by a non-verbal method and displayed at 6. Wright City Elementary School Team B Wright City, MO each habitat. The teams’ performances Division II were limited to 8 minutes for their 1. Londonderry Middle School Team Orange Londonderry, NH performance, and they could spend no 2. Walker Middle School Salem, OR more than $100 on materials. 3. Powell Middle School Littleton, CO 4. Blalack Middle School Carrollton, TX 5. Lindbergh Middle School Team A Peoria, IL The EnvirOMental Challenge was 6. Waterford O E O/Gold Program Waterford, MI designed to encourage students to think critically and cooperatively about a Division III 1. Georgetown Ridge Farm High School Team B Georgetown, IL complex problem in the same way that 2. Greenville High School Greenville, TX Earth scientists, weather forecasters, 3. Fergus Falls Middle School Fergus Falls, MN farmers, fishermen, politicians, and 4. Monson Jr/Sr High School Team A Monson, MA planners must confront the dual challenge Ft. Meyers High School Team A Fort Myers, FL 5. Lavista Jr High School Team B Lavista, NE of understanding how natural processes Heritage High School Littleton, CO affect humanity, and how we affect those 6. Pinkerton Academy Team A Derry, NH same natural processes. NASA is proud to include OM in a long list of partners who Division IV 1. University of Texas/Dallas Richardson, TX are working together to improve our 2. Sierra Nevada College Incline Village, NV knowledge of the Earth and to use that knowledge for the benefit of all humanity.
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Special awards were also given to those teams displaying exceptional creativity. This year’s Ranatra Fusca Award was given EOS Scientists in the News to a Division II team for their develop- EOS Scientists in the News ment of an extremely unusual method of sample discrimination for the EOS Scientists in the News EnvirOMental Challenge. Congratulations EOS Scientists in the News to the team from Central Middle School in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Their unique — Emilie Lorditch ([email protected]), EOS Project Science Office, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 and “out of the box” solution involved the “parrot” team members physically becoming an integral part of the four habitats. They made an intuitive leap to discriminate elements qualities using an assembly-line process, making each parrot “NASA Satellites May ’Revolutionize’ contrails over parts of the United States an element specialist. Earth Sciences,” The Chronicle of Higher and Europe. Minnis’ team calculated that Education (July 9) by Kim A. McDonald. by 2050 the average contrail cover over the The Outstanding OMer Award recognizes Over the next four years NASA’s Earth United States will increase 2.6 times those OMers coaches, individuals, team Observing System will launch 26 satellites current levels. members, parents, officials, and others to measure Earth’s climatic system in that serve as OM examples or role models greater detail and more comprehensively “Craft to Track Climate-Affecting Link of by their actions or words. It is also than ever before. Durng the workshop, Sea and Wind,” New York Times (June 15) bestowed on team members who exhibit Future Directions in Global Change Research: by Warren E. Leary. The continuous exceptional skill, as opposed to creativity. A Workshop for Journalists, that was held on interplay between wind and ocean As with the Ranatra Fusca Award given June 24, James Hansen (NASA GISS), eventually affects Earth through its for creativity, recipients of the Outstand- Ghassem Asrar (NASA HQ), Michael King influence on weather and climate. ing OMer award receive a special medal. (NASA GSFC), Yoram Kaufman (NASA Ghassem Asrar (NASA HQ) says that Two of this year’s recipients were partici- GSFC), Mark Abbott (Oregon State Univ.), QuikScat will study this crucial interaction pants in the EnvirOMental Challenge. Steven C. Wofsy (Harvard Univ.), and that up till now has gone unmonitored. Congratulations to Bruna Andrade of David Randall (Colorado State Univ.) Colegio Int. DeCarabol in Valencia, discussed the scientific plans and satellite “Enormous Haze Found Over Indian Venezuela. After the contamination of all missions that will examine the Earth’s Ocean,” New York Times (June 10) by her team members Bruna realized she climate. William K. Stevens. Scientists have could not get to the remaining 2 habitats discovered that a haze of air pollution in any safe manner and employed humor “Lack of Icebergs Another Sign of Global about the size of the United States covers to include the audience in her thought Warming,” Science (July 2) by Bernice the Indian Ocean in the winter. processes. She ad-libbed, while maintain- Wuethrich. For the first time in 85 years, Veerabhadran Ramanathan (Scripps) says ing her poise, stayed in her character, and the International Ice Patrol did not issue a that it is too early to say whether this haze proceeded with the role playing of a single bulletin about icebergs. John M. has a cooling or warming effect on Fortune Teller trying to read the suitability Wallace (Univ. of Wash.) says that since climate. of the 2 remaining habitats through the the 1980s, winter temperatures have risen use of her crystal ball. Congratulations to at least 0.5 degreess Celsius. “Scientists Predict NYC Storm Surges,” Meg Waddell of Hightower Trail Middle Associated Press (June 4) by Jeff Donn. New School in Marietta, Georgia. Meg com- “Jet Contrails Likely to Add to Earth’s York City could suffer huge storm surges posed an original “Oreawhale” song in the Warming,” Reuters (June 23). Jet contrails as often as every several years if the sea Italian Bel canto style. She also invented will contribute significantly to global rises as expected during the coming warming within the next 50 years. Patrick century. Cynthia Rosenzweig (NASA (Continued on page 42) Minnis (NASA LaRC) has been studying GISS) says that the surges could break
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through barrier islands and flood low- experiments are. Triana’s main objective is “La Niña is on Its Way Out,” CNN lying parts of lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, to continuously monitor the Earth’s entire Interactive (April 26). La Niña is beginning Queens, and other places in the metropoli- sunlit face. to fade, reveals an image from the U.S.- tan area. French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The “Finding Ocean Temps in the Ice,” image shows that conditions in the “Twin Cyclone Pattern Linked to Flooding Christian Science Monitor (May 21) by Peter equatorial Pacific Ocean are slowly of Yangtze River,” Associated Press (June 3) N. Spotts. Drew Shindell (NASA GISS) returning to normal, but it also suggests by Jeff Donn. Scientists have found a link says that climate models suggest that that current ocean temperatures are still between weather patterns that can global warming could strengthen the abnormal. potentially be used to help predict Arctic Oscillation near the North Pole and devastating floods in China’s Yantgze lead to changes in snowfall and rainfall “Disappearing Ice Down South,” Science River. William Lau (NASA GSFC) ob- patterns in Eurasia, a shift in North News (April 24) by Richard Monastersky. served a pair of early May cyclones over Atlantic fishing grounds, and even the The glacial shelves surrounding the the Indian Ocean that seemed to delay, by disappearance of Arctic ice in the summer. Antarctic Peninsula are melting because of a week, the onset later that month of the increased temperatures in the region. Ted storm pattern known as the South China “New Focus of Climate Fears: Altered Air Scambos (Univ. of Colorado) says this Sea monsoon. Currents,” New York Times (May 18) by melting has no impact on global sea-level William K. Stevens. A new study suggests rise, because the ice shelves are already “Snowpack Here Could Shrink in Future that events like El Niño will occur more floating in water. Years,” Associated Press (June 2). The frequently because of the impact of global Pacific Northwest could be facing more warming on current air patterns. Kevin “El Niño May Slow Global Warming,” raining and flooding, but also a shortage Trenberth (NCAR) says that the frequency CNN Interactive (April 15). The ocean of usable water in the coming decades. of El Niño events is dependent on how released 30-80 percent less carbon dioxide Dennis Lettenmaier (Univ. of Washington) long tropical storms take to recharge their during the El Niño years of 1991-1994, says that the region’s mountain snow- heat source. reports a study published in Nature. packs could decline drastically within the According to Scott Doney (NCAR), the next 25 years because of global warming. “Ozone Optimism,” Christian Science study, which used data from 80 weather Monitor (May 3) by Peter Spotts. Global stations, captured an important time “NASA Says Polar Winds Might Cause agreements to slow the production of period in showing what is happening to Winter Storms,” Reuters (June 2). Rising ozone-destroying chemicals are working, carbon dioxide during an El Niño event. winter temperatures across the Northern says Michael Prather (Univ. of California Hemisphere are expected to generate more at Irvine) in a study published in Nature. “NASA Launches New Earth-Imaging winter storms. In a study published in But more needs to be done to reduce Satellite,” Associated Press (April 15). Nature, Drew Shindell (NASA GISS) emissions of compounds like CFC-12 that NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite will monitor reports that warmer winters bring wet attack ozone. global conditions ranging from land weather to Europe and western North surface change and snow packs to floods America with western Europe being the “NASA Gives Kids Window on North and fires, reports Darrel Williams (NASA worst hit by storms off the Atlantic Ocean. Pole,” CNN Interactive (April 27). A new GSFC). Williams says that Landsat 7 was NASA World Wide Web site gives people designed to monitor the same area every “Politics Keep Earth-Viewing Satellite possibly their only chance to see the North 16 days. Earthbound,” New York Times (June 1) by Pole. Scientists from NASA’s Goddard Warren E. Leary. Triana, the Earth-viewing Space Flight Center are testing ozone “Two Scientists Find a Mission at Hamp- satellite initiated by Vice President Al levels, measuring ice thickness, testing ton U.,” The Chronicle of Higher Education Gore, has been criticized because of its water and soil pH, as well as participating (April 9) by Jason Hughes. James M. origin and mission. However, Steven in online chat sessions. Students can e- Russell III (Hampton Univ.) and M. Wofsy (Harvard Univ.) says that although mail the scientists and also watch them Patrick McCormick (Hampton Univ.) he was initially skeptical about Triana, he live as they conduct their research. formerly of NASA’s Langley Research is impressed at how carefully planned the Center, took positions at Hampton
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University to increase interest in physics among black students. The program is gaining momentum in its second semester Earth Science Education Program with 12 undergraduate and three graduate Update students.
— Nahid Khazenie ([email protected]), Education Program Manager, Office of EOS researchers please send notices of Earth Science, NASA Headquarters recent media coverage in which you have been involved to: Emilie Lorditch, EOS Project Science Office, Code 900 Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771. Tel. (301) 441-4031; fax: (301) Your One-Stop for NASA Education • Encourage leveraging and coopera- 441-2432; e-mail: [email protected]. tion among projects. nasa.gov NASA’s Earth Science Education Program is working to better leverage Enterprise • Share resources and unique ap- endeavors through the NASA Education proaches to enhance current pro- Home Page. The goal is to make the grams. NASA Education Homepage a one-stop “shopping” site for educators where As a result of the conference, NASA everything related to NASA education is hopes to: posted and linked from this site. You can • Identify possible gaps in its overall (Continued from page 40) visit the site at: http://education.nasa.gov. Earth science education program. NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise Participates in the Odyssey of the First NASA Earth Science Education • Identify the extent of equity, diver- Forum will be held in Austin sity, and access in all activities. Mind World Finals
The NASA Earth Science Education Forum * Identify overall program improve- an “orea” language using no English will be held November 14-17, 1999 in ments. Words. The hauntingly beautiful melody Austin, Texas, at the Omni Downtown conveyed perfectly the emotion of the Hotel. This will be the first time that The Institute for Global Environmental heart-broken whale. She applied her NASA brings together members from all Strategies (IGES) is organizing this event outstanding musical talent in an unusual parts of its Earth science education and has developed a conference WWW and effective manner. program, from elementary through site, where you can register on-line at university level projects, including Earth http://www.strategies.org/ OM estimates that approximately science and education representatives conference.html. For more information 2,140,000 students, parents, teachers, from NASA Headquarters, all NASA Field about the conference or to register, please administrators, and spectators were Centers, universities, non-profit organiza- visit the WWW site or contact Theresa exposed to the EnvirOMental Challenge tions, and private companies. Schwerin, email: theresa_schwerin@ over the course of the 1998/99 school year. strategies.org. Talk about a return on your investment! The conference is intended to meet the following objectives: Terra Launch Conference for • Communicate NASA’s Earth science Educators education strategy and vision for the future. A conference for educators will be conducted in conjunction with the Atlas • Share knowledge and experience Centaur launch of the Terra Earth Science gained as a result of NASA ESE satellite at Vandenberg Air Force Base, education activities. California.
42 THE EARTH OBSERVER • May/June, 1999 Vol. 11 No. 3
Terra ushers in a series of Earth-orbiting September 20-24 Conference on Sensors, Systems and Next satellites that will enable researchers to EOS Science Calendar Generation Satellites V, University of Florence, understand how the atmosphere, land, Italy. Call for Papers. Contact Steve Neeck, and ocean interact with each other on a email: [email protected]. global scale. Instruments provided by the September 22 TES Science Team meeting, Harvard United States, Canada, and Japan will November 2-5 University, Cambridge, MA. For local simultaneously study clouds, water vapor, The CEOS Global Observation of Forest Cover arrangements Contact: Daniel Jacob, tel. (617) aerosol particles, trace gases and terrestrial (GOFC) Meeting on Fire Mapping and 495-1794, email: [email protected]; for and oceanic properties. In addition they Monitoring, the Joint Research Center, Ispra, agenda information contact Reinhard Beer, tel. Italy. For further information contact Frank will measure the changes in land and (818)354-4748; email: Reinhard.Beer@jpl. Ahern, email: [email protected] ocean surface and interaction with the nasa.gov. atmosphere through exchanges of energy, 2000 carbon, and water. Curriculum areas most September 28-30 NSIDC DAAC User Working Group Meeting March 27-31 affected by Earth Science research include: (PoDAG) Boulder, Colorado 28th International Symposium on Remote water, coastal, agriculture, forestry and Sensing of Environment, Cape Town, South range resources; geology, environmental Africa. Call for Papers. For abstracts monitoring, and land use. Terra Project Global Change Calendar submission: [email protected] or scientists, engineers, and the educational http:www.isrse.co.za, Fax: +27 21 883 8177; community will address the science, Tel: +27 21 886 4496 (ask for Deidré Cloete); th technology, and classroom applications August 2-6 postal: The 28 ISRSE technical committee, PO Box 452, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa. associated with the mission. 18th Congress of the International Commission for Optics, San Francisco, CA. Contact: ICO XVIII Conference Manager, SPIE, May 22-26 NASA and the California Central Coast 1000-20th Street, P.O. Box 10, Bellingham, WA ASPRS: The Imaging and Geospatial NASA Educator Resource Center, in 98225, tel. (1) 360 676 3290; Fax: (1) 360 Information Society, 2000 Annual Conference, cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, will 647 1445; email: [email protected] May 22-26, 2000. Washington DC. Call for host the conference. For further informa- Papers. For abstracts submission see URL: tion, please call (650) 604-5543 or go to the September 8-10 http://www.asprs.rog/dc2000; tel. (410) 208- Non-CO Greenhouse Gases (NCGG-12) 2855; fax: (410) 641-8341; email: Terra web site at http://terra.nasa.gov. 2 Scientific understanding, control and [email protected] implementation, Noordwijkerhout, The El Niño Pudding Netherlands. Call for Papers. Contact Joop van July 24-28 Ham, e-mail [email protected], Fax: +31-15- IEEE 2000 International Geoscience and ‘El Niño pudding’, a great activity and 261 3186. Remote Sensing Symposium, 20th delicious treat, and its link to the global Anniversary, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, climate event are now staged on the September 13-15 Hawaii. Call for Papers. For up-to-date data IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia highly acclaimed NASA children’s site; regarding submissions, access the conference Signal Processing, Copenhagen. Contact Jenq- website at www.igarss.org. SpacePlace at http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa. Neng Hwang, e-mail: [email protected]. gov/topex_make1.htm. edu, URL: http://eivind.imm.dtu.dk/mmsp99/
September 13-17 Sixth Scientific Conference of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC), Bologna, Italy. Call for Papers. URL: http:// www.fisbat.bo.cnr.it/IGAC99/.
September 15-17 Second International Workshop on Multi- angular Measurements and Models, ISPRA, Italy. Contact Michel Verstraete, e-mail: [email protected], URL: http:// www.enamors.org.
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The Earth Observer
The Earth Observer is published by the EOS Project Science Office, Code 900, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, telephone (301) 614-5559, FAX (301) 614-6530, and is available on the World Wide Web at http://eos.nasa.gov/ or by writing to the above address. Articles, contributions to the meeting calendar, and sugges- tions are welcomed. Contributions to the Global Change meeting calendar should contain location, person to contact, telephone number, and e-mail address. To subscribe to The Earth Observer, or to change your mailing address, please call Jim Closs at (301) 614-5561, send message to [email protected], or write to the address above.
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Executive Editor: Charlotte Griner ([email protected]) Jim Closs ([email protected]) Technical Editors: Bill Bandeen ([email protected]) Renny Greenstone ([email protected]) Design and Production: Winnie Humberson ([email protected]) Distribution: Hannelore Parrish ([email protected])
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