DOCSLIB.ORG

The Earth Observer

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Earth Observer National Aeronautics and Space Administration The Earth Observer. March - April 2008. Volume 20, Issue 2. Editor’s Corner Michael King EOS Senior Project Scientist I’m happy to report that The Earth Observer is beginning its 20th year as a NASA publication. The first issue was released in March 1989, and from the beginning, it has been dedicated to keeping our readers abreast of the latest developments in the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. I have been pleased to serve as EOS Senior Project Scientist since September 1992, and thus have been around for most of The Earth Observer’s 20-year history. It has been my privilege to work with a wide variety of talented individuals over the years who have made contributions to the publication as authors, designers, editors, etc. The names are too many to list, but I would particularly like to recognize the members of the current EOS Project Science Office who are involved. Alan Ward (Executive Editor) and Charlotte Griner (former Executive Editor) thoroughly review the content of every issue and are constantly on the lookout for interesting articles for future issues. Tim Suttles, and Chris Chris- sotimos also serve as Technical Editors and review each issue. Debbi McLean does the layout of the newsletter and handles the production of each issue. Cindy Trapp and Leon Middleton help with the distribution of each issue. Steve Graham maintains a database that keeps track of over 6000 subscribers. PDFs of every issue from 1995 to the present are posted on the EOS Project Science Office website that Maura Tokay maintains—eospso. gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/for_scientists/earth_observer.php. (Archived hard copies of all issues are also on file in the EOSPSO library.) The publication is and always has been a true team effort from start to finish. To the current staff and to every individual that has contributed to making The Earth Observer such a top-notch publication for so many years, I say: “Congratulations and keep up the outstanding work!” On page 4 of this issue our Executive Editor has written an article sharing his perspective on The Earth Observer’s important role in compiling a written history of the EOS program and its ongoing role in communicating news about the pro- continued on page 2 A model of Explorer 1, held by JPL’s Director William Picker- ing, scientist James Van Allen and rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun (from left to right). America’s first satellite, Explorer 1 had launched a few hours before, on January 31, 1958, at 10:48 p.m. EST. Credit: NASA the earth observer www.nasa.gov 02 The Earth Observer March - April 2008 Volume 20, Issue 2 employment at NASA as a science writer on the Moder- eos.nasa.gov ate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Administrative Support Team. In 1997, Yoram Kauf- man promoted Herring to the role of Terra Outreach In This Issue Coordinator, and it was under Kaufman’s leadership that Herring founded NASA’s Earth Observatory (earthob- Editor’s Corner Front Cover servatory.nasa.gov) in April 1999. He also spearheaded development of a family of related sites that have grown Feature Articles up around the Earth Observatory. Herring’s team has The Earth Observer: 20 Years garnered numerous awards, including two NASA Group Chronicling the History of Achievement Awards, citations by Scientific American the EOS Program 04 and Popular Science, and three prestigious Webby Award Christmas Among Crevasses: How a nominations. In 2006, Herring was awarded the NASA Goddard Scientist Spent His Exceptional Achievement Medal. He attributes the Holiday Season 10 success of The Earth Observatory and related sites to Getting at Groundwater with Gravity 22 the excellent core team based at Goddard—which will Urban Growth and Its Impact on the remain intact after his departure—that has been guided Terrestrial Environment 26 and nurtured by the outstanding ideas and stunning Freeing Clouds from Their Cages: data contributions from across the entire NASA Earth editor's corner The Cloud Object Approach to Science community. Satellite Data Analysis 30 Meeting/Workshop Summaries Herring was a civil servant in his last three years at Landsat Science Team Meeting NASA, reporting to Michael Seablom within the Soft- Summary 35 ware Integration and Visualization Office (SIVO), as the ASTER Science Team Meeting Report 41 Goddard Earth Sciences Division’s Project Manager for Ocean Vector Wind Science Team Education and Public Outreach. In that time, he com- Meeting Report 46 pleted a 7-month detail as Outreach Program Manager SORCE 5-Year Anniversary Science in the Earth Sciences Division at NASA Headquarters. I Team Meeting 49 wish Herring well in his new endeavor and look forward 2007 Lille A-Train Symposium to working with him in his new capacity at NOAA. Summary 58 In The News I’m also pleased to report that on February 4, NASA 2007 Was Tied as Earth’s Second- announced the start of the Soil Moisture Active-Passive Warmest Year 60 (SMAP) and the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-II Ocean-Observing Satellites Help (ICESat-II) missions. SMAP will provide high-resolution Break Current Records 61 global maps of soil moisture for early warning of droughts, improved weather and climate forecasts, and predictions of Regular Features agricultural productivity. ICESat-II will precisely measure EOS Scientists in the News 62 the heights of ice sheets and sea-ice thickness, and provide NASA Science Mission Directorate— estimates of above-ground forest and vegetation biomass. Science Education Update 64 These two missions were top priorities of the National Science Calendars 67 Research Council’s Decadal Survey of Earth Science and The Earth ObserverInformation/Inquiries Applications from Space, which was issued in 2007. SMAP Back Cover is being planned for a launch in 2012, followed by the launch of ICESat-II in 2015. gram to our readers. As the year progresses, we will try to bring you additional perspectives on 20 years of The The President’s FY’09 budget request provides $570 Earth Observer and on the life of EOS from people who million over the next five years for the development of were there from the beginning. the many Decadal Survey recommendations, including SMAP and ICESat-II, conducting early development On March 21, David Herring accepted an offer from work on three or more additional Decadal Survey mis- NOAA to serve as Communications Program Admin- sions, and initiating some smaller Venture class activities. istrator within their Climate Program Office based in It also continues funding for the Ocean Surface Topog- Silver Spring, MD. Herring has a long history with raphy Mission (OSTM), Orbiting Carbon Observa- the EOS Program, having worked at Goddard Space tory (OCO), Glory, Aquarius, National Polar-orbiting Flight Center since June 1992, and serving for most Operational Environmental Satellite Preparatory Project of that time as a contractor with Science Systems and (NPP), Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), and Applications Incorporated (SSAI). Herring began his Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, all The Earth Observer March - April 2008 Volume 20, Issue 2 03 scheduled for launch between 2008 and 2014. The bud- Finally, I would like to announce that I will be retiring get also provides funds for operation and data produc- from NASA after 30 years of service, the last 15 ½ years tion of 13 on-orbit missions in their prime or extended as EOS Senior Project Scientist, during which time I phases, and transfers funding for studies of Near-Earth had the good fortune to work with an extraordinary ar- Objects and the Education and Outreach Program into ray of scientists from the emerging field of Earth system the Earth Science Research Program. I consider these science, including terrestrial ecologists, atmospheric developments encouraging signs for the future of Earth scientists, physical and biological oceanographers, science and opportunities to build on the legacy of the hydrologists, cryosphere scientists, and countless other Earth Observing System. scientists, engineers, visualizers, science writers, and data system specialists, who have shared my passion in January 31, 2008 marked the 50th Anniversary of the quantitative observation, monitoring, and exploration of very first U.S. satellite launch. Following the launch Earth from space. Through this period of development, of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, restructuring, budget reviews, scrutiny of Congress the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency was directed to and the Administration, and technical challenges from launch a satellite using its Jupiter C rocket developed rocketry to instrument development, we have managed under the direction of German scientist Werner von to develop a premier Earth observing system that con- Braun, who surrendered to the U.S. at the end of World tinues to provide scientific observations of importance War II. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) received to people the world over. We have not done this alone, the assignment to design, build and operate the artificial as many of our 10 EOS satellites launched over the satellite called Explorer 1 that would serve as the rocket’s past 10 years have involved instruments or spacecraft of editor's corner payload. JPL completed this job in less than three partners from Canada, Russia, Japan, France, the United months—talk about quick delivery! Kingdom, Brazil, the Netherlands, and others. Though I will be leaving NASA at this time, I will continue my The primary science instrument on Explorer 1 was a career as a senior research scientist in the Laboratory for cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University environment in Earth orbit. Once in space this experi- of Colorado, and will continue my close association ment, provided by James Van Allen of the University with EOS through participation in the MODIS Sci- of Iowa, revealed a much lower cosmic ray count than ence Team on Terra and Aqua, as well as countless field expected.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • T Antarctic Ce Sheet Itiative
    race Publication 3115, Vol. 1 t Antarctic ce Sheet itiative :_,.me.-1: Science and ;mentation Plan iv-_J_ E -- --__o • E _-- rz " _ • _ _v_-- . "2-. .... E _ ____ __ _k - -- - ...... --rr r_--_.-- .... m-- _ £3._= --- - • ,r- ..... _ k • -- ..... __= ---- = ............ --_ m -- -- ..... Z Im .... r .... _,... ___ "--. 11 1"1 I' I i ¸ NASA Conference Publication 3115, Vol. 1 West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative Volume 1: Science and Implementation Plan Edited by Robert A. Bindschadler NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland Proceedings of a workshop cosponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C., and the National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., and held at Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland October 16-18, 1990 IXl/_/X National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Management Scientific and Technical Information Division 1991 CONTENTS Page Preface v Workshop Participants vi Acknowledgements vii Map viii 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Climatic Importance of Ice Sheets 4 3. Marine Ice Sheet Instability 5 4. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative 6 4.1 Goal and Objectives 6 4.2 A Multidisciplinary Project 7 4.3 Scientific Focus: A Single Goal 7 4.4 Geographic Focus: West Antarctica 7 4.5 Duration: A Phased Approach 8 5. Science Plan 10 5.1 Glaciology 10 5.1.1 Ice Dynamics 10 5.1.2 Ice Cores 16 5.2 Meteorology 19 5.3 Oceanography 23 5.4 Geology and Geophysics 27 5.4.1 Terrestrial Geology 27 5.4.2 Marine Geology and Geophysics 28 5.4.3 Subglacial Geology and Geophysics 30 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar System Exploration
    Theme: Solar System Exploration Cassini, a robotic spacecraft launched in 1997 by NASA, is close enough now to resolve many rings and moons of its destination planet: Saturn. The spacecraft has now closed to within a single Earth-Sun separation from the ringed giant. In November 2003, Cassini snapped the contrast-enhanced color composite pictured above. Many features of Saturn's rings and cloud-tops now show considerable detail. When arriving at Saturn in July 2004, the Cassini orbiter will begin to circle and study the Saturnian system. Several months later, a probe named Huygens will separate and attempt to land on the surface of Titan. Solar System Exploration MAJOR EVENTS IN FY 2005 Deep Impact will launch in December 2004. The spacecraft will release a small (820 lbs.) Impactor directly into the path of comet Tempel 1 in July 2005. The resulting collision is expected to produce a small impact crater on the surface of the comet's nucleus, enabling scientists to investigate the composition of the comet's interior. Onboard the Cassini orbiter is a 703-pound scientific probe called Huygens that will be released in December 2004, beginning a 22-day coast phase toward Titan, Saturn's largest moon; Huygens will reach Titan's surface in January 2005. ESA 2-1 Theme: Solar System Exploration OVERVIEW The exploration of the solar system is a major component of the President's vision of NASA's future. Our cosmic "neighborhood" will first be scouted by robotic trailblazers pursuing answers to key questions about the diverse environments of the planets, comets, asteroids, and other bodies in our solar system.
    [Show full text]
  • 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
    Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival CFCH Staff 2017 Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 600 Maryland Ave SW Washington, D.C. [email protected] https://www.folklife.si.edu/archive/ Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Historical note.................................................................................................................. 2 Scope and Contents note................................................................................................ 2 Arrangement note............................................................................................................ 2 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 3 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 4 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 6 Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera, 2008................... 6 Series 2: Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon....................................................... 7 Series 3: NASA: Fifty Years and Beyond.............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Icesat Gapfiller Report
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration An analysis and summary of options for collecting ICESat-like data from aircraft through 2014 National Aeronautics and Space Administration An analysis and summary of options for collecting ICESat-like data from aircraft through 2014 January 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary . 1 1.0 Introduction . 3 1.1 ICESat description and instrument specifications . 3 1.2 A summary of science requirements and regions of interest . 3 2.0 Payloads and Platforms . 4 2.1 Instrument Descriptions . 12 2.2 Platforms available and in development . 19 3.0 Airborne mission concepts for ICESat data continuity . 20 3.1 Greenland . 20 3.2 Arctic Sea Ice . 34 3.3 Antarctic sea ice and coastal glaciers . 45 3.4 Antarctic sub-glacial lakes . 59 3.5 Southeast Alaskan glaciers . 74 4.0 Budget summary . 88 Appendix . 93 CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Fladeland, NASA Ames Research Center (Editor) Seelye Martin, University of Washington (Editor) Waleed Abdalati, University of Colorado Robert Bindschadler, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center James B. Blair, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Robert Curry, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Frank Cutler, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Sinead Farrell, NOAA Helen Amanda Fricker, University of California at San Diego Prasad Goginini, University of Kansas Ian Joughin, University of Washington William Krabill, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Ronald Kwok, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Thorsten Markus, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Kenneth Jezek, Ohio State University Eric Rignot, University of California, Irvine Susan Schoenung, NASA Ames Research Center/BAER Institute Benjamin Smith, University of Washington Steve Wegener, NASA Ames Research Center/BAER Institute John Valliant, NASA Wallops Flight Facility Jay Zwally, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The time gap between the end of ICESat-I, which will probably occur this year, and the launch of ICESat-II in the 2014-15 time window creates a data gap in laser observations of the changes in ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is the Future of Earth's Climate?
    What is the Future of Earth’s Climate? Introduction The question of whether the Earth is warming is one of the most intriguing questions that scientists are dealing with today. Climate has a significant influence on all of Earth’s ecosystems today. What will future climates be like? Scientists have begun to examine ice cores dating back over 100 years to study the changes in the concentrations of carbon dioxide gas from carbon emissions to see if a true correlation exists between human impact and increasing temperatures on Earth. CO2 from Carbon Emissions This has led many scientists to ask the question: What will future climates be like? Today, you will interact, ask questions, and analyze data from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies to generate some predictions about global climate change in the future. Review the data of global climate change on the slide below. Complete the questions on the following slide. This link works! Graphics Courtesy: NASA Goodard Space Institute-- https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/animations/5year_2y.mp4 Looking at the data... 1. Between what years was the greatest change in overall climate observed? 2. Using what you know, what happened in this time period that may have attributed to these changes in global climate? 3. How might human activities contribute to these changes? What more information would you need to determine how humans may have impacted global climate change? Is there a connection between fossil fuel consumption and global climate change? Temperature Change 1880-2020 CO2 Levels (ppm) from 2006-2018 Examine the graphs above.
    [Show full text]
  • THIS IS a CRISIS FACING up to the AGE of ENVIRONMENTAL BREAKDOWN Initial Report
    Institute for Public Policy Research THIS IS A CRISIS FACING UP TO THE AGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL BREAKDOWN Initial report Laurie Laybourn- Langton, Lesley Rankin and Darren Baxter February 2019 ABOUT IPPR IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research, is the UK’s leading progressive think tank. We are an independent charitable organisation with our main offices in London. IPPR North, IPPR’s dedicated think tank for the North of England, operates out of offices in Manchester and Newcastle, and IPPR Scotland, our dedicated think tank for Scotland, is based in Edinburgh. Our purpose is to conduct and promote research into, and the education of the public in, the economic, social and political sciences, science and technology, the voluntary sector and social enterprise, public services, and industry and commerce. IPPR 14 Buckingham Street London WC2N 6DF T: +44 (0)20 7470 6100 E: [email protected] www.ippr.org Registered charity no: 800065 (England and Wales), SC046557 (Scotland) This paper was first published in February 2019. © IPPR 2019 The contents and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors only. The progressive policy think tank CONTENTS Summary ..........................................................................................................................4 Introduction ....................................................................................................................7 1. The scale and pace of environmental breakdown ............................................9 Global natural systems are complex
    [Show full text]
  • FOOD, FARMING and the EARTH CHARTER by Dieter T. Hessel in A
    FOOD, FARMING AND THE EARTH CHARTER By Dieter T. Hessel In a rapidly warming world with drastically changing climate, chronic social turmoil, and growing populations at risk from obesity and hunger, it is crucially important to evaluate the quality and quantity of what people are eating or can’t, as well as how and where their food is produced. At stake in this evaluation is the well-being of humans, animals, and eco-systems, or the near future of earth community! Food production and consumption are basic aspects of every society’s way of life, and sustainable living is the ethical focus of the Earth Charter, a global ethic for persons, institutions and governments issued in 2000.1 The Preamble to the Earth Charter’s Preamble warns us that “The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening,” a reality that is now quite evident in the food and farming sector. Therefore, this brief essay begins to explore what the vision and values articulated in the Charter’s preamble and 16 ethical principles offer as moral guidance for humane and sustainable food systems. The prevailing forms of agriculture are increasingly understood to be problematic. Corporations and governments of the rich, “developed” societies have generated a globalized food system dominated by industrial agriculture or factory farming that exploits land, animals, farmers, workers consumers, and poor communities while it bestows handsome profits on shippers, processors, packagers, and suppliers of “inputs” such as machinery, fuel, pesticides, seeds, feed.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Speaks for the Future of Earth? How Critical Social Science Can Extend the Conversation on the Anthropocene
    http://www.diva-portal.org This is the published version of a paper published in Global Environmental Change. Citation for the original published paper (version of record): Lövbrand, E., Beck, S., Chilvers, J., Forsyth, T., Hedrén, J. et al. (2015) Who speaks for the future of Earth?: how critical social science can extend the conversation on the Anthropocene. Global Environmental Change, 32: 211-218 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.03.012 Access to the published version may require subscription. N.B. When citing this work, cite the original published paper. Permanent link to this version: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-43841 Global Environmental Change 32 (2015) 211–218 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Global Environmental Change jo urnal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gloenvcha Who speaks for the future of Earth? How critical social science can extend the conversation on the Anthropocene a, b c d a e Eva Lo¨vbrand *, Silke Beck , Jason Chilvers , Tim Forsyth , Johan Hedre´n , Mike Hulme , f g Rolf Lidskog , Eleftheria Vasileiadou a Department of Thematic Studies – Environmental Change, Linko¨ping University, 58183 Linko¨ping, Sweden b Department of Environmental Politics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany c School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK d Department of International Development, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK e Department of Geography, King’s College London, K4L.07, King’s Building, Strand Campus, London WC2R 2LS, UK f Environmental Sociology Section, O¨rebro University, 701 82 O¨rebro, Sweden g Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • The Challenges of the Anthropocene: from International Environmental Politics to Global Governance
    THE CHALLENGES OF THE ANTHROPOCENE: FROM INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS TO GLOBAL GOVERNANCE MATÍAS FRANCHINI1 EDUARDO VIOLA2 ANA FLÁVIA BARROS-PLATIAU3 Introduction Until the late 1960s, environmental problems were mainly conceived as periphe- ral matters of exclusive domestic competence of states, thus governed by a strict notion of sovereignty (MCCORMICK, 1991). From the early 1970s onwards, however, that perception changed, fueled by the accumulation of scientific evidence on the impact of human activities on the environment and by the emergence and aggravation of problems such as air and water pollution, heat islands and acid rain. As a result, the international community began a progressive - albeit limited - effort to cooperate on environmental issues, gradually incorporating universalist elements that mitigated the initial sovereign rigidity, that is, the notion that there is a common good of humanity - spatial transcendence - and a demand for intergenerational solidarity - temporal transcendence. The initial milestone for this “entry” of the environment into the international relations agenda was the “United Nations Conference on the Human Environment”, held in Stockholm in June 1972 (MCCORMICK, 1991; LE PRESTRE, 2011). Since then, humanity has been able to cooperate in environmental matters through three main tracks. First, the consolidation of scientific organizations that provide detailed information on environmental issues - such as the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme (UNEP), created in 1972, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), created in 1989. Secondly, the creation of bodies of political dialogue and coordination - such as the “Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer” in 1985; the Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Biodiversity Convention (CBD) signed in 1992 and the United Nations 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Earth and Beyond in Tumultous Times: a Critical Atlas of the Anthropocene
    Gál, Löffler (Eds.) Earth and Beyond in Tumultous Times EARTH BEYOND GÁL LÖFFLER Earth and Beyond in Tumultuous Times Future Ecologies Series Edited by Petra Löffler, Claudia Mareis and Florian Sprenger Earth and Beyond in Tumultuous Times: A Critical Atlas of the Anthropocene edited by Réka Patrícia Gál and Petra Löffler Bibliographical Information of the German National Library The German National Library lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie (German National Bibliography); detailed bibliographic information is available online at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Published in 2021 by meson press, Lüneburg, Germany www.meson.press Design concept: Torsten Köchlin, Silke Krieg Cover image: Mashup of photos by Edgar Chaparro on Unsplash and johndal on Flickr Copy editing: Selena Class The print edition of this book is printed by Lightning Source, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. ISBN (Print): 978-3-95796-189-1 ISBN (PDF): 978-3-95796-190-7 ISBN (EPUB): 978-3-95796-191-4 DOI: 10.14619/1891 The digital editions of this publication can be downloaded freely at: www.meson.press. This Publication is licensed under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Contents Series Foreword: Future Ecologies 9 Caucho 13 Mátyás Sirokai [ 1 ] Introduction 15 Réka Patrícia Gál and Petra Löffler Plant-time 45 Kornélia Deres [ 2 ] Memory Regimes and the Anthropocene: Tracing Causes and Responsibilities under Flood Risk Scenarios in Ancash, Peru 47 Tomás J. Usón Archipalego 73
    [Show full text]
  • Schwägerl, Christian
    How to cite: Schwägerl, Christian. “Neurogeology: The Anthropocene’s Inspirational Power” In: “Anthropocene: Exploring the Future of the Age of Humans,” edited by Helmuth Trischler, RCC Perspectives 2013, no. 3, 29–37. All issues of RCC Perspectives are available online. To view past issues, and to learn more about the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, please visit www.rachelcarsoncenter.de. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society Leopoldstrasse 11a, 80802 Munich, GERMANY ISSN 2190-8087 © Copyright is held by the contributing authors. Anthropocene 29 Christian Schwägerl Neurogeology: The Anthropocene’s Inspirational Power The Anthropocene concept captures the realization that humanity is interfering, inter- acting, and communicating with the Earth’s long-term systems with increasing inten- sity. What happens to Earth could be called anthropoization. This is a new phase for the planet and a new experience for us as a species. In the Pleistocene, when modern humans evolved, they were hunters and gatherers exposed mainly passively to the pow- ers of the Earth. In the Holocene, when humans started farming, building cities, mining, and fishing, they exploited a natural treasure trove that had built up over 4.5 billion years without considering the effects of their actions. The Holocene was the stage for a human rebellion against natural limits. It was a successful rebellion. Now, in the dawning Anthropocene, it looks as if the future Earth will be dominated by human action (unless, as Paul Crutzen has stated in his seminal article “Geology of Mankind” in Nature magazine, “there is a global catastrophe—a meteorite impact, a world war, or a pandemic”).
    [Show full text]
  • Goddard's Terra and Aqua Help Determine Extent of Oil Spill
    Page 1 The Critical Path A Flight Projects Directorate Publication Volume 18 number 2 A Newsletter Published for Code 400 Employees 2010 Summer/Fall INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Distress Goddard’s Page 1 Alerting Satellite DESDynI DASS System (DASS) It’s not the Biggest! It’s not DESDynl Page 1 -Taking the search out of the Baddest! It’s not the most Search and Rescue- Terra & Aqua Help expensive! It’s not even the Page1 Oil Spill most Well Known!Known But, God- Introduction dard’s newest Deformation, Message From The NASA, which pioneered the tech- Page 2 Ecosystem Structure, Dynamics Director Of nology used for the satellite-aided of Ice (DESDynI’s) Light Detec- search and rescue capability that Tintype Page 3 tion and Ranging (LIDAR) mis- has saved more than 28,000 lives sion promises to deliver the worldwide since its inception Honor Awards Page 14 most comprehensive set of data nearly three decades ago, has when it comes to mapping the developed new technology that Earth’s vegetation canopy and Holocaust Memorial Page 19 will more quickly identify the loca- its evolution. This mission will tions of people in distress and re- Peer Awards Page 22 set out to answer the tough duce the risk to rescuers. This is questions of how the Earth's being accomplished in the Search Christmas in April Page 23 carbon cycle and ecosystems and Rescue Mission Office at are changing. We know that Cultural Tidbit Page 25 (DASS Continued on page 4) (DESDynl Continued on page 10) Things You Should Page 25 Know Social News Page 26 Goddard’s Terra and Aqua Help Determine Extent of Oil Spill Comings & Goings Page 27 Quotes Page 27 (Oil Spill Continued on page 20) Future Launches Page 28 2010 Summer/Fall Issue Page 2 The Critical Path Message from the Director Of Greetings: It’s mid-August already.
    [Show full text]