rvin bse g S O ys th t r e a m E

THE EARTH OBSERVER A Bimonthly EOS Publication November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

In this issue . . . EDITOR’S CORNER Michael King EOS Senior Project Scientist SCIENCE TEAM MEETINGS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Science Team Meeting Summary ... 4 On December 18, 1999 Terra

Summary of the Second Joint TOPEX/ was successfully launched POSEIDON and Jason-1 aboard an Atlas IIAS launch Science Working Group Meeting .... 7 vehicle from Vandenberg 19th Tropospheric Emission Air Force Base Spectrometer (TES) Science Team Meeting ...... 16

Minutes of 15th PoDAG Meeting ...... 17

SCIENCE ARTICLES The EOS Land Validation Core Sites: background information and current status ...... 21

EOS Scientists in the News ...... 28

Earth Science Education Update— Earth Science Education Proposals Selected ...... 29

ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations to The Earth Observatory ...... 3

KUDOS ...... 6

NASA Announces Earth System Science Fellowships for 2000 ...... 13

Terra Engineering Competition ...... 27

Calendars ...... 31

Information/Inquiries ...... Back Cover

photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA Headquarters THE EARTH OBSERVER

I’m happy to report that on December 18, Terra was successfully launched aboard an ACRIMSAT lifted off Atlas IIAS launch vehicle from Vandenberg from Vandenberg Air Air Force Base. Terra, formerly known as Force Base at 11:13 EOS AM-1, is the ‘flagship’ of the Earth p.m. December 20 Observing System, whose primary aboard a Taurus objective is to simultaneously study launch vehicle. clouds, water vapor, aerosol particles, trace gases, land surface and oceanic properties, and the interactions between them and their effects on the Earth’s energy budget and climate. Its launch marks the beginning of a new generation of Earth science, and is designed to provide scientists and policy-makers with information on the complex interactions between land, sea, atmosphere, and ice, and will enable periodic ‘check-ups’ on the health of the planet. The satellite achieved its initial elliptical orbit with a maximum altitude of about 650 km above the Earth’s surface in about 13 minutes incoming solar radiation and help launched four EOS satellites into low- after launch. Ultimately, it will be in a Sun- scientists determine whether an increase Earth orbit. Landsat 7 continues to synchronous polar orbit at 705 km. in sunlight is contributing to a rise in perform extremely well eight months after global temperatures. The Active Cavity its launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base The spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM on April 15, as does QuikScat, designed to Missiles and Space in Valley Forge, III) sun sensor, managed by NASA’s Jet make all-weather global ocean-surface Pennsylvania, is currently on orbit and Propulsion Laboratory, is the third in a wind speed and direction measurements undergoing activation. Late in January, series of missions to measure variations in with its SeaWinds scatterometer, also flight controllers will begin the detailed total incoming solar energy, known as launched from Vandenberg on June 19— checkout of the five state-of-the-art total solar irradiance. indeed a banner year for the Earth Science instruments in preparation for acquiring Enterprise! the first Earth science data. The solar-monitoring satellite, a secondary payload riding along with the primary Also in December, NASA announced that NASA’s Active Cavity Radiometer Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite, was it will flight-test an instrument Irradiance Monitor Satellite deployed 16 minutes after launch, at 11:29 using new technologies to measure (ACRIMSAT)—a satellite designed to p.m., some 90 seconds after the primary elements of the Earth’s atmosphere and to measure the total amount of sunlight satellite was released. Ground controllers support space based research aimed at falling on the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, at the McMurdo Ground Station in reducing risks from severe weather. This and land, and thereby improve predic- Antarctica acquired ACRIMSAT’s signal measurement concept, known as the tions of long-term climate change—lifted about 20 minutes after launch, at about Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:33 p.m. The 115-kg satellite is currently Spectrometer (GIFTS), has been selected as 11:13 p.m. Pacific time, December 20 circling Earth in a polar orbit at an altitude the next Earth-observing mission under aboard a Taurus launch vehicle. of 685 km. NASA’s New Millennium Program, and is scheduled for a 2003 launch. The night launch of ACRIMSAT begins a With the successful launch of ACRIMSAT, five-year science mission to monitor NASA finished 1999 having successfully The mission—known as “Earth Observing

2 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

3”—will test advanced technologies for ing 1, is scheduled for launch in April will be early science results from Terra, measuring atmospheric temperature, 2000. Managed by NASA’s Goddard Space and topical sessions on ocean, land and water vapor, wind, and chemical composi- Flight Center, this mission will demon- atmospheric science findings from recent tion with high resolution, in space and strate an advanced land-imager system missions such as Landsat 7, QuikScat, and over time. Such sophisticated measure- and hyperspectral imaging technologies ACRIMSAT. EOS validation activities, ments have the potential for revolutionary that may eventually replace the current new IDS team introductions, and Euro- improvements in weather observation and measurement approach used by Landsat pean and Japanese Earth observation prediction, by providing unique observa- satellites. mission status overviews will also be tions of the spectral properties of clouds presented. Logistics, travel information, and the transport of pollutants in the The next EOS Investigators Working and a draft agenda can be found at atmosphere. Group meeting will take place April 11-13 eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/ in Tucson, Arizona at the Hilton East logreg.html. Managed by NASA’s Langley Research Hotel. The main themes of the meeting Center, the mission uses an advanced imaging spectrometer based on break- Congratulations through technologies such as a large-area focal-plane array, new data-readout and The Earth Observatory signal-processing electronics, and passive earthobservatory.nasa.gov thermal switching. Today’s geostationary satellites observe Earth, its atmosphere In the September issue of Popular Science magazine, the Earth Observatory was chosen as one and oceans, in only a few selected spectral of the “50 Best Science & Technology Web Sites,” and listed first among those recognized on bands. This new instrument will extend their site for “Earth and the Environment.” observational capabilities to several hundred spectral bands that will provide The Earth Observatory was selected by the Washington, DC, Chapter of the Society for both additional and more detailed Technical Communication (STC is one of the largest, most prestigious professional writing information. organizations in the world) to receive an award and “Best of Show” in their Online Communi- cation Competition. NASA selected this concept from four The Earth Observatory has also been recognized in the following ways: finalist ideas culled from 24 proposals • GovSpot’s Site of the Week submitted in response to a NASA Re- • The Scout Report for Science & Engineering search Announcement released in Septem- • StudyWeb Academic Excellence Award ber 1997. The theme for the solicitation • One of the top featured sites under “Fun Learning” on Educating.Net was to test innovative approaches for observing Earth’s surface and atmosphere The Earth Observer staff wishes to congratulate Earth Observatory Team Members: from positions outside low-Earth orbits, David Herring, SSAI; Robert Simmon, GSFC DAAC; Kevin Ward, SSAI; Reto Stockli, with an emphasis on advanced measure- USRA; Craig Mayhew, SSAI; John Weier, SSAI; Michael Heney, SSAI; Stephen Cole, ment concepts and technologies. Raytheon; Emilie Lorditch, Raytheon; Steven Graham, Raytheon; Marguerite Syvertson, JPL; Stephanie Stockman, SSAI; Annette Varani, U. of Colorado; Bill The selection process was carried out by Bandeen, Raytheon; and Renny Greenstone, Raytheon. NASA Headquarters, and included Earth Observatory contributors: evaluations of each concept study by Barbara Summey, SSAI; Jesse Allen, SSAI; Victoria Bruce, Raytheon; Greg Shirah, external peer reviewers. The total NASA GSFC SVS. cost of the mission, including its contribu- Science Editorial Board: tion to the launch, is expected to be Michael King, NASA GSFC; Yoram Kaufman, NASA GSFC; Claire Parkinson, NASA approximately $105 million. GSFC; Darrel Williams, NASA GSFC; Mark Abbott, Oregon State U.; Michael Abrams, JPL; John Gille, U. of Colorado; James Hansen, NASA GISS; Ralph Kahn, The first Earth-orbiting mission under the JPL; V. Ramanathan, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Steven Running, U. of New Millennium Program, Earth Observ- Montana; and Bruce Wielicki, NASA LaRC.

3 THE EARTH OBSERVER

services. The DAAC has tested the performance of the system by ingesting Moderate Resolution Imaging and processing data and sending data to Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Science the MODIS Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS). The system is expected to Team Meeting Summary improve and run more in an automated rather than manual mode. Two test — Deborah Howard ([email protected]), Science Systems and Applications, Inc. modes, Test Set 1 (TS1) and TS2, run in parallel with the Operations (Ops) mode at the DAAC.

MODAPS Level 2/3 Production Readiness, Throughput The complete set of these minutes and Level 1 Software Performance, Production Plan attachments is available in Portable Status Document Format (PDF) on the MODIS Ed Masuoka reviewed MODAPS Level 2 Meetings Page at modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Francesco Bordi presented an overview of and Level 3 production readiness, MODIS/SCITEAM/minutes.html. MODIS Level 1 (L1) software status. The throughput performance, and production L1 product suite, which includes five plans. To order products, use standing Introduction PGEs, is ready for launch except for orders, FTP push, or order from MEBDOS. minor fixes that are to be completed Masuoka said that post-launch algorithm The MODIS Science Team meeting was within the next few weeks. Rich Hucek updating and scheduling would be held on November 16–18, 1999 at the briefly reviewed the change history of developed with Discipline representatives. Sheraton Columbia Hotel in Columbia, Cloud Mask PGE03 and discussed the A Terra data product availability schedule MD. Vince Salomonson, MODIS Science differences between recent versions. that includes MODIS product availability Team Leader, welcomed participants and can be found on the Web at: grid2.gsfc. said Terra is ready for launch. The focus of Level 1 QA Plans nasa.gov/~todirita/terra/terra_dataprod. the meeting was MODIS Science Team html. Launch preparedness. Bruce Guenther reported on L1B Quality Assurance (QA) plans and MODAPS to SCF Data Distribution EOS/MODIS Budget Status/Team reviewed a map of planned validation Capacity and Readiness Recompete activities drawn from his presentation on Validation and Operational QA of L1B at Ed Masuoka reviewed Terra QA Science Michael King presented an overview of the May 1999 Science Team meeting. (For Computing Facility (SCF) Sites Network the EOS/MODIS Budget Status and more details see: modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Requirements versus Measured Perfor- Science Team Recompetition. A brief MODIS/SCITEAM/199905/attachments. mance and QA data flows to MODIS SCFs description of the EOS budget status is html.) The MODIS Characterzation and Readiness for Production. He said included in his editorial in the last Earth Support Team (MCST) has planned a that the QA network requirements are Observer (see The Earth Observer, Septem- range of validation activities, including fully ramped up, including the MODIS ber/October 1999, Vol. 11, No. 5). The operational, characterization, and vicari- proposed flows. Bob Evans said that the Reference Handbook (1999 edition) ous activities. Broadband Network Switch (BBNS) had includes a substantial update from the some hardware problems. Masuoka 1995 version. It describes the science and GDAAC Operations Readiness: L1 advised contacting the operations man- contacts for 72 EOS Interdisciplinary Production, Archive, Distribution, ager of the Consoli-dated Space Opera- and User Services Science Investigations. The new chart of tions Contract (CSOC) Network Opera- missions is kept updated on the Web (see tions Center on network problems. Steve Kempler reported on GDAAC eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/ Readiness regarding L1 production, missions.html). archive, distribution, and MODIS user

4 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

GDAAC Operations Readiness: EDC Readiness: Transfer and Ingest ing MODIS Web development with the Level 2/3 Ingest, Archive, and from MODAPS, Distribution of DAACs to reduce duplication of content. Distribution MODIS Data, User Services Future changes to the MODIS site include Steve Kempler discussed GDAAC John Dwyer reviewed EDC DAAC Terra new/updated images to provide a Operations Readiness: L2/L3 Ingest, Readiness. EDC plans to release data to uniform look to the pages, reformatting to Archive, and Distribution. He described the public at about L+120, based on provide logical organization of informa- three ways to access MODIS Data from the receiving data from MODAPS at L+60, as tion and provide a portal to other MODIS GDAAC. These are access via the EOS planned. They are also planning on sites, and moving from a frames to a non- Data Gateway (EDG) system, anonymous receiving some early data at L+35. EDC frames version of the site. This will make File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and subscrip- has a dedicated e-mail address it easier for other sites, such as the DAAC, tion. Kempler said that sample products ([email protected]) and Web page for user to link to MODIS. would be available and data would be services (edc.usgs.gov/landdaac). They automatically pushed to subscribers. The plan to work with the MODIS Land Coordination of MODIS-Related Science Investigator-led Processing group on developing labeling for MODIS Web sites Systems (SIPS) interface between images. MODAPS and the DAACs is working Chris Justice presented a preliminary draft well. NSIDC Readiness: Transfer and Ingest from MODAPS, Distribution of a map of MODIS-related Web sites and Early Products of MODIS Data, User Services encouraged the group to coordinate their MODIS Web site efforts. MODIS-related Yoram Kaufman gave an impromptu talk Greg Scharfen reported on NSIDC Web sites include MODIS news, early on planning for early products and readiness, summarized MOSS-3 testing, images, meetings, and links to the MCST images. A coordinated release of first and presented highlights of the ORR. He Level 1B sites, Land product status, SCFs, images from all five Terra instruments is said NSIDC is on track for MODIS Atmosphere products, Oceans sites, the planned. He advised the MODIS team to operations. Testing is on schedule, but was DAACs and other MODIS-related sites. be ready to produce some quick, possibly affected by some metadata errors, low Wayne Esaias suggested that it would be global, images. data volume, and slowed down MODAPS useful to develop a guide to the MODIS- production. NSIDC is a 5x9 (5 days and 9 related sites and advertise this structure/ Early Product Planning: MODIS hours per day) DAAC that is smaller than map on the MODIS Web site. Roles and Responsibilities the GDAAC, a 7x24 operation. It has Al Fleig reviewed early product planning developed a Web page that can be NOAA and MODIS roles and responsibilities. He accessed through the MODIS Web page. Gene Legg reported on the National discussed developing a standard for Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration MODIS images and options for including The MODIS Web Site (NOAA) MODIS progress. The NOAA MODIS and/or EOS logos, credits, and system is a copy of the MODIS Adaptive references. He suggested that sample Michael Hohner presented an overview on the MODIS Web site and recent updates Processing System (MODAPS). However, images exemplify the uniqueness of and plans for it. The MODIS Document NOAA has limited the scope of their MODIS capabilities. Archive (MODARCH) contains about 8000 products to the United State mainland. Aqua Instrument Status records, including meeting minutes and They are keenly interested in MODIS attachments, publications, and a historical Oceans, Atmosphere, and Land products. Neil Therrien reported on FM1 status. archive of ATBDs. Hohner has redesigned Thermal vacuum 3 (TV3) was completed and linked the MODIS Atmosphere page Terra Launch Status in August 1999 and initial objectives were to their own Web site (see modis-atmos. accomplished. The instrument is sched- gsfc.nasa.gov/). The MODIS Land and Kevin Grady presented an overview that uled to ship to TRW on November 17, Ocean Discipline Groups are developing traced the Spacecraft Status and progress 1999. SBRS plans to continue analyzing similar sites that will be linked to the of recent preparations for the upcoming issues and monitoring anomalies. MODIS Web pages. Hohner is coordinat- Terra launch. Rehearsals and simulations

5 THE EARTH OBSERVER

were conducted and the spacecraft was collaborate. SeaWiFS is planning to add summaries of the Land and Oceans group fueled on October 27, 1999. Once on-orbit, some new products and would like to meetings follow. an approximately 90-day checkout expand their product suite. McClain said periodis planned. At about Day 60, a they are looking for partnerships. MODLAND Science Working Group for the AM Platform (SWAMP) will be convened to Closing Remarks The Land Discipline group discussed assess instrument checkouts and deter- versioning, metadata, and look-up table mine when a deep space maneuver would Vince Salomonson advised the MODIS issues and the need for more feedback on be scheduled. Science Team to continue to plan for early MOSS-3 for the Land team. They also images and how to label them. He asked discussed early images and preparing for SeaWiFS for suggestions on when to hold the next PR issues related to early images. MODIS Science Team meeting and Chuck McClain presented an update on recommended having an early results Oceans Group SeaWiFS that included terrestrial and symposium at about 9 months after atmospheric applications. Using Global launch. The Oceans Discipline group discussed Area Coverage (GAC) and Local Area the MOCE-5 Cruise (October 1–21, 1999), Coverage (LAC), the SeaWiFS project MODIS Discipline Group Meetings MODAPS processing status, PI processing, schedules coverage over validation sites Oceans science product status, QA, early and can also schedule over ships of The MODIS Atmosphere, Land, and images, validation activities, Oceans Web opportunity. McClain said the DAAC has Oceans Discipline Groups had breakout site contacts and coordination, and Oceans done a great job of distributing SeaWiFS meetings after the MST plenary sessions. team members’ projects and activities. data. The SeaWiFS project, MODIS Oceans MODIS Science Team minutes were not Discipline team, and SIMBIOS project taken for the Atmosphere group. Brief

KUDOS • KUDOS • KUDOS • KUDOS • KUDOS

Dr. William K. Lau, of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Md.), is the 1999 recipient of the William Nordberg Memorial Award for his Earth science research. Lau is the sixth recipient since the Goddard honor was first introduced in 1994.

Lau is the head of the Climate and Radiation Branch in Goddard’s Laboratory for Atmospheres. He is recognized for his unique insight in explaining tropical atmosphere-ocean behavior and his leadership in various world climate research projects and NASA Earth Observing System interdisciplinary investigations, involving significant collaboration with research organizations, and universities in the U. S. and abroad.

Dr. Roger Barry, an Arctic climatologist and Chief Scientist of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, was elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Nominated by his peers, Barry receives the award in recognition of his outstanding research, teaching and service in climatology. Specializing in polar and regional alpine climates, Barry became interested in meteorology at age 14 and has since studied climate both on the ground and using remote sensing satellite imagery. Barry is an EOS IDS investigator, a member of the DAAC User Working Group, serves as an IWG Panel member, and is an ATBD reviewer.

Dr. Michael D. King was awarded The Verner E. Suomi Award at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Long Beach, California. The citation reads “for significant and fundamental contributions to remote sensing and radiative transfer, and for leadership in spacecraft experiments.” Dr. King is the EOS Senior Project Scientist and a member of the MODIS and CERES Science teams.

The Earth Observer wishes to congratulate these outstanding scientists for their accomplishments in the world of remote sensing.

6 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

EUMETSAT and U.S. NOAA are still open issues. Summary of the Second Joint 3.2 Wide-Swath Ocean Altimeter TOPEX/POSEIDON and Jason-1 (WSOA) Science Working Team Meeting A new mission concept has been — Lee-Lueng Fu ([email protected]), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, developed by JPL through NASA’s California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. Instrument Incubator Program. — Yves Menard, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse, France This concept calls for the utiliza- tion of the technique of radar interferometry for making mea- surements of ocean topography over a swath of about 200 km at a The second joint TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/ cm; additional data are needed to reduce resolution on the order of 10 km. Such a P) and Jason-1 Science Working Team the uncertainty to the desired level of 5 wide-swath ocean altimeter (WSOA) will (SWT) Meeting was held on October 25-27, mm or less. A waveform re-tracking effort be able to cover most of the ocean’s 1999 in St. Raphael, France, following the is also underway to produce a consistent surface within 10 days, making eddy first International Conference on the data set throughout the mission. detection and velocity-vector estimation Ocean Observing System for Climate possible. Mesoscale eddies are the most (October 18-22). More than 200 members 2. Jason-1 Status energetic component of ocean circulation, and guests attended the meeting. The and their detection requires simultaneous meeting had three components: project The status of each of the main systems of flight of at least three conventional nadir- status and plans (plenary), topical splinter Jason-1 was presented. No significant looking altimeters. meetings, and science results (posters). issues were identified. System integration into the spacecraft is underway. Due to A study was conducted by JPL and CNES 1. TOPEX/POSEIDON Status schedule slips in the delivery of the test on the feasibility of flying WSOA on benches, the testing of the overall system Jason-2. Preliminary findings of the study A review of the T/P mission operation could not be performed according to were presented. The most serious issue is since the last meeting in Keystone, schedule, causing an inevitable delay of the incompatibility between WSOA and Colorado (October 1998) focused on the the launch of Jason-1. A Joint Steering the safe-hold mode of the Proteus space- status of the key instruments and the Group (JSG) Meeting was held preceding craft. This issue will be further investi- spacecraft. All systems are functioning the SWT meeting. The JSG’s conclusion gated by CNES. Otherwise, a technology well, and the prospects of an extended called for a launch window between demonstration mission for WSOA on mission life beyond the launch of Jason-1 September 15-November 15, 2000 to be Jason-2 is feasible, with the coverage of the are looking good. A major event during identified. A specific new launch date will ocean significantly limited by the yaw- the past year was the switch of the NASA be determined in January-February, 2000, steering of the spacecraft. However, dual-frequency altimeter (ALT) from its based on the progress made in the interim. regional science experiments can be Side A to Side B. The slight deterioration designed to benefit from the mission. of the performance of Side A was dis- 3. Future Altimetry Missions cussed in the Keystone meeting. The 3.3 A Ka-Band Altimeter (ALTIKA) switching operation was performed last 3.1 Jason-2 February. A calibration/validation effort Motivated by the potential benefits of a was established to make Side B measure- CNES is planning towards a 2004 launch low-cost, high-performance altimetric ments consistent with Side A before the of Jason-2 based on a Proteus spacecraft. satellite system for observing the oceanic deterioration occurred. Preliminary Procurement of the spacecraft is scheduled mesoscales, a new concept of Ka-band analysis suggests that sea-surface heights to begin in 2000. The baseline mission will altimetry (36 GHz) is under study at from the two altimeters are within about 1 be a copy of Jason-1. Partnerships with CNES and Alcatel. By increasing the

7 THE EARTH OBSERVER

frequency, ionospheric effects become very frequency (22/37 GHz) radiometer, a laser Jason-1. Based on comparisons with data low, so that the use of a dual-frequency retroreflector array, and the DORIS from the tide gauges and nearby buoys, instrument for ocean altimetry is no system. Accommodation studies for a ALT-B SWH and wind-speed data are longer critical. On the other hand, cloud CNES microsatellite platform have unbiased at the 10-cm and 1-m/s levels, liquid water and precipitation (even light demonstrated the technical feasibility of respectively. The relative SSH bias rain) attenuate the altimeter signal at the the concept of microsatellite altimetry. between Side B and early Side A is Ka band. It is thus important to analyze statistically indistinguishable from zero. thoroughly the impact of rain on Ka-band 4. Topical Splinter Meetings The 1992-1999 time series of the platform altimeter measurements. Some prelimi- vertical motion determined from GPS was nary progress has been made. 4.1 Calibration/Validation and 1 mm analyzed, indicating that the vertical Altimetry motion was difficult to determine at the Another science opportunity of Ka-band mm/year level even with 5 or more years The most challenging science goal of altimetry is the application of the data of continuous data. altimetry is to be able to measure the over snow or even sand for which change of global mean sea level with an insufficient knowledge of radar penetra- Numerous studies were conducted on the tion at the Ku band has been a limitation uncertainty less than 1 mm/year. To estimation of the relative bias between realize this goal, one needs to examine all in the geophysical interpretation of the ALT-A and ALT-B. Most results showed the sources of measurement error to measurements. For instance, this is a that the bias was less than 1 cm with an understand their spatial and temporal major issue for the study of ice-sheet mass uncertainty of about 5 mm. Other mea- balance, which is presently of limited characteristics and seek ways to minimize surements made by the two altimeters their effects. This splinter group is accuracy partly due to the penetration (significant waveheight, ionospheric free- established to review the performance of effects associated with the Ku-band ERS- electron content, and the radar backscat- the T/P measurements and to formulate 1/2 altimeters. Additionally, Ka-band ter) were also consistent with each other. altimetry might improve the horizontal the calibration/validation plan for Jason-1. Monitoring the difference between the resolution which would benefit oceanic radar backscatter from ALT-A and ALT-B Based on global tide-gauge analysis, the observations near coast, sea-ice, and small revealed the effect of the degradation of T/P measurement system drift has been inland waters or even continental observa- ALT-A. Such a monitoring scheme is estimated to be 2 mm/year. This estimate tions. recommended for Jason-1. was made without application of the TMR (TOPEX Microwave Radiometer) drift Two main technical areas are being Several investigations of the drift in the correction. The importance of monitoring explored. First, the bandwidth may be TMR measurement were reported. All the the vertical motion of land is illustrated at enlarged to 500 MHz so that a high investigations were in agreement on the vertical resolution can be achieved (0.3 m Soccoro where large subsidence could be presence of a drift in the altimeter path- mistakenly interpreted as sea-level rise. instead of 0.45 m for conventional Ku- delay correction (due to tropospheric After the correction for the measurement band altimeters with a 320 MHz band- water vapor) of about –1 mm/yr (minus system drift, the current rate of sea-level width). Second, the decorrelation time of sign indicates the correction is decreasing sea echoes at Ka-band might allow the rise is about 3 mm/year. However, the erroneously) through mid-1996. Whether true long-term rate of sea-level rise would instrument’s pulse repetition frequency to the drift ended near the end of 1996 is not be known until the time series is at be increased to 4000 Hz for reducing controversial, and further analysis is least a decade long. measurement noise. Preliminary perfor- required to reach a conclusion. mance analysis shows that the noise may The status and latest results of the Harvest be as low as 1.2 -1.4 cm, better than is The status of the Jason-1 Calibration/ Platform experiment were presented. With available with the present Ku-band Validation (CALVAL) plan was discussed. the recent purchase of the platform by altimeters. Contributions from the project, Jason-1 Plains Resources, the future of the investigators, and associated collaborators calibration experiment is better assured. A preliminary mission proposal named are represented in the plan. A major Work is underway to upgrade the “ALTIKA” has been formulated. This objective is to ensure the continuity of T/P measurement systems in anticipation of mission would also include a dual- and Jason-1 data. The expected overlap of

8 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

the two missions will be exploited, 4.2 Precision Orbit Determination CNES and NASA orbits now compare at particularly during the verification phase (POD) and the Geoid the 1.5-cm level rms in the radial direction, in which the T/P and Jason-1 satellites which is the difference level that existed will fly in close formation. Complemen- A goal of the Jason-1 POD is to approach a before the beginning of the drift in the tary contributions from dedicated verifica- root-sum-squares accuracy of 1 cm CNES reference system. It was reported in tion sites, in situ networks, and global (despite the requirement for 2.5 cm). The the meeting that the current NASA verification techniques will be used. current state-of-the-art for T/P POD is reference system was, in the important approaching 2 cm. The 1-cm challenge is respects, consistent with ITRF 97, and thus The CALVAL plan will be implemented the theme of the splinter group. The that a transition on the NASA side is not throughout the mission. The assessment proposed charter and current list of urgent. phase (2 months after launch) will be members of the POD Working Team was dedicated mainly to the system engineer- presented at the beginning of the meeting. Work on gravity-model development was ing assessment. The verification phase (the It was proposed that the objective of the reviewed. GRIM 5 shows residual rms next 6 months) will then be used to Jason POD Working Team is to provide a improvements for most satellites, includ- validate algorithms, verify performance, forum for the exchange of ideas and ing a small but significant improvement issue a revised error budget, and make development of plans to attain three on T/P, with reduced crossover variance. initial estimates of bias and drift (before principal goals: (1) to assure that a level of TEG 4 showed improvement in terms of the science data production starts). During orbit accuracy at least as good as currently marine geoid. These models, however, are the observational phase (the remainder of being attained for T/P (of approximately 2 still under development, and no major the mission), routine CALVAL activities cm radial rms) is continued for the improvement is expected before data from will be undertaken to confirm the long- duration of the T/P mission and is also CHAMP, which is scheduled for launch term performance, and to provide a achieved for the Jason-1 mission, (2) to about mid-2000, can be incorporated. permanent quality-control function for the ensure a smooth transition from T/P to Further significant progress is anticipated data products. Jason-1 by minimizing differences in the with the Gravity Recovery and Climate characteristics of the orbit errors of the Experiment (GRACE) and then the The first draft of the CALVAL plan (issued two missions, and (3) to investigate Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean in November ‘98) was updated in October improvements in the models and tech- Circulation Explorer (GOCE) dedicated ‘99. This plan includes project-related niques used for POD that might enable gravity missions. As a consequence, it was CALVAL activities as well as contributions achieving the goal of 1-cm radial orbit decided that there is no need or reason to from over 30 Jason-1 investigators errors. There was no question raised reprocess the T/P orbit data in the near covering all the aspects of the system (on- regarding the charter, so it is considered future. In addition, all of the current site verification, global in situ verification, approved. models with the addition of the ITRF 97 wet tropospheric and ionospheric correc- reference frame will be used for the tion validation, sea-surface effects, POD At the last SWT meeting, it was estab- transition from T/P to Jason-1. They will verification, wind-wave validation, etc.). lished that the reference systems currently be used for the production of T/P and in use could not be expected to cover the Jason-1 orbits until the end of the Jason-1 The current draft of the Jason-1 CALVAL full extent of the T/P mission. The CNES verification phase. Efforts of the POD plan is available on a web site at CNES reference system exhibited large drifts Working Team will concentrate on (sirius-ci.cst.cnes.fr:8090/HTML/informa- and, as a consequence, there was a assuring the necessary level of consistency tion/missions/jason/calval.pdf). A recommendation by the SWT to transition between the NASA and CNES orbits. revised version is scheduled for release to the International Terrestrial Reference by the end of March 2000. A CALVAL Frame 97 (ITRF 97) as early as possible. The reduction of the radial orbit error kick-off meeting has been proposed for the The recommendation also included a from the current 2-3-cm level to the 1-cm end of May in Washington D.C. (at the provision for a reprocessing of the existing level for Jason-1 will be possible only same time as the Spring AGU Meeting), T/P orbits for mean-sea-level studies. through the combined use of high-quality coincident with the final meeting on CNES followed this recommendation in tracking data and the best models. Thus algorithms and products. mid-1999, and has been delivering orbits careful attention has to be paid to selecting referenced to ITRF 97 since cycle 247. these models. The standards which have

9 THE EARTH OBSERVER

been selected for the Challenging Mini- better represent the mean sea surface in for Jason-1. This new model will represent satellite Payload (CHAMP) were re- the narrow band along the T/P and Jason- the bias dependence in terms of Ku-band viewed. Some questions remain regarding 1 groundtrack. It was also noted that the backscatter and significant wave height. issues such as geocenter variation. It was currently employed Inverted Barometer The model will be based on empirical data clearly emphasized that Jason-1 should (IB) correction has a substantial geo- from extensive buoy and NSCAT data follow international and mission indepen- graphical mean in some regions. Since the sets. While the WC91 model provides a dent standards as closely as possible. Thus IB correction is usually applied to the bulk fit to the data the new model reduces the baseline is to adopt the International altimeter data, except for long-term mean the amount of remaining scatter. The new Earth Rotation Service 2000 (IERS 2000) sea-level analyses, the reference mean sea model is mainly motivated by the need for standards modified and augmented with surface should probably also be based on a better wind speed model for sea-state models specific to T/P and Jason as applying the IB correction. These issues bias correction. The model will be jointly needed for the best results. However, affect the choice of the MSS model for developed by the Southampton Oceanog- members of the POD Working Team Jason-1. Unless there is disagreement from raphy Center (SOC), NASA/GSFC, and should also act now so that the IERS 2000 the Jason-1 SWT, it will be assumed that IFREMER. The model will be submitted standards reflect (as much as possible) the two slots for the mean surface models for publication before the next SWT what is needed for Jason-1. All the allocated in the GDR (geophysical data meeting. Initially the new model correc- members of the SWT involved in the records) will be for a global MSS and an tions will be applied offline to the Jason-1 various IERS working groups are asked to along-track MSS, both with the IB correc- data. contribute to this task. tion applied. The evaluation plans for selecting the geoid and MSS models for Recommendation 2: Use a new non- The question regarding the selection Jason-1 are expected to be finalized by parametric sea-state bias correction for criteria for the geoid model to be placed March 2000. The evaluation should take a Jason-1 and T/P data reprocessing. The on the Jason-1 data products was ad- few months after that. correction will represent the bias as a dressed. The best marine geoid model is function of wave height and wind speed, likely to be dependent on the incorpora- 4.3 Sea-State Biases but will use global non-parametric tion of a priori ocean circulation model estimates derived from the T/P data set. Measuring mean sea level in the presence information, a somewhat circular process. Verification of these satellite estimates by of ocean waves is one of the more difficult There may be reasons to avoid a geoid direct measurements of the bias has been problems in radar altimetry. The resultant model that incorporates ocean circulation performed. In addition to the bias correc- biases in sea-level measurement are knowledge, but unless there are objec- tion, two quality measures will be usually corrected using an empirical tions, it will be assumed that the model provided: a mean bias certainty and a approach with a residual error on the that provides the best representation of the residual bias variance. Results will be order of 1% of the significant wave height. marine geoid will be the preferred choice. summarized and published before the This error has become a leading source of Oceanographers are encouraged to help next SWT meeting. error in the T/P data. Significant improve- evaluate the candidate geoid models, since ments have been made in sea-state bias Information Item: The sea-state bias has the tests available to the POD Working estimation algorithms and in the physical been found to be highly correlated with Team are limited. understanding of the bias. The sea-state wave slope. Wave slope is superior to bias splinter group recommended the use wind speed for bias estimation and a sea- Several new high-precision, high-resolu- of new wind-speed and sea-state bias state bias model including slope is being tion mean sea surfaces (MSS) were correction algorithms for Jason-1. The investigated. The model also provides presented in posters at the SWT meeting. group also presented one information item information on the residual bias. Methods The emphasis appeared to be on reducing on new physical understanding of the of obtaining global wave-slope estimates the appearance of ‘trackiness’ in the bias, which could lead to more significant are being investigated. surfaces in order to provide a better global improvements of sea-state bias estimation reference surface that would be applicable in the future. 4.4 Tides and High-Frequency Aliases to all altimeter missions. A sea surface based only on T/P data, on the other Recommendation 1: Use a new jointly The time interval of repeat measurements hand, is easier to construct and likely to developed wind-speed estimation model by radar altimeters is on the order of 10

10 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

days. High-frequency oceanic motions current meters, tide gauges, and bottom- 2000. Final approval of the algorithms is such as tides and other forms of variabili- pressure gauges, etc. scheduled for the end of March 2000, ties with periods less than the Nyquist which also marks the deadline for the period would create distortions in the The inadequacy of the existing atmo- selection of the following geophysical measurement of the low-frequency spheric pressure field in representing the models: the tidal models, the mean sea signals. This is the classical “aliasing” daily cycle (primarily air tides) was surface and the geoid, bathymetry, effect in time series measurement. Models addressed with a recommendation for a coastline, and land/sea mask. of the open ocean tides have been signifi- better climatology of daily cycles. It was cantly improved by the use of the multiple also noted that the effects of air tides on The definition of the Jason-1 data products years’ worth of the T/P data. The tidal sea level had already been included in was also reviewed. Both the JPL PO- signals can thus be removed from the T/P most tide models, and that one should be DAAC and CNES AVISO are upgrading data with an rms residual signal of 2-3 cm careful not to account for them twice. their T/P systems to support the opera- in the open-ocean. Recent improvements Various model simulations were presented tional character of the Jason-1 mission. in the coastal tide models as well as in the to show skills for removing the high- Physical media (CD-ROMs and/or DVDs) long-period tide models were reviewed in frequency signals. The model performance will be used to disseminate fully validated the meeting. The issue of internal tides seems better for relatively long periods (5- science data products, whereas near-real- was also discussed. It was deemed still a 20 days) but poor for periods shorter than time data products will be made available research topic, with no appropriate 2 days. Recommendations for further through the Internet in an operational correction models identified. studies include improved forcing fields, manner. AVISO is also considering the use bathymetry, friction scheme, and data of dedicated relay satellites to distribute Evaluation of new tide models for possible assimilation. them over Europe, so that dissemination use in the Jason-1 data products was delay and ground-network overloading discussed. The task has been led by the 4.5 Algorithms and Data Products would be minimized. Samples of Jason-1 CNES data center, AVISO. Up to five products as they are presently defined will models will be evaluated in detail using The development of science algorithms be made available to users for training and T/P and ERS-2 data as well as a newly and data products involves close interac- testing by mid-December 1999. constructed in situ database from WOCE tion between the SWT and the Project. A (the World Ocean Circulation Experi- standing review team (the Algorithms and The requirements that constrain data ment). Manpower support is a serious Products Team) was established to review processing during the T/P and Jason-1 issue for the task. Volunteers are being the development process of each algo- tandem phase were discussed. This issue solicited. rithm through its sign-off for configura- addresses the compatibility between T/P tion control. This review mechanism and and Jason-1 products (at the geophysical In addition to tides, recent theoretical and the resultant documents have been and environmental correction level, or modeling work has pointed out the accepted as an alternative approach to the more deeply in the processing). The existence of high-frequency barotropic EOS Algorithm Theoretical Basis Docu- discussion was also related to the repro- variability forced by atmospheric pressure ments. cessing of the T/P ALT-A data, such as the and wind. These sources of variability can possibility of including the Jason-1 create sea-level signals of several cm and Approximately 90% of the reviewers’ geophysical and/or environmental cause aliasing in the low-frequency signals comments received in the last meeting of corrections into the reprocessed data measured by altimetry. Other sources of the Algorithms and Products Team in products with the objective of making the high-frequency variabilities discussed in June 1999 have been analyzed and T/P products compatible with Jason-1 the meeting included internal waves and incorporated into the revision of the products at least in terms of the geophysi- coastal upwelling events. It became clear documents. Some items are still to be cal and environmental corrections. The in the meeting that more detailed knowl- addressed, essentially those concerning schedule for the ALT-A reprocessing edge was needed to characterize the altimeter waveform processing. The should then be revisited so that it is unresolved signals and their impacts on package of revised documents is sched- compatible with the schedule of the Jason- altimetry. Recommendation was made for uled for distribution in the second half of 1 geophysical models (end of March 2000). efforts to re-analyze in situ records from December 1999 as well as late January

11 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Four short presentations were given on wide-swath techniques or low-cost malls. More information on these activities the altimeter and radiometer performance multiple satellites. can be found on the following web sites: and algorithms: details on the Poseidon-2 www-aviso.cls.cnes.fr; and topex-www. performance resulting from the analysis of The current strawman plan is to fly the jpl.nasa.gov. the results of ground tests of the instru- two satellites in an interleaving orbit ment; the improvement of the acquisition pattern with longitudinal separation of 1.4 It was stressed by NASA’s Oceanography and tracking algorithms of the Poseidon-2 degrees between the two ground tracks. Program Manager that the Ocean Surface altimeter; a new set of retrieval algorithms The overflight times of the adjacent tracks Topography team outreach effort needs to for the wet tropo-spheric correction, cloud should be synchronized for velocity be cognizant of the broader scope of liquid-water content, and sea-surface estimation. A small working group will oceanography. That is, information wind speed from radiometer measure- continue working on the problem to come derived from altimeters, along with ocean ments; and the JMR (Jason-1 Microwave up with more quantitative results based wind and color data are systematic Radiometer) bright-ness temperatures for on eddy-resolving model simulations. The measurements which will be in transition land contamination near coastlines. strawman plan will be revised accord- to operations. Hence, we need the ingly, based on the new results. following: a greater emphasis on applica- 4.6 Multi-Satellite Altimetry tions, to build a wider group of stakehold- A new idea for flying multiple low-cost ers (people who routinely use our data to The prospect of having simultaneous altimetric satellites, developed by the provide crucial information), and we need flight of T/P with Jason-1 motivates this Johns Hopkins University’s Applied to make better connections and collaborate topic. The conclusion of the Keystone Physics Laboratory was presented. The further with agencies such as NOAA and meeting calls for a formation flight of the new technology is based on the delayed- EUMESTAT. We need to put greater two satellites along the T/P ground tracks Doppler altimeter technique funded by emphasis on altimetry as one part of an with time separation of a few minutes NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program. integrated observing system. Towards this during the initial calibration/validation Multiple altimeters are to be deployed end we need to have connections with phase of the Jason-1 mission. Such a simultaneously into properly chosen international programs such as Argo (a scenario presents the first opportunity of formation flight orbits for specific science global array of profiling floats) and the having the same spot of the ocean experiments including the measurement Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experi- observed by two altimeters for an ex- of geostrophic velocity vectors. ment (GODAE), to be an element in a tended period of time for comparison and national prediction system, an element of cross calibration. After this phase of the 4.7 Outreach IGOS, and we need to coordinate with the mission is completed, the T/P satellite will wind mission counterparts to project the be maneuvered into a different orbit for Outreach is the act of bringing informa- message about ocean forcing response. conducting new science experiments tion, involving T/P and Jason-1 altimetry utilizing the two altimeters. The conclu- and their role in providing valuable CNES has been involved in a summer sion of the meeting calls for an emphasis information, to audiences including the school for French professors. The altimetry on using the formation flight for testing general public, educators, students, data- exhibit, now in Paris, will be going to ideas of making new measurements as a applications users, and scientists. Montreal, Canada in 2001. CNES has basis for developing new technologies and produced a video on T/P and is now methodologies. An example is to estimate Highlights of the outreach efforts made by working on a Jason-1 video on applica- the geostrophic velocity vectors along the JPL and AVISO during the past year were tions. The CD-ROM is in the final stages of ground tracks. Such estimation is now summarized in the meeting, including completion and will be issued with the available only at crossover points. T/P has newsletters, monthly image releases, next AVISO newsletter. made excellent measurements of the large- posters on El Niño/La Niña, lithographs scale sea-level variability, but the velocity about the missions, a new mean sea The University of Colorado’s Center for field is poorly sampled. Resolving the surface, a CD “Visit to an Ocean Planet,” Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) has energy-containing component of the ocean an educator’s package (available via the continued to produce products towards currents is certainly a key science objective Web), exhibits in various conferences, meeting the needs of the applications for future altimetric measurement using museums, aquariums, and shopping community. Users include people in-

12 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6 volved in research on whales, precision surement techniques, low-frequency NASA Announces Earth underwater activities such as cable-laying, variability, and mesoscale and coastal System Science fisheries management and the fishing phenomena. Some of the posters can be industry, and the sailboat racing commu- viewed at the following web address: Fellowships for 2000 nity. CCAR is redesigning its data system sirius-ci.cst.cnes.fr:8090/HTML/ An announcement for the 2000-2001 Earth such that data are pushed rather than information/frames/kiosque/ System Science Fellowships was released in pulled. Much of the data are supplied in users_uk.html. December 1999. The deadline for submission of new applications to NASA is March 15, 2000. ASCII (gzipp) and a subscription service is Information can be found at www.earth.nasa. about to be implemented (see www-ccar. The 7 years’ worth of T/P data has gov/nra/current/graduate/index.html. colorado.edu/research/topex/html/ provided the longest time series of sea- The applications are evaluated through a two- topex.html). level variability for studying the change of step review process: first through mail/panel the ocean in relation to the El Niño review, and then by evaluation of a panel An educational web site was hosted at the Southern Oscillation as well as ocean composed of members of academic institutions and research organizations, and representatives Texas A&M University, called Oceanworld dynamics in terms of the planetary-scale of the Office of Earth Science at NASA Head- (oceanworld.tamu.edu). The site is waves, the interaction of boundary quarters. designed to meet the needs of both currents with oceanic gyres, ocean’s The purpose of the Fellowship Program is to teachers and students in oceanography. Its response to wind and pressure forcing, train a pool of highly qualified scientists to help use has been growing over the past year and the ocean tides. Other applications analyze and interpret the wealth of data generated by the Office of Earth Science and its increased popularity is shown by range from the effects of ocean circulation programs. NASA understands that the future of the increase in web traffic. The students on the solid Earth to the climatology of Earth science rests with today’s students, who are making good use of the web, and large ocean waves, precipitation, and air-sea gas will be tomorrow’s scientists. Financial support for pursuing an advanced education obviously numbers of students have been reached exchanges. plays a vital role in securing the necessary through the web. talent to further Earth system science objectives. 6. Next Meetings Fellowships are given for an initial 1-year term The plans for next year were discussed. and may be renewed annually for up to 3 years, AVISO will take the lead on products to To review the launch-readiness of the based on satisfactory progress as reflected in support the Jason-1 launch. Ideas include Jason-1 Calibration/Validation Team, a academic performance and evaluations made by faculty advisors. The amount of award is team meeting is planned for May 2000 in a special website for the launch, Jason $22,000 per annum, including a $16,000 student merchandise, a full series of applications conjunction with the Spring AGU Meeting stipend and an allowance of up to $6,000 sheets including El Niño and the Mediter- in Washington DC. The next full-up SWT consisting of $3,000 for student expenses and $3,000 for university expenses. The student meeting will be conducted in conjunction ranean Sea, video, and an educational CD- allowance may be used to defray living ROM. JPL will also produce materials, a with the launch of Jason-1. expenses, tuition, fees, and other educational list of which is being worked Another area expenses. The university allowance may be 7. Acknowledgements used for tuition or travel by the faculty of emphasis is to provide a stronger link advisor or student in support of the student’s between the SWT and other scientists as research. Students receiving these stipends well as the general public using the data. The authors would like to thank the must not receive other Federal funding. following individuals who organized the Ongoing and planned activities include: A total of 338 applications were received by the SWT poster presentations on the web; splinter meetings and wrote the reports Office of Earth Science at NASA Headquarters for the 1999 Program. Over 103 universities and altimeter data brochure; press release of based on which this article was written: educational institutions from 40 states were Jean-Paul Berthias, John Ries, Susan significant results; linking individual PI’s represented. A total of 50 selections were made. web sites to the Project sites; and provid- Digby, Vinca Rosmorduc, Bruce Haines, The names and affiliations of the 1999 recipients and the titles of their proposals are shown on ing inputs to the outreach image galleries. Seteve Nerem, Patrick Vincent, Shailen pages 14-15. Desai, Philippe Gaspar, David Arnold , 5. Science Results Pierre-Yves Le Traon, Detlef Stammer, Additional information about this program may Richard Ray, Rui Ponte, and Christian Le be obtained by visiting the web site listed above, or contacting Dr. Ming-Ying Wei, Code A total of 102 posters were presented on Probost YO, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC the topics of the splinter meetings as well 20546. as on mean sea-level change, new mea-

13 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Fellowship Recipient/ Institution Title Advisor

Bathke, Deborah Ohio State University Meteorological Processes Controlling the Spatial Temporal Variability of Net Accumulation Mosley-Thompson, Ellen Implication for the Mass Balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet Baumgartner, Mark F Oregon State University Right Whale Ecology in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Mate, Bruce Baumgras, Lynne M University of Utah Implications of Arctic Warming as Determined by Snowmelt Onset Dates Observed with Forster, Richard R Remotely Sensed Microwave Data, Streamflow Measurements, and Hydrologic Models of Arctic Watersheds

Boehm, Matthew T Pennsylvania State Understanding High Tropical Cirrus Verlinde, Johannensen University Brocklehurst, Simon H Massachusetts Institute The Impact of Glacial Erosion on the Relief Structure of Mountain Belts Whipple, Kelin X of Technology Carr, David L University of The Migration Origins of Deforestation in a Protected Area: Colonization, Clear-cutting, Whitmore, Thomas M North Carolina and Corn in the Sierra de Lacandon National Park (SLNP), Guatemala Carrasco, Jonathan J University of Colorado Spatial and Temporal Response Nitrogen Deposition in a Heterogeneous Rocky Mountain Wessman, Carol A Boulder Watershed Chowdhury, Rinku R Clark University Conservation in the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region, Mexico: Linking Landscape Turner, Billie L Ecology and Social Institutions Drake, Jason B University of Maryland Estimation of Tropical Forest Above Ground Using Large-Footprint Lidar Dubayah, Ralph College Park Gasparini, Nicole M Massachusetts Institute The Signature of Climatic and Tectonic Processes in Alluvial Fans: A Numerical Bras, Rafael L of Technology Modeling and Remote Sensing Study Gates, Amelia M University of Colorado In Situ Measurements of Carbon Dioxide in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Avallone, Linnea M Boulder Gewin, Virginia L Oregon State University Global Climate Change Effects on Carbon Sequestration Mediated by Soil Micro-Organisms Dick, Richard P Gumbo, Davison J Clark University Socializing Miombo Geology: Change in Woodland Use and its Meaning for Sustainable Turner, Billie L Livelihoods Guttikunda, Sarath K University of Iowa Assessment of the Impact of Asian Emissions on a Local, Regional and Global Scale Carmichael, Gregory R Harris, Wylie N Texas A&M University Hydrologic Consequences of Shrub Savana Expansion Boutton, Thomas W Harrison, John A Stanford University Land Use Change, Agricultural Runoff, and Greenhouse Gases in Two Estuaries of Southern Pamela A Matson Sonora, Mexico Heliker, Brent University of Utah The O of Atmospheric CO : Seeing the Grassland Through the Blades 2 Ehleringer, James R Hilley, George E Arizona State University The Effects of Tectonic Processes and Climatic Fluctuations on Landscape Development Arrowsmith, J. Ramon Horii, Cassandra V Harvard University Nitric Acid and Nitrogen Dioxide Flux Measurements Over a North-American Forest Wofsy, Steven C Howard, Erica A University of Wisconsin Effects of Logging Activity on Biophysical Processes and Carbon Cycling Within Canadian Foley, Jonathan A Madison Boreal Forests During Succession Huang, Yi University of California Investigation of Aerosol/Cloud Interactions Using a Coupled High-Resolution Turco, Richard P Los Angeles Dynamics/Microphysics Numerical Model: Development Validation and Application to Field Measurements Kennedy, Robert E Oregon State University Combining Field Measurements and Satellite Imagery with a Probabilistic Model to Quantify Cohen, Warren B Uncertainty in Modeled Net Primary Productivity Estimates Kiang, Nancy Y University of California Measurement and Modeling of Carbon, Water and Energy over a California Oak Savanna: Benning, Tracy L Berkeley Linking the Biophysical and the Ecological Klimczak, Connie M Florida State University Inter- and Intra-Annual Variability of the North American Monsoon: A Numerical Krishnamurti, Tiruvala Modeling Study

14 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

Fellowship Recipient/ Institution Title Advisor

Lewicki, Jennifer L Pennsylvania State Eddy Correlation Measurement of CO2 Flux in Volcanic-Hydrothermal Environments Brantley, Susan University Louis, Valerie University of Maryland Global Climate Change and Cholera: Modeling of Cholera Occurrence in Selected Coastal Russek-Cohen, Estelle College Park Area Using Satellite Remote Sensing, In Situ Observations, and Epidemiological Data Manson, Steven M Clark University Integrated Assessment and Projection of Land-Use/Cover Change in the Southern Yucatan Turner, Billie L Peninsular Region in Mexico Margulis, Steven A Massachusetts Institute Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis of the Coupled Land-Atmosphere System Entekhabi, Dara of Technology Martin, Roberta C University of Washington Improving Mode Parameterizations of Gas Exchange: Quantification of Bubble Dynamics Emerson, Steven R by Measurement of Natural Gas Saturations and by Remote Sensing of Whitecap Coverage Matthew, Brendan M University of Washington Formation, Detection, and Quantification of Oxidized Halogen Species in Aerosols from Anastasio, Cort the Marine Boundary Layer Mauer, Edwin P University of Washington Opportunities of Improving Western Water Management through Remote Sensing and Lettenmaier, Dennis P Hydrologic Modeling McKinley, Galen A Massachusetts Institute Temporal Variability of Air-Sea Gas Fluxes: Estimation and Incorporation into an Inverse Marshall, John of Technology Model of the Global Carbon Cycle Nawri, Nikolaj W University of Maryland Tornadoes: Coherent Flow Structures in Atmospheric Turbulence Baer, Ferdinand College Park Neu, Jessica L Massachusetts Institute An Investigation of Stratospheric Transport Using the “Leaky Pipe” Model Plumb, Raymond A of Technology Olander, Lydia P Stanford University Physio-Chemical and Biological Control Over the Fate of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Vitousek, Peter M Tropical Soils Popescu, Sorin C Virginia Polytechnic Estimating Forest Vegetation Biomass Using Airborne Lidar Measurements Wynne, Randolph H Institute and State Uni. Powell, Rebecca L University of California Monitoring Population and the Extent of Human Settlement in the Brazilian Amazon Clarke, Keith C Santa Barbara with Synthetic Aperture Radar Ryan, Jessee J Colorado State University Lightning and Radar Observations from Ground-Based and Spaceborne Platforms: Rutledge, Steven A Applications for TRMM Shi, Wei North Carolina State Water, Heat and Salt Budget in the Northern Indian Ocean Morrison, John M University Thompson, David W. J University of Washington The Arctic Oscillation Signature in Northern Hemisphere Climate Wallace, John M

Thornton, Joel University of California Atmospheric NO2: Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection at the Part Per Trillion Level Cohen, Ronald C Berkeley from Aircraft and Balloons Toole, Dierdre A University of California A Top-Down Approach to Understanding and Predicting Dimethylsulfide Variability Siegel, David A Santa Barbara in the Sargasso Sea Using Ocean Color Imagery von Fischer, Joseph C Cornell University Have We Grossly Underestimated Methane Production and Consumption? Application Hedin, Lars O of a New Stable Isotope Technique to Measure Methane Turnover in Soils Walker, Christopher C University of California Low Latitude Non-Linear Behavior of Rossby Waves Composed of a Spectrum of Magnusdottir, Gudrun Irvine Phase Speeds Westley, Marian B University of Hawaii Sources and Isotopic Compositions of Nitrous Oxide from the Subtropic North Pacific Popp, Brian & Eastern Tropical North Pacific Witter, Jeffrey B University of Washington A New Mechanism for Degassing at High-Sulfur Volcanoes Newhall, Christopher. Yin, Xungang Florida State University The Water Balance of Eastern African Great Lakes Nicholson, Sharon E.

Zhou, Liming Boston University The Relation Between Interannual Variability in Atmospheric CO2, Sea (ENSO) and Land Myneni, Ranga B Surface Temperature and Global Vegetation Dynamics Observed from an 18-Year Satellite Sensed Dataset

15 THE EARTH OBSERVER

This discussion lead 19th Tropospheric Emission naturally into a consider- ation of strategies for reducing Spectrometer (TES) data volume were insufficient resources available to analyze the Science Team Meeting full data set. One suggestion was an “equal area” approach that would Harvard University, September 22, 1999 have the effect of reducing sampling density at high latitudes. This discussion

— Reinhard Beer ([email protected]), TES Principal Investigator, Jet Propulsion is on-going. Laboratory, Pasadena, CA Daniel Jacob (Harvard U.) gave an overview of the outcome of the Snowmass meeting where, for almost the first time, The meeting began with Tom Glavich chemical-dynamical model of the global the in situ tropospheric chemistry commu- (JPL) giving an update on the TES atmosphere that uses Goddard’s Data nity met with the remote sensing commu- instrument development. An important Assimilation Office (DAO) input for the nity. A number of interesting ideas milestone was a successful CDR in June of meteorology. In particular, a 3-month, 4- emerged from this meeting, especially this year, so instrument design is now hour time-step, movie of continental several suggestions for GTE-type missions essentially complete. outflow from east Asia created consider- that could be operated in concert with able interest. satellite overpasses. The Partial Engineering Model is currently undergoing testing and procurement of Reinhard Beer (JPL) then led a discussion David Rider (JPL) expanded on this theme Protoflight hardware has begun. A very on global sampling strategy. The current in the context of TES post-launch valida- important test was to determine that the baseline is “4-days-on, 4-days-off” but it tion. Intercomparisons with HIRDLS, OMI interferometer section itself remains has been suggested that “8-days-on, 8- and MIPAS are already in the planning undistorted on going from room tempera- days-off” might be better. It was, therefore, stage. ture to 180K and back again. There are, of agreed that Harvard would run their course, some expected dimensional model for an entire model year (1994), Steven Larson (JPL) discussed our SIPS changes but no twist or warpage. This upon which JPL would superimpose a set (“PI mode”) data processing proposal. The means that the interferometer can be of strategies to see which one does the best TES team is eager to see this proposal aligned at room temperature with good job of capturing the features of the model. succeed because everyone feels that a confidence that it will remain so at 180K. The results will also be invaluable for the better product will result. design of our Level 3 product. [Ed. Note: Helen Worden (JPL) then gave an update the model data were delivered to JPL in It was agreed that the next Science Team on algorithm development. The biggest early November]. meeting will be held in Denver in March issue was the revision of the Algorithm in concert with the Theoretical Basis Documents, due on Oct. next CHEM platform

1. This was successfully accomplished. science team meet- CH4 , N2 O H. Worden (JPL) & F. Murcray (U. Denver) CO R. Beer (JPL) & M. Luo (JPL) ing. The TES team

Assignments of Standard Product species H2 O, T F. Murcray (U. Denver), S. Clough (AER) & D. Rider also noted with great was also a topic. The immediate task is to (JPL) regret the imminent HNO A. Goldman (U. Denver) assemble climatologies from whatever 3 retirement of our sources are available. The assignments are NO C. Rodgers (Oxford U.) stalwart champion at NO C. Rinsland (NASA LaRC) listed in the table. 2 HQ - Joe McNeal, but O S. Clough (AER) & C. Rinsland (NASA LaRC) 3 wish him well for his CO2 K. Bowman (JPL) & H. Worden (JPL) A major highlight of the meeting was the future activities. presentation of the Harvard GEOS 3-D

16 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

A NASA Research Announcement on SAR and allied data analysis is being prepared. An unresolved issue is the Radarsat Minutes of 15 th PoDAG Meeting Memorandum of Understanding, and access to SAR data beyond November — Ron Weaver ([email protected]), DAAC Manager, National Snow and Ice 2000. The NRA is designed to encourage Data Center the use of both derived and basic SAR products as well as integration with additional data sets.

NSIDC Update since 14th PoDAG Meeting, November 1998—Ron Weaver, DAAC Manager The fifteenth meeting of the NSIDC User • The NSDIC DAAC scientific staff are Working Group was held in Boulder on encouraged to publish validation, See www-nsidc.colorado.edu/NASA/PODAG/ September 27-29, 1999. Following are the quality-checking results, and applica- MEETING15 for details. recommendations, action items and tions of newly archived data sets in minutes from this meeting. Further details the open scientific literature. Meeting Discussion Issues: of this, previous, and future meetings of There are no critical issues requiring the PoDAG may be found on the NSIDC Minutes immediate attention. website: www-nsidc.colorado.edu/ NASA/PODAG/. NASA HQ Overview—Kim Partington, Longer Term Questions: Manager, NASA Polar Program How long after the EOS AMSR/AMSR-E Recommendations data become available should the SSM/I The key science questions to be addressed processing be continued? • PoDAG suggests that the NSIDC by the Polar Program were reviewed, manager and the PoDAG chair along with the breakdown of the budget. Should AVHRR data processing be participate (ex-officio) in the NRC continued for 18 months after the launch panel review of the DAACs. The NRC Review of NSIDC DAAC was of the AM-1 (Terra) platform? • SSM/I globally gridded radiance and discussed. Recommendations yet to be derived cryospheric products should acted upon are to work more closely with How does PoDAG feel about charging for be continued even after the launch of the Alaskan SAR Facility, and to encour- data products? the AMSR sensor to guarantee the age working visits by scientists. longest possible passive microwave CRYosphere SYStems (CRYSYS) to time series based on SMMR and The NRC Polar Research Board review of Monitor Global Change in Canada—Anne SSM/I data. Koni Steffen will write a the direction and strategy for providing Walker, PoDAG Member separate letter to Vanessa Griffin and the polar research community with others. NASA-data sets was summarized. The Walker reported that the CRYSYS group • NSIDC DAAC scientist(s) should need for input from PoDAG and for a site submitted an EOS IDS team proposal to provide information about the quality visit to NSIDC was outlined. continue their successful project, even and the regional differences of the though they receive no funding from various sea ice concentration products The NASA Research Announcement on NASA. Their scientific goals are the to the lay user. Pathfinders and Interdisciplinary Science monitoring and understanding of regional • PoDAG strongly supports the data closed on September 27, 1999. Pathfinders and larger scale changes of the cryosphere distribution of the Pathfinder data are to focus more on science and not just system in Canada. They published an sets and products from TOVS, do data analysis. Interdisciplinary science overview paper in the Canadian Journal of AVHRR, altimeter and scatterometer also covers some polar-related activities. Remote Sensing, provided support for the sensors through the NSIDC DAAC. Canadian Cryosphere Information

17 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Network, and provided input for the 1972-1976: ESMR passive microwave- AMSR, AMSR-E Report from the Instru- Cryosphere Plan of the Canadian GCOS. derived ice concentrations and extent. ment Team—Don Cavalieri, PoDAG Member Current and Future Activities of the World 1977-1978: Analyzed fields from the Climate Research Programme (WCRP)— U.S. and Canadian National Ice The ADEOS-II mission (AMSR) is sched- Roger Barry, DAAC Scientist Centers. uled for launch in November 2000 by NASDA of Japan. The EOS PM platform WCRP programs that are relevant to the 1979-1998: SMMR and SSM/I passive (AMSR-E) is scheduled for launch in polar community include: the Global microwave-derived ice concentration December 2000. Geophysical products will Energy and Water Cycle Experiment and extent using the Bootstrap be generated by the Global Hydrology (GEWEX), the Climate Variability/ algorithm for both hemispheres. Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Predictability (CLIVAR) initiative, the Center. The AMSR-E sea ice products Arctic Climate System (ACSYS) program, Terra Update—Ron Weaver, DAAC (Level 3) are concentration, radiating the emerging Climate and Cryosphere Manager temperature, and snow thickness on sea (CLIC) effort, and the Global Climate ice. Observing System (GCOS) as well as the Key dates are the Science Operations Global Climate Terrestrial Observing NSIDC DAAC will archive and distribute Readiness Review on November 9-10, System (GTOS) which cover monitoring. Levels 1B, 2 and 3 data. NSIDC DAAC 1999; launch; launch + 120 days when the will also archive the sea ice and snow first products are received at NSIDC; and ACSYS will be transitioning in 2001-2003 validation data sets. to CLIC. The CLIC Task Force is develop- launch + 180 days when release of data and 25%-50% of total products com- ing the Science and Coordination Plan GLAS Update—Jay Zwally, PoDAG mences. which has the elements of defining the Member importance and role of the cryosphere in Snow and ice products will be produced climate, identifying the key science The planning for the ICESat/GLAS from the following instruments: MODIS, questions along with a strategy for Science Investigator-led Processing ASTER, GLAS, and AMSR. MODIS addressing each of these. The Task Force System (SIPS), or I-SIPS, and its relation to products distributed by NSIDC will wil be putting CLIC into the context of NSIDC-DAAC was outlined. See the 15th initially amount to about 8 GB/day. other global change research, outlining PoDAG meeting web page for details. data and data management issues, and ASTER GLIMS Update—Greg Scharfen, developing a planning strategy and AVHRR Pathfinder Update—Ted NSIDC timetable. Scambos, NSIDC

NSIDC DAAC will continue working with Arctic Climate System (ACSYS) Observa- The recommendation from the 14th the ASTER Science Team and scientists at tion Products Panel—Koni Steffen, PoDAG meeting was as follows. “AVHRR the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, PoDAG Chair Pathfinder data acquisition should include Arizona to develop the Global Land Ice one year data overlap with the EOS AM Monitoring System (GLIMS). GLIMS is a The following sea ice products were (Terra) platform MODIS sensor. TOVS and cooperative effort with regional partners recommended for use in the European SSM/I should have one year overlap with who are specialists in the study of selected Centre for Medium-Range Weather EOS PM platform, since it is the first glaciated areas. The partners will use data Forecasts (ECMWF) 40-year Reanalysis satellite with sounder and passive from ASTER and other instruments to (ERA-40: 1958-present) scheduled to microwave sensors. Processing these data routinely map glacier surface area, length, commence production in early 2000. sets should facilitate the data priority and width, ablation area, and ice motion other tasks recommended by PoDAG.” 1958-1972: Arctic and Antarctic vectors. NSIDC DAAC is assisting with Research Institute (AARI) 10-day sea the provision of glacier inventory data for NSIDC response: “Little planning efforts ice observations on the EASE-grid for validation and will archive the derived remain for AVHRR, TOVS, and the Arctic. Climatic conditions for the products. SMMR/SSM/I Pathfinders. NSIDC Southern Ocean. DAAC will continue acquisition of 1 km

18 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

and 5 km AVHRR data for both polar A plan will be developed for the ingestion • Scientific validity and quality of regions until at least 18 months after and archival of this data set. product. MODIS data acquisition starts. Additional • User investment in product. data will be acquired as needed to fill gaps POLES Interdisciplinary Project—Axel • Efficient use of resources. in the current archive for the period 1993 Schweiger, University of Washington • Timeliness of product availability. to 2000.” • Assessment of usage of product. This project is winding down, and discussions are underway with NSIDC Additional Information: New Data Sets for NSIDC DAAC DAAC for them to archive the products generated by the project. 14.5 years at 5 km resolution are available Koni Steffen (PoDAG Chair) described the through 1995 with an additional year AVHRR monthly mean surface tempera- PoDAG Terms of Reference—Roger Barry, covering the SHEBA project in the Arctic. ture fields for Greenland produced by DAAC Scientist All 1-km AVHRR imagery is available. Joey Comiso. This is a small data set with There is an online subsetting tool available • Represent the cryospheric user a limited number of months processed so to assist with data acquisition. The effort community. far. Archival is recommended. required to learn how to use the data is • Review NSIDC DAAC data sets and formidable, as no tools for data use/ data set priorities. Mark Drinkwater (PoDAG Member) manipulation are available. A proposal to • Suggest new products, data sets, etc., presented scatterometer images for high a recent NRA on Pathfinders may provide to NSIDC DAAC. latitudes which show decadal changes in further funding. • Provide constructive feedback to backscatter that are not present in passive NSIDC DAAC on its performance microwave emissions. Data volume is 0.8 PoDAG Comments on NSIDC regarding data set ingest, archival, GB per year for both hemispheres with 8 Workplan—Ron Weaver, DAAC Manager and distribution. years currently available. Data archival should be investigated. NRC recommendations should be used to Decision-making for Product Archiving identify data sets to be archived by NSIDC and Distribution - Fostering Quality and DAAC Subsetting Services on Terra-era DAAC. Continuity—Michelle Holm and Jim Data Sets—Siri Jodha Singh Kalsa, Maslanik, NSIDC NSIDC Gridded sea ice concentration and snow depth data sets on a one degree latitude- Questions to be considered: The background and motivation for using longitude sampling are being developed • What data sets should be main- a standard data format at NSIDC DAAC for convenient use by the GCM commu- tained? was presented. The use of HDF allows nity, as discussed at the last PoDAG • What criteria should be applied to easy access to and manipulation of data, meeting. make these decisions? including subsetting. A variety of projec- tions can be handled in addition to the There was a concern that the NSIDC Data Case study of an emerging problem: By EASE grid used extensively at NSIDC. An Set Review Board was operating without counting algorithms and map projections, IDL-based tool for HDF-EOS is under much association with PoDAG, and so ten sea ice data sets are available. This is development to facilitate use of the routine briefings on its activities are to be expected to become more problematic. arranged for PoDAG. growing archive of high latitude data. PoDAG guidance is needed in such Wrap-up TOVS Pathfinder Update—Axel situations on whether any data sets should Schweiger, University of Washington be replaced or discontinued, as well as The PoDAG agenda needs to be circulated how to preserve the continuity of data well ahead of time for comment. NSIDC DAAC has completed the archival sets. of the TOVS Pathfinder time series (1979- 1996). Negotiations will continue with the Considerations for Decision-Making Science priorities of data sets and services TOVS Pathfinder team for the delivery to • Quality of relationship with data are the main input to the NSIDC DAAC NSIDC DAAC of the TOVS Level 1B data. provider. Work Plan, which is a living document.

19 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Membership: PoDAG needs to represent users, data volume, temporal and spatial NSIDC Home Page Address: users of data. Dorothy Hall will be invited data need, applications. If this information Assess options for changing the NSIDC to be a member of PoDAG as a representa- is not available, send out a user survey. home page address from www-nsidc. tive of the MODIS user community. (As of Greg Scharfen/Dave Bromwich colorado.edu to www.nsidc.xxx. December 8, 1999, she has accepted.) Ron Weaver/Dave Bromwich AVHRR Pathfinder Tools: A key member(s) of the Alaska SAR Facility users working group (ASFUWG) Develop tools to manipulate the AVHRR will be invited to the next PoDAG meeting Pathfinder data set. Ted Scambos/Koni to foster closer collaboration between Steffen PoDAG and ASFUWG. Likewise, the members of the PoDAG and NSIDC Data Review Board Update: DAAC staff will attend the next meeting of the ASF User Working Group. The NSIDC data review board should inform all PoDAG members every three Next meeting: February 7-9, 2000 at months on their activities by e-mail mail NSIDC. or an updated Web page. Mark Parsons/ Dave Bromwich Action Items

Data Review Board Summary: PI’s End to End Processing:

The NSIDC data review board will Archiving and distribution of SIPS summarize their findings at every PoDAG generated data sets should/could be done meeting – presentation and discussion. through affiliation with a DAAC. Koni Mark Parsons/Dave Bromwich Steffen, Dave Bromwich, Greg Hunolt, and Ron Weaver will discuss with Martha Scatterometer Data Set: Maiden.

Contact JPL DAAC to discuss level of IDS (Dozier, Barron): effort to process and archive scatterometer Request information on snow related data data for polar regions. Archiving and products that are to be produced by these distribution should remain at JPL DAAC. IDS teams. Try to answer whether they Ron Weaver/Mark Drinkwater should be archived at the NSIDC-DAAC. Richard Armstrong/Anne Walker MODIS Albedo/SST:

Ice Sheet Motion Vectors: More interaction with the MODIS team is needed to guarantee best possible data Assess level of effort needed to archive ice products for the ice community. We sheet motion vectors and the correspond- should form an “interest group” for ing pointers to the high-resolution satellite albedo and SST/IST to interact on a images for the Antarctica. Ted Scambos/ regular basis (science related issues), and Jay Zwally we should encourage a MODIS Team member to participate in the PoDAG MODIS User Profile: meetings. Julienne Stroeve/Koni Steffen

Request user profile from MODIS team for their ice products, such as number of

20 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

EO-1 New Millennium Program6, Japan’s GLI mission7, and ESA’s Envisat MERIS The EOS Land Validation Core Sites: sensor8. The Core Sites were presented to the Committee on Earth Observing background information and current Satellites Working Group on Calibration status and Validation (CEOS WGCV)9 at its workshop in London, May 26-28, 1999 — J. Morisette ([email protected]), J. Privette, C. Justice, D. Olson, J. Dwyer, (Dowman et al., 1999). P. Davis, D. Starr, D. Wickland The BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA) site10 provides an example of the multi- project coordinated activity envisioned for all Core Sites. This site will be utilized by 11 Overview teams, the Science Working Group for the the NASA-sponsored “BigFoot” project . AM-1 Platform (SWAMP) decided at its The BigFoot project will focus on valida- The EOS Land Validation Core Sites1 will meeting in December 1997 to focus much tion of the MODIS Land Team’s provide the user community with timely of its land validation activity on a set of (MODLAND) land cover, leaf area index ground, aircraft, and satellite data for EOS “Core” sites (Justice et al., 1998). This (LAI) and net primary production (NPP) science and validation investigations. The focus would allow collaboration within products (see Justice et al., 1998b for a sites, currently 24 distributed worldwide, and among science teams and reduce the description of MODIS land products). In represent a consensus among the instru- duplicated effort that would result from addition to the BigFoot work, the BOREAS ment teams and validation investigators validation efforts at disparate sites. This Northern Study Area (NSA) site has and represent a range of global biome decision resulted in an EOS community significant historical data, gathered during 12 types (see Figure 1 and Table 1; Privette et effort to establish the EOS Land Validation the U.S.-Canada BOREAS study . al., 1999; Justice et al., 1998). The sites Core Sites. Although their development typically have a history of in situ and was led by MODLAND2, the sites are The historical data sets are being remote observations and can expect intended for use by all satellite archived as part of the Oak Ridge National continued monitoring and land cover sensors. Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active research activities. In many cases, a Core Archive Center’s (DAAC’s) support of Site will have a tower equipped with The sites will not only encourage synergy NASA field campaigns in ecology and above-canopy instrumentation for near- between validation activities of the EOS biogeochemistry. The BOREAS NSA site is continuous sampling of landscape sensor teams, but also help foster interna- also part of the Canadian Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS)13 LAI network. radiometric, energy and CO2 flux, meteo- tional collaboration and a common set of rological variables, and atmospheric locations for validation campaigns for CCRS is coordinating with BigFoot on aerosol and water vapor data. These will other science teams. The Core Sites have field measurements and image analysis. be complemented by intensive field been incorporated in the Landsat 7 science This coordination will focus on: 1) how measurement campaigns. The data team’s Long Term Acquisition Plan previous BOREAS and CCRS efforts can collected at these sites will provide an (LTAP)3 and the SeaWiFS team4 will be provide insight for MODLAND valida- important resource for the broader science providing subsetted data for the sites. tion, 2) the potential for the BigFoot community. These sites can also provide a ESA’s Land-Surface Processes and approach to be incorporated into the foundation for a validation network Interactions Mission (LSPIM)5 has CCRS LAI network, and 3) how that supported and used by all international incorporated the Core Sites into their network might contribute to additional space agencies. mission and experiment plan (personal validation measurements for the related communication with Claire Jacobs, SC- MODLAND products. In addition, the Background DLO, Wageningen, The Netherlands). Global Observation of Forest Cover 14 Ongoing coordination is pursuing the (GOFC) program is currently considering Following a number of years of consensus possibility of integrating the Core Sites the validation activities at the BOREAS building among the EOS instrument into the validation strategies of NASA’s NSA site as a means of developing

21 THE EARTH OBSERVER

collaboration between the MERIS and GLI teams by having scientists from those programs participate in upcoming field measurement activities (personal commu- nication, Frank Ahern, CCRS). Researchers associated with the Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Core Site15 joined BigFoot at the NSA in this spirit.

While the other sites have varying amounts of activity, a common database and acquisition protocol is being devel- oped for all Core Sites. This includes field data archive; storage and retrieval; Figure 1. EOS Land Validation Core Sites (a map with site names is given at modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/ satellite and airborne image acquisition; LAND/VAL/core_sites.html). archiving, and dissemination; commercial satellite data products; and supporting non-satellite data (i.e. historical site interest and direct the user to them. Validation. It provides a realistic system characterization data and GIS layers). The by which EOS Validation Investigators can combined data and resources available at The Mercury system provides both the allow public access to their data within six the Core Sites will build on existing team collecting the data and the data users months of data collection, as required by networks and help encourage continued significant advantages relative to the the EOS Validation Program20. Others and future collaboration. traditional data management systems. collecting validation data are strongly Data sets remain with those responsible encouraged to utilize the Mercury system. Acquisition and Availability of Core for the data collection, thus allowing them Site Data to maintain full control of the quality, 1.2. Image data 1.1. A metadata access system for version, and availability of their data sets. site data The ORNL DAAC provides these collec- The land validation efforts for EOS will tors with a metadata editor tool18 that can follow the approach adopted by other Perhaps the most unique characteristic for be used to help organize their field data. major intensive field campaigns; such as validation sites is the field work, either This tool can be helpful to any investigator BOREAS12, FIFE16, and the MODIS ongoing measurements or short-term wishing to create metadata for their prototype Validation Experiments21, 22, by intensive observational periods, for a site. fieldwork - even if just for their own acquiring imagery from multiple sources Traditionally, data from multiple field records. Once the URL of the data’s over a range of spatial resolutions. For the campaigns at various sites have not been location is registered through the Core Sites, this will include airborne available through one centralized data- metadata tool, the Mercury system imagery and commercial satellite imagery base. Individually, the NASA-sponsored harvests the metadata and creates a at several-meter resolution, ETM+23 and campaigns such as FIFE16 and BOREAS12 pointer to the data. The scientist maintains ASTER24 data in the 15-30 meter range, have made significant steps toward this full control of his/her site. The scientist and SeaWiFS4, MODIS Land Products goal. The ORNL DAAC will perform a key has the option of temporarily removing (Justice et al., 1998)2 and MISR Local role in centralizing the distribution and the data or restricting access by requiring Mode25 data at the 250 m to 1 km range. archiving of field data useful for valida- a password from users. This allows for the The airborne data will be archived tion of EOS Terra Land Products. To metadata to be created and registered as through the Mercury system described facilitate this effort, the DAAC has soon as possible, yet provides some time above. NASA’s Science Data Buy (SDB)26 employed the Mercury system (Cook et for initial quality checks on the data before program has allocated resources for the al., 1999)17. Mercury is a Web-based system making it available to the general public. acquisition of one Space Imaging IKONOS that allows the searching of distributed Mercury will facilitate the availability of scene27 over each of the Core Sites. Also metadata files to identify data sets of field data sets needed for EOS Land available through the SDB program are

22 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

Table 1. EOS Land Validation Core Site Information

Site Name Country Latitude Longitude Elevation Biome TM/ETM+ MODIS Tile MODIS Active Possible Tower Path/Row* (vert./hori.) Line/Sample Networks Networks (w/in tile) Grassland/ BigFoot, FLUXN, 1 ARM/CART OK, USA 36.64 -97.5 300m Cereal Crop 28-27/34 5/10 403/210 GLCTS BSRN yes BARC, Broadleaf 2 USDA ARS MD, USA 39.03 -76.9 50m Cropland 15/33 5/12 1116/35 AERONET, FLUXNET yes East Anglia, Broadleaf 3 Barton Bendish UK 52.61 0.53 25m Cropland 201/23 3/18 887.30/37.62 no Broadleaf SurfRad. 4 Bondville IL, USA 40.01 -88.3 225m Cropland 22/32 4/11 1199/284 AERONET, BigFoot BSRN yes Needleleaf 5 BOREAS NSA Canada 55.88 -98.5 300m Forest 33/21 3/12 494/569 BigFoot, FLUXNET yes Needleleaf 6 BERMS* Canada 53.98 -105 475m Forest 37/22 3/11 722/980 FLUXNET yes Cascades/H.J Needleleaf AERONET, FLUXNET, 7 Andrews LTER OR, USA 44.5 -122 1000m Forest 45/29 4/9 660/388 GLCTS, LTER yes Broadleaf BigFoot, FLUXNET, 8 Harvard Forest LTER MA, USA 42.37 -72.3 200m Forest 13/30 4/12 916/794 GLCTS, LTER yes Needleleaf AERONET, FLUXNET, 9 Howland ME, USA 45.3 -68.8 100m Forest 28-Nov 4/13 564/191 GLCTS yes Broadleaf 10 Ji-Parana Brazil -10.22 -61.9 200m Forest 231/67 10/11 26/1090 LBA yes Shrubland/ 11 Jornada LTER NM, USA 32.5 -107 1300m Woodland 33/37 5/8 900/1195 GLCTS, LTER yes Grassland/ FLUXNET, 12 Konza Prairie LTER KS, USA 39.08 -96.6 350m Cereal Crop 28/33 5/10 110/598 GLCTS, LTER no Needleleaf 13 Krasnoyarsk Russia 57.27 91.6 350m Forest 144/20 3/22 321/1115 yes Broadleaf 14 Maricopa Ag. Cnt. AZ, USA 45.75 106 1400m Cropland 37/37 5/8 832/739 no Shrubland/ AERONET, GLCTS, 15 Mongu Zambia 33.07 -112 400m Woodland 175/70 10/20 654/288 SAFARI 2000 yes AZ, USA/ Shrubland/ 16 SALSA San Pedro Mexico -15.45 23.3 1000m Woodland 35/38 5/8 991/788 no Grassland/ 17 Sevilleta LTER NM, USA 31.74 -110 1500m Cereal Crop 33/36 5/9 682/214 LTER no Shrubland AERONET, GLCTS, 18 Skukuza, Kruger NP South Africa 34.32 -107 1500m Woodland 168/77 11/20 600/1043 SAFARI 2000 yes Broadleaf under 19 Tapajos Brazil -25 31.7 200m Forest 227/62 9/12 388/639 LBA construction Grassland/ 20 Uardry Australia -2.86 -55 50m Cereal Crop 93/84 12/29 527/118 no Grassland/ 21 Mandalgovi Mongolia -34.39 145 100m Cereal Crop 131-132/28 4/25 510/496 no Virginia Coast Broadleaf BSRN 22 Reserve VA, USA 37.5 -75.7 ~0m Cropland 14/34 5/11 300/1194 LTER (near by) yes Broadleaf 23 Walker Bran TN, USA 35.9 -843 300m Forest 19/35 5/11 492/204 FLUXNET, GLCTS yes Wisc.: NTL Needleleaf 24 LTER/Park Falls WI, USA 46 -89.6 450m Forest 25/28 4/11 480/929 FLUXNET, LTER yes

* “Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites”, formerly BOREAS SSA

precision orthorectified Landsat 5 scenes (ECS). Landsat ETM+, ASTER, and with field campaigns and/or vegetation from the early 1990s. These scenes will MODIS data will be available through the phenology. With the assistance of EDC, the provide a baseline image with which to EROS Data Center (EDC) DAAC. SeaWiFS MODIS Land Discipline team will query geocode other image data. The University data will be archived by the SeaWiFS and order ETM+ and ASTER data needed of Maryland (UMD) Global Land Cover program at Goddard Space Flight Center4. for validation investigations. The high- Facility (GLCF)28 will archive the precision lighted areas in Table 2 will be used for TM scenes. The Core Sites are scheduled The current plan is to acquire from one to scheduling priority data collections at the for MISR Local Mode acquisition where five ETM+ and ASTER scenes per year for Core Sites. the data will be available through the each Core Site, depending on the activity Langley DAAC via the EOS Core System related to each site, selected to coincide The MODIS data available for the Core

23 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Sites will be 200 km x 200 km subsets from validation work at the Core Sites. These 1.4. Background Data and GIS the original MODIS Level L3 and L4, 1200 include the AERONET sun photometer Layers km x 1200 km, MODIS Tiles. The sub- network (primarily for atmospheric setted data sets will contain daily and aerosols and water vapor, Holben et al., In 1999 the validation community devel- 29, 30 multi-day composites. The decision to 1998) , the FLUXNET CO2 /H2O flux oped a prioritized list of parameters produce MODIS subsets over the valida- network31, Long Term Ecological Research required to characterize each site and a tion sites was based on the need for rapid (LTER)32 sites, Global Land Cover Test strategy for assembling the in situ mea- and convenient access to high temporal Sites (GLCTS)33, the BigFoot Project11, and, surements (list of parameters, frequency, resolution data. Spatial subsetting over the potentially, the Surface Radiation Budget and volume of data). The basic data for sites will help reduce the data volume and Monitoring (SurfRad)34 and Baseline sites includes monthly climate, LAI, NPP, permit ftp access and on-line storage of Surface Radiation Network (BSRN)35 fPAR, albedo, vegetation and soil charac- MODIS data for all of the Core Sites. networks. There is also overlap with the teristics, and crown allometry. Although SAFARI 200036 and LBA37 project sites. The the goal is to have measurements at each 1.3. Science Networks Core Site selection was in part based on a site coincident with satellite overpasses, site’s participation with one or more of there is a need to compile extant data for Data from several science networks will be these networks. The network information sites. The extant data from literature, used to support and complement the for each site is listed in Table 1. reports, monitoring stations, Web sites, etc. provide a baseline for the site and an

Table 2. ETM+ and ASTER Priority Acquisition Windows (shaded areas show priority targets for acquiring one or more ETM+ and ASTER scenes).

Site Month 1 234 5 67 89101112

ARM/CART BARC, USDA ARS Barton Bendish Bondville BOREAS, NSA BERMS Cascades LTER Harvard Forest LTER Howland Ji-Parana Jornada LTER Konza Prarie LTER Krasnoyarsk Maricopa Ag.Cnt. Mongu SALSA, San Pedro Sevilleta LTER Skukuza, Kruger NP Tapajos Uardry Mandalgovi Virginia Coast Reserve Walker Branch Wisc.: NTL LTER/Park Falls

24 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

indication of long-term variability. The The data layers that have been generated Justice, C., Starr, D., Wickland, D., Privette, ORNL DAAC has implemented a rela- for the Core Sites include: J., and Suttles, T., 1998: EOS Land tional database management system to Validation Coordination: An Update. The standardize and store ancillary site data. • EDC IGBP land cover; Earth Observer, 10 (3):55-60. The database is especially designed to • UMD 1 km land cover; document the source and measurement • percent tree cover; Justice C., E. Vermote, J. R. G. Townshend, characteristics of ancillary data. The • FAO Soils data; R. DeFries, D. R. Roy, D. K. Hall, V. V. ORNL DAAC compiled site data from the • GTOPO 30 elevation, and Salomonson, J. L. Privette, G. Riggs, A. Walker Branch Watershed, Harvard Forest • a reference layer with airports, Strahler, W. Lucht, R. Myneni, Y LTER, BOREAS Northern Study Area, municipal boundaries, major cites, Knyazikhin, S. W. Running, R. R. Nemani, Bondville, and Konza Prairie LTER sites in rivers, and ETM+ footprints. Z. Wan, A. Huete, W. van Leeuwen, R. E. 1999. Wolfe, L. Giglio, J. P. Muller, P. Lewis, M. J. Access to Core Site data Barnsley, 1998b: The Moderate Resolution Most site measurements are based on data Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS): land All of the data available for the Core Sites collected on field plots ranging in size remote sensing for global change research. will be accessible through the Internet. from a square meter to a hectare; however, IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing The various sources of data are all linked the intent is to characterize field condi- 36(4): 1228-1249. through each site’s WWW page, available tions of the satellite pixels, e.g., 1 km 2 for through the MODIS Land Discipline’s MODIS. The ORNL DAAC compiled data Privette, J. L., J. T. Morisette, C. Justice, Validation activities page39. Each site’s on climate, soils, land cover, and NDVI for and D. Starr, 1999: EOS Global Land WWW page serves as a data access all sites from a set of global databases that Validation Network, IEEE IGARSS’99 starting point, providing links to the represented average conditions surround- Proceedings, 5:2587-2589. satellite data, the Mercury search page, ing the Core Site’s center coordinates (see and the ancillary data layers available Table 1). For example, average values for Running, S. W, D. D. Baldocchi, D. P. through CRESS, and other related web 14 parameters representing soil texture, Turner, S. T. Gower, P. S. Bakwin, K. A. sites water holding capacity, and nutrient status Hibbard, 1999: A Global Terrestrial for the top 30 cm of soil for 5 cells were Monitoring Network Integrating Tower References: extracted from an IGBP Global Soils Fluxes, Flask Sampling, Ecosystem database. Dominant land cover from the Modeling and EOS Satellite Data. Remote Cook R., Voorhees L., Woodcock C., 1999: University of Maryland 1 km Global Land Sensing of Environment, 70: 108-126. May 1999 User Working Group Meeting Cover product was extracted for the 1 km — ORNL DAAC for Biogeochemical 2 pixel centered over the site and the Dynamics. The Earth Observer 11(5):8-10 number of unique land cover types (with a possible maximum of 14 cover types) in a Dowman, I., Morisette, J., Justice, C., 5x5 neighborhood patch. Cells around Belward, A., 1999: Meeting Report: CEOS each site provide an indication of the Working Group on Calibration and homogeneity of each site. Validation Meeting on Digital Elevation Models and Terrain Parameters. The Earth The University of Maryland’s Commercial Observer, 11(4):19-20, 38. Remote Sensing for Earth System Science (CRESS) program has extracted several Holben, B. N., Eck, T. F., Slutsker, I., Tanré, GIS layers from global source products. Buis, J. P., Setzer, A., Vermote, E., Reagan, Extracting the subsets from the global J. A., Kaufman, Y. J., Nakajima, T., Lavenu, dataset allows for comparability of these F., Jankowiak, I., Smirnov, A., 1998: products across sites. These global AERONET – A Federated Instrument products, subsetted around the Core Sites, Network and Data Archive for Aerosol are available through the University of Characterization. Remote Sensing of Maryland Geography Department38 Environment, 66: 1-16.

25 THE EARTH OBSERVER

WWW Reference

1 EOS Land Validation Core Sites, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/core_sites.html 2 MODIS Land Discipline Team, modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov 3 Landsat Long term acquisition plan, ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/IAS/htmls/igs.html 4 SeaWiFS homepage, seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html 5 Land-Surface Processes and Interactions Mission, www.estec.esa.nl/vrwww/LSPIM 6 Earth Observing – 1, eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov 7 GLI homepage, www.eorc.nasda.go.jp/ADEOS-II/GLI 8 MERIS homepage, envisat.estec.esa.nl/instruments/meris 9 CEOS WGCV homepage, wgcv.ceos.org 10 BOREAS NSA Core Site page, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/core_sites/boreas_nsa.html 11 BigFoot program, www.fsl.orst.edu/larse/bigfoot 12 BOREAS, boreas.gsfc.nasa.gov/BOREAS/BOREAS_Home.html 13 Canadian Center for Remote Sensing, www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/ccrs 14 Global Observation of Forest Cover, www.gofc.org/gofc 15 Krasnoyarsk Core Site page, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/core_sites/krasnoyarsk.html 16 FIFE, www-eosdis.ornl.gov/FIFE/FIFE_Home.html 17 Mercury Homepage, mercury.ornl.gov 18 Mercury Metadata Editor login, www-eosdis.ornl.gov/cgi-bin/MDE/MERCURY/access.pl 19 Mercury Land Validation Search, mercury.ornl.gov/servlet/landval 20 EOS Validation program, eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/validation/valpage.html 21 Grassland PROVE, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/prove/grass/prove.html 22 Forest PROVE, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/prove/forest/prove.html 23 Landsat 7, ETM+ homepage, mtpe.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat 24 ASTER homepage, asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov 25 MISR Langley DAAC Project Guide, charm.larc.nasa.gov/GUIDE/campaign_documents/misr/misr_ov.html 26 NASA’s Science Data Buy program, www.crsp.ssc.nasa.gov/databuy 27 Space Imaging: IKONOS, www.spaceimaging.com 28 UMd Global Land Cover Facility, glcf.umiacs.umd.edu 29 AERONET homepage, aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080 30 AERONET status at the EOS Land Validation Core Sites, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/EOSaeronet.html 31 FLUXNET homepage, daacl.esd.ornl.gov/FLUXNET 32 U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network, lternet.edu 33 Global Land Cover Test Sites, edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/pathfinder/pathpage.html 34 Surface Radiation Budget Monitoring network, www.srrb.noaa.gov/surfrad/surfpage.htm 35 Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), bsrn.ethz.ch 36 SAFARI 2000 homepage, safari.gecp.virginia.edu 37 Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA), www.cptec.inpe.br/lba 38 University of Maryland Geography Department, Commercial Remote Sensing for Earth System Science, www.inform.umd.edu/landcover/cress/eoscchar.htm 39 MODIS Land Team Validation page, modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL

26 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

Terra Engineering Competition

Who Student teams in High Schools from Maryland, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas, and the northeast NASA region.

What Students work in 4-6 member teams to solve real world engineering This competition is for high challenges encountered in the Terra Earth Observing System mission. school students, and is planned When and sponsored jointly by the ✭ Round One solution submitted: Postmarked no later than Feb. 25, 2000. EOS Project Science Office, the ✭ Round One winners notified no later than March 10, 2000 ✭ GSFC Education Office, Morgan Final hands-on competition: April 19, 2000, 9 AM-4 PM. State University, and Swales Where ✭ Aerospace. The Round One Final competition at Howard B. Owens Science Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, near NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. problem is focused on Terra’s How on-orbit calibration attitude ✭ Use the contest web site (education.gsfc.nasa.gov/Terra/ maneuvers. Contest.html) to solve the Round One engineering problem. ✭ Maximum of 10 Round One team finalists will be chosen to partici-pate in the final round. ✭ Winning teams recognized after the final competition at an awards ceremony ✭ Winning prize: A complete computer system for the winning team’s school and individual prizes for each winning team mem ber.

Goddard Space Flight Center Educational Program For details, please see Code 130.3 education.gsfc.nasa.gov/Terra/contest.html Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (301) 286-7504

27 THE EARTH OBSERVER

“Global Warming Will Threaten California’s Environment,” Associated Press EOS Scientists in the News (Nov. 4). Christopher Field (Carnegie Inst.) has been looking at the impact of — Emilie Lorditch ([email protected]), Raytheon ITSS global warming on California. Field found that wetter winters caused by global warming could lead to flooding and water shortages in California.

“Under Antarctica, Clues to an Icecap’s Fate,” New York Times (Oct. 26) by Malcolm W. Browne. Ghassem Asrar (NASA HQ) discusses research being “Terra Launch Spotlights NASA’s Earth climate changes. Alley says that with conducted by Kenneth C. Jezek (Ohio Observing System,” (Dec. 10) by Andrew appropriate satellite data, researchers can State). Jezek is examining radar pictures of Lawler. Ghassem Asrar (NASA HQ) says see exactly what is happening to the ice Antarctica that contain clues about how that Terra is great for focusing on specific sheet and learn more about the impact it climate changes will affect low-lying parts scientific questions while continuously will have on climate. of the world such as Bangladesh, the providing data. Asrar, Bruce Wielicki Netherlands, and New York City. (NASA LaRC), and Mark Abbott (Oregon “Storm Damage Soars in La Niña Years,” State Univ.) are optimistic that Earth Science News (Nov. 27) by Richard “La Niña Reappears in Pacific,” Associated Observing System projects like Terra will Monastersky. Roger Pielke, Jr. (NCAR) Press (Oct. 22). William Patzert (NASA result in valuable information for future compares structural damage totals for all JPL) observed the TOPEX-Poseidon Earth science research. storms since 1925. Pielke says that the satellite data that shows La Niña returning United States has a greater risk of getting in the Pacific. Patzert says that because La “Will the Arctic Ocean Lose All Its Ice?,” hit by more storms packing more energy Niña has returned there will be a wet Science (Dec. 3) by Richard A. Kerr. during La Niña years. winter across the Pacific Northwest and a Andrew Rothrock (Univ. of Wash) has dry winter in the Pacific Southwest. found that Arctic sea ice has thinned from “Experts Hope to Clear up Warming 3.1 m to 1.8 m in the last decade or 15%. Controversy,” Environmental News Network “Global Maps From Landsat Scenes Take Rothrock says that Arctic ice has shrunk (Nov. 24). David Rind (NASA GISS) has Shape,” Space News (Oct. 18) by Ben by 40% in less than 30 years. used computer climate models to examine Iannotta. David Skole (Michigan State changes in solar radiation over the past Univ.) is assessing the first images released “Arctic Sea Ice is Rapidly Dwindling,” 400 years. Rind found that the Sun has not from Landsat 7 to make global maps. Washington Post (Dec. 3) by Curt Suplee. played a significant role in climate change Skole says there is still a lot of work that Claire Parkinson (NASA GSFC) is in the past few decades. needs to be done before the data can be working with a team of researchers that released to the public as finished images. discovered that less than 2% of the “Studying Deep Ocean Currents for Clues Arctic sea ice melting is due to natural to Climates,” New York Times (Nov. 9) by “Talks to Focus on Most Abundant climate change. Parkinson’s research also William K. Stevens. Richard Alley (Penn Greenhouse Gas,” Environmental News appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, State) has been investigating climate clues Network (Oct. 12). John Gille (NCAR) and the Associated Press. to figure out if the climate is warming due helped to organize the American Geo- to natural changes or human-induced physical Union Chapman Conference on “Plumbing Antarctica for Climate Clues,” changes. Alley says that other researchers Water Vapor that will bring more than 80 Science News (Nov. 27) by Richard are offering possible explanations about participants from the United States and Monastersky. Richard Alley (Penn State) climate change that have a good chance of abroad to discuss the role of water vapor has been studying the shrinking of the being proven in the near future. Antarctic ice sheet to learn more about (Continued on page 30)

28 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

Olson, Tim Salish, Kootenai College: Earth Science Education Update Remote Sensing of Tribal Lands: Earth System Science Student Research Experiences at Salish Kootenai College Earth Science Education Proposals Selected Yamaguchi, Janet, Discovery Science — Nahid Khazenie ([email protected]), Education Program Manager, Office of Earth Science, NASA Headquarters Center: The Dynamic Earth — Steve Graham ([email protected]), EOS Project Science Office, Raytheon ITSS Curriculum Support

Blount, Grady, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi: The Translingual Earth Congratulations to the outstanding Locke, Sharon M, University of Southern System Science Education Center proposals selected for award and subse- Maine: ACCESS Earth: Promoting quent funding through NASA’s Earth Accessibility to the Earth System Sciences Butcher, Ginger, Goddard Space Flight Science Enterprise Education Program, in for Persons with Disabilities Center: The Pigeon Adventure—An partnership with NASA’s Office of Human Adventure through Remote Sensing Resources and Education and NASA’s Odell, Michael R L, University of Idaho: History Office of Equal Opportunities Programs. NOVA Online ESS ESE received and reviewed 163 proposals Gobert, Judith M, Salish Kootenai College: in response to the NRA and depended Panah, Assad I, University of Pittsburgh: NASA Native Earth Systems Science substantially on a rigorous review process An Interdisciplinary Teacher Training Curriculum Project (NESCP) to prioritize projects and allocate limited Program on Earth System Science Using funds. The following projects were Information Technology, 2000-2002 Kahn, Ralph A, Jet Propulsion Laboratory: selected: Practical Uses of Math And Science Strong, William R, University of North (PUMAS) Teacher Enhancement Alabama: Earth System Science On-Line Course—An Opportunity in Geography Pickle, John D, AER, Inc.: Enhancement of Aponte-Avellanet, Ibis L, University of Education the Global Systems Science Student Guide Puerto Rico: Interactions and Diversity: Series for the Digital Earth Initiative Earth System Science and Beyond Student Enrichment Vierling, Lee A, South Dakota School of Benson, Bernard W, University of Tennes- Chambers, Lin H, Langley Research Mines & Technology: Earth Systems see Chattanooga: Pre-Service Teacher Center: Students’ Cloud Observations Connections: An Integrated K-4 Science, Enhancement Program On-Line (S’COOL), A Unique Project with Mathematics, and Technology Curriculum Emphasis on Grades 4 and Under Hayden, Linda B, Elizabeth City State Informal Education University: Mathematics of the Great Hayden, Linda B, Elizabeth City State Dismal Swamp University: You Be the Scientist with Byrd, Deborah, EarthTalk, Inc.: NASA/ Satellite Imagery in EZ/EC Communities Earth & Sky Broadcast Fellowship Kuglin, John R, University of Montana: Earth Science Enterprise Research Moon, Thomas, Montana Technical Stauffer, Barbara, National Museum of Program University: STEP Careers in Research Natural History: Global Links Exploration Program Limaye, Sanjay S, University of Wisconsin Vandiver, Raymond J, Oregon Museum of Madison: Earth Science Component for Morris, Vernon R, Howard University: Science & Industry: Eyes on Earth Academic Professional Enhancement Celebrating 20th Century Pioneers in (ESCAPE) Atmospheric Sciences

29 THE EARTH OBSERVER

Digital Earth convenient printed format (fee.) A The Thacher Scholarship will be awarded Multimedia Teacher Kit with Resource to an exceptional high-school student Gordin, Douglas N, Michigan State Video will also be published in Jan-Feb displaying the best use of satellite remote University: Pending Availability of Funds: 2000 (fee.) sensing in understanding the changing (Transforming Learning and Traveling planet. $4,000 will be provided directly to through the Digital Earth) Online: Participating teachers and the student for educational expenses. students will enjoy e-mail interactions Rodriguez, Waldo J, Norfolk State with weather and climate researchers, The winning student will be selected from University: Scenario Based Learning— receive online updates, and connect via the Center winners of the NASA Student Inquiry for a Digital Earth moderated mail list with fellow learners. A Involvement Program’s “Watching Earth comprehensive website will debut in Jan. Change” competition . Passport To Weather And Climate — 2000 with animations and data, and links The selection will be made by a group of Live From The Storm to existing meteorological resources. judges chosen and convened by IGES. Announcement of the scholarship winner “Passport to Weather and Climate” is 9th For more information or to sign up for the will be made at the NSIP National in the award-winning series of interactive mail lists: passporttoknowledge.com/ Symposium in May, 2000. learning adventures from “Passport to ptk_storm.html. Knowledge” that are designed to link Contributors to the Thacher Scholarship students and teachers with America’s Passport To Weather And Climate and Live are: IGES; WT Chen & Company, Inc.; and leading researchers via video and the From The Storm specials are made possible, Mr. & Mrs. J. Andrew Chopivsky. Internet, and to enliven the curriculum by in part, by support from NASA and the connecting real world research to essential National Oceanic and Atmospheric For more information, please see science concepts. The program includes Administration. www.strategies.org or contact Colleen video broadcasts, hands-on activities, and Steele, [email protected]. on-line resources. Thacher Scholarship Announced

Video Broadcasts — Two, one-hour programs The Institute for Global Environmental airing over public television stations and Strategies (IGES) announces the Thacher NASA-TV: Scholarship, in honor of former IGES Board Member, the late Peter S. Thacher. EOS Scientists in the News Program 1: The Who, What, Where, When Mr. Thacher was also Chairman of the (Continued from page 28) and Why of Weather — Airs Tuesday March Earth Council Foundation-US. Since 7, 2000, 13:00 hours eastern time. This retiring from the United Nations in 1983 at as a greenhouse gas. Gille says that the show will feature NASA Goddard’s the rank of Assistant Secretary-General, conference will focus on atmospheric TRMM and NASA Marshall’s Mesoscale Mr. Thacher was principally associated water vapor, the greenhouse effect, Lightning Experiment. The program will with the World Resources Institute, and rainfall, and evaporation. include visuals from NASA Goddard was senior advisor to Maurice Strong, the Space Flight Center‚ and state-of-the-art Secretary-General of the UN Conference EOS researchers: Please send notices of studies of hurricanes. on Environment and Development. Mr. recent media coverage in which you have Thacher dedicated more than three been involved to: Program 2: Research To The Rescue! — Airs decades of work at an international level Tuesday April 11, 2000, 13:00 hours on remote sensing and other practical Emilie Lorditch eastern time. applications of space science. He played a EOS Project Science Office, Code 900, special advisory role for NASA and Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Hands-On Activities: An original 64 page provided a unique and extremely valuable MD 20771 Teacher’s Guide, with copy masters of contribution to geographic information Tel. (301) 441-4031; fax: (301) 441-2432; worksheets and oversize poster will be systems on local, regional, and global e-mail: [email protected] available online (without cost), or in a levels.

30 November/December 1999 Vol. 11 No. 6

March 27-31 July 24-28 Science Calendar 28th International Symposium on Remote IEEE 2000 International Geoscience and Sensing of Environment, Cape Town, South Remote Sensing Symposium, 20th February 10-11 Africa. Call for Papers. For abstracts Anniversary, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, AIRS Science Team Meeting, Pasadena, CA. submission: [email protected], or Hawaii. Call for Papers. See conference Contact Hartmut H. Aumann, e-mail: see Website at www.isrse.co.za, Fax: +27 21 website at www.igarss.org. [email protected]. 883 8177; tel. +27 21 886 4496 (ask for Deidré Cloete); postal: The 28th ISRSE Technical July 24-29 February 14-15 Committee, P.O. Box 452, Stellenbosch, 7599, International Radiation Symposium (IRS- GLAS/ICESat Science Team Meeting, Austin South Africa. 2000), Saint Petersburg State University, St. Texas. Contact Bob Schutz, e-mail: Petersburg, Russia. For further information [email protected]. April 4-8 contact Evgenia M. Shulgina, St. Petersburg February 23-25 The Association of American Geographers State University, Research Institute of Physics, AVIRIS Earth Science and Applications (AAG), Pittsburgh, PA. Contact: (202) 234- 1 Ulyanovskaya, 198904, St. Petersburg, Workshop, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Contact 1450, e-mail: [email protected], URL: www.aag. Russia; Fax: +7 (812) 428-72-40; e-mail: Robert Green, e-mail: [email protected], org. [email protected]; or URL: makalu.jpl.nasa.gov. [email protected]. May 1-2 March 29-31 13th Annual Towson University GIS August 6-17 CHEM Science Team Meeting, Boulder, Conference Geographic Visualization: Turning a 31st International Geological Congress & Colorado. Contact Anne Douglass, e-mail: Sea of Data Into Data You can See, Baltimore, Scientific Exhibits, Rio de Janeiro. Contact [email protected] MD. Contact Jay Morgan, tel. (410) 830-2964, Tania Franken, tel. 55 21 537-4338; Fax: 55 21 e-mail: [email protected], URL: www. 537-7991, e-mail: [email protected], April 11-13 towson.edu/cgis. URL: www.31igc.org. EOS Investigator Working Group Meeting (IWG), Tucson, AZ. Contact Mary Floyd, e-mail: May 22-26 August 21-25 ASPRS: The Imaging and Geospatial [email protected]. For hotel and 10th Australasian Remote Sensing & Information Society, 2000 Annual Conference, registration information see URL: eospso.gsfc. Photogrammetry Conference, Adelaide, May 22-26, 2000. Washington, DC. Call for nasa.gov/eos_homepage/logreg.html. Australia. Contact secretariat, tel. (02) 6257 Papers. For abstracts submission see Website 3299. Fax: (02) 6257 3256, URL: at www.asprs.org/dc2000; tel. (410) www.adelaide.edu.au/10arspc. Global Change Calendar 208-2855; Fax: (410) 641-8341; e-mail: [email protected]. October 9-12 February 17-22 Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere June 12-14 American Association for Advancement of and Clouds II, Sendai, Japan. Contact Jinxue Sixth Circumpolar Symposium on Remote Science (AAAS), Washington, DC. Call (202) Wang, e-mail: [email protected]; or SPIE, tel. Sensing of Polar Environments, Yellowknife, 326-6736, URL: www.aaas.org. (360) 676-3290, e-mail: [email protected]; URL: Northwest Territories, Canada. E-mail: www.spie.org/web/meetings/calls/ae00/ [email protected], tel. (867) 920- March 7-10 confs/AE01.html. Oceanology International 2000, Brighton, UK. 3329, URL: www.gov.nt.ca/RWED/rs/ circumpolar2000. Call for Papers. Contact Christine Rose, October 16-20 Conference Executive, Oceanology ERS-ENVISA Symposium “Looking at our July 16-23 International 2000, Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd, Earth in the New Millenium,” Gothenburg, International Society for Photogrammetry & Ocean House, 50 Kingston Road, New Malden, Sweden. Call for Papers. Contact Prof. J. Remote Sensing (ISPRS) 2000, Amsterdam. Surrey KT3 3LZ, UK. Tel. +44 (0) 20 8949 Askne, e-mail: [email protected]; Call for Abstracts. Contact organizing 9222; Fax: +44 (0) 20 8949 8186/8193; e-mail: URL: www.esa.int/sympo2000/. christine.rose@ spearhead.co.uk; URL: secretariat, tel. +31 20 50 40 203; Fax: +31 20 50 40 225; e-mail: [email protected]. www.spearhead.co.uk. December 5-8 The 5th Pacific Ocean Remote Sensing July 16-23 March 14-15 Conference (PORSEC2000), GOA, India. See 33rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Warsaw, Adaptive Sensor Array Processing Workshop, URL: members.tripod.com/~porsec2000/ MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Call for Papers. Poland. COSPAR Secretariat, 51, bd.de Contact Edward J. Baranoski, e-mail: Montmorencym 75016 Paris, France, tel. (33)- [email protected], URL: sam2000.uconn.edu. 1- 45250679; Fax: (33)-1-40509827; e-mail: [email protected]

31 Code 900 Bulk Rate Mail National Aeronautics and Postage and Fees Paid Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Permit G27 Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

Official Business Penalty For Private Use, $300.00

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 eospso.gsfc.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 Dave Olsen at (301) 441-4245, send message to [email protected], or write to the address above.

The Earth Observer Staff:

Executive Editor: Charlotte Griner ([email protected]) Technical Editors: Bill Bandeen ([email protected]) Renny Greenstone ([email protected]) Jim Closs ([email protected]) Design and Production: Winnie Humberson ([email protected]) Distribution: Hannelore Parrish ([email protected])

Printed on Recycled Paper