GRACE Cloudsat Metop CALIPSO TRMM Aqua TOPEX Meteor/ SAGE GIFTS NOAA/ POES Landsat GOES MTSAT SeaWiFS Terra Aura MSG Jason ICESat SORCE 1 THE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE It is the science that studies the whole Earth as a system of many interacting parts and focuses on the changes within and between those parts. THE EARTH SYSTEM 2 THE EARTH'S ENERGY BUDGET Three main sources: external (solar radiation), internal (geothermal energy), and from Earth-Moon-Sun tidal interactions (a very small component). THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE 3 4 5 THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT Concentration of carbon dioxide in dry air, since 1958, measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii (given in parts per million by volume = ppbv/1000). Annual fluctuations reflect seasonal changes in biologic uptake of CO2, while the long-term trend shows a persistent increase in the atmospheric concentration of this greenhouse gas. 6 Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, about 1850, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has risen at an increasing rate (A). The increase matches the increasing rate at which CO2 has been released through the burning of fossil fuels (B). CLIMATE CHANGE 7 EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM ESTIMATES OF FUTURE AVERAGE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE DUE TO THE GREENHOUSE A = "Business as usual," with energy EFFECT BASED ON DIFFERENT ASSUMPTIONS supply dominated by coal, continuing deforestation, and limited or no control of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon monoxide emissions. B = A shift toward lower-carbon fuels (e.g., natural gas), coupled with large increases in fuel efficiency, reversal of deforestation trends, and stringent carbon monoxide controls. C = A shift toward renewable sources (solar, hydro-and wind power) and nuclear energy in the second half of the twenty-first century, a phaseout of CFC emissions, and limitations on agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions. D = A shift to renewable and nuclear energy in the first half of the twenty- first century, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 50 percent of 1985 amounts by 2050, and stabilization of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases through controls in industrialized countries and moderate growth in developing countries. 8 REMOTE SENSING AS A TOOL FOR MONITORING CLIMATE CHANGE Terra and Aqua NASA EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM Jesus Lee-Borges 9 10 SeaWiFS / OrbView-2 (08/1/1997) The purpose of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Project is to provide quantitative data on global ocean bio-optical properties to the Earth science community. Subtle changes in ocean color signify various types and quantities of marine phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), the knowledge of which has both scientific and practical applications. SeaWiFS was successfully launched on the OrbView-2 satellite in August 1997. (OrbView-2 is not provided or operated by NASA but is a data buy.) TRMM (11/27/1997) The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint mission between NASA and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. It was designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall and the associated release of energy that helps to power the global atmospheric circulation shaping both weather and climate around the globe. Landsat 7 (04/15/1999) The Landsat Program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of imagery of the Earth from space. The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972. QuikScat (SeaWinds - 06/19/1999) The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikScat mission is a "quick recovery" mission to fill the gap created by the loss of data from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), when the satellite lost power in June 1997. The SeaWinds instrument is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. Terra (12/18/1999) The Terra satellite is the flagship of EOS. It will provide global data on the state of the atmosphere, land, and oceans, as well as their interactions with solar radiation and with one another. ACRIMSAT (12/20/1999) A series of Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitors (ACRIMs) provides long-term, precise measurements of the total amount of the Sun's energy that falls on our planet's surface, oceans, and atmosphere. NMP/EO-1 (11/21/2000) One of the key responsibilities of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is to ensure the continuity of future Landsat data. The New Millennium Program's (NMP) first flight, Earth Observing-1 (EO-1), will validate technologies contributing to the reduction in cost of follow-on Landsat missions. The Hyperion instrument will be aboard this spacecraft. METEOR 3M-1/SAGE III (3/2001) The SAGE III mission on the Russian Meteor 3M-1 spacecraft seeks to enhance our understanding of natural and human-derived atmospheric processes by providing high latitude long-term measurements of the vertical structure of aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and other important trace gases in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. 11 Jason-1 (03/2001) Jason is a joint U.S.-France (Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales) oceanography mission designed to monitor global ocean circulation, discover the tie between the oceans and atmosphere, improve global climate predictions, and monitor events such as El Nino and La Nina and ocean eddies. QuikTOMS (04/2001) The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) continues NASA's long term mapping of the global distribution of the Earth's atmospheric ozone. In addition to ozone, TOMS measures sulfur-dioxide released in volcanic eruptions. Aqua (formerly EOS PM) (07/2001) The focus for the Aqua satellite is the multidisciplinary study of the Earth's interrelated processes (atmosphere, oceans, and land-surface) and their relationship to Earth system changes. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (11/2001) The second of the Pathfinder missions, GRACE employs a satellite-to-satellite microwave tracking system between two spacecraft to measure the Earth's gravity field and its time variability over five years. Such measurements are directly coupled to long-wavelength ocean circulation processes and to the transport of ocean heat to the Earth's poles. ICESat (12/2001) ICESat is a small satellite mission to fly the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) in a near- polar orbit in 2001. GLAS will accurately measure the elevation of the Earth's ice sheets, clouds, and land. ADEOS II (SeaWinds - 2/2002) The Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS II), the successor to the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) mission, is a joint mission with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. The mission will take an active part in the research of global climate changes and their effect on weather phenomena. Triana (04/2002) Triana is a mission dedicated to helping scientists construct more accurate models of Earth's climate and answering a key Earth science question--how solar radiation affects climate. Vegetation Canopy Lidar (TBD) The first of the Pathfinder missions, VCL seeks to provide the first global inventory of the vertical structure of forests across Earth using a multibeam laser-ranging device.The mission will enable direct measurement of tree heights, forest canopy structure, and derived parameters such as global biomass with at least ten times better accuracy than existing assessments. 12 SORCE (07/2002) The SOLar STellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) and Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) onboard the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) provides the scientific community with long- term, accurate measurements of the solar ultraviolet (UV), far ultraviolet (FUV) , and total irradiance from the sun. CloudSat (05/2003) CloudSat's primary goal is to furnish data needed to evaluate and improve the way clouds are parameterized in global models thereby contributing to better predictions of clouds and, thus, to their poorly understood role in affecting climate change through what is referred to as cloud-climate feedback. Aura (formerly EOS Chemistry-1) (6/2003) The Aura satellite will focus on measurements of atmospheric trace gases and their transformations. The objective of the mission is to study the chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere from the ground through the mesosphere. PICASSO-CENA (11/2003) The Pathfinder Instruments for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observations -- Climatologie Etendue des Nuages et des Aerosols (PICASSO-CENA) mission, is a joint mission lead by NASA's Langley Research Center and the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Paris. PICASSO-CENA flies in formation with EOS PM-1 to provide global observations of aerosol and cloud properties, radiative fluxes, and atmospheric state. These data will enable new assessments of the radiative effects of aerosol and clouds that will greatly improve our ability to predict future climate change. International Space Station (SAGE III - 11/2003) The SAGE III mission on the Space Station seeks to enhance our understanding of natural and human- derived atmospheric processes by providing high latitude long-term measurements of the vertical structure of aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and other important trace gases in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. 13 TERRA (EOS AM-1) • Launched December 18, 1999 • Begun collecting data February 24, 2000 • Crosses equator at 10:30 am • Descending, near polar, sun –synchronous, and circular orbit at 705 km • Part of EOS (Earth Observing System) – Series of satellites to study the complexities of global change – Advanced computer network for processing, storing and distributing data – Teams of scientists who will study the data TERRA Instruments • ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) • CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) • MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer) • MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere) • MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) 14 ASTER is a cooperative effort between NASA and Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), with the collaboration of scientific and industry organizations in both countries. The ASTER instrument provides the next generation in remote sensing imaging capabilities compared with the older Landsat Thematic Mapper, and Japan's JERS-1 OPS scanner.