AIM/GLOBE partnership: providing remote sensing opportunities for students and teachers to study Noctilucent Clouds
“Aeronomy of Ice In the Mesosphere” (AIM), is a NASA satellite-based research mission scheduled to launch in September 2006. AIM is dedicated to providing a scientific basis for understanding why Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) form and vary. PMCs are sometimes known as Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs) or “night shinning” clouds because of their visibility during or just before and after twilight. NLCs may well be the only truly visible atmospheric phenomenon associated with global atmospheric change. These clouds that form ~ 50km above the earth, surface usually poleward of 50 latitude, have been increasing with time, becoming brighter and moving toward the equator.
Translating the mission: when the ground-truthers meet the instrument-makers-how students at all points in the "Pipeline" learn about remote sensing
In 1997 the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) worked with Old Dominion University, Hampton University, Tidewater Community College and the College of William and Mary to develop a student team to manage the design, fabrication, and launch process for a scientific balloon payload. The expertise available to the VSGC suggested that an environmentally focused payload should address the instrumentation for gathering remotely sensed images and ground-truthing data. The payload was successfully launched on August 25, 1998. Throughout the project all team members worked with precollege students. Questions about the project were responded to through the "Ask A Scientist" page of the web site (http://ixeab2.larc.nasa.gov//sup -/killough/vsgc). The "Lessons Learned" included: 1) Student accountability for accuracy, safety, and project costs is critical, 2) Internet research projects require a high degree of organization, software compatibility, and self-efficacy: judgement that the student himself feels capable of participating in an on-line research project, and 3) The moment of "Aha!" is the primary motivator.
Frequency distributions of the mixing height over an urban area from SODAR data
The height of the mixing-layer (MLH) is an important parameter in the assessment of the dilution of primarily emitted or secondarily formed air pollutants in the atmospheric boundary-layer. A continuous measurement of MLH is possible only by remote sensing. Here, 17 months of SODAR data have been analysed automatically to derive the MLH over the city of Hannover in Northern Germany. In contrast to earlier studies the MLH has been determined from vertical profiles of the acoustic backscatter intensity and from the variance of the vertical velocity component. The results are presented in form of monthly frequency distributions and mean daily courses of MLH. These statistical evaluations of MLH show a clear annual course and interannual variability. The study shows the possibility to derive meaningful climatological information from long-term SODAR measurements for air quality issues.