March 24 , 2016 RELEASE 16 - 039 NASA Gets Down to Earth This Year With Globe - Spanning Expeditions NASA takes you on a world tour with this animation as we kick off major new field campaigns to study regions of critical change from land , sea and air . Credits : NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center / Jefferson BeckNASA is sending scientists around the world in 2016 – from the edge of the Greenland ice sheet to the coral reefs of the South Pacific – to delve into challenging questions about how our planet is changing and what impacts humans are having on it . While Earth science field experiments are nothing new for NASA , the next six months will be a particularly active period with eight major new campaigns taking researchers around the world on a wide range of science investigations . The public is invited to follow this journey of exploration online through NASA ’ s social media channels and the new Earth Expeditions webpage , which will feature regular video , photos and blog posts from these missions and other ongoing field activities . Eight major new NASA field research campaigns get underway this year from the Greenland ice sheet to Pacific coral reefs that will provide scientists with a deeper view of how our home planet works to complement what they ’ ve learned from space . Credits : NASA “ Combining the long - term global view from space with detailed measurements from field experiments is a powerful way of deciphering what ’ s happening in our world , ” said Michael Freilich , director of NASA ’ s Earth Science Division in Washington . “ Scientists worldwide use NASA Earth science field data together with satellite data and computer models to tackle many of today ' s environmental challenges and advance our knowledge of how the Earth works as a complex , integrated system . ” NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet , improve lives , and safeguard our future with a fleet of orbiting satellites and instruments . To gain a more complete picture of how and why our planet is changing , NASA also sponsors intensive field studies targeting critical science issues that can benefit from a deeper look . The first of the new projects , currently in the field , is an examination of the extent to which the oceans around Greenland are melting the edges of the ice sheet from below . The Oceans Melting Greenland ( OMG ) team is now conducting its first airborne survey of the ice edge around the entire coast of Greenland . This fall , they will return to measure coastal water temperatures by dropping sensors in the sea from a plane . Air quality is the focus of the Korea U . S . - Air Quality ( KORUS - AQ ) campaign in South Korea , which begins in May . This joint study between NASA and the Republic of Korea will advance our ability to monitor air pollution from space , with coordinated observations from aircraft , ground sites , ships and satellites . Also in May , the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study ( NAAMES ) takes to the sea and air for the second year to study how the world ’ s largest plankton bloom gives rise to small organic particles that influence clouds and climate . Throughout much of this year , teams of scientists working on the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment ( ABoVE ) will be in the tundra and forests of Alaska and northwestern Canada investigating the role of climate in wildfires , thawing permafrost , wildlife migration habits and insect outbreaks . In June , the COral Reef Airborne Laboratory ( CORAL ) project team will begin testing airborne and in - water instruments in Hawaii to assess the condition of threatened coral - based ecosystems . CORAL ’ s next stop , in the fall , will be Australia ’ s Great Barrier Reef . Three airborne research campaigns will take to the skies this summer , focusing on critical climate - related components of the atmosphere . Flying tracks over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans thousands of miles long , the team of the Atmospheric Tomography ( ATom ) mission will gather measurements on more than 200 different chemical species from the ocean surface up to approximately seven miles in the atmosphere to understand how the movement and transformation of short - lived greenhouse gases , such as ozone and methane , contribute to climate change . Focusing on the skies over the eastern half of the United States , the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport – America ( ACT - America ) research team will track the movement of atmospheric carbon to better understand the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases . Flights will originate from Louisiana , Nebraska and Virginia . The Observations of Clouds above Aerosols and their Interactions ( ORACLES ) study will use airborne instruments to probe the impact on climate and rainfall of the interaction between clouds over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and smoke from massive vegetation burning in southern Africa . A better understanding of how the smoke particles alter stratocumulus clouds that play a key role in regional and global surface temperatures and precipitation will help improve current climate models . KORUS - AQ and ABoVE originated from NASA ’ s ongoing research program in the Earth Science Division . The other six new experiments are the latest in a series of multi - year NASA Earth Venture Suborbital investigations selected in 2014 . Earth Venture projects provide the U . S . scientific community with regular opportunities to accommodate new Earth science research priorities . Earth Venture is part of NASA ' s Earth System Science Pathfinder program managed at the agency ’ s Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia , for NASA ' s Science Mission Directorate in Washington . To follow all the NASA Earth Expeditions , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earthexpeditions - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govLast Updated : March 24 , 2016 Editor : Sarah RamseyTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Land Feb . 26 , 2016 NASA , Partner Space Agencies Measure Forests In Gabon A contingent of NASA airborne instruments and scientists on the ground has joined colleagues from space agencies in Gabon and Europe this month to study the dense African tropical forests in Gabon . NASA researchers have their boots on the ground and wings in the skies in Gabon , on Africa ' s west coast , for a comprehensive survey of the carbon storage of tropical forests . Download the high - resolution version from the Scientific Visualization StudioGabon , a Central African country slightly smaller than the state of Colorado , is home to one of the most pristine rainforests on the planet . During the two - week - long NASA campaign , a collaboration with a European Space Agency ( ESA ) mission called AfriSAR , researchers are collecting measurements of plant mass , distribution of trees , shrubs and ground cover , and diversity of plant and animal species — not only from Gabon ’ s rainforest but also from the country ’ s wetlands , mangrove forests and savanna . ESA launched the first part of the AfriSAR field campaign in Gabon in July 2015 , when teams led by the French national aerospace research center collected radar and field measurements of the country ’ s forests . Now NASA and the German Aerospace Center ( DLR ) have joined the second leg of the campaign . The layered forest of Lopé National Park ( Gabon ) , an area that NASA is studying with airborne radar and laser sensors during the AfriSAR campaign . Credits : NASA / Sassan SaatchiThe two NASA AFriSAR research aircraft : the B - 200 airplane ( left ) carries a laser altimeter , while the C - 20 A aircraft ( right ) transports a radar . Both instruments collect measurements of surface topography and vegetation structure , creating 3 D maps of their targets . Credits : NASAThe data will help prepare for and calibrate four current and upcoming spaceborne missions for NASA , ESA and DLR that aim to , among other goals , better gauge the role of forests in Earth ’ s carbon cycle . “ One of the questions we ’ re really interested in at NASA is balancing the global carbon budget , ” said Lola Fatoyinbo , a research scientist at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , and lead of NASA ’ s contribution to the AfriSAR campaign . “ We know how much carbon dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere by fossil fuel emissions , but we don ’ t have a good estimate of how much carbon is being taken up from the atmosphere and where it ’ s stored – we think that forests absorb about a quarter of all these emissions , but we need better studies of forest biomass to confirm this . ” “ With AfriSAR , we ’ re getting very accurate measurements of the 3 D structure of an ecosystem that is representative of the larger Congo Basin rainforest and of tropical forests in general , and this is going to allow us to get a better grip on how much carbon is stored in these ecosystems , ” Fatoyinbo said . Gabon ’ s forest is part of the Congolian tropical forests , altogether the second largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon . About 85 percent of the country ’ s land is forest : only about 1 . 5 million people live there . “ The forests in Gabon are special : they are rich in plants and animals , but empty of people and intact in most places , ” said Sassan Saatchi , a senior scientist from NASA ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , California . He is part of the NASA AfriSAR team that operates the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar ( UAVSAR ) . The other NASA group participating in AfriSAR , led by Goddard scientist Bryan Blair , is in charge of the Land , Vegetation , and Ice Sensor ( LVIS ) instrument . During the AfriSAR campaign , UAVSAR flies 40 , 000 feet high mounted beneath a C - 20 A aircraft from NASA ’ s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards , California . LVIS flies at 28 , 000 feet onboard a B - 200 airplane from NASA ’ s Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia . Both instruments collect measurements of surface topography and vegetation structure by sending out rapid pulses of either radio waves ( UAVSAR ) or laser light ( LVIS ) toward their targets . They then calculate the distance to objects below by measuring how long it takes for the signal to bounce back , creating 3 D maps of the surface beneath . “ LVIS studies the vertical structure of the forests by measuring the elevation of everything the photons hit : the top of the canopy , all of the leaves and branches and finally the ground ” said Blair , principal investigator and developer of LVIS . “ In tropical forests , the challenge is to get the laser pulse all the way to the ground because the whole canopy is closed ; there ’ s very few holes for the photons to get through . ” The data collected by LVIS will help calibrate and validate the information gathered by UAVSAR over the same targets , and vice - versa . The two datasets will also be compared to the airborne radar measurements that ESA and DLR are compiling during their current campaigns in Gabon . Finally , AfriSAR ’ s ground teams from Goddard and JPL are performing several types of field measurements , such as tree width , forest structure and soil moisture , which will complement and refine the data gathered from the air . Both NASA airborne instruments are test beds for future space missions . LVIS is the precursor to the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation lidar ( GEDI ) , a powerful laser altimeter that will be installed on the International Space Station in the near future to measure forests in 3 D . UAVSAR will help develop the NASA - ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar , or NISAR , a joint U . S . and Indian radar - based satellite mission set to launch in 2020 . In turn , the European space agencies ’ radar measurements in Gabon are aimed to prepare for ESA ’ s BIOMASS satellite mission , which will deploy in 2020 . DLR will also compare the data to the measurements collected by its TanDEM - X satellite constellation , launched in 2010 . Furthermore , the forest data gathered in Gabon might help to inform policymakers working on climate mitigation and forest conservation policies , Saatchi said . AfriSAR is NASA ’ s first collaboration with Gabon ’ s young space agency , AGEOS , and also its first large international campaign in Africa since NASA participated in a hydrological study of the Sahel in the early 1990 s . Maria - José ViñasNASA ' s Earth Science News TeamLast Updated : March 17 , 2016 Editor : Karl HilleTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Land , Read Full Article Air Feb . 25 , 2016 RELEASE 16 - 017 NASA Partners on Air Quality Study in East Asia A new field study this May and June seeks to advance NASA ’ s ability to monitor air quality from space . This 2007 NASA satellite image shows a swath of air pollution sweeping east across the Korean peninsula to Japan . Credits : NASATwo NASA research aircraft , the UC - 12 B ( top ) and the DC - 8 , will gather atmospheric data across urban , rural and coastal areas of South Korea to help improve the ability to monitor air pollution from space . Credits : NASANASA and the Republic of Korea are developing plans for a cooperative field study of air quality in May and June to advance the ability to monitor air pollution accurately from space . The Korea U . S . - Air Quality study ( KORUS - AQ ) will assess air quality across urban , rural and coastal areas of South Korea using the combined observations of aircraft , ground sites , ships and satellites . Findings will play a critical role in the development of observing systems of ground and space - based sensors and computer models to provide improved air quality assessments for decision makers . “ KORUS - AQ is a step forward in an international effort to develop a global air quality observing system , ” said James Crawford , a lead U . S . scientist on the project from NASA ’ s Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia . “ Both of our countries will be launching geostationary satellites that will join other satellites in a system that includes surface networks , air quality models , and targeted airborne sampling . ” Air quality is a significant environmental concern in the United States and around the world . Scientists are trying to untangle the different contributors to air quality , including local emissions from human activities , pollution from far away , and natural sources such as seasonal fires and wind - blown dust . South Korea ’ s capital , Seoul , is one of the globe ’ s five most - populated metropolitan areas . Because of the country ’ s varied topography and its location close to both rapidly industrializing mainland China and the ocean , the impacts associated with the many factors controlling air quality are larger and often easier to measure over the Korean peninsula than elsewhere . “ Working with our South Korean colleagues on KORUS - AQ , we will improve our understanding of the detailed factors controlling air quality , how the processes interact , and how they are changing over time , ” Crawford said . In accordance with an agreement NASA recently completed with South Korea ’ s National Institute of Environmental Research , Korean scientists will collect KORUS - AQ observations on the ground and in the air with a King Air aircraft from Hanseo University in Seosan . To take data during the experiment , NASA will contribute a DC - 8 flying laboratory from the agency ’ s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards , California , and a Beechcraft UC - 12 B King Air from Langley . Five South Korean instruments will be part of the DC - 8 payload and one NASA instrument will be onboard the Hanseo aircraft . NASA ’ s DC - 8 will conduct eight - hour flights to make direct measurements of the atmosphere from altitudes up to 25 , 000 feet . The NASA King Air will fly overhead with remote - sensing instruments that simulate satellite observations . The Hanseo King Air will make direct atmospheric measurements focusing on areas less accessible to the larger DC - 8 . Scientists and air quality modelers from both countries will work together to plan the aircraft flights and analyze the measurements . South Korea maintains an extensive ground - based , continuous air - quality monitoring network of more than 300 sites . Almost half of the sites are in the Seoul area and just over 80 percent are in urban areas . South Korea will host NASA instruments at some of the monitoring sites that are being enhanced for KORUS - AQ . KORUS - AQ will benefit the development of a new a constellation of spaceborne science satellites and instruments expected to launch in the years 2018 - 2022 that will make air quality measurements over Asia , North America , Europe , and North Africa . South Korea ’ s Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer instrument will monitor long - term climate change and improve early warnings for major pollution events for the Korean peninsula and Asia - Pacific region . NASA ’ s Tropospheric Emissions : Monitoring of Pollution mission , an instrument that will fly as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite in geostationary orbit , will collect air pollution measurements over North America from Mexico City to Canada . ESA ’ s ( European Space Agency ’ s ) Sentinel - 4 mission will take air quality measurements and monitor stratospheric ozone , solar radiation and climate variables over Europe and Northern Africa . NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet , improve lives , and safeguard our future . NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records . The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing . For more information about NASA Earth science research , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earth - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govChris Rink Langley Research Center , Hampton , Va . 757 - 864 - 6786 chris . rink @ nasa . govLast Updated : March 17 , 2016 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Air , Earth , Langley Research Center , Read Full Article Climate Jan . 21 , 2016 RELEASE 16 - 008 NASA , NOAA Analyses Reveal Record - Shattering Global Warm Temperatures in 2015 2015 was the warmest year since modern record - keeping began in 1880 , according to a new analysis by NASA ’ s Goddard Institute for Space Studies . The record - breaking year continues a long - term warming trend — 15 of the 16 warmest years on record have now occurred since 2001 . Credits : Scientific Visualization Studio / Goddard Space Flight CenterEarth ’ s 2015 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880 , according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) . Globally - averaged temperatures in 2015 shattered the previous mark set in 2014 by 0 . 23 degrees Fahrenheit ( 0 . 13 Celsius ) . only once before , in 1998 , has the new record been greater than the old record by this much . The 2015 temperatures continue a long - term warming trend , according to analyses by scientists at NASA ’ s Goddard Institute for Space Studies ( GISS ) in New York ( GISTEMP ) . NOAA scientists concur with the finding that 2015 was the warmest year on record based on separate , independent analyses of the data . Because weather station locations and measurements change over time , there is some uncertainty in the individual values in the GISTEMP index . Taking this into account , NASA analysis estimates 2015 was the warmest year with 94 percent certainty . “ Climate change is the challenge of our generation , and NASA ’ s vital work on this important issue affects every person on Earth , ” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden . “ Today ’ s announcement not only underscores how critical NASA ’ s Earth observation program is , it is a key data point that should make policy makers stand up and take notice - now is the time to act on climate . ” The planet ’ s average surface temperature has risen about 1 . 8 degrees Fahrenheit ( 1 . 0 degree Celsius ) since the late - 19 th century , a change largely driven by increased carbon dioxide and other human - made emissions into the atmosphere . This visualization illustrates Earth ’ s long - term warming trend , showing temperature changes from 1880 to 2015 as a rolling five - year average . Orange colors represent temperatures that are warmer than the 1951 - 80 baseline average , and blues represent temperatures cooler than the baseline . Credits : GSFC Scientific Visualization StudioMost of the warming occurred in the past 35 years , with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001 . Last year was the first time the global average temperatures were 1 degree Celsius or more above the 1880 - 1899 average . Phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña , which warm or cool the tropical Pacific Ocean , can contribute to short - term variations in global average temperature . A warming El Niño was in effect for most of 2015 . “ 2015 was remarkable even in the context of the ongoing El Niño , ” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt . “ Last year ’ s temperatures had an assist from El Niño , but it is the cumulative effect of the long - term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing . ” Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures , so not every region on Earth experienced record average temperatures last year . For example , NASA and NOAA found that the 2015 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the second warmest on record . NASA ’ s analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from 6 , 300 weather stations , ship - and buoy - based observations of sea surface temperatures , and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations . These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions if left unaccounted for . The result of these calculations is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980 . NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data , but a different baseline period , and different methods to analyze Earth ’ s polar regions and global temperatures . GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University ’ s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York . NASA monitors Earth ' s vital signs from land , air and space with a fleet of satellites , as well as airborne and ground - based observation campaigns . The agency develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing . NASA shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet . The full 2015 surface temperature data set and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation are available at : http : / / data . giss . nasa . gov / gistemp / The slides for the Wednesday , Jan . 20 news conference are available at : http : / / go . nasa . gov / 2015 climateFor more information about NASA ' s Earth science activities , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earth - end - Dwayne Brown Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 1726 dwayne . c . brown @ nasa . govMichael Cabbage / Leslie McCarthy Goddard Institute for Space Studies , New York 212 - 678 - 5516 / 5507 mcabbage @ nasa . gov / leslie . m . mccarthy @ nasa . govLast Updated : Jan . 21 , 2016 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Climate , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Read Full Article Air Dec . 15 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 233 New NASA Satellite Maps Show Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality Using new , high - resolution global satellite maps of air quality indicators , NASA scientists tracked air pollution trends over the last decade in various regions and 195 cities around the globe . The United States , Europe and Japan have improved air quality thanks to emission control regulations , while China , India and the Middle East , with their fast - growing economies and expanding industry , have seen more air pollution . Credits : NASAThe trend map of the United States shows the large decreases in nitrogen dioxide concentrations tied to environmental regulations from 2005 to 2014 . Credits : NASAThe trend map of East Asia shows the change in nitrogen dioxide concentrations related to a mix of economic growth and environmental controls across China , South Korea and Japan from 2005 to 2014 . Credits : NASAThe trend map of the Middle East shows the change in nitrogen dioxide concentrations from 2005 to 2014 . The decreases in Syria are tied to the economic disruption caused by their civil war . Credits : NASAThis global map shows the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the troposphere as detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard the Aura satellite , averaged over 2014 . Credits : NASAUsing new , high - resolution global satellite maps of air quality indicators , NASA scientists tracked air pollution trends over the last decade in various regions and 195 cities around the globe . The findings were presented Monday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research . " These changes in air quality patterns aren ' t random , " said Bryan Duncan , an atmospheric scientist at NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , who led the research . " When governments step in and say we ' re going to build something here or we ' re going to regulate this pollutant , you see the impact in the data . " Duncan and his team examined observations made from 2005 to 2014 by the Dutch - Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard NASA ' s Aura satellite . one of the atmospheric gases the instrument detects is nitrogen dioxide , a yellow - brown gas that is a common emission from cars , power plants and industrial activity . Nitrogen dioxide can quickly transform into ground - level ozone , a major respiratory pollutant in urban smog . Nitrogen dioxide hotspots , used as an indicator of general air quality , occur over most major cities in developed and developing nations . The science team analyzed year - to - year trends in nitrogen dioxide levels around the world . To look for possible explanations for the trends , the researchers compared the satellite record to information about emission controls regulations , national gross domestic product and urban growth . " With the new high - resolution data , we are now able to zoom down to study pollution changes within cities , including from some individual sources , like large power plants , " said Duncan . Previous work using satellites at lower resolution missed variations over short distances . This new space - based view offers consistent information on pollution for cities or countries that may have limited ground - based air monitoring stations . The resulting trend maps tell a unique story for each region . The United States and Europe are among the largest emitters of nitrogen dioxide . Both regions also showed the most dramatic reductions between 2005 and 2014 . Nitrogen dioxide has decreased from 20 to 50 percent in the United States , and by as much as 50 percent in Western Europe . Researchers concluded that the reductions are largely due to the effects of environmental regulations that require technological improvements to reduce pollution emissions from cars and power plants . China , the world ' s growing manufacturing hub , saw an increase of 20 to 50 percent in nitrogen dioxide , much of it occurring over the North China Plain . Three major Chinese metropolitan areas -- Beijing , Shanghai , and the Pearl River Delta -- saw nitrogen dioxide reductions of as much as 40 percent . The South African region encompassing Johannesburg and Pretoria has the highest nitrogen dioxide levels in the Southern Hemisphere , but the high - resolution trend map shows a complex situation playing out between the two cities and neighboring power plants and industrial areas . " We had seen seemingly contradictory trends over this area of industrial South Africa in previous studies , " said Anne Thompson , co - author and chief scientist for atmospheric chemistry at Goddard . " Until we had this new space view , it was a mystery . " The Johannesburg - Pretoria metro area saw decreases after new cars were required in 2008 to have better emissions controls . The heavily industrialized area just east of the cities , however , shows both decreases and increases . The decreases may be associated with fewer emissions from eight large power plants east of the cities since the decrease occurs over their locations . However , emissions increases occur from various other mining and industrial activities to the south and further east . In the Middle East , increased nitrogen dioxide levels since 2005 in Iraq , Kuwait and Iran likely correspond to economic growth in those countries . However , in Syria , nitrogen dioxide levels decreased since 2011 , most likely because of the civil war , which has interrupted economic activity and displaced millions of people . To view and download high - resolution air quality maps , go to : http : / / svs . gsfc . nasa . gov / 12094 For more on NASA ’ s research into nitrogen dioxide , and air quality data for 195 cities , visit : https : / / airquality . gsfc . nasa . gov / - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . cole @ nasa . govEllen Gray Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 1950 / 301 - 502 - 4064 ellen . t . gray @ nasa . govLast Updated : Dec . 15 , 2015 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Air , Aura , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Read Full Article Earth Dec . 15 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 220 NASA Studies High Clouds , Saharan Dust from EPIC View It ’ s a fresh view of Earth . Less than a year after its launch on the Deep Space Climate Observatory ( DSCOVR ) , NASA ’ s onboard camera is taking images of the entire sunlit side of Earth every two hours . Credits : NASAFrom a dusty atmosphere stretching across the Atlantic Ocean to daily views of clouds at sunrise , a new NASA camera keeping a steady eye on the sunlit side of Earth is yielding new insights about our changing planet . With NASA ’ s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera ( EPIC ) , affixed to NOAA ’ s Deep Space Climate Observatory ( DSCOVR ) about one million miles from Earth , scientists are getting a new view of our planet ’ s clouds , land surfaces , aerosols and more . Science results from the first EPIC images were discussed Monday at a media briefing at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco . EPIC captures a color image of the sunlit side of Earth at least once every two hours , allowing researchers to track features as the planet rotates in the instrument ’ s field of view . “ With EPIC , you see cloud structure from sunrise on the left to sunset on the right , ” said Jay Herman , EPIC instrument lead investigator at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , and the University of Maryland , Baltimore County . “ It ’ s the only view we have like this where everything is at the exact same instant in time , even though the local times are different . ” EPIC takes measurements in visible , ultraviolet and near - infrared wavelengths . With the ultraviolet channels , Herman can watch as dust from the Sahara travels westward across the Atlantic . While other low - Earth orbit satellite instruments can pick this up as they orbit at a fixed local time , EPIC provides a day - long view of the process . “ We can see the progression in real time , as it flows across the Atlantic , ” Herman said . Researchers also can determine the height and location of daytime clouds by comparing EPIC images at two different wavelengths . This measurement is important in calculating Earth ’ s energy balance for climate studies , as well as for tracking weather . For example , hurricanes show up as a high spiral of clouds surrounding a clearly visible eye . “ Because of the unique location and field of view , every day brings something new and unexpected , ” said Alexander Marshak , DSCOVR deputy project scientist at Goddard . One example Marshak points out is that , even a million miles away , EPIC can see the tracks of ships crossing the ocean . Some of the first images from EPIC show the clouds that result from the ships ’ smoke plumes . A day in the life of Earth , as seen from a million miles away through the lens of NASA ’ s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera , affixed to NOAA ’ s Deep Space Climate Observatory . Credits : NASAThe 10 wavelengths captured by NASA ' s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera provide data on Earth ’ s surface and atmosphere . The 388 nanometer UV channel here allows scientists to study the energy reflected by ice sheets and clouds , an important measurement in climate studies . Credits : NASAResearchers also are analyzing EPIC data to better understand vegetation , aerosols , ozone and other features of Earth and its atmosphere . DSCOVR was launched on Feb . 11 and , after a four - month journey , reached its orbit around the first Lagrange point , where the matching pull of gravity from the sun and Earth allows the satellite to stay relatively stable between the two bodies . The satellite , a joint mission between NOAA , NASA and the U . S . Air Force , also carries instruments facing the sun that will the study solar wind and its magnetic field . A second NASA Earth - facing instrument on DSCOVR , the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Radiometer ( NISTAR ) , measures the total amount of solar energy that reflects off Earth , as well as the heat emitted from our planet , according to Steven Lorentz , NISTAR instrument lead investigator and president of L - 1 Standards and Technology , Inc . Because of this , the instrument fills in a missing piece of energy information not observed by other satellites . Even with less than a year ’ s worth of data , the energy reflected off Earth is showing patterns , he said . The instrument picks up fluctuations , with more light reflected from continents and clouds than from oceans . “ Whenever Africa is in view , we get the highest photoreflectance , ” Lorentz said . “ And , even though it ’ s the same planet spinning , the amount of cloudiness varies planet - wide every day . ” Earth ’ s reflectiveness varies throughout the year , as well . As Antarctica tilts towards the sun in November , NISTAR ’ s signal edges up as the massive ice sheet changes the planet ’ s energy budget . It ’ s a measurement that , over time , could help scientists studying how the reflectance of the sun ’ s energy back into space can impact Earth ’ s changing climate . For more information on EPIC , and to view images captured by the instrument , visit : http : / / epic . gsfc . nasa . gov / - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govRani Gran Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 2483 rani . c . gran @ nasa . gov Last Updated : Dec . 15 , 2015 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Read Full Article NASA Armstrong Nov . 3 , 2015 MEDIA ADVISORY 15 - 21 NASA Hosts Media Day Featuring OLYMPEX Precipitation Field Campaign Media are invited to go behind the scenes of a comprehensive field campaign focused on yielding new insights into global precipitation at a special event on Nov . 11 , 2015 . NASA ' s DC - 8 flying laboratory will be featured as part of a special media event on Nov . 11 , 2015 focused on the Olympic Mountain Experiment ( OLYMPEX ) , an Earth science campaign aimed at validating Global Precipitation Measurement . Credits : NASA Photo / Carla ThomasHeld in collaboration with the University of Washington , NASA ' s Olympic Mountain Experiment ( OLYMPEX ) is an Earth science campaign aimed at validating Global Precipitation Measurement ( GPM ) satellite constellation data . Combining airborne and ground observations over the wet Pacific Northwest , the campaign will focus on tracking precipitation over mountainous terrain that is difficult to measure . The information from the GPM constellation provides more accurate information for the prediction of atmospheric conditions that contribute to our daily weather and global climate . The event will be held at two locations , starting at the University of Washington Atmospheric Science building in Seattle at 7 a . m . , where media will have the opportunity to : Visit the OLYMPEX ground control centerInteract with OLYMPEX scientists and subject matter expertsLearn about GPM , the first mission designed to measure falling snowThe afternoon session will be held at Joint Base Lewis - McChord starting at 1 : 00 p . m . , and will include : A tour of NASA ' s DC - 8 flying laboratory aircraftOpportunities to meet and interview pilots , aircraft crew , and scientistsInformation on upcoming NASA Earth science missionsIndividuals have the option of attending either one or both of the events . Domestic media representatives interested in participating should confirm their plans to attend by contacting the NASA Armstrong Public Affairs office no later than 12 p . m . Friday , Nov . 6 at 661 - 276 - 2020 , or email Kate Squires at kate . k . squires @ nasa . gov . Foreign national journalists cannot be accommodated . Further information on specific event locations and times will be provided upon submission of interest . To learn more about OLYMPEX , click here : http : / / pmm . nasa . gov / education / OLYMPEXFor more information , contact : Kate Squires NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center 661 - 276 - 2020 kate . k . squires @ nasa . govLast Updated : Nov . 3 , 2015 Editor : Monroe ConnerTags : Armstrong Flight Research Center , Read Full Article Earth Sept . 16 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 187 Arctic Sea Ice Summertime Minimum Is Fourth Lowest on Record According to a NASA analysis of satellite data , the 2015 Arctic sea ice minimum extent is the fourth lowest on record since observations from space began . This animation shows the evolution of the Arctic sea ice cover from its wintertime maximum extent , which was reached on Feb . 25 , 2015 , and was the lowest on record , to its apparent yearly minimum , which occurred on Sept . 11 , 2015 , and is the fourth lowest in the satellite era . Credits : NASA Goddard ' s Scientific Visualization StudioDownload this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard ' s Scientific Visualization StudioThe 2015 Arctic sea ice summertime minimum is 699 , 000 square miles below the 1981 - 2010 average , shown here as a gold line . Credits : NASA / Goddard Scientific Visualization StudioThe analysis by NASA and the NASA - supported National Snow and Ice Data Center ( NSIDC ) at the University of Colorado at Boulder showed the annual minimum extent was 1 . 70 million square miles ( 4 . 41 million square kilometers ) on Sept . 11 . This year ’ s minimum is 699 , 000 square miles ( 1 . 81 million square kilometers ) lower than the 1981 - 2010 average . Arctic sea ice cover , made of frozen seawater that floats on top of the ocean , helps regulate the planet ’ s temperature by reflecting solar energy back to space . The sea ice cap grows and shrinks cyclically with the seasons . Its minimum summertime extent , which occurs at the end of the melt season , has been decreasing since the late 1970 s in response to warming temperatures . In some recent years , low sea - ice minimum extent has been at least in part exacerbated by meteorological factors , but that was not the case this year . “ This year is the fourth lowest , and yet we haven ’ t seen any major weather event or persistent weather pattern in the Arctic this summer that helped push the extent lower as often happens , ” said Walt Meier , a sea ice scientist with NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . “ It was a bit warmer in some areas than last year , but it was cooler in other places , too . ” In contrast , the lowest year on record , 2012 , saw a powerful August cyclone that fractured the ice cover , accelerating its decline . The sea ice decline has accelerated since 1996 . The 10 lowest minimum extents in the satellite record have occurred in the last 11 years . The 2014 minimum was 1 . 94 million square miles ( 5 . 03 million square kilometers ) , the seventh lowest on record . Although the 2015 minimum appears to have been reached , there is a chance that changing winds or late - season melt could reduce the Arctic extent even further in the next few days . “ The ice cover becomes less and less resilient , and it doesn ’ t take as much to melt it as it used to , ” Meier said . “ The sea ice cap , which used to be a solid sheet of ice , now is fragmented into smaller floes that are more exposed to warm ocean waters . In the past , Arctic sea ice was like a fortress . The ocean could only attack it from the sides . Now it ’ s like the invaders have tunneled in from underneath and the ice pack melts from within . ” Some analyses have hinted the Arctic ’ s multiyear sea ice , the oldest and thickest ice that survives the summer melt season , appeared to have recuperated partially after the 2012 record low . But according to Joey Comiso , a sea ice scientist at Goddard , the recovery flattened last winter and will likely reverse after this melt season . “ The thicker ice will likely continue to decline , ” Comiso said . “ There might be some recoveries during some years , especially when the winter is unusually cold , but it is expected to go down again because the surface temperature in the region continues to increase . ” This year , the Arctic sea ice cover experienced relatively slow rates of melt in June , which is the month the Arctic receives the most solar energy . However , the rate of ice loss picked up during July , when the sun is still strong . Faster than normal ice loss rates continued through August , a transition month when ice loss typically begins to slow . A big “ hole ” appeared in August in the ice pack in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas , north of Alaska , when thinner seasonal ice surrounded by thicker , older ice melted . The huge opening allowed for the ocean to absorb more solar energy , accelerating the melt . It ’ s unclear whether this year ’ s strong El Niño event , which is a naturally occurring phenomenon that typically occurs every two to seven years where the surface water of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean warms , has had any impact on the Arctic sea ice minimum extent . “ Historically , the Arctic had a thicker , more rigid sea ice that covered more of the Arctic basin , so it was difficult to tell whether El Niño had any effect on it , ” said Richard Cullather , a climate modeler at Goddard . “ Although we haven ’ t been able to detect a strong El Niño impact on Arctic sea ice yet , now that the ice is thinner and more mobile , we should begin to see a larger response to atmospheric events from lower latitudes . ” In comparison , research has found a strong link between El Niño and the behavior of the sea ice cover around Antarctica . El Niño causes higher sea level pressure , warmer air temperature and warmer sea surface temperature in west Antarctica that affect sea ice distribution . This could explain why this year the growth of the Antarctic sea ice cover , which currently is headed toward its yearly maximum extent and was at much higher than normal levels throughout much of the first half of 2015 , dipped below normal levels in mid - August . Starting next week , NASA ’ s Operation IceBridge , an airborne survey of polar ice , will be carrying science flights over sea ice in the Arctic , to help validate satellite readings and provide insight into the impact of the summer melt season on land and sea ice . NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet , improve lives , and safeguard our future . NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records . The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing . For more information about NASA ’ s Earth science activities , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earth - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govRani Gran Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 2483 rani . c . gran @ nasa . govLast Updated : Sept . 16 , 2015 Editor : Allard BeutelTags : Climate , Earth , Ice , Water , Read Full Article SMAP Sept . 3 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 180 NASA Soil Moisture Radar Ends Operations , Mission Science Continues NASA ’ s SMAP mission , launched in January to map global soil moisture and detect whether soils are frozen or thawed , continues to produce high - quality science measurements with one of its two instruments . Credits : NASAA three - day composite global map of surface soil moisture as retrieved from SMAP ' s radiometer instrument between Aug . 25 - 27 , 2015 . Credits : NASAMission managers for NASA ' s Soil Moisture Active Passive ( SMAP ) observatory have determined that its radar , one of the satellite ’ s two science instruments , can no longer return data . However , the mission , which was launched in January to map global soil moisture and detect whether soils are frozen or thawed , continues to produce high - quality science measurements supporting SMAP ’ s objectives with its radiometer instrument . The SMAP mission is designed to help scientists understand the links between Earth ' s water , energy and carbon cycles and enhance our ability to monitor and predict natural hazards like floods and droughts . SMAP remains an important data source to aid Earth system modeling and studies . SMAP data have additional practical applications , including improved weather forecasting and crop yield predictions . The SMAP spacecraft continues normal operations and the first data release of soil moisture products is expected in late September . " Although some of the planned applications of SMAP data will be impacted by the loss of the radar , the SMAP mission will continue to produce valuable science for important Earth system studies , " said Dara Entekhabi , SMAP Science Team lead at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge . Credits : NASAOn July 7 , SMAP ’ s radar stopped transmitting due to an anomaly involving the radar ' s high - power amplifier ( HPA ) . The HPA is designed to boost the power level of the radar ' s pulse to more than 500 watts , ensuring the energy scattered from Earth ' s surface can be accurately measured . The SMAP project at NASA ' s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in Pasadena , California , formed an anomaly team to investigate the HPA issue and determine whether normal operation could be recovered . A series of diagnostic tests and procedures was performed on both the spacecraft and on the ground using flight spare parts . Following an unsuccessful attempt on Aug . 24 to power up the radar unit , the project had exhausted all identified possible options for recovering nominal operation of the HPA and concluded the radar is likely not recoverable . NASA has appointed a mishap investigation board to conduct a comprehensive review of the circumstances that led to the HPA anomaly in order to determine how the anomaly occurred and how such events can be prevented on future missions . JPL also will convene a separate failure review board that will work with the NASA investigation . SMAP was launched Jan . 31 and began its science mission in April , releasing its first global maps of soil moisture on April 21 . To date , the mission has collected more than four months of science data , almost three months with the radar operating . SMAP scientists plan to release beta - quality soil moisture data products at the end of September , with validated data planned for release in April 2016 . SMAP ' s radar allowed the mission ' s soil moisture and freeze - thaw measurements to be resolved to smaller regions of Earth – about 5 . 6 miles ( 9 kilometers ) for soil moisture and 1 . 9 miles ( 3 kilometers ) for freeze - thaw . Without the radar , the mission ' s resolving power will be limited to regions of almost 25 miles ( 40 kilometers ) for soil moisture and freeze - thaw . The mission will continue to meet its requirements for soil moisture accuracy and will produce global soil moisture maps every two to three days . SMAP ’ s active radar and passive radiometer instruments are designed to complement each other and mitigate the limitations of each measurement alone . The radar enabled high - resolution measurements of up to 1 . 9 miles , but with lower accuracy for sensing surface soil moisture . In contrast , the microwave radiometer is more accurate in its measurements but has lower resolution of about 25 miles . By combining the active and passive measurements , SMAP was designed to estimate soil moisture at a resolution of 5 . 6 miles . The nearly three months of coincident measurements by the two instruments are a first of their kind . The combined data set allows scientists to assess the benefit of this type of combined measurement approach for future missions . Scientists now are developing algorithms to produce a freeze - thaw data product at 25 - mile resolution from the radiometer data . They also are evaluating whether the 25 - mile radiometer soil moisture resolution can be improved . Based on the available SMAP mission data , scientists have identified other useful science measurements that can be derived from the radiometer data , such as sea surface salinity and high winds over the ocean surface . Over the next several months , the SMAP project and NASA will work to determine how to implement these new measurements into the project ' s data products . SMAP is managed for NASA ' s Science Mission Directorate in Washington by JPL , with instrument hardware and science contributions made by NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . JPL built the spacecraft and is responsible for project management , system engineering , radar instrumentation , mission operations and the ground data system . Goddard is responsible for the radiometer instrument and science data products . More information on the SMAP mission is available at : http : / / www . nasa . gov / smap - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govAlan Buis Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Pasadena , Calif . 818 - 354 - 0474 alan . buis @ jpl . nasa . govLast Updated : Sept . 3 , 2015 Editor : Sarah RamseyTags : Earth , SMAP ( Soil Moisture Active Passive ) , Read Full Article Climate Sept . 1 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 176 NASA Arctic Field Campaign to Examine Ecosystem Impacts of Changing Climate The ABoVE campaign will combine field work , airborne surveys , satellite data and computer modeling to study the effects of climate change on Arctic and boreal ecosystems , such as this region at the base of the Alaska Range south of Fairbanks . Credits : NASA / Ross NelsonAs part of a broad effort to study the environmental and societal effects of climate change , NASA has begun a multi - year field campaign to investigate ecological impacts of the rapidly changing climate in Alaska and northwestern Canada , such as the thawing of permafrost , wildfires and changes to wildlife habitats . The Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment ( ABoVE ) will bring together on - the - ground research in Alaska and northwestern Canada with data collected by NASA airborne instruments , satellites and other agency programs , including SMAP , OCO - 2 , and upcoming ICESat - 2 and NISAR missions . Over the next decade , scientists from NASA and other public and private organizations will investigate questions about the formidable region that spans about 2 . 5 million square miles ( 6 . 4 million square kilometers ) . " Boreal forests and tundra are critical for understanding the ecological impacts of Earth ’ s changing climate , " said Jack Kaye , associate director for research in NASA ’ s Earth Science Division in Washington . " These ecosystems hold a third of the carbon stored on land – in trees , shrubs , and the frozen ground of the permafrost . That ’ s a lot of potential greenhouse gases in play . We need to better understand these ecosystems , and how a warming climate will affect forests , wildlife and communities both regionally and globally . " ABoVE includes three project phases and two seasons of intensive airborne surveys . The research activities will be coordinated with other U . S . and Canadian partner organizations . The 21 projects selected for the first phase will investigate topics such as the impacts of wildfire on ecosystems and insect outbreaks on forest health . " The region is rapidly changing , and we ’ ve already seen a lot of that from field measurements and remote sensing , " said Scott Goetz , ABoVE science team lead and deputy director at Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth , Massachusetts . " It ’ s an area that ’ s warming with climate change , and there ’ s a lot of potential for permafrost degradation , especially with these massive fires burning off the organic soil layer . " The field campaign will provide an opportunity to study how Arctic ecosystems respond to the scorching fires on a regional scale . More than 5 million acres in Alaska and 9 . 7 million acres in Canada have burned so far this year , making 2015 the second most devastating fire year on record for Alaska , with the most intensive three - week period of burning on record , according to Charles Miller , deputy science team lead for ABoVE at NASA ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in Pasadena , California . ABoVE researchers will survey Alaska ’ s interior forests to better determine how much carbon is stored in these remote regions . They ’ ll investigate the extent and thawing rate of permafrost – soils that have been frozen for hundreds of thousands of years , locking in carbon - rich plant and organic matter . “ Warming air temperatures can thaw permafrost , which acts like unplugging a deep freezer , ” said Peter Griffith , ABoVE chief support scientist at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . “ The vegetation and carbon previously frozen in the soil starts to rot and decay – like food in an unplugged freezer – releasing methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere . This increase in greenhouse gases further warms air temperatures , perpetuating the cycle by causing more thawing and more greenhouse gas release . ” The ABoVE projects also will study impacts on the wildlife of Alaska and northern Canada , including habitat and migration changes for raptors , songbirds , Dall sheep , moose , caribou , wolves and brown bears . The socio - ecological impacts of climate change will be a significant focus of the campaign . The Dall sheep study , for example , will examine the effects of their changing habitat on subsistence hunting and tourism . Another researcher group will work with village residents in the Yukon - Kuskokwim River Delta of western Alaska to track changes in vegetation , permafrost , fire and lakes . “ More societal impacts of change will be investigated in future projects , with another call for projects scheduled for 12 to 18 months from now , ” Griffith said . " What ’ s happening in the Arctic is not staying in the Arctic . It certainly matters to the people who live there , but the consequences are far reaching . " The ABoVE field campaign ’ s research agenda was developed through workshops that brought together scientific experts from across the United States and Canada , and builds on ongoing NASA projects including the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment ( CARVE ) and Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface ( AirMOSS ) airborne missions . For more information about the ABoVE campaign , visit : http : / / above . nasa . gov / - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govRani Gran Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 2483 rani . c . gran @ nasa . govAlan Buis Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Pasadena , California 818 - 354 - 0474 alan . buis @ jpl . nasa . govLast Updated : Sept . 1 , 2015 Editor : Gina AndersonTags : Climate , Read Full Article Earth July 31 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 162 California “ Rain Debt ” Equal to Average Full Year of Precipitation California ' s accumulated precipitation “ deficit ” from 2012 to 2014 shown as a percent change from the 17 - year average based on TRMM multi - satellite observations . Credits : NASA / Goddard Scientific Visualization StudioA new NASA study has concluded California accumulated a debt of about 20 inches of precipitation between 2012 and 2015 -- the average amount expected to fall in the state in a single year . The deficit was driven primarily by a lack of air currents moving inland from the Pacific Ocean that are rich in water vapor . In an average year , 20 to 50 percent of California ' s precipitation comes from relatively few , but extreme events called atmospheric rivers that move from over the Pacific Ocean to the California coast . " When they say that an atmospheric river makes landfall , it ' s almost like a hurricane , without the winds . They cause extreme precipitation , " said study lead author Andrey Savtchenko at NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . Savtchenko and his colleagues examined data from 17 years of satellite observations and 36 years of combined observations and model data to understand how precipitation has varied in California since 1979 . The results were published Thursday in Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres , a journal of the American Geophysical Union . The state as a whole can expect an average of about 20 inches of precipitation each year , with regional differences . But , the total amount can vary as much as 30 percent from year to year , according to the study . In non - drought periods , wet years often alternate with dry years to balance out in the short term . However , from 2012 to 2014 , California accumulated a deficit of almost 13 inches , and the 2014 - 2015 wet season increased the debt another seven inches , for a total 20 inches accumulated deficit during the course of three dry years . The majority of that precipitation loss is attributed to a high - pressure system in the atmosphere over the eastern Pacific Ocean that has interfered with the formation of atmospheric rivers since 2011 . Atmospheric rivers occur all over the world . They are narrow , concentrated tendrils of water vapor that travel through the atmosphere similar to , and sometimes with , the winds of a jet stream . Like a jet stream , they typically travel from west to east . The ones destined for California originate over the tropical Pacific , where warm ocean water evaporates a lot of moisture into the air . The moisture - rich atmospheric rivers , informally known as the Pineapple Express , then break northward toward North America . The atmospheric rivers that drenched California in December 2014 are shown in this data visualization : water vapor ( white ) and precipitation ( red to yellow ) . Credits : NASA / Goddard Scientific Visualization StudioEarlier this year , a NASA research aircraft participated in the CalWater 2015 field campaign to improve understanding of when and how atmospheric rivers reach California . Some of the water vapor rains out over the ocean , but the show really begins when an atmospheric river reaches land . Two reached California around Dec . 1 and 10 , 2014 , and brought more than three inches of rain , according to NASA ' s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ( TRMM ) ' s multi - satellite dataset . The inland terrain , particularly mountains , force the moist air to higher altitudes where lower pressure causes it to expand and cool . The cooler air condenses the concentrated pool of water vapor into torrential rains , or snowfall as happens over the Sierra Nevada Mountains , where water is stored in the snowpack until the spring melt just before the growing season . The current drought isn ' t the first for California . Savtchenko and his colleagues recreated a climate record for 1979 to the present using the Modern - Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications , or MERRA . Their efforts show that a 27 . 5 inch deficit of rain and snow occurred in the state between 1986 and 1994 . " Drought has happened here before . It will happen again , and some research groups have presented evidence it will happen more frequently as the planet warms , " Savtchenko said . " But , even if the climate doesn ’ t change , are our demands for fresh water sustainable ? " The current drought has been notably severe because , since the late 1980 s , California ' s population , industry and agriculture have experienced tremendous growth , with a correlating growth in their demand for water . Human consumption has depleted California ' s reservoirs and groundwater reserves , as shown by data from NASA ' s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment ( GRACE ) mission , leading to mandatory water rationing . " The history of the American West is written in great decade - long droughts followed by multi - year wet periods , " said climatologist Bill Patzert at NASA ' s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , California . He was not involved in the research . " Savtchenko and his team have shown how variable California rainfall is . ” According to Patzert , this study added nuance to how scientists may interpret the atmospheric conditions that cause atmospheric rivers and an El Niño ' s capacity to bust the drought . Since March , rising sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific have indicated the formation of El Niño conditions . El Niño conditions are often associated with higher rainfall to the western United States , but it ’ s not guaranteed . Savtchenko and his colleagues show that El Niño contributes only six percent to California ' s precipitation variability and is one factor among other , more random effects that influence how much rainfall the state receives . While it ’ s more likely El Niño increases precipitation in California , it ’ s still possible it will have no , or even a drying , effect . A strong El Niño that lasts through the rainy months , from November to March , is more likely to increase the amount of rain that reaches California , and Savtchenko noted the current El Niño is quickly strengthening . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) , which monitors El Niño events , ranks it as the third strongest in the past 65 years for May and June . Still , it will likely take several years of higher than normal rain and snowfall to recover from the current drought . " If this El Niño holds through winter , California ’ s chances to recoup some of the precipitation increase . Unfortunately , so do the chances of floods and landslides , " Savtchenko said . “ Most likely the effects would be felt in late 2015 - 2016 . ” For more information about NASA ' s Precipitation Measurement missions , visit : http : / / pmm . nasa . gov - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govEllen Gray Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 1950 ellen . t . gray @ nasa . govLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Sarah RamseyTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Water , Read Full Article Earth July 2 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 142 NASA Takes to Kansas Skies to Study Nighttime Thunderstorms NASA has joined a multi - agency field campaign studying summer storm systems in the U . S . Great Plains to find out why they often form after the sun goes down instead of during the heat of the day . The Plains Elevated Convection at Night , or PECAN , project began June 1 and continues through mid - July . Participants from eight research laboratories and 14 universities are collecting storm data to find out how and why they form . NASA ’ s DC - 8 airborne laboratory began research flights Tuesday from the Salina Regional Airport , Salina , Kansas . “ We ’ re hoping to collect measurements that will be used to characterize the atmosphere ahead of these storms , ” said Richard Ferrare , senior research scientist in the Atmospheric Sciences Division at NASA ’ s Langley Research Center , Hampton , Virginia . “ If we can map the water vapor that goes into these storms , we ’ ll be able to improve computer models that represent these conditions and better predict the storms . ” The NASA DC - 8 and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) P - 3 Orion research aircraft supporting the PECAN mission will be open to the media from 3 to 5 p . m . CDT on Saturday , July 11 , at the Salina Regional Airport . The airport is located at 3237 Arnold Avenue . Unlike other parts of the United States , summer thunderstorms across the Great Plains are most common after sunset . Much of the rain comes from medium - size weather systems and resulting thunderstorms known as mesoscale convective systems . These nighttime storms can produce heavy rainfall that contributes a significant portion of the yearly precipitation in the region . Scientists understand that thunderstorms that form during the day result from a vertical “ convective ” circulation driven by rising warm air from the heated Earth ’ s surface and falling air cooled at higher altitudes in the atmosphere . Less well understood are the mechanisms that cause thunderstorms after the sun has gone down and the land surface has cooled . The DC - 8 carries atmospheric science instruments and investigators from Langley ; NASA ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Pasadena , California ; and several universities and research labs . NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , is providing a ground - based Doppler radar system . PECAN is funded by the National Science Foundation with additional support from NASA , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) , the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder , Colorado , and the Department of Energy . In addition to the NASA and NOAA aircraft , researchers will receive data from a University of Wyoming King Air plane , ground - based instruments , weather balloons and mobile radars . Storm information will continue to be gathered from multiple agency ground and air instruments across northern Oklahoma , central Kansas , and south - central Nebraska through July . The DC - 8 is based at NASA ’ s Armstrong Flight Research Facility in Palmdale , California , and supports NASA ’ s Airborne Science Program under the Science Mission Directorate . The extended range , prolonged flight - duration capability , large payload capacity , and laboratory environment of the DC - 8 make it one of the premier aircraft available for NASA Earth science investigations . NASA researchers collect and study data from space , air , land and sea to tackle challenges facing the world today , including improved environmental prediction and natural hazard and climate change preparedness . NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records . The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing . - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govChris Rink Langley Research Center , Hampton , Va . 757 - 864 - 6786 chris . rink @ nasa . govKate Squires Armstrong Flight Research Center , Edwards , Calif . 661 - 276 - 2020 kate . k . squires @ nasa . govLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Hurricanes , Read Full Article Air May 5 , 2015 New Earth Venture Mission to Provide Snapshot of ‘ Average ’ Atmosphere — Missing Data Point Goddard scientists Tom Hanisco ( left ) and Paul Newman ( right ) serve as science team co - investigators on NASA ’ s newest Earth Venture mission , the Atmospheric Tomography Mission ( ATom ) . one of ATom ’ s instruments is a device ( pictured here ) that Hanisco developed to measure formaldehyde more efficiently . Credits : Bill Hrybyk / NASAScientists know more about the chemical makeup of the lower atmosphere following forest fires , sand storms , volcanic eruptions and other natural events than they do about its composition on less calamitous days — a missing , but important data point in climate - change research that a new NASA Earth Venture mission called the Atmospheric Tomography Mission ( ATom ) , aims to furnish . “ What we ’ re trying to do is get a snapshot of what the average atmosphere looks like , ” said Tom Hanisco , a scientist at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , who is serving as a co - investigator on the mission ’ s science team and will be one of several principal investigators fielding an instrument on the airborne campaign expected to begin flights in the summer of 2016 . “ We don ’ t know the day - to - day . We don ’ t know what the atmosphere looks like when there isn ’ t a lot of pollution . What we need is pretty basic . ” Just to model the basics , however , scientists will need data — and lots of it , particularly over the oceans where 70 percent of the atmosphere lies . ATom , led by Principal Investigator Steve Wofsy , of Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts , will systematically measure reactive gases and aerosols over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , where the atmosphere is relatively clean and sensitive to change . By studying these regions over each of the four seasons , scientists believe they can dramatically improve their understanding of how pollutants interact and affect chemical processes that produce and destroy tropospheric ozone , methane and aerosols from the atmosphere — all drivers in climate change . The ATom team will use the data to improve scientists ’ understanding of atmospheric composition . They also will use the insights to improve climate - change computer models , develop algorithms and validate satellite measurements , Hanisco said . Unique Science Objectives “ The science objectives are unique because of both the extensive payload of instruments and the range of the atmosphere that will be sampled , ” said Hanisco , who helped select the science payloads with ATom Science Team Co - Investigator Paul Newman , another NASA Goddard Earth scientist . “ This has never been done before at this scale . ” The five - year Earth Venture mission , which also involves the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , NASA ’ s Ames and Langley Research Centers , the National Center for Atmospheric Research , and a number of universities across the U . S . , will consist of 30 - day deployments of the NASA DC - 8 research aircraft equipped with 15 instruments sensitive to more than 20 different chemicals that play a role in the production and destruction of ozone , methane and aerosols . The team plans to sample the atmosphere during all four seasons . Each deployment , which includes 10 segments , will acquire cross - section or tomographic data of the Pacific and Atlantic , along a repeated , prescribed flight track . Flights originate at NASA ’ s Armstrong Research Center in Edwards , California , proceed to the Western Arctic and North Pole , and transect the Pacific going southwards , across the South Pacific . They then head northwards through the Atlantic and return to California via the Canadian High Arctic . Most instruments sample the atmosphere every second , giving about 10 - meter vertical and 250 - meter horizontal resolution . At latitudes above 50 degrees , ATom samples through the upper troposphere into the lower stratosphere . “ We ’ ll likely have additional instruments , ” Hanisco added . “ We have plenty of room and a lot people want to fly on ATom . ” Carbon Nanotube Technology AppliedHe counts himself among those itching to fly . His instrument , the In - Situ Formaldehyde Instrument ( ISAF ) , flew for the first time three years ago on the NASA DC - 8 , a former passenger airplane converted into a research aircraft capable of flying as high as 43 , 000 feet . The ISAF instrument is automated , lightweight and has proven effective at measuring formaldehyde , an important tracer of volatile organic compounds ( VOCs ) . In general , VOCs “ fuel ” the oxidation processes that create smog or ozone and a good deal of the aerosol pollution in the atmosphere . For example , haze in the southeastern U . S . largely is the result of a VOC — isoprene — emitted by trees . When mixed with anthropogenic pollution , however , isoprene oxidizes and produces harmful ozone and organic aerosols . Because the oxidation process also produces formaldehyde , the chemical becomes a useful surrogate or tracer for a whole host of VOCs , including isoprene , terpenes , and acetone , to name a few , Hanisco said . Hanisco ’ s instrument gathers data on this difficult - to - measure chemical using a technique called laser - induced fluorescence ( LIF ) . With LIF , ambient air is drawn into a tube and then illuminated with a laser . The chemical then fluoresces , which is measured with a photon - counting photomultiplier tube . The instrument has proven to be 10 times smaller , 10 times more sensitive , and 10 times faster than the previous state - of - the - art instrument . Since the instrument ’ s debut , Hanisco has further improved the instrument by applying a carbon - nanotube ( CNT ) coating to the instrument ’ s baffle , which absorbs scattered laser light that can contaminate measurements . The coating , advanced by Goddard technologist John Hagopian , consists of a thin , highly uniform layer of multi - walled nanotubes made of pure carbon . Among other applications , it is highly effective at absorbing stray light due to the fact that the carbon atoms occupying the tiny nested tubes absorb the light and prevent it from reflecting off surfaces . “ The CNT - coated baffles are about five to 10 times better at absorbing the scattered light than the best black paint , ” Hanisco said . In addition to formaldehyde , ATom will collect measurements of carbon dioxide , methane , nitric acid , peroxides , aerosols and ozone , to name just a few molecules . “ Just to model the basics , you need to know a lot of different species , ” Hanisco said . “ You have to get as many inputs as possible and you have to do it well . ” For more technology news , go to : http : / / gsfctechnology . gsfc . nasa . gov / newsletter / Current . pdfLori KeeseyNASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MarylandLast Updated : March 15 , 2016 Editor : Ashley MorrowTags : Air , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Technology , Read Full Article Earth March 14 , 2015 RELEASE 15 - 037 New NASA Mission to Study Ocean Color , Airborne Particles and Clouds New measurements by NASA ’ s PACE spacecraft will advance our understanding of how living marine resources respond to a changing climate . NASA pioneered the field of global ocean color observations with the SeaWIFS satellite sensor from 1997 to 2010 . Credits : NASANASA is beginning work on a new satellite mission that will extend critical climate measurements of Earth ’ s oceans and atmosphere and advance studies of the impact of environmental changes on ocean health , fisheries and the carbon cycle . Tentatively scheduled to launch in 2022 , the Pre - Aerosol Clouds and ocean Ecosystem ( PACE ) mission will study Earth ’ s aquatic ecology and chemistry , and address the uncertainty in our understanding of how clouds and small airborne particles called aerosols affect Earth ’ s climate . PACE will be managed by NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . “ Knowing more about global phytoplankton community composition will help us understand how living marine resources respond to a changing climate , ” said Jeremy Werdell , PACE project scientist at Goddard . “ With PACE , we will learn more about the role of marine phytoplankton in the global carbon cycle . ” NASA has long used satellites to observe the global ocean ’ s microscopic algal communities , which play a significant role in the ocean ’ s ecology and the global carbon cycle . PACE will provide a global view of the planet ' s microscopic ocean algae called phytoplankton . Phytoplankton live in the sunlit upper layer of the ocean , producing at least half of the oxygen on Earth and form the base of the marine food chain . Goddard will build PACE ’ s ocean color instrument . This PACE sensor will allow scientists to see the colors of the ocean , from the ultraviolet to near infrared , and obtain more accurate measurements of biological and chemical ocean properties , such as phytoplankton biomass and the composition of phytoplankton communities . These changes in the ocean ’ s color help identify harmful algal blooms . Quantifying phytoplankton is essential for understanding the carbon cycle and tracking climate variability and change . The ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide into solution at the sea surface . Like land plants , phytoplankton use carbon dioxide to create their organic biomass via photosynthesis . Phytoplankton vary greatly in their size , function , and response to environmental and ecosystem changes or stresses such as ocean acidification . Dissolved carbon dioxide also reacts with seawater and alters its acidity . About one fourth of human - made carbon dioxide ends up in the ocean . " NASA Goddard pioneered ocean color remote sensing 35 years ago with the very first satellite observations , and the Center has been committed to supporting the science ever since , " said Piers Sellers , deputy director of NASA Goddard Earth Science . " Goddard scientists play a critical role in generating and improving core satellite data sets for the international ocean biology community . We look forward to extending this important record into the future with PACE . " In addition to gathering data on ocean color , PACE will measure clouds and tiny airborne particles like dust , smoke and aerosols in the atmosphere to supplement measurements from existing NASA satellite missions . These measurements are critical for understanding the flow of natural and human made aerosols in the environment . Aerosols affect how energy moves in and out of Earth ’ s atmosphere directly by scattering sunlight , and indirectly by changing the composition of clouds . Aerosols also can affect the formation of precipitation in clouds and change rainfall patterns . The blend of atmospheric and oceanic observations from PACE is critical as ocean biology is affected by aerosols deposited onto the ocean , which in turn , produce aerosol precursors that influence atmospheric composition and climate . NASA is currently planning a second PACE instrument , a polarimeter , to better measure aerosol and cloud properties . These measurements will improve understanding of the roles of aerosols in the climate system . Goddard ' s proof - of - concept sensor for measuring ocean color — the Coastal Zone Color Scanner that flew on the Nimbus - 7 satellite from 1978 to 1986 — was the first sensor to demonstrate phytoplankton biomass could be quantified from space . The Sea - Viewing Wide Field - of - View Sensor or SeaWiFS mission collected data from 1997 to 2010 and was the first mission dedicated to routinely observe ocean biology , chemistry , and ecology for long - term climate research . Currently , researchers employ the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer that flies aboard both NASA ’ s Terra and Aqua spacecraft , and the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite aboard the NASA - NOAA Suomi National Polar - orbiting Partnership satellite , to measure biological and chemical properties of the ocean , as well as aerosol and cloud properties . NASA capped the costs for PACE at $ 805 million , to cover the spacecraft , mission design and engineering , science , instruments , launch vehicle , data processing , and operations . For more information about PACE , visit : http : / / decadal . gsfc . nasa . gov / pace . htmlNASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet , improve lives , and safeguard our future . NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records . The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing . For more information on NASA ’ s Earth science activities , visit : www . nasa . gov / earthrightnow - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govRani Gran Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . 301 - 286 - 2483 rani . c . gran @ nasa . govLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Air , Climate , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Water , Read Full Article IceBridge Jan . 21 , 2015 Subglacial Lakes Seen Refilling in Greenland Refrozen meltwater ponds in northeast Greenland seen during an April 2013 IceBridge flight . Credits : NASA / Michael StudingerScientists using satellite images and data from NASA ’ s Operation IceBridge have found evidence of a drained and refilled subglacial lake beneath northeastern Greenland ’ s Flade Ice Cap . This sub - ice body of water is only one of a handful that have been detected in Greenland and its presence sheds new light on how the Greenland Ice Sheet reacts to warming temperatures . Subglacial lakes are relatively common in Antarctica , and although recent studies have mathematically predicted possible locations for hundreds of such features in Greenland , few have actually been found . Bodies of water beneath the ice are normally detected either with ice - penetrating radar or by observing rapid changes in ice surface elevation such as bulges or basins . In a new study funded by the National Science Foundation and published in the Jan . 21 issue of the journal Nature , a research team led by Michael Willis , a glaciologist at Cornell University in Ithaca , New York , found a large basin that formed over a 21 - day period in the summer of 2011 using satellite images . The size and rapid formation of this basin was consistent with a drained subglacial lake , but its location raised a question . Where did the water in the lake come from ? Subglacial lakes typically form at the base of an ice sheet or glacier because of either friction or trapped heat from bedrock below . In order for this to happen , ice needs to move quickly or be thick enough to protect the ice sheet base from cold air at the surface and trap heat coming from the bedrock below . But something else had to be at work here . The research team used weather data and ice thickness measurements from IceBridge flights to calculate the temperature beneath the ice and found that it was well below what ’ s needed for normal basal melt . Continued observation showed that the basin floor rose significantly during the next summer at the same time that nearby surface meltwater drained into cracks along the basin ’ s edge . This led the team to hypothesize that water from surface melting was refilling a lake beneath the ice . Snow accumulation and ice movement accounted for a portion of the basin ’ s rise , with meltwater runoff estimates filling in the rest of the increase , supporting the hypothesis . This finding points to the possibility of similar meltwater - filled subglacial lakes in other parts of Greenland . Existing research has shown an extensive network of sub - ice drainage channels in Greenland that are thought to quickly move surface melt along the bed and to the ocean . The presence of subglacial lakes in Greenland could affect how parts of the ice sheet move by adding heat to ice at the base and softening . Further research on subglacial lakes in Greenland will likely help researchers improve projections of how the ice sheet will change in response to future warming . For more information about NASA ' s Operation IceBridge , visit : www . nasa . gov / icebridge George HaleNASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MarylandLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Holly ZellTags : Armstrong Flight Research Center , Earth , Earth Research Findings , Goddard Space Flight Center , Ice , IceBridge , Read Full Article Water Dec . 17 , 2014 RELEASE 14 - 333 NASA Analysis : 11 Trillion Gallons to Replenish California Drought Losses NASA GRACE satellite data reveal the severity of California ’ s drought on water resources across the state . This map shows the trend in water storage between September 2011 and September 2014 . Credits : NASA JPLGRACE animationCombining data from NASA ' s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment ( GRACE ) mission and other satellite observations within a numerical model is enabling high - resolution , timely mapping of groundwater and soil wetness conditions that are a key input to the U . S . Drought Monitor maps . Credits : NASASee animationIt will take about 11 trillion gallons of water ( 42 cubic kilometers ) -- around 1 . 5 times the maximum volume of the largest U . S . reservoir -- to recover from California ' s continuing drought , according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data . The finding was part of a sobering update on the state ' s drought made possible by space and airborne measurements and presented by NASA scientists Dec . 16 at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco . Such data are giving scientists an unprecedented ability to identify key features of droughts , data that can be used to inform water management decisions . A team of scientists led by Jay Famiglietti of NASA ' s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , California used data from NASA ' s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment ( GRACE ) satellites to develop the first - ever calculation of this kind -- the volume of water required to end an episode of drought . Earlier this year , at the peak of California ' s current three - year drought , the team found that water storage in the state ' s Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins was 11 trillion gallons below normal seasonal levels . Data collected since the launch of GRACE in 2002 shows this deficit has increased steadily . " Spaceborne and airborne measurements of Earth ' s changing shape , surface height and gravity field now allow us to measure and analyze key features of droughts better than ever before , including determining precisely when they begin and end and what their magnitude is at any moment in time , " Famiglietti said . " That ' s an incredible advance and something that would be impossible using only ground - based observations . " GRACE data reveal that , since 2011 , the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins decreased in volume by four trillion gallons of water each year ( 15 cubic kilometers ) . That ' s more water than California ' s 38 million residents use each year for domestic and municipal purposes . About two - thirds of the loss is due to depletion of groundwater beneath California ' s Central Valley . In related results , early 2014 data from NASA ' s Airborne Snow Observatory indicate that snowpack in California ' s Sierra Nevada range was only half of previous estimates . The observatory is providing the first - ever high - resolution observations of snow water volume in the Tuolumne River , Merced , Kings and Lakes basins of the Sierra Nevada and Uncompahgre watershed in the Upper Colorado River Basin . To develop these calculations , the observatory measures how much water is in the snowpack and how much sunlight the snow absorbs , which influences how fast the snow melts . These data enable accurate estimates of how much water will flow out of a basin when the snow melts , which helps guide decision about reservoir filling and water allocation . " The 2014 snowpack was one of the three lowest on record and the worst since 1977 , when California ' s population was half what it is now , " said Airborne Snow Observatory principal investigator Tom Painter of JPL . " Besides resulting in less snow water , the dramatic reduction in snow extent contributes to warming our climate by allowing the ground to absorb more sunlight . This reduces soil moisture , which makes it harder to get water from the snow into reservoirs once it does start snowing again . " New drought maps show groundwater levels across the U . S . Southwest are in the lowest two to 10 percent since 1949 . The maps , developed at NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , combine GRACE data with other satellite observations . " Integrating GRACE data with other satellite measurements provides a more holistic view of the impact of drought on water availability , including on groundwater resources , which are typically ignored in standard drought indices , " said Matt Rodell , chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at Goddard . The scientists cautioned that while the recent California storms have been helpful in replenishing water resources , they aren ' t nearly enough to end the multi - year drought . " It takes years to get into a drought of this severity , and it will likely take many more big storms , and years , to crawl out of it , " said Famiglietti . NASA monitors Earth ' s vital signs from land , air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground - based observation campaigns . The agency develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing . The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet . For more information on GRACE , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / graceandhttp : / / www . csr . utexas . edu / graceFor more on the Airborne Snow Observatory , visit : http : / / aso . jpl . nasa . gov / For more information about NASA ' s Earth science activities , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earthrightnow - end - Steve Cole Headquarters , Washington 202 - 358 - 0918 stephen . e . cole @ nasa . govAlan Buis Jet Propulsion Laboratory , Pasadena , Calif . 818 - 354 - 0474 alan . buis @ jpl . nasa . govLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Karen NorthonTags : Benefits to You , Earth , Earth Research Findings , GRACE ( Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment ) , Water , Read Full Article IceBridge Dec . 9 , 2014 NASA ' s IceBridge Antarctic Campaign Wraps Up NASA ’ s Operation IceBridge recently completed its 2014 Antarctic campaign , marking the mission ’ s sixth set of flights over Antarctica . During the six - week - long deployment from Punta Arenas , Chile , researchers aboard NASA ’ s DC - 8 airborne laboratory measured land and sea ice from above to continue building a record of change in the Antarctic . A view from an IceBridge survey flight on Nov . 3 , 2014 , showing a cloud ’ s shadow on crevassed Antarctic ice . Credits : NASA / George HaleThe campaign began on Oct . 16 , with a flight aimed at measuring sea ice in the Weddell Sea . This first flight – like many that followed – was a repeat mission , covering areas that IceBridge studied in previous campaigns . The repeat flights this year were of particular importance because it has been two years since IceBridge was last in Punta Arenas . Repeating lines flown in previous years is crucial for understanding how ice conditions are changing over time . In addition , some survey lines follow the paths measured by NASA ’ s Ice , Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite , or ICESat , from 2003 to 2009 . This helps cover the gap between ICESat and its successor , ICESat - 2 , scheduled to launch in a few years . In addition to these repeated surveys , IceBridge carried out new missions intended to expand coverage into new areas . one example would be the Nov . 14 flight that measured farther inland from previous surveys of the Foundation Ice Stream and Support Force Glacier . The ice surface , bedrock and sub - ice water depth data collected on this flight will be helpful for scientists projecting future changes to the Antarctic Ice Sheet . Two other newly designed missions also had the aim of setting a baseline for validating ICESat - 2 measurements . on Oct . 23 and 26 , the DC - 8 flew a survey around the South Pole at 88 degrees south . Every planned ICESat - 2 orbit intersects at 88 degrees , giving scientists a reference point for verifying the satellite ’ s accuracy . One of these pole flights was part of a set of eight surveys considered the highest priority by IceBridge mission planners . These flights , known as baseline missions , target areas that are rapidly changing and thus needing repeat measurement , or are otherwise scientifically important , like flights building comparison points for ICESat - 2 . Of the 22 flights IceBridge carried out during this campaign , seven were in this baseline category . In addition to the South Pole flight , three targeted glaciers in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula , and three collected data on Antarctic sea ice . On top of the mission ’ s scientific work , IceBridge also hosted high - profile visitors and reached out to students both in the United States and Chile . on the Oct . 28 flight , IceBridge was joined by NASA ’ s Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan and Michael Hammer , the U . S . Ambassador to Chile . As in previous campaigns , IceBridge researchers reached out to students both back in the United States and in Chile . on several survey flights students used an online text chat portal that allowed them to ask researchers questions over the DC - 8 ’ s satellite communication system . During these chats , IceBridge communicated with 867 students in 37 classrooms . With the conclusion of several weeks in the field , IceBridge ’ s various instrument teams now look ahead to processing the data they collected and to preparing for IceBridge ’ s upcoming Arctic campaign , scheduled to begin in March 2015 . For more information about NASA ' s IceBridge mission , visit : www . nasa . gov / Icebridge George HaleNASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MarylandLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Holly ZellTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Ice , IceBridge , Read Full Article Sept . 17 , 2014 NASA HS 3 Instrument Views 2 Dimensions of Clouds Five new NASA Earth science missions are launching in 2014 to expand our understanding of Earth ’ s changing climate and environment . NASA ' s " Earth Right Now " websiteLooking out the window of a commercial plane during takeoff is like taking the nickel tour of the profile of the atmosphere . As the plane ascends , what may start as a gloomy day on the ground , can turn into rain streaking across the window as you pass through the white - gray cloud , and then sunny skies above once the plane reaches cruising altitude . NASA ’ s Cloud Physics Lidar ( CPL ) instrument , flying aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft in this summer ’ s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel , or HS 3 , mission , is studying the changing profile of the atmosphere in detail to learn more about how hurricanes form and strengthen . “ CPL profiles the atmosphere to get a two - dimensional picture of cloud and aerosols , from the top down , ” said Matt McGill of NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , who led the instrument team that designed and built the CPL . Its data , presented as if it were a curtain hanging from the sky , shows what ’ s in the atmosphere ’ s different layers . From about 60 , 000 feet on the Global Hawk , twice the altitude of a commercial plane , 94 percent of the atmosphere lies below the instrument . The lidar works by sending rapid pulses of light that , like a radar beam , bounce and scatter off any particles they encounter , such as cloud droplets or dust particles . Some of the scattered light returns to the instrument where it records how long it took for the photons to leave and return – giving the altitude of the particles . Credits : NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center / R . FitzgibbonsCPL sends out 5 , 000 pulses of light per second in three different wavelengths , allowing the science team to discriminate between different types of particles , McGill said . “ Is it a cloud made of water ? Is it a cloud made of ice or mixed [ water and ice ] ? And we can say something about what type of airborne particle we are seeing . Is it dust or smoke or pollution ? ” For the scientists studying hurricanes , those distinctions are important . one of the major areas of study is how Saharan dust off of Africa travels across the Atlantic and affects hurricane formation and intensification . CPL data have been used to verify model projections of Saharan dust in the tropics . The CPL data showed dust layers had a vertical distribution different than models predicted . Instead dust layers occupied narrower altitude ranges . The finding led to an improvement in the dust models , which then feed into hurricane models . [ image - 51 ] This visualization shows CPL data along the flight path of the Global Hawk as it flew over Hurricane Nadine on Sept . 14 and 15 , 2012 . Credits : NASA Goddard ' s Scientific Visualization StudioDownload HD - format animation from NASA Goddard ' s Scientific Visualization Studio [ image - 108 ] Situated in the nose of the Global Hawk flying over the storm environment , CPL also has a role in on - the - fly mission planning . While in flight , the CPL sends its data back to the team on the ground . “ The mission scientists involved in the flight planning can sit there and watch the data with us in real time and say , ‘ Oh , we ’ re not getting what we want . ’ Then they can go work with the flight planners and pilots to reroute the aircraft into different areas , ” said McGill . “ They love that . ” The airborne science community takes full advantage of the quick look capability , as well as the 24 - hour turn around for the final data products . CPL is one of the most flown instruments in NASA ’ s Earth science fleet . “ It ’ s a workhorse for the field campaigns , ” said McGill . The original CPL was built in 1999 and took its first flight on the ER - 2 high altitude research aircraft in 2000 . Over the years CPL has been used as a satellite simulator for ground validation efforts , a cloud spotter for other instruments needing a clear view of the ground , as well as the main data collector for scientists studying atmospheric composition and Earth ’ s energy budget where thin clouds and aerosols are major players . The lidar was also part of the proof of concept flights for the A - Train , a series of satellites flying in the same orbit making near - simultaneous measurements of the Earth system using many different instruments . That proof of concept airborne campaign showed scientists the power of combining multiple Earth observing data sets . In 2007 , when talk began of using Global Hawks for Earth science , CPL was among the first sensors considered ; its size is perfect for the instrument compartment . Worries about the untested Global Hawk led to a second nearly identical instrument being built for use on the unmanned aircraft . It flew on NASA ’ s maiden Global Hawk Pacific campaign in 2009 . Since then , the Global Hawk CPL has flown in two multi - year campaigns , alternating between the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment ( ATTREX ) and HS 3 . Compact and fully autonomous , the CPL lidar design pioneered photon - counting technology that has led to the development of two instruments that will fly in space , the Cloud - Aerosol Transport System ( CATS ) , which launches to the International Space Station this December , and the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System ( ATLAS ) , which will fly on the Ice , Cloud and land Elevation Satellite - 2 ( ICESat - 2 ) scheduled to launch in 2017 . The solid design of the instrument has borne up surprisingly well over the years , said McGill , who uses CPL as a learning tool for interns and young scientists getting their hands dirty in the field . Together , the twin CPL instruments have flown 26 missions . HS 3 will mark the 27 th overall and the seventh for the Global Hawk CPL . “ It ’ s still going strong , ” McGill said . The HS 3 mission is funded by NASA Headquarters and overseen by NASA ’ s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program at NASA ’ s Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia , and is one of five large field campaigns operating under the Earth Venture program . The HS 3 mission also involves collaborations with partners including the National Centers for Environmental Prediction , Naval Postgraduate School , Naval Research Laboratory , NOAA ’ s Hurricane Research Division and Earth System Research Laboratory , Northrop Grumman Space Technology , National Center for Atmospheric Research , State University of New York at Albany , University of Maryland - Baltimore County , University of Wisconsin and University of Utah . The HS 3 mission is managed by the Earth Science Project Office at NASA ’ s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field , California . The aircraft are maintained and based at NASA ' s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards , California . Related Links NASA ’ s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel missionMore information about the Cloud Physics LidarEllen GrayNASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MarylandLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Rob GarnerTags : Air , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Hazards , HS 3 Hurricane Mission ( Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel ) , Hurricanes , Read Full Article HS 3 Hurricane May 30 , 2014 NASA Widens 2014 Hurricane Research Mission NASA ' s airborne Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS 3 mission , will revisit the Atlantic Ocean for the third year in a row . Credits : NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center / Ryan FitzgibbonsDownload this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard ' s Scientific Visualization StudioDuring this year ' s Atlantic hurricane season , NASA is redoubling its efforts to probe the inner workings of hurricanes and tropical storms with two unmanned Global Hawk aircraft flying over storms and two new space - based missions . Five new NASA Earth science missions are launching in 2014 to expand our understanding of Earth ’ s changing climate and environment . NASA ' s " Earth Right Now " websiteNASA ' s airborne Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS 3 mission , will revisit the Atlantic Ocean for the third year in a row . HS 3 is a collaborative effort that brings together several NASA centers with federal and university partners to investigate the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin . The flights from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia take place between Aug . 26 and Sept . 29 during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season that runs from June 1 to Nov . 30 . " This year we ' re going full - force into tropical cyclone research , " said Scott Braun , HS 3 mission principal investigator and research meteorologist at NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland . " We ' ll have two Global Hawks equipped with six instruments . The new NASA - JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement ( GPM ) Core Observatory will be providing much higher quality data than previously available on rain structure in tropical cyclones in all ocean basins . The surface - wind monitoring ISS - RapidScat instrument to be launched to the International Space Station this season will provide valuable information on surface winds in storms . " One of the remaining mysteries that HS 3 is attempting to solve is the effect of the hot , dry and dusty Saharan Air Layer ( SAL ) in tropical storm formation and intensification . Some research points to SAL contributing to storm formation , while other research indicates SAL suppresses it . HS 3 also will investigate the role of strong thunderstorms near the core of the storms as a possible driver of intensity change . This animation shows how NASA scientists investigated the Saharan Air Layer during Hurricane Nadine . The blue to white data in the curtains is attenuated backscatter from Cloud Physics Lidar . The dropsonde data pillars show relative humidity where blue represents dry air and red represents moist airCredits : NASAThis year NOAA , in addition to managing all of the dropsondes during the HS 3 mission , will enable the mission to fly another week to better study tropical cyclones . A dropsonde is a device that measures winds , temperature and humidity , dropped from an aircraft . The NASA Global Hawks are unmanned aircraft that will be piloted remotely from the HS 3 mission control at NASA ' s Wallops Flight Facility . Global Hawk aircraft are well - suited for hurricane investigations because they can fly for as long as 26 hours and fly above hurricanes at altitudes greater than 55 , 000 feet . One Global Hawk will carry three instruments to examine the environment around the storms , including the Scanning High - resolution Interferometer Sounder ( S - HIS ) , the Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System ( AVAPS ) , also known as dropsondes , and the Cloud Physics Lidar ( CPL ) . The second Global Hawk will focus on the inner region of the storms to measure wind and precipitation , surface winds , and atmospheric temperature and humidity . It will carry the High - Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler ( HIWRAP ) conically scanning Doppler radar , the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer ( HIRAD ) , and the High - Altitude Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit Sounding Radiometer ( HAMSR ) microwave sounder . The GPM mission , launched Feb . 27 , will provide rainfall measurements every three hours around the globe , and will complement the HS 3 mission . Like GPM ' s predecessor , the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission , GPM will continue to provide insights into the dynamics of a storm , such as how the storm ' s structure changes over the life cycle of the storm , including intensification and decay stages , and how storm intensification may depend on the presence of deep thunderstorms , known as hot towers , near the eyewall . The GPM mission will extend coverage to higher latitudes and improve scientists ' ability to evaluate how storms change in intensity and structure as they move into the extra - tropics . Artist ' s rendering of NASA ' s ISS - RapidScat instrument ( inset ) , which will launch to the ISS in 2014 to measure ocean surface wind speed and direction and help improve weather forecasts , including hurricane monitoring . It will be installed on the end of the station ' s Columbus laboratory . Credits : NASA / JPL - Caltech / JSCThe ISS - RapidScat instrument , managed by NASA ' s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in Pasadena , California , is slated for launch to the International Space Station in August . RapidScat will measure ocean surface winds in Earth ' s tropics and mid - latitudes and will provide useful data for weather forecasting of marine storms . HS 3 ’ s project management is at NASA Ames Research Center , Mountain View , California - home of the Earth Science Projects Office ( ESPO ) . Other participating NASA centers involved in the campaign include : Goddard , the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards , California , Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville , Alabama , and JPL . The HS 3 mission is funded by NASA Headquarters and overseen by NASA ' s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program at NASA ' s Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia , and is one of five large field campaigns operating under the Earth Venture program . The HS 3 mission also involves collaborations with partners including the National Centers for Environmental Prediction , Naval Postgraduate School , Naval Research Laboratory , NOAA ' s Hurricane Research Division and Earth System Research Laboratory , Northrop Grumman Space Technology , National Center for Atmospheric Research , State University of New York at Albany , University of Maryland - Baltimore County , University of Wisconsin , and University of Utah . NASA monitors Earth ' s vital signs from land , air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground - based observation campaigns . NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth ' s interconnected natural systems with long - term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing . The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet . For more information about NASA ' s Earth science activities in 2014 , visit : http : / / www . nasa . gov / earthrightnowRelated Links : HS 3 Mission - www . nasa . gov / hs 3 NASA Hurricane Research - www . nasa . gov / hurricane NASA ' s Airborne Science Program - http : / / airbornescience . nasa . gov GPM Mission - www . nasa . gov / gpm Rapidscat - https : / / winds . jpl . nasa . gov / missions / RapidScat / GPM Flickr photos - https : / / www . flickr . com / photos / gsfc / 10860068536 / in / set - 72157637675525645 Globalhawk montage photos - http : / / www . nasa . gov / content / goddard / nasas - 2013 - hs 3 - mission - global - hawk - heads - home / #. U 3 ESg 4 WPMhU What is NASA ' s HS 3 Mission ? video - https : / / espo . nasa . gov / missions / hs 3 / content / HS 3 _ Mission _ OverviewRob Gutro NASA ' s Goddard Space Flight CenterLast Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Lynn JennerTags : Ames Research Center , Armstrong Flight Research Center , Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , Hazards , HS 3 Hurricane Mission ( Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel ) , Hurricanes , Read Full Article Global Precipitation April 30 , 2014 NASA Begins Field Campaign to Measure Rain in Southern Appalachians Five new NASA Earth science missions are launching in 2014 to expand our understanding of Earth ’ s changing climate and environment . NASA ' s " Earth Right Now " websiteRain , ice , hail , severe winds , thunderstorms , and heavy fog – the Appalachian Mountains in the southeast United States have it all . on May 1 , NASA begins a campaign in western North Carolina to better understand the difficult - to - predict weather patterns of mountain regions . The field campaign serves as ground truth for measurements made by the Global Precipitation Measurement ( GPM ) mission ' s Core Observatory . GPM is an international satellite mission to observe rain and snow around the world . The advanced instruments on the GPM Core Observatory satellite , launched Feb . 27 , provide the next generation of precipitation measurements , including the new capability to detect snow and light rain . " What we ' re trying to do is study and learn about the precipitation from the summit to sea , how it evolves as it moves from the mountains to the plains , " said Walt Petersen of NASA ' s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia , who is leading the field campaign . " Then we use that information to improve satellite observations of precipitation and how those observations can best be used in applications like hydrologic models . " Hydrologic models are used by water managers to predict where rainwater goes after it hits the ground – underground and into streams and rivers where it supplies freshwater to the region , or becomes a natural hazard . Evaluating and improving these models is an important part of the field campaign . Rain gauges and other rain monitoring equipment are set up throughout the Smoky Mountains ( part of the Appalachians ) to capture rainfall for the GPM ground validation taking place in North Carolina May 1 to June 15 , 2014 . Credits : Duke University / Greg Cutrell " This is a region that is always under some sort of threat , " said precipitation scientist Ana Barros of Duke University in Durham , N . C . , who is hosting the field campaign . She ' s been working with local authorities in the Upper Tennessee , Catawba - Santee , Yadkin - Pee Dee and Savannah River basins , who are very interested in the outcome , to set up the rain - monitoring network for the campaign . " They have landslides , they have flash floods , they have very severe windstorms , they have lots of hail storms in the summer time , they also get hurricanes and tropical storms . So they really value and appreciate the data because they feel they can make good use of it . " Mountain precipitation is difficult to measure , even from satellites . The shape of the rugged slopes interacts with and produces a wide variety of rainfall , through poorly understood processes specific to mountains , said Barros . on the ground , rain gauges have to be set up and maintained in remote areas only accessible by foot or on horseback , and ridges block weather radars from seeing very far into the mountains . Nevertheless , the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment field campaign , running from May 1 to June 15 , 2014 , combines intense ground coverage with airborne sensors flying through and above rain clouds . When a storm moves in , they ’ ll snap pictures of precipitation from the top of the clouds to the bottom of valleys . During the field campaign NASA ' s high - altitude ER - 2 aircraft carries three radars and a radiometer to measure rainfall from 65 , 000 feet . Credits : NASA / Tony LandisSatellite overpasses from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and the GPM Core Observatory provide the view from space . In case satellites aren ' t overhead during a storm , NASA ' s ER - 2 high altitude research plane flying at 65 , 000 feet and managed by the agency ' s Armstrong Flight Research Canter in Edwards , Calif . , carries several sensors including two that simulate measurements made by the GPM Core Observatory . At 10 , 000 to 25 , 000 feet , the University of North Dakota ' s Citation aircraft flies through clouds to measure raindrops and ice particles where they form . Multiple weather radars – including the NASA ' s transportable Polarimetric Radar and Dual - Frequency , Dual - Polarimetric Doppler Radar , as well as a NOAA polarimetric radar – measure rain as it forms in clouds and falls to the ground . Then , researchers from Duke University , NOAA ' s Hydrometeorological Test Bed , NASA , and others have set up a dense network of rain gauges and other equipment to measure fallen precipitation at ground level . Additional sensors to detect soil moisture underground and stream height then follow the water as it flows downstream from the mountains to the plains . " That ' s our dream scenario , " Petersen said . " We ' ll learn something more about how and where rain water is actually made in the clouds , how much of it falls out of the cloud to the ground , and then what happens to the rainfall when it gets into our hydrologic network . " If the weather cooperates , the science team expects to end the six - week campaign with detailed and scientifically robust data to improve their understanding of both the fundamental science of mountain rainfall and how to best estimate rainfall using satellite observations over these remote and rugged regions . " In a way remote sensing is the only hope to observe the hydrologic cycle over mountains , " said Barros . " The potential to do this from space is great and resolves a great problem because we can look at the larger area without having to deal with these obstacles . " For more information , visit : http : / / pmm . nasa . gov / iphexandhttp : / / iphex . pratt . duke . eduEllen GrayNASA ' s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , Md . ellen . t . gray @ nasa . gov 301 - 286 - 1950 Keith KoehlerNASA ' s Wallops Flight Facility , Wallops Island , Va . keith . a . koehler @ nasa . gov 757 - 824 - 1579 Last Updated : July 31 , 2015 Editor : Rob GarnerTags : Earth , Goddard Space Flight Center , GPM ( Global Precipitation Measurement ) , Water , Read Full Article