Science Communication Material

Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT )
MOPITT broch.pdf

Life on Earth depends on the atmosphere. It provides oxygen for respiration, transports gases around the globe and protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. With a human population of over 6 billion, the quality of this life-sustaining envelope is vital to our continued survival. The Canadian Space Agency’s Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere ( MOPITT ) instrument is designed to monitor from space the health of this thin layer of atmosphere, and give an early warning of unexpected changes.

Terra
Terra_brochure.pdf

NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) began a long-term, comprehensive study of the Earth with a series of satellites specially designed to study the complexities of global change, an advanced computer network for distributing scientific data, and international teams of scientists who are studying the data. In 1999, NASA launched the EOS satellite Terra to begin collecting a new 15-year global data record on which to base future scientific investigations about our complex planet.

Terra
1999Terra_Writers_Guide.pdf

The launch of NASA’s Terra spacecraft in 1999, marked a new era of comprehensive monitoring of the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and continents from a single space-based platform. Data from the five Terra instruments are creating continuous, long-term records of the state of the land, oceans, and atmosphere. Together with data from other satellite systems launched by NASA and other countries, Terra inaugurated a new 15-year data record.

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)
aster.pdf

The only instrument flying on the EOS Terra (formerly AM-1) platform that acquires high-resolution images is ASTER. The primary goal of the ASTER mission is to obtain high-resolution image data in 14 channels over targeted areas of the Earth’s surface, as well as black-and-white stereo images. With a revisit time between 4 and 16 days, ASTER provides the capability for repeat coverage of changing areas on the Earth’s surface.

Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR)
MISR.pdf

MISR is flying on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) first Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite—EOS Terra (formerly AM-1)—together with four other instruments designed to study Earth from space. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology built the MISR instrument for NASA. JPL, in collaboration with the MISR science team, built the software to convert raw MISR data into information that Earth science researchers can use.

Terra
1998_Terra_litho.pdf

NASA’s commitment to studying the Earth as a global system continued with the launch of the Terra spacecraft in December 1999 representing a key contribution by NASA to the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Terra was the first of several EOS spacecraft that are observing the Earth’s continents, oceans and atmosphere. It has five state-of-the-art instruments achieving measurement capability and accuracy never known before.

1997-98 El Nino (1998)
1998_El_Nino.pdf

This image shows the progression of the 1997-98 El Niño as derived rom the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite.

AERONET (2012)
AERONETpamphlet_508_sm.pdf

This resource gives a brief overview of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) program, which provides a long-term, accessible database of aerosol properties. Long-term commitment to AERONET sites worldwide provides assessment of the regional climatological impact of aerosols (e.g., aerosol amount, size, and heating or cooling effects). Learn more about this international program and how measurements from AERONET help improve our understanding of Earth’s climate.

African Dust Leads to Large Toxic Algal Bloom (2001)
2001_African_Dust.pdf

Each year, several hundred million tons of African dust are transported westward over the Atlantic to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Thunderstorms and accompanying warm air can lift dust as high as 4575 meters (15,000 feet) above the African deserts, and then out across the Atlantic.

Agricultural Competitiveness (2003)
2003_agri_litho_alt.pdf

One of our nations most vital needs is a stable and dependable food supply for an ever-increasing population. The Midwest United States is known as America’s Breadbasket because it is home to the vast majority of America’s productive farmland and is a vital cog in the American economy. Any disruption to the productivity of these lands can have devastating economic consequences. For example, in the summer of 1988, the Midwest United States experienced its worst dry spell since the 1930s causing an estimated $40 billion in crop damages. In contrast, summer 1993 was exceptionally wet, with flooding on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers that wreaked havoc on agricultural lands and caused extensive crop damage.