NOAA: Monitoring Climate Change from Space · Making Images Black and White Images – single wavelength. Energy represented by gray scale. Color scale of derived products from satellite

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

NOAA: Monitoring Climate Change from Space

Presented by: Steve Ackerman and Margaret Mooney

Monitoring Climate Change from Space

Steve [email protected]

Margaret Mooney [email protected]

Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies


Presentation Outline:

• Historical Perspective• Basics of Observing from Satellites• Satellite Contributions to Climate Research

•Monitoring surface•Monitoring atmosphere•Monitoring the sun

• Classroom Resources

Poll Question

How often do you use satellite observations in your courses?

A) NeverB) OccasionallyC) OftenD) FrequentlyE) Less than I want to

1957 – Soviet Union launches Sputnik• Successful space craft but no instruments

Initiated the Space Race

1959 – NASA launches Explorer VII• Included UW-Madison Instrument to measure

the radiative energy balance of Earth. Initiated Global Climate Studies of our Planet

Historical Perspective on Satellites & Climate

Historical Perspective on Satellites & Climate

0.200.20 0.530.53Langleys/MinLangleys/Min

Explorer 7 RadianceExplorer 7 Radiance

Surface PressureSurface PressureApril 2nd, 1960April 2nd, 1960

L

Let’s Pause for Two Questions

from the Audience






Observing ChangeDirect methods, also called in situ for “in place,” measure the properties of the air that are in contact with the instrument being used.

Thermometer tells us the temperature of the room is about 60F

Basics of Observing from Satellites

Observing ChangeIndirect methods, also referred to as remote sensing, obtain information without coming into physical contact with the region of the atmosphere being measured.


Question: What can you tell us about the pan?

Observing ChangeElectromagnetic energy spans a large spectrum of wavelengths. In our conversation we are interested primarily in solar (or shortwave) and infrared (or longwave); maybe a little on the microwave.


Types of Satellite OrbitsGeostationary – Polar orbiting.

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/sose/pirs/pirs_m1_leo.html

Most satellite images seen on the local television news or The Weather Channel are produced by GOES satellites.

GOES Satellites orbit the earth above the equator at the same speed as the earth rotates so they can transmit a continuous picture of the region below.

POES orbits are significantly lower and shorter, taking about 100 minutes to travel from pole to pole and produce high resolution "snapshots" of the Earth.


Question: What orbit would you select to monitor ice bergs and why?

Orbit Type Characteristics Considerations

Geostationary •Orbits the earth above the equator at the same speed the earth rotates•Orbit is high - ~ 36,000 km•Can produce animations of the earth's weather patterns

Good for tracking weather storms

Can observe changes in timeCan not see the poles very wellCan view only one hemisphereImage resolution is not very

good because of distance from earth

Polar •Orbits are lower altitude•Takes about 100 minutes to travel from pole to pole•Produces high resolution “snaps shots” of the earth

Image resolution is good because it’s closer to earth

Sees the poles a lot (~14 times a day)

Sees give tropical and middle latitude regions of the globe twice a day



from the Audience

Making ImagesBlack and White Images – single wavelength. Energy

represented by gray scale.Color scale of derived products from satellite

measurementsA true-color image of a subject is an image that appears to

the human eye just like the original subject would A "false-color" is typically used to describe images whose

colors represent measured intensities outside the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum


http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/modules/sat_images/index.html

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/sose/pirs/pirs_m2_footprint.html We will visit this site

January 5, 2010


January 2, 2010



Interpreting Satellite Image: Four ‘Ws”• When


Interpreting Satellite Image: Four ‘Ws”• When• Where


Interpreting Satellite Image: Four ‘Ws”• When• Where• Wavelength


Interpreting Satellite Image: Four ‘Ws”• When• Where• Wavelength• Wesolution (Resolution)


from the Audience






Monitoring Surface Changes

Differences in reflectance at different wavelengths for different surfaces.

Satellite Contributions to Climate Research

What two wavelengths would you use to separate snow from dry sand?

What two wavelengths would you use to separate grass from dry gass?

Monitoring Surface Changes• Differences in reflectance at different

wavelengths for different surfaces.



Longer Growing Seasons (about 1 week)

Satellite Images allow scientists to monitor chlorophyll activity in the vegetation for monitoring.


August 5, 1987

Satellite: LandSat


August 23, 1988

Burned areas are red


August 2, 1989

793,000 of the park’s 2,221,800 acres had burned


September 23, 1999


September 15, 2008

Decreasing Snow CoverThe 28 year trend in snow extent derived from visible and passive microwave satellite data indicates an annual decrease of approximately 1 to 3 percent per decade with greater deceases of approximately 3 to 5 percent during spring and summer.


January 5, 2010


December 20, 2009


January 3, 2010


January 3, 2010


This 2001 image of the Himalaya mountains documents glacier stagnation and lake formation. The image was produced using data from the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission & and reflection Radiometer)

instrument flown on NASA's Terra satellite.

Glacial RetreatMonitoring Surface Changes

Satellite studies indicate Arctic sea ice declining annually

Diminishing Arctic Sea Ice


Sea Level Rise

Altimeters on satellites provided the first detailed picture of global sea level and now track its change


Sea Level Rise

Altimeters on satellites provided the first detailed picture of global sea level and now track its change


Desertification

The disappearance of the Aral Sea, as seen by Landsat satellite during the period 1973 to 2000. Over this peroid, more than 60% of the lake vanished, replaced with a dry, dusty plain.


Ozone Hole (measured by NOAA and NASA satellites.

Monitoring Atmospheric Changes

http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/facts/history.html

Tota

l Ozo

ne (D

U)

Instruments on the ground (at Halley) and high above Antarctica (the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer [TOMS] and Ozone Monitoring Instrument [OMI]) measured an acute drop in total atmospheric ozone during October in the early and middle 1980s.


Atmospheric Water Vapor

Warmer temperatures enable an increase in atmospheric water vapor (H20). (the most abundant greenhouse gas)



Sea Surface Temperature

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/sst/

Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina 2005


Hurricanes

James P. Kossin · Suzana J. Camargo, 2009: Hurricane track variability and secular potential intensity trends, Climatic Change


http://profhorn.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/hurr/hurr.html

April 1999

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/solar.php

Monitoring Solar Changes

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft shows sunspots (right) and ultraviolet light (left) emitted by the Sun




April 2001

April 2003




April 2005




April 2007






Monitoring Solar ChangesApril 2009

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/01apr_deepsolarminimum.htm

Monitoring Solar ChangesApril 2009

Satellites monitor changes in surface conditions:

Urban heat island

Sea and land surface temperature

Chlorophyll concentration/sedmiment

Vegetation

Snow and Ice cover

Satellite monitor changes in atmospheric conditions

Ozone (and other trace gases) concentration

Cloud cover and type

Aerosols/Pollution

Temperature structure

Satellite monitor changes in Top of Atmosphere energy budget

Incoming and out going solar energy

Outgoing terrestrial energy



from the Audience






Classroom Resources

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/sage/

Classroom Resources

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/sose/

Classroom Resources

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/

Classroom Resources

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/climatechange

Classroom Resources

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education

Contact Information

Steve Ackerman [email protected]

Margaret Mooney [email protected]

Stop by if you’re ever in town!

QUESTIONS?

Thank you to the sponsor of tonight's Web Seminar:

http://learningcenter.nsta.org

http://www.elluminate.com

National Science Teachers AssociationDr. Francis Q. Eberle, Executive Director

Zipporah Miller, Associate Executive Director Conferences and Programs

Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP

NSTA Web SeminarsPaul Tingler, Director

Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator

Documents

NOAA: Monitoring Climate Change from Space · Making Images Black and White Images – single wavelength. Energy represented by gray scale. Color scale of derived products from satellite