S.A.T.E.L.L.I.T.E.S. ProjectStudents And Teachers Evaluating Local Landscapes to Interpret The Earth from Space

Cloud Frog picture, researchproject name, UT logo

NASA Funded ProjectNASA Funded Project

The Use of Thermal Infrared Satellites to

Detect Climate Changes

For Example:

Is Global Warming occurring ? If so, to what

extent ?

Summer of 2000:Teachers who participated in a workshop at

The University of Toledo.

Summer of 2001:Teachers who participated in a workshop at

The University of Toledo.

Summer of 2002:Teachers who participated in a workshop at

Ohio Aerospace Institute / NASA GRC.

S.A.T.E.L.L.I.T.E.S. Project Stats

“STUDENT SCIENTISTS”: 1,975

Schools (K-12) Represented: 42

Study Area: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York

Data Collection Periods: 40 days

We have analyzed Snow Data so far, so the following are PRELIMINARY RESULTS about SNOW DATA ONLY !

Preliminary SNOW Observation Points: 213

There are 2 Big Pitfalls:

• 1) Related to Remote Sensing….

- Winter vs. Summer Data Collection

- Validation of Cloud/Snow data from satellites

We call this Phase 1 of the project !

Landsat 7 Satellite Image of Toledo, Ohio -- July 1, 2000

January 9, 2001 --- Landsat-7 Satellite Image

Toledo, Ohio / Monroe, Michigan / Lake Erie Ice

We’re Asking You & Your Students to be the “Scientists in the field” !

Measured snow depth

Measured the snow-water equivalent

Types of clouds Percent of cloud

coverage

Collected Cloud & Snow Data

THE ACCURACY OF THE SATELLITE’S TO DETECT SNOW ON THE GROUND

PROBLEM #1 :

PROBLEM #2 :

THE ACCURACY OF THE SATELLITE’S TO DETECT CLOUDS

So, in PHASE 1: WHAT ARE WE TESTING ?

Second Big Pitfall:

• 2) Location of Meteorological Stations…

- At/Near Airports

- Heat Island Effect

We call this Phase 2 of the project !

Urban Heat Island Profile (Miller 1999)

Surface Temperature of Specific Landscapes on July 1, 2000

0102030405060

Location

Sur

face

Tem

pera

ture

(C

elsi

us)

Phase II will be implemented in 3 years

After Phase I is completed

WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE RESULTS AFTER WE ANALYZE YOUR DATA AND THE SATELLITE DATA ?

• Present at National and International Conference

• Post project on our website: www.utoledogis.org

• Publish Satellite Snow/Cloud Validation papers

• Share information via WebCasts

Then, we will compare the temperature readings from the satellite images to ground readings !

Fun w/ IRTs

Analyze Satellite Images MODIS Snow Products

Lu Zhao Mike Edwards

• Why did we use MODIS ?

36 Bands -and- Every Day Image taken

Need ground data from Great Lakes Region

Algorithms recently developed* Correctly determining snow on a global basis helps scientists predict climate changes – ie. GW

Feb. 4, 2002

N

MODIS – Snow Products w/ School Locations

N

Feb. 8, 2002

LEGEND

State Boundaries School Locations

Snow Inland Water

No Snow (Land) Snow-Covered Lake Ice

Clouds (Earth Obscured) Ocean

Feb. 8, 2002

LEGEND

State Boundaries School Locations

Snow Inland Water

No Snow (Land) Snow-Covered Lake Ice

Clouds (Earth Obscured) Ocean

MODIS – Snow Product with School Locations

MODIS Data vs. “Student Scientists” Data

Clouds = 477 Student Snow Observations Not Used

MODIS Data

Student ObservationsSnow No Snow (Land)

Snow 16 2No Snow (Land) 3 185

Inland Water 7

Preliminary Comparison

MODIS' AccuracySnow 84%

No Snow (Land) 95%Overall 94%

***

How do imaging satellites work?

Satellite sensors “see” reflected and emitted radiation

Remote sensing images use the electromagnetic spectrum.

Spectral Reflectance CurvesS

pec

tral

Ref

lect

ance

High

Low

Spectral Region

Blue Green Red Near IR Mid IR

Water

Vegetation

Soil