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RBSP
Science Overview
NEW
Sept.
05, 2012
The
Radiation Belt Storm Probe mission (RBSP) will explore the Van
Allen Radiation Belts in the Earth's magnetosphere. The charge
particles in these regions can be hazardous to both spacecraft
and astronauts. Project Scientist David Sibeck explains the how
the mission will explore space weather -- changes in Earth's
space environment caused by the sun -- that can disable
satellites, create power grid failures and disrupt GPS service.
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GPM
Applications
NEW
Sept.
04, 2012
Water
is fundamental to life on Earth. Knowing where and how much rain
and snow falls globally is vital to understanding how weather and
climate impact both our environment and Earth’s water and
energy cycles, including effects on agriculture, fresh water
availability, and responses to natural disasters. Since rainfall
and snowfall vary greatly from place to place and over time,
satellites can provide more uniform observations of rain and snow
around the globe than ground instruments, especially in areas
where surface measurements are difficult.
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Birth
of a Space Laser Instrument
NEW
Sept.
04, 2012
A
new C02 laser, which will globally measure carbon dioxide from
space, is due to be launched in 2023 on the ASCENDS mission. One
of the exciting things about this project is that you can
actually watch trees eat and breathe. Of course, trees are
breathing all the time, but they are only eating, meaning,
performing photosynthesis when the sun is out. The main science
is to measure how much carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere
at this particular time on the Earth, how much is there total and
where is it located.
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Imported
Dust in North American Skies
NEW
Sept.
03, 2012
NASA
and university scientists have made the first measurement-based
estimate of the amount and composition of tiny airborne particles
that arrive in the air over North America each year. With a 3D
view of the atmosphere now possible from satellites, the
scientists distinguished dust from pollution, and calculated that
dust is the main ingredient of these foreign imports.
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The
Ocean
Aug.
31, 2012
The
Ocean is essential to life on Earth. Most of Earth’s water
is stored in the ocean. Although 40 percent of Earth’s
population lives within, or near coastal regions- the ocean
impacts people everywhere. Without the ocean, our planet would be
uninhabitable. This animation helps to convey the importance of
Earth’s oceanic processes as one component of Earth’s
interrelated systems.
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These
images are whole-Sun maps of magnetic activity. They show 360
degrees of longitude in the Carrington coordinate system normally
used for solar observations. The map extent is from south pole to
north pole in an equal area projection. The solar equator and
each 60 degrees of longitude are marked.
