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Introduction:
The
issue of climate change as a major environmental
and political concern continues to consume
the attention of scientists and policy makers.
Now new research coming from the Goddard
Institute for Space Studies in New York
is adding an important element to the international
conversation. According to Dr. James Hansen
and colleagues there, warming trends relating
to climate change have been primarily caused
by substances other carbon dioxide, a finding
that may cause many scientists to reconsider
their understanding of contemporary climate
models.
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CLOSING
IN ON CLIMATE CHANGE This visualization
of methane circulating around the
Earth emphasizes the need for continuing
efforts to curtail its release into
the atmosphere. Dr. Hansen's research
shows that other atmospheric contaminants,
particularly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
soot particles, and tropospheric ozone
may have more of a detrimental effect
on the Earth's climate than carbon
dioxide.
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MEASURING
AEROSOLS WITH MOPITT Scientists
expect new instruments like MOPITT,
onboard NASA's recently launched Terra
satellite, to provide more detail
than ever about atmospheric gasses
like methane. Methane can trap nearly
30 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.
As future data describes images similar
to the one shown here, researchers
will be better able to refine their
climate models by studying not only
the sources of gasses like methane,
but also wide scale modes of distribution
and interaction.
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EARTH'S
HEAT SIGNATURE This sequence shows
longwave radiation (heat) emitted
by the Earth back into space. Oranges
and reds show where more heat flows
back into space, while blues and whites
show where less heat escapes. The
Earth absorbs more energy in the tropics
than in polar regions, thereby driving
the circulation of the Earth's atmosphere
and oceans. The Clouds and the Earth's
Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument
on NASA's Terra satellite acquired
these measurements.
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SUNLIGHT
ON EARTH'S FACE This CERES sequence
shows shortwave radiation (sunlight)
reflected back into space by our planet.
White and tan colors indicate regions
where the Earth reflects more sunlight
back into space due to surfaces such
as clouds or deserts. Greens and blues
indicate areas where less sunlight
is reflected. Understanding energy
coming into and out of Earth dynamic
sphere is critical for assessing the
accuracy of global climate change
models.
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Movie
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HEAT
FLOW AND CLIMATE The Earth's climate
is governed by a balance between sunlight
that reaches the Earth and heat that's
radiated back into space. Terra will
help scientists monitor this delicate
balance and better understand the
relationship between greenhouse gases,
cloud cover, and long-term climate
change.
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Movie
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TOTAL
OZONE MAPPING SPECTROMETER The
current TOMS instrument flies on NASA's
Earth Probe, launched in July 1996.
Its ozone mapping capabilities come
from the instrumentŐs abilities to
monitor reflected ultraviolet light.
By making nearly 200,000 daily measurements,
the instrument can survey nearly the
entire planet on a regular basis,
offering scientists a powerful tool
for measuring both sudden and long-term
climatological changes.
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EARTH
SCIENCE ENTERS THE TERRA ERA Terra
is a multi-national orbiting research
platform managed at NASAŐs Goddard Space
Flight Center. By synchronizing a sophisticated
suite of sensors and instruments, Terra
will help researchers pursue some of
the grandest and most complex questions
about the nature of our home planet,
including cutting edge research into
climate change.
The intsrument will simultaneously
study clouds, water vapor, aerosol
particles, trace gases, terrestrial
and ocean properties, and systemic
interactions on a planetary scale.
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