2001 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID |
Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| NASA'S TERRA SATELLITE CAPTURES A WORLD OF SUNLIGHT AND HEAT
| G01-050 | 06/20/01 |
00:15:28 | Earth's energy balance represents the
sum total of all the interactions of sunlight with our planet's
climate system (as both sunlight and heat). For the first time, a
new NASA sensor can measure the radiant energy reflected and emitted
back into space accurately enough to tell scientists which aspects of
the Earth's climate system--such as clouds, aerosol particles,
surface reflectivity--are changing, and exactly how much these
changes affect our planet's total energy budget. NASA's Clouds and
the Earth's Radiant Energy System instrument (CERES), flying aboard
the TERRA satellite, measures radiant energy fluxes every day on a
global scale. Today's release demonstrates the first year of CERES'
measurements of the Earth's energy budget and what these measurements
are teaching us about our changing climate.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): A Cloudy Climate
Mystery Animation
- Clouds cause the most dramatic and dynamic changes in
radiation, especially in the tropics where three sets of thunderstorm
clouds (stretching across South America, Africa, and Indonesia) are
visible. These same clouds are one of the major puzzles in
predicting how our future climate might change, as clouds have the
power to amplify climate change or reduce it. CERES measurements
will be used with other Terra instruments to help unscramble this
"cloudy" picture and reduce uncertainties in climate change
predictions.
The CERES data shown in this animation are 14-day running average
values of thermal energy or heat emitted to space from March 2000
through May 2001. The smallest amount of Earth's radiation emitted
to space is shown in white over Greenland and Antarctica. The levels
of energy increase from blue to red to yellow. The greatest amounts
of heat emitted are from the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula.
Cold, blue-colored temperature ranges are found not only at high
latitudes, but also in the tropics from cloud tops of thunderstorm
systems so extensive that they span thousands of miles.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): Capturing Dynamic
Changes In The Climate System - Small water droplets or ice
crystals in clouds, snow, and ice reflect most of the incoming solar
energy back to space. People, however, can also affect how much
solar energy the Earth receives and reflects. They do so in subtle,
but significant ways, by adding aerosol particles to the atmosphere
or causing deforestation or reforestation, which can change the
amount of reflected sunlight. All of these elements are captured in
the CERES observations. How do the aerosols affect the clouds? How
are ice caps and snow packs changing Earth's surface area and
reflection? How will clouds change in a warmer planet? These are
just a few of the climate questions that scientists will seek to
answer with the new CERES solar energy data.
The CERES data shown in this animation are 14-day running average
values of sunlight reflected back to space from March 2000 through
May 2001. The lowest amount of reflected solar energy, shown in blue,
occurs over clear ocean areas. Green colors show gradually increasing
amounts of reflected sunlight. The areas of greatest reflected solar
energy, shown in white, occur both from the tops of thick clouds and
from ice-covered regions on the Earth's surface during summer. Watch
for white areas of clouds over China and India that show the growth
and decay of the monsoon season and the changes from summer to winter
seasons. a Notice how Greenland appears as an island of ice alone in
the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (3): For Every Season,
The Earth Turns, Turns, Turns - The amount of incoming solar
energy the Earth receives on June 21, the first day of summer, is 30
percent higher at the North Pole than at the equator. Just 6 months
later in winter, the entire polar cap receives no energy since
Earth's movement along its orbit has pointed the North Pole away from
the Sun. This swing of illumination and reflection is shown
dramatically in this CERES animation. Critical to understanding
future climate are the subtle changes in reflected solar energy, such
as changes in the surface area of the arctic ice cap or in cloud
thickness. Ever-changing cloud cover or the seasonal retreat and
advance of sea ice cause motion in this image. This motion is visible
especially near edges of the Arctic Ocean and the continent
Antarctica.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (4): Record Setting U.S.
Heat Wave - CERES measured the thermal radiation emitted from
the United States, as shown in this image from May 2001. The
record-setting high temperatures experienced in Southern California
and Nevada on May 9 are visible in the yellow areas where great
amounts of thermal energy are escaping to space. This example
illustrates one of the most basic stabilizing forces in the Earth's
climate system: clear hot regions lose more energy to space than cold
areas. The moving blue regions of low thermal emission over the
northern U.S. are cold cloud tops. CERES data will be used to verify
the ability of climate models to accurately predict this emission as
our world experiences changes in surface reflectivity, clouds,
atmospheric temperatures, and key greenhouse gases such as water
vapor.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (5): Deadly May Heat
Wave In Pakistan - CERES measured the thermal radiation
emitted from the regions of the Indian subcontinent and northern
Africa, as shown in this image from May 2001. The heat wave in
Pakistan that killed at least 33 people the weekend of May 5-6 is
seen in yellow as a region emitting high values of thermal energy.
This example is one of the most basic stabilizing forces in the
Earth's climate system: clear hot regions lose more energy to space
than cold ones. High, cold thunderstorms cause the moving blue
regions of low thermal emission over the Indian Ocean. CERES data
will be used to verify the ability of climate models to accurately
predict the Earth's changing thermal emission as our world
experiences changes in surface reflection, clouds, atmospheric
temperatures, and key greenhouse gases such as water vapor.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (6): CERES Science
Animation
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| ITEM (7): TERRA Satellite
Animation
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| ITEM (8): Electromagnetic
Spectrum Animation
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| ITEM (9): "B" Roll:
a. Tropical Rainstorm Clouds
b. Summer Solstice Animation
c. SVS Image of Earth
d. People (Drought)
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| ITEM (10): Dr. Bruce Wielicki,
CERES Principle Investigator, NASA Langley Research Center
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