2000 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| TRACKING FIRE TRENDS FROM SPACE | G00-074 | 08/9/00 | 00:04:01 | Smoke and flame continue to color the skies over large portions of the western United States. Limited rainfall and scorching temperatures have created ideal conditions for fires, and weary firefighters are struggling to combat the blazes. With fire crews converging on hot spots from around the country and beyond, researchers are making observations from space. The following images show both predictive models of fire danger and tools that might help experts better study the effects of fire in the future.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Fire Potential A National Map - The following animated map shows how fire dangers around the country have changed throughout the spring and summer. Each frame of the animation shows an eight-day period, running from April 28th to July 27th. Red areas indicate where fire potential is greater and green areas show places where the threat is lower.
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| ITEM (2): A New Eye in the Sky--Terra - Accuracy in fire prediction comes from a variety of tools and data. But the recent successful activation of a new Earth observing satellite called Terra is helping experts take the planet's temperature better than ever before. One of the five instruments onboard the satellite, called MODIS, is particularly suited to measuring temperature and ground color, often an excellent indicator of ground conditions and fire susceptibility. Another instrument called MOPPITT is designed to study the effects of atmospheric pollution on the greater environment.
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| ITEM (3): MODIS --Where ThereŐs Smoke - In science, color is more than simply a characteristic. ItŐs information. MODIS collects images of the Earth's surface, reading the various spectra (or color) of reflected radiation from different points on the globe . Primary investigative pursuits for MODIS include the study of surface temperature (including fire detection), ocean sediment and phytoplankton concentrations, vegetation maps, pollution, snow cover, and more. Its abilities to measure temperature and ground color make it an excellent tool for evaluating fire danger.
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| ITEM (4): Measuring Aerosols MOPPITT - MOPITTŐs main purpose is to measure carbon monoxide and methane levels in the lower atmosphere. Various sources of these gases include pollution from industrial zones, herds of cattle, decomposition of biomass in swamps, and fires. By studying where atmospheric gasses are concentrated, how they circulate through the atmosphere, and how they form, scientists hope to gain a more complete picture about how atmospheric pollution interacts and affects the environment.
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| ITEM (5): Sibling Satellite to Pursue even Greater Thermal Precision - Terra is one of the latest in NASA's Earth observing fleet, but it's not
the last. The space agency is preparing to launch a sibling system, with specifications that should allow it to collect the most accurate daytime measurements of temperature yet, enabling researchers to make even more accurate fire predictions. Ironically, it's called Aqua, and for many in the Earth science community, it's precisely what1s needed to take remote observations of Earth to the next level.
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