Science Communication Material

Suomi NPP
NPP_MissionBrochure_Color_508Compliant.pdf

Understanding, monitoring, and predicting the course of long-term climate change and short-term weather fluctuations remains a task of profound importance. Economic competitiveness, human health and welfare, and global security all depend in part on our ability to understand and adapt to environmental changes.

Understanding Earth: Biomass Burning
BiomassBurn_final_508.pdf, Understanding Earth_Biomass Burning.ibooks

When biomass is burned, copious amounts of gases and particulate matter are released, billowing smoke plumes can fill the sky, and entire ecosystems can change in seconds. Fortunately, NASA’s Earth-observing satellites are able to monitor these changes, critical for understanding the effects biomass burning has on Earth’s atmosphere and climate system. This booklet—second in the Understanding Earth series—explains the causes and effects of biomass burning. You’ll learn about the wildfires that burned across western Russia in 2010, the 2011 Wallow Fire in Arizona that burned for nearly 984 hours, NASA’s ARCTAS mission, and more. “Understanding Earth: Biomass Burning” offers a variety of images and shows how NASA satellites provide a unique vantage point to observe and study these events.

2010 NASA Science Mission Directorate
2010Calendar.pdf

Aquarius SAC-D
2010_AquariusMissionLitho.pdf

The Aquarius/SAC-D mission maps salinity at the ocean surface to improve our understanding of Earth’s water cycle and ocean circulation. Changes in Earth’s water cycle lead to increases and decreases in ocean surface salinity, and the variations in salinity influence ocean circulation and climate. Accurate global maps of salinity made with data from Aquarius show scientists long-term changes in this important parameter.

Aquarius/SAC-D
Aquarius_Mission_Brochure.pdf, Aquarius_SAC-D_Sea Surface Salinity from Space.ibooks

Changes in sea surface salinity have large-scale effects on Earth’s water cycle and ocean circulation. Before now, scientists had studied these changes using measurements collected by ships and buoys out at sea. Fortunately, for the first time ever, NASA’s Aquarius/SAC-D satellite will provide space-based, global sea surface salinity measurements. Surface salinity data from Aquarius/SAC-D will give scientist a key to better understanding how ocean circulation is tied to global climate.

Aquarius/SAC-D
2010Aquarius_SAC-D_Science_Writers_Guide.pdf

The international Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D mission will provide, for the first time ever, NASA’s space-based measurements of global sea surface salinity. Scientists will use Aquarius/SAC-D data to develop a better understanding of our Earth’s water cycle and ocean’s circulation patterns. Aquarius observations will also contribute significantly to improving computer models used to forecast future climate conditions.

Global Precipitation Mission (GPM)
2010GPMTrifold.pdf

Knowing when, where, and how much it rains or snow is vital to understanding how the Earth system functions. This brochure explains how GPM - an international satellite mission - will benefit all nations by unifying and advancing precipitation measurements from space for scientific research and societal applications.

NASA Earth Observations Track the Gulf Oil Spill
2010_oil_spill_508.pdf

This lithograph discusses how current research projects are making use of NASA’s active and passive remote sensing capabilities to monitor oil spills. One such project is part of the NASA Gulf of Mexico Initiative, which began in response to the impact of Hurricanes Katrina, Dennis, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and seeks to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf.

Our Changing Atmosphere: Discoveries from EOS Aura
2010AuraBrochure_small.pdf

Aura is NASA’s third large Earth Observing System mission and is dedicated to understanding the changing chemistry of our atmosphere. View the latest brochure highlighting some of the discoveries from the Aura Mission.

SMAP
2010SMAPposter.pdf

An overview of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission in poster format.