Science Communication Material

Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)
GRACE.pdf

While gravity is much weaker than other basic forces in nature, such as magnetism and electricity, its effects are ubiquitous and dramatic. Gravity controls everything from the motion of the ocean tides to the expansion of the entire Universe. To learn more about the mysteries of gravity, twin satellites named GRACE, short for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, are being used to make detailed measurements of Earth’s gravity field.

ICESat
ICESat_Brochure.pdf

The primary goal of ICESat is to quantify ice sheet mass balance and understand how changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and climate affect the polar ice masses and global sea level. ICESat also measures global distributions of clouds and aerosols for studies of their effects on atmospheric processes and global change, as well as land topography, sea ice, and vegetation cover.

Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
MODIS.pdf

The first EOS satellite, called Terra, was launched on December 18, 1999, carrying five remote sensors. The most comprehensive EOS sensor is MODIS, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. MODIS offers a unique combination of features: it detects a wide spectral range of electromagnetic energy; it takes measurements at three spatial resolutions (levels of detail); it takes measurements all day, every day; and it has a wide field of view.

MODIS Monitoring Sea Surface Temperature, Chlorophyll Concentration, and Phytosynthetic Activity
2002_MODIS_sst_Jason.pdf

A sensor orbiting the Earth aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites is now collecting the most detailed measurements ever made of the ocean’s surface environment. Like a sophisticated thermometer in space, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) can measure sea surface temperature every day over the entire globe.

SORCE
2002SORCE_SWG.pdf

SORCE, launched in March 2003, aims to enable solar-terrestrial studies by providing precise daily measurements of the Total Solar Irradiance and the Spectral Solar Irradiance at wavelengths extending from the ultraviolet to the near infrared.

The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)
GRACE_Fact_Sh_Final.pdf

To learn more about the mysteries of gravity, twin satellites named GRACE—short for the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment—were launched to make detailed measurements of Earth’s gravity field. This experiment could lead to discoveries about gravity and Earth’s natural systems, which could have far-reaching benefits to society and the world’s population.

Urban Growth
2002_Urban_Growth_Lith.pdf

These images show the extent of land developed as urban, commercial and residential areas between 1986 and 2000, and projected development to 2030 in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. Past and current urban extent were derived using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite images.

AIRS/AMSU/HSB
2001AIRS.pdf

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB) (Note: The HSB instrument failed after reaching orbit.) on the Aqua mission, represents the most advanced sounding system ever deployed in space. The system is capable of measuring the atmospheric temperature in the troposphere with radiosonde accuracies of 1 K over 1 km-thick layers under both clear and cloudy conditions, while the accuracy of the derived moisture profiles exceed that obtained by radiosondes.

GRACE
2001_Gravity_by_GRACE.pdf

This lithograph displays the most accurate map to date of Earth’s long wavelength gravity field and is the first version to be released by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. We call these maps gravity anomaly maps because they show us how much Earth’s actual gravity field departs from "normal," as defined by a simplified mathematical gravity model that assumes the Earth is perfectly smooth and featureless. The maps reveal that the Earth is a restless, dynamic planet, both at its surface and deep within its interior.

MOPITT
2001_MOPPITT_litho.pdf

MOPITT is an infrared gas correlation radiometer that is making the first long-term global observations of carbon monoxide and methane as Terra circles the Earth from pole to pole, 14.4 times every day. From these measurements the sources, motions and sinks of CO can be determined.