NASA researchers will present new findings to the media on a wide range of Earth and space science topics during the 2007 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The meeting runs Mon., Dec. 10 through Fri., Dec. 14 at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco. All press briefings will take place in the AGU Press Room, Moscone West, Room 2010.
For a complete list of NASA-related press briefings, with links to supporting materials, and other noteworthy presentations by NASA scientists, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/agu2007.html
Mon., Dec. 10, 9 a.m. PST
AIM SATELLITE CAPTURES BRIGHTEST MYSTERIOUS "NIGHT-SHINING CLOUDS" DURING 2007 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE WINTER
RELATED SESSIONS: SA13B, SA14A, SA21A
NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite has captured the first global-scale view of polar mesospheric clouds over the entire 2007 Northern Hemisphere summer season with an unprecedented horizontal resolution of three square miles. Media will learn about the brightest clouds ever observed, how widespread they are, and how their brightness changes and builds as a result of changes going on in the Earth's mesosphere.
- James Russell III, AIM principal investigator, Hampton University, Hampton, Va.
- Scott Bailey, AIM deputy principal investigator, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.
- Gary Thomas, AIM co-investigator, University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, Colo
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aim/mystery_clouds.html
Mon., Dec. 10, 11 a.m. PST
VOYAGER 2 PROVES THAT THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS SQUASHED
RELATED SESSION: SH11A
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has followed Voyager 1 into the solar system's final frontier, a vast region at the edge of our solar system where the solar wind runs up against the thin gas between the stars. Voyager 2 took a different path than Voyager 1, entering this region, called the heliosheath, on Aug. 30, 2007. Voyager 2 crossed the heliosheath boundary, 10 billion miles away from Voyager 1 and almost a billion miles closer to the sun. By doing so, it confirmed that our solar system is "squashed" or "dented," that the bubble carved into interstellar space by the solar wind is pushed in closer to the sun by the local interstellar magnetic field where Voyager 2 made its crossing. Researchers will discuss new details of the solar wind termination shock still being pondered.
- Edward C. Stone, Voyager mission scientist, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
- John D. Richardson, principal investigator, plasma science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
- Robert B. Decker, co-investigator, Low-Energy Charged Particle Instrument, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
- Leonard F. Burlaga, co-investigator, Magnetometer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/termination_shock.html
Mon., Dec. 10, 3 p.m. PST
MARS ROVERS SURVIVE THE DUST, FOLLOW THE WATER
RELATED SESSION: P21C
Researchers will discuss how the durable NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, nearly four years into missions originally planned for three months, continue collecting evidence about water's role in past Martian environments. This fall, Spirit examined the top of a low plateau in the vicinity of silica-rich deposits that may have formed in hydrothermal environments similar to ones that support microbial ecosystems on Earth. Opportunity is inspecting layered deposits inside a half-mile-wide crater in the Meridiani Region. The combined vantage points tell a long history of how hydrology of this region evolved.
- John Callas, project manager, NASA Mars Exploration rovers, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
- Steve Squyres, Goldwin Smith professor of planetary sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; principal investigator for science payload of NASA Mars Exploration rovers
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mars_water.html
Tues., Dec. 11, 9 a.m. PST
NASA THEMIS SPACECRAFT MAKE NEW DISCOVERIES ABOUT NORTHERN LIGHTS
RELATED SESSIONS: SM11A, SM14A SM21C, SM22A, SM23A
Where does all the energy needed to create a vigorous substorm come from" THEMIS may have found the answer. NASA's five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft have observed the dynamics of a rapidly developing substorm, confirmed the existence of giant magnetic ropes and witnessed small explosions in the outskirts of Earth's magnetic field that affect the solar wind. Researchers will discuss details of vivid auroras that surged westward twice as fast as thought possible, crossing 15 degrees of longitude in less than one minute, and the unprecedented power of the March 23, 2007, substorm.
- Vassilis Angelopoulos, THEMIS principal investigator, University of California, Los Angeles
- David Sibeck, THEMIS project scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Jonathan Eastwood, THEMIS researcher, University of California at Berkeley
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/auroras/northern_lights.html
Tues., Dec. 11, 10 a.m. PST
NEW FRONTIERS IN PREDICTING PRECIPITATION
RELATED SESSIONS: H24C/H31B
Will it rain tomorrow" Next month" Scientists are close to breakthroughs in predicting precipitation. Researchers from the Global Energy and Water Cycle EXperiment (GEWEX) will report on recent major achievements and planned future activities. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission scientist will discuss the next generation of weather and climate studies. Panelists will also outline the need for information on such factors as in-cloud precipitation processes and microphysical variables that would enhance precipitation predictability.
- Arthur Hou, Mission Scientist, GPM Mission, and Senior Scientist, Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Duane Waliser, Principal Scientist, Water and Carbon Cycles, Science Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Visiting Associate Faculty, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
- Rick Lawford: Director, International GEWEX Project Office, Silver Spring, Md.
- Peter van Oevelen, European GEWEX Coordinator, International, GEWEX Project Office, Silver Spring, Md.
Tues., Dec. 11, 11 a.m. PST
NEW MARS ORBITER REVEALS DETAILS OF CANYON SYSTEM AND 'SPIDERS'
RELATED SESSIONS: P23D and P24A
Panelists will discuss new images that reveal that layered deposits inside Mars' Candor Chasma, part of the largest canyon system in the solar system, are younger than the canyon. These deposits contain abundant chemical evidence of water-driven processes. Earlier studies had left ambiguity about whether the deposits formed within the near-equatorial canyon system or were deposited after the canyon opened. Imagery from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment allows researchers to interpret the geological history of the site. The same camera and the orbiter's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars aid in understanding the so-called "cryptic terrain" near Mars' permanent southern polar cap. This unearthly landscape with landforms reminiscent of spiders, lacework and lizard skin textures, bears evidence of gas jets bursting upward from seasonal vents and depositing bright and dark fans downwind.
- Chris Okubo, collaborator on High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, University of Arizona, Tucson
- Candice Hansen, deputy principal investigator, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
- Timothy Titus, participating scientist, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Team, Flagstaff, Ariz.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/news/mars_canyon.html
Wed., Dec. 12, 9 a.m. PST
CHANGES IN THE ARCTIC
RELATED SESSION: U33B
This year was a remarkable year for dramatic changes in environmental conditions in the Arctic. The extent of the sea ice cover fell to a record minimum in September, breaking the previous record by 23 percent. Changes in the Arctic system go far beyond the sea ice. Summer 2007 Arctic Ocean surface temperatures were much warmer than in previous years by up to about 5 degrees Celsius. In this briefing, NASA’s Marco Tedesco and other researchers discuss their findings confirming that this large and extensive ice melt, and ocean warming was largely the result of solar heating of the upper ocean.
- Michael Steele, Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington, Seattle
- Donald K. Perovich, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, N.H.
- John D. Walsh, President's professor of global change, International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, Alaska
- Marco Tedesco, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Wed., Dec. 12, 11 a.m. PST
THE SECRET LIFE OF CLOUDS: NEW FINDINGS FROM NASA'S CLOUDSAT AND A-TRAIN
RELATED SESSIONS: A14A-10 and A42C-06
A little more than a year and a half into its primary mission, NASA's CloudSat satellite, working in tandem with the other Earth-observing satellites in NASA's "A-Train," is now yielding a treasure trove of new data that are helping scientists better understand the enormous influence clouds have on Earth's weather, climate and energy balance. Researchers present results that include discovery of a link between observed decreases in polar clouds last summer and a corresponding loss of Arctic sea ice; surprising new global estimates of how frequently clouds rain over Earth's oceans that suggest the need to reassess the intensity of Earth's water cycle and its impact on climate models; and the first global evidence that the small aerosol particles in our atmosphere may be polluting clouds, making them more reflective.
- Graeme Stephens, CloudSat principal investigator, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.
- John Haynes, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.
- Jennifer Kay, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cloudsat/news/secret_clouds.html
Wed., Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. PST
SATURN'S RECYCLING RINGS
Sustainability through recycling may be the reason why Saturn’s rings persist. Support is mounting for theories that the rings may be a permanent feature of the solar system. Ring scientists once thought the rings were no older than the dinosaurs, a temporary feature destined to dissipate over time. Panelists will discuss new observations from the Cassini mission that show that even when ring particles fragment into groups of smaller particles, those broken families tend to come back together, re-clumping to maintain the overall ring structure.
- Larry Esposito, Cassini principal investigator for the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph, Laboratory for Atmospheric Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder,
- Miodrag Sremcevic, Research Associate and Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph team member, Laboratory for Atmospheric Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/saturn_recycle.html
Thurs., Dec. 13, 9 a.m. PST
EARTH'S "TIPPING POINTS": HOW CLOSE ARE WE"
RELATED SESSION: GC44A
Abrupt changes in climate are now an established phenomenon in Earth's history and there is growing concern that our planet may be at a "tipping point" of dramatic climate change due this time to anthropogenic influences. Scientists from across different disciplines are now looking at many parts of the Earth system for signs of such pivotal shifts either already underway or likely to happen in this century. Researchers will present the latest results from the perspective of global climate as well as potential impacts on three key regions of the globe. James Hansen discusses the "unrealized" global warming of Earth's climate system and the resulting need for urgent action to cut emissions beyond carbon dioxide. Richard Alley discusses the possibility that sustained warming of a few decades could produce major ice sheet losses that would last centuries. Peter Webster reports on a societal tipping point along three heavily populated Asian river basins when climate-induced changes to river flows collide with population growth. Joey Comiso reports that this year's large Arctic sea ice decline may be the tipping point for perennial ice and a recovery may not be possible in the foreseeable future.
- James Hansen, director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies,; adjunct professor of earth and environmental sciences, Columbia University, New York
- Peter Webster, professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
- Joey Comiso, senior research scientist for polar oceanography, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Richard Alley, Evan Pugh professor of geosciences, associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/tipping_points.html
Thurs, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. PST
NEW HORIZONS EXAMINES JUPITER'S ENORMOUS MAGNETOSPHERE
RELATED SESSIONS: SM44A, P53C
When NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Jupiter on its way to Pluto in spring 2007, its trajectory took it down the center of the tail of Jupiter's magnetosphere, which is roughly 100 times larger than that of Earth and encompasses the orbits of the Galilean moons. The innermost moon, Io, ejects about a ton per second of volcanic gases that become ionized, trapped, and accelerated in Jupiter's strong magnetic field. The New Horizons particle detectors measured bursts of these iogenic charged particles streaming away from the planet for about three months, as the spacecraft made an unprecedented flight down Jupiter's magnetotail.
- Frances Bagenal, team leader for New Horizons plasma investigations, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder
- Ralph McNutt, principal investigator for the New Horizons Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
- Dave McComas, principal investigator for the New Horizons Solar Wind at Pluto (SWAP) particle detector, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
Thurs., Dec. 13, 3 p.m. PST
PREPARING TO EXPLORE EUROPA
RELATED SESSIONS: P51E, P52A, P53B
The space science community is now ready to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa, especially its presumed ice-covered ocean. McKinnon will describe the current view of Europa and address the question of habitability. Blankenship will report on new research that has improved our understanding of Europa, focusing on radar sounding to search for water. Doran will report on plans for a February 2008 field demonstration and ultimate Antarctic deployment of an autonomous underwater robotic vehicle, designed as a prototype ocean explorer for Europa
- William B. McKinnon, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for Space, Washington University, St. Louis
- Donald D. Blankenship, research scientist, Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin
- Peter Doran, associate professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
Written by:
Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Goddard Space Flight Center