Researchers will present findings on a variety of NASA-related Earth and heliophysics topics at the 2008 Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union. The meeting runs Tues., May 27 through Fri., May 30 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sessions are open to registered news media.
Following are noteworthy NASA presentations, in chronological order:
Evaluation of Lower Tropospheric Ozone Estimates Based on OMI and MLS for Pollution Studies, With a California Example
Time: Tues., May 27, 2:15 p.m. EDT, Room 305
Session: A23A-04
By developing methods for measuring and quantifying estimates of ozone levels in the lower tropospheric layer just above the boundary layer closest to Earth, it may be possible to create climate models to help abate air pollution. Presenters will discuss research efforts focused on ozone affecting the mountainous regions and polluted valleys of California.
What Have We Learned About Global SO2 Pollution With AURA/OMI Data"
Time: Tues., May 27, 2:45 p.m. EDT, Room 305
Session: A23A-06
Presenters will discuss how Aura’s Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) detects sulfur dioxide emissions from individual power plants and smelters, and how it compares relative strengths and sizes of emissions in different industrial regions of the world. Pollution tracked from East Asia across the Pacific Ocean has implications for air quality in the United States, providing impetus for power plants to meet emission limits and reduce pollution.
Evaluating and Improving the Results of Air Quality Models in Texas Using TES, AIRS and Other Satellite Data
Time: Tues., May 27, 3 p.m. EDT, Room 305
Session: A23A-07
In this session, scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Langley Research Center and other organizations will discuss the results of a collaboration that uses NASA satellite data to evaluate regional atmospheric models from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The collaboration uses satellite data from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer on NASA's Aura satellite and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder on NASA's Aqua satellite to supplement knowledge of ozone and temperature in the lowest portions of Earth's atmosphere above Texas.
Understanding Enhancements in Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide from Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds Using TES and MOPITT Data
Time: Tues., May 27, 4:15 p.m. EDT, Room 305
Session: A24A-02
Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will discuss their study of the sources of chemicals that are the first ingredients of ozone pollution over the southeastern United States. The two main sources are natural sources emitted by trees and vegetation, and human sources by way of autos and industry. Using an atmospheric chemistry model and NASA satellite data of ozone and ozone precursors, the scientists have found that, in certain hot periods of summer, the natural sources of ozone ingredients are responsible for as much as 60 percent of the ozone over some locations in the United States.
Honeybees, Satellites and Climate Change
Time: Wed., May 28, 11 a.m. EDT, Palm Room
Session: U32A-01
NASA researcher Wayne Esaias, a biological oceanographer, will discuss how his current study is using the power of global satellite observations and models to help answer the important but difficult question of how climate change will impact bees and pollination.
Multi-Instrument Study of Effects of Boreal Forest Fires on the Global Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere
Time: Wed., May 28, 1:30 p.m. EDT, Hall A
Session: A33B-02
Due to an increase in the activity and severity of biomass burning observed since the 1950’s, more pollution has entered the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Data gathered from a variety of instruments shows that increased transport of biomass pollution due to climate change can be expected. Presenters will discuss how recent observations illustrate that highly polluted smoke-laden air from these fires can be injected into the upper troposphere and even the stratosphere.
The Influence of European Pollution on Ozone in the Near East and Northern Africa
Time: Wed., May 28, 1:45 p.m. EDT, Room 304
Session: A33E-02
Bryan Duncan of NASA and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, will discuss a modeling study of the long-range transport of pollution from Europe, showing that European emissions regularly elevate surface ozone significantly in summer in northern Africa and the Near East, impacting air quality in those regions.
Can Dust from Patagonia Reach Antarctica" A Case Study of Long-Range Transport over the Southern Ocean
Time: Wed., May 28, 3:15 p.m. EDT, Room 304
Session: A33E-08
NASA’s Santiago Gasso will discuss an initial assessment based on first-ever satellite images indicating that large dust plumes mixed with clouds originated in Patagonia and extended along the southwest South Atlantic during 2005. The results are unique according to Gasso as the past has been marked with a lack of observational evidence that corroborates both dust activity in Patagonia and the long range transport to Antarctica.
In-Situ F2 Region Electron Density and Temperature Measurements from the International Space Station
Time: Thurs, May 29, 8:30AM EDT, Hall A
Session: SA41A-03
Instruments onboard the International Space Station provide unique measurements about the station's electromagnetic charge and the immediate space weather environment. Researchers will discuss how they will use these instruments, now validated, for scientific space weather studies and to ensure the safety of astronauts during space walks.
Explaining Warm Coronal Loops
Time: Thurs., May 29, 9:45 a.m. EDT, 2008, Room 316
Session: SP41C-06
Scientists reveal a new understanding of the mysterious mechanism responsible for heating the outer part of the solar atmosphere (the corona) to million degree temperatures. A comparison of numerical simulations with imaging and spectral data from NASA missions suggests two possibilities: energy is released in small, sudden bursts with the right mix of particle acceleration and direct heating, or energy is released gradually very close to the solar surface.
Servir: Environmental Decision-Making in the Americas
Time: Thurs, May 29, 11 a.m. EDT, Palm Room
Session: U42A-04
Since its inception is 2005, SERVIR, Spanish for "to serve", has grown into an international success story. This high-tech satellite visualization system monitors the environment of Central America and helps track and combat wildfires, improves land use and agricultural practices, and helps local officials respond faster to natural disasters. Presenters will discuss past successes and details of the SERVIR expansion to Africa later this year.
Simulating Sources of Superstorm Plasmas
Time: Thurs., May 29, 1:02 p.m. EDT, 2008, Room 317
Session: SM44A-05
Violent activity on the sun can produce monster superstorms that release plasma into the solar wind that interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere. Presenters will discuss the details of their model’s finding that low-energy particles from the plasmasphere, a donut-shaped region of Earth’s magnetosphere, become energized and are the main influence on pressurizing the magnetosphere.
Closing the Water Cycle over the Ocean Using a Constellation of Satellites
Time: Thurs., May 29, 2 p.m. EDT, Room 315
Session: U43B-03
Observations indicate that as the climate changes, precipitation is increasing at a much faster rate than predicted by climate models. Presenters will discuss how they used two independent satellite measurements to show that observations of evaporation are consistent with observations of precipitation, meaning that what goes up must come down, and clarifying how the water cycle will change as the climate warms.
Water Balance over the Global Ocean and its Influence on the Americas
Time: Thurs., May 29, 3 p.m. EDT, Room 315
Session: U43B-07
Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will discuss Earth's ever-moving and changing water cycle, which is critical to sustaining life and changing climate. By combining data from multiple NASA space-based sensors, they piece together the water cycle, in which water evaporates from the ocean, is redistributed by the atmosphere, falls as precipitation over land, and is returned to the ocean as river discharge. They will show how these water cycle components balance each other quantitatively over the globe.
Convective History of Thin Cirrus Clouds Observed During TC4
Time: Fri., May 30, 1:45 p.m. EDT, Room 305
Session: A53B-02
The presenter examines a number of subvisible cirrus cloud cases, folding together trajectory analyses, temperature soundings, and A-Train satellite cloud and water vapor data to fully understand the history of the air in which the cloud is observed. These thin clouds were observed on a number of occasions by lidar instrumentation on board two aircraft during the recent Tropical Clouds, Chemistry, and Climate Coupling (TC4) experiment.
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/agu2008sp_tip.html