Atmospheres 2004 Technical Highlights: Education & Public Outreach
6.1 Introduction
NASA’s founding legislation directs the Agency to expand human knowledge of Earth and space phenomena and to preserve the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautics, space science, and technology. Throughout the 1990s, however, undergraduate and graduate enrollment and the number of doctorates awarded in science and engineering declined by more than 15%. This trend, along with an aging workforce, places an increasing burden on NASA to maintain its level of achievement in science and technology.
In recognition of this problem, NASA established the Education Enterprise in 2003 as one of six Enterprises designed to achieve the Agency’s mission. Within the Enterprises, there are seven strategic goals, two of which are the purviews of the Education Enterprise:
Strategic Goal 6: Inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Strategic Goal 7: Engage the public in shaping and sharing the experience of exploration and discovery.
The Laboratory for Atmospheres is part of the Earth Science Enterprise and is primarily focused on the strategic goals of that enterprise. The Laboratory, however, actively participates in activities that support the goals of the Education Enterprise. Laboratory efforts serve the education community at all levels and provide information to the general public. The Laboratory’s educational outreach component enhances educator knowledge and preparation, supplements curricula, forges new education partnerships, and supports all levels of students. Laboratory activities include addressing public policy; establishing and continuing collaborative ventures and cooperative agreements; providing resources for lectures, classes, and seminars at educational institutions; and mentoring or academically-advising all levels of students. Through our public outreach component, we seek to make our scientific and technological advances broadly accessible to all members of the public and to increase their understanding of why and how such advances affect their lives. Education and public outreach are an important part of our basic science activities and go hand in hand with our work on projects, field campaigns, instrument development, modeling, data analysis, and data set development. This section highlights some of the education and public outreach activities of our Laboratory. More details may be found on our Laboratory Web site and on our Branch and Project Web sites.
6.2 Education
Interaction with Howard University and Other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Partnerships with Howard University:
A part of NASA’s mission has been to initiate broad-based aerospace research capability by establishing research centers at the Nation’s HBCUs. The Center for the Study of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres (CSTEA) was established in 1992 at Howard University (HU) in Washington, D.C., as a part of this initiative. It has been a goal of the Laboratory and the Earth Sciences Directorate to partner with CSTEA to establish at Howard University a self-supporting facility for the study of terrestrial and extraterrestrial atmospheres, with special emphasis on recruiting and training underrepresented minorities for careers in Earth and space science.
The Laboratory works closely with Howard University faculty in support of the Howard University Program in Atmospheric Sciences (HUPAS). HUPAS is the first M.S.- and Ph.D.-granting program in atmospheric sciences at an HBCU and the first interdisciplinary academic program at Howard University. Scientists from our Laboratory contribute to the HUPAS program as lecturers, advisors to students, and adjunct professors who teach courses. A number of Howard students are now on track for earning M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in atmospheric sciences.
The Laboratory has enthusiastically supported the Goddard Howard University Fellowship in Atmospheric Sciences (GoHFAS) program. GoHFAS was established in 1999 by Professor Sonya Smith to broaden and strengthen the research and educational opportunities of underrepresented minorities. The students attended a summer program at Howard University where they engaged in research with mentors at HU, GSFC, or NOAA. They received fellowships at their home institutions during their senior year and were given an opportunity to visit HU during the winter break to continue their research. The GoHFAS program has assisted in the transition from undergraduate-to-graduate school by exposing students to solving open-ended problems, and giving them a head start by exposing them to the workplace of scientific research. Figure 6-1 shows the summer 2004 GoHFAS participants.
Figure 6-1. GoHFAS students participating in the summer 2004 Research Program Colloquium. Left to right the students are: Shawntaye Adams (Clark-Atlanta U.), Coalton Bennett (Howard U), Shyreese Vincent (Clark-Atlanta U), Eleanor Branch (Stanford U), Daniel Bond (Howard U), Alexia Roberson (Clark-Atlanta U), Lydia Edwards (Clark-Atlanta U), Walter Lowe (U. Maryland).
Participation with Howard University on the Beltsville Campus Research Site:
Howard University has for several years been in the process of building a multi-instrument atmospheric research facility at their campus in Beltsville, Maryland. This research facility is part of the NOAA-Howard University Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS). David Whiteman, Belay Demoz (both Code 912), and others from GSFC are assisting in mentoring students and advising with instrument acquisition for the site. One of the main instruments at the site is a world-class Raman lidar built with heavy involvement from Code 912. The lidar has begun operations and preliminary work on it was reported at the 2005 annual meeting of the AMS in San Diego. David Whiteman and Belay Demoz helped in the proposing, designing, building, and operating the lidar.
A workshop was held at the Howard University atmospheric field research facility in Beltsville, Maryland from June 23–27, 2004. Belay Demoz participated in organizing and lecturing at this workshop in which students from Howard University, University of Virginia, University of Texas at El Paso, Jackson State University, University of Maryland (College Park and Baltimore County) participated. The principal goals of this workshop were (1) to introduce students to, and facilitate student-interaction with, leading atmospheric scientists; (2) to develop both horizontal and vertical mentoring strategies with graduate students and participating faculty members; and (3) to employ experiential methods of learning as a means to motivate students to pursue research in atmospheric sciences. The unique features of the workshop included the participation of diverse faculty, the different research interests among participating students and faculty members, and the support received from numerous institutions and agencies.
Summer Programs
Institute on Atmospheric, Hydrospheric, and Terrestrial Sciences:
The Laboratory for Atmospheres co-sponsored, with the Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes, a Summer Institute on Atmospheric, Hydrospheric, and Terrestrial Sciences that extended from June 7 to August 13, 2004. The institute is designed to introduce undergraduate students majoring in physical sciences to research opportunities in Earth sciences. No previous experience in these sciences is needed. The program is directed primarily at students in their Junior year, but all undergraduates are eligible provided they are U.S. citizens or holders of a Green Card.
To complete the program students are required to give an oral presentation and submit a written report on their research effort. Oral reports were given on August 13, 2004. The following summarizes the projects carried out under the supervision of Laboratory for Atmospheres mentors.
Table 6. Students and their Project Titles for the 2004 Summer Institute
|
Student Name |
College/University |
Mentor and Code |
Project Title |
|
Robert Cooper |
Williams College |
Andrew Tangborn: Code 910.3 |
With Our Powers Combined—Using Data Assimilation to Estimate Chemical Sources |
|
James B. Miller |
Gettysburg College |
Geary Schwemmer and David Miller: Code 912 |
How to Handle a HOE: Self-Calibration of HARLIE’s Backscatter Data |
|
Jacob Gordon |
Harvard University |
Sangwoo Lee and Geary Schwemmer: Code 912 |
Elucidation of the HARLIE Overlap Function for Calibrating Data from an Aerosol Backscatter LIDAR |
|
Joel Pommier |
Lewis University |
David Miller, Geary Schwemmer, and Gerry McIntire: Code 912 |
Development of an Automation Toolkit for Web Display of Vaisala Ceilometer Data in Near Real Time |
|
S. Joseph Munchak |
Pennsylvania State University |
Ali Tokay: Code 912/UMBC
|
Retrieval of Three-Parameter Drop Size Distribution from Dual-Frequency Radar |
|
Maura Hahnenberger |
University of Utah |
Thomas Bell: Code 913
|
Does it Rain Less on Weekends? Detecting a Weekly Precipitation Cycle Using the TRMM TMI |
Summer Air Quality Study 2004:
During summer 2004, a team of students from Howard University and the University of Maryland participated in a study to better understand pollution in the Baltimore–Washington corridor. The Director’s Discretionary Fund (DDF) was the funding source for this study. The principal investigator (PI) for this program was Anne Thompson (Code 916) and much of the student training was carried out by Jacquie Witte (Code 916/SSAI), Figure 6-2. Balloon launches were carried out several times per week at the Howard University Physics Dept. field site in Beltsville, Maryland. The balloons carried coupled ozone and radiosonde instrumentation to measure profiles of ozone, temperature, and relative humidity. These measurements were part of a larger project funded by NASA titled “IONS” [INTEX (Intercontinental Transport Experiment) Ozonesonde Network Study]. Students presented their first results to undergraduates from a range of HBCUs at Howard’s Workshop on Atmospheric Sciences.
Figure 6-2. Training at Howard University Physics Department Beltsville facility, showing students and SSAI’s J. Witte pre-conditioning ozonesondes.
University Education
Graduate Student Advising:
Numerous Laboratory members are active in advising graduate students and/or serving on thesis committees. The following table provides a summary.
Table 7. Graduate Student Advising by Laboratory for Atmospheres Members
|
Member/Code |
Student |
Degree |
Institution |
Thesis Topic or Area |
|
John Burris/916 |
John Outerbridge
|
Ph.D. |
U. Alabama |
Measurement of tropospheric ozone with lidar |
|
|
Shi Kuang
|
Ph.D. |
U. Alabama |
Modeling tropospheric ozone |
|
Belay Demoz and David Whiteman/912 |
Felicita Russo |
Ph.D. |
UMBC |
Lidar measurement of aerosols and clouds |
|
|
Antonia Gambacorta |
Ph.D. |
UMBC |
AIRS water vapor retrievals |
|
|
Menghs G. Mariam |
Ph.D. |
UMBC |
Not defined |
|
|
Segayle Walford |
Ph.D. |
Howard U. |
Lidar boundary layer height characterization |
|
|
Rasheen Connel |
Ph.D. |
Howard U. |
Not defined |
|
|
Scott Rabenhorst |
Ph.D. |
UMCP |
Mesoscale applications of Raman lidar |
|
David Starr/912 |
Likun Wang |
Ph.D. |
U. Alaska |
Homogeneity of Midlatitude Cirrus Cloud Structural Properties Analyzed from the Extended FARS data set |
|
|
Robert Carver |
Ph.D. |
Penn. State |
Understanding Subtropical Anvil Cirrus: A Coupled-Model Study |
|
Joanna Joiner/916 |
Paul Poli |
Ph.D. |
UMBC |
Assimilation of global positioning system radio occultation measurements into numerical weather forecast systems |
|
Lorraine Remer/913 |
Robert Levy |
Ph.D. |
UMCP |
Development of aerosol retrieval algorithm from satellite for specific use in air quality |
|
|
Brian Vant-Hunt |
Ph.D. |
UMCP |
Investigation of aerosol–cloud interactions in the boreal and tropical forests using satellite retrievals |
|
Scott Braun/912 |
Joseph Olson |
Ph.D. |
SUNY-Stonybrook |
Impact of coastal orography on landfalling cold fronts |
|
Mian Chin/916 |
Hongqing Liu |
Ph.D. |
UMCP |
Not determined |
|
Gerry Heymsfield/912 |
Haiyan Jiang |
Ph.D. |
U. Utah |
Microwave studies of rainfall |
|
Peter Colarco/ESSIC |
Rebecca Matichuk |
Ph.D. |
U. Colorado |
Optical properties of Southern African biomass burning aerosols |
Other mentoring activities:
Martha Butler (NASA Graduate Student Research Program); Penn. State
Randy Kawa/916
Fall 2004 to present
Topic: Modeling atmospheric carbon species
Laurie Buchner (NASA Academy); USC
Paul Mahaffy/915
Summer 2004
Topic: Techniques for isotopic analysis of Martian organic carbon
K-12 Education
Several Laboratory members participated in K-12 education. Lorraine Remer (913) mentored high school senior Jonathan Harris (Eshkol Academy) during the spring semester on the topic of “Deriving aerosol absorption from satellite measurements.” Mian Chin (916) gave two seminars to the NASA Summer School for middle school teachers on July 20and 27. Charlie Jackman (916) presented a talk on Stratospheric Ozone Change to classes at the Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado on November 12. Jaime Demick (915/SSAI) gave six talks to second, fifth, and sixth grade students at the Mt. Rainier Elementary School, Mt. Rainier, Maryland on “Careers at NASA.” She also lectured on “Careers in Engineering and Science” at the 2nd Annual EduSerc High School Development Conference at the Baltimore Convention Center (Baltimore, Maryland) on November 5.
6.3 Public Outreach
Distinguished Lecturer Seminar Series
One aspect of the Laboratory’s public outreach is a Distinguished Lecturer Seminar Series, which is held each year. Most of the lecturers are from outside NASA and this series gives them a chance to visit with our scientists and discuss the latest ideas from experts. The following were the lectures presented in 2004.
January 29, 2004: William K.-M. Lau
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Atmospheres, Greenbelt, Maryland;
“Clouds–Aerosol–Precipitation Interactions: A New Frontier in Climate Change Research”
February 26, 2004: Yoram Kaufman
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Climate and Radiation Branch, Greenbelt, Maryland;
“Aerosol Effect on Climate—The Unique Satellite Vantage Point”
March 18, 2004: Wei-Kuo Tao
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Branch, Greenbelt, Maryland;
“A New Approach to using a Cloud-Resolving Model to Study the Interactions between Clouds, Precipitation, and Aerosols”
April 22, 2004: Dennis L. Hartmann
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;
“Tropical Clouds and Climate Sensitivity: The Fixed Anvil Temperature (FAT) Hypothesis”
May 20, 2004: Akio Arakawa
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Los Angeles, California;
“The Cumulus Parameterization Problem: Past Confusions, Current Frustrations, and Future Excitements”
June 17, 2004: Edward Zipser
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;
“Global Distribution of Intense Convection from TRMM Data”
July 15, 2004: T. N. Krishnamurti
Florida State University, Department of Meteorology, Tallahassee, Florida;
“On the Hurricane Intensity Issue”
September 16, 2004: Richard Somerville
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, California;
“Clouds, Cloud Physics, and Cloud-Radiation Interactions: New Data and Models”
October 7, 2004: Graeme L. Stephens
Colorado State University, Department of Atmospheric Science, Fort Collins, Colorado;
“On the Use of Global Satellite Data in Evaluating Moist Processes in Large-Scale Models”
November 18, 2004: Mark Jacobson
Stanford University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford, California;
“The Climate Response of Soot, Accounting for its Feedback to Snow and Sea Ice Albedo and Emissivity”
December 02, 2004: Ulrike Lohmann
Swiss Federal Institution of Technology, Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zurich, Switzerland;
“Aerosol Effects on Water Clouds, Ice Clouds and the Hydrological Cycle”
E-Theater: NASA/NOAA: Earth Science Electronic Theater 2004
The E-Theater uses high definition television (HDTV) display at up to IMAX size to deliver powerful visualizations promoting Earth science. Scientists from the various Earth science disciplines work directly with the Visualization Analysis Laboratory (VAL) team to develop scientifically accurate visualizations. E-Theater visualizations are rendered at HDTV quality, the highest resolution that can be easily distributed. The visualizations are also available in lower resolutions, such as standard definition TV and as QuickTime movies. Multiple resolution versions of each E-Theater visualization are being added to the E-Theater Web page, http://Etheater.gsfc.nasa.gov/, and the Visible Earth Web page: http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/, along with an explanation of the scientific significance and the origin of the data. The E-Theater has been presented at universities, high schools, grade schools, museums, and government laboratories, as well as to scientists and the general public. A summary of presentations on E-Theater during 2004 is given in Table 8.
Table 8. E-Theater presentations during 2004.
|
Date |
Country |
City/State |
Size Crowd |
Event Description |
|
8-Jan |
USA |
Columbia, MD |
50 |
High Technology Council of Maryland |
|
15-Jan |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
50 |
Frederick County School District Teachers: GSFC, Building 33 Conference Room H114 |
|
20-Feb |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
30 |
US Department of Agriculture: Forest Service Remote Sensing Center |
|
23-Feb |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
100 |
Public Officials and Legislators Event: Children’s Museum of Utah |
|
24-Feb |
USA |
Provo, UT |
50 |
Two seminars at the Brigham Young University, Electrical Engineering Dept. |
|
28-Feb |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
100 |
Children’s Museum of Utah: Members and General Public Event |
|
1-Mar |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
80 |
University of Utah Public Lecture: Gould Auditorium of the Marriot Library |
|
2-Mar |
USA |
Pleasant Grove, UT |
40 |
Mount Mahogany Elementary School |
|
2-Mar |
USA |
Provo, UT |
2 |
Utah Valley State College |
|
3-Mar |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
80 |
Children’s Museum of Utah: Supports Event |
|
25-Mar |
USA |
Key West, FL |
750 |
Key West Middle and High Schools |
|
6-Mar |
USA |
Key West, FL |
50 |
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum E-theater |
|
8-Apr |
USA |
Salt Lake City, UT |
300 |
USDA: Remote Sensing 2004—US Forest Service Conference |
|
13-Apr |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
50 |
IRS Tour of Goddard |
|
15-Apr |
USA |
Atlanta, GA |
20,000 |
US FIRST Robotics Competition: Georgia Dome |
|
23-Apr |
USA |
Asheville, NC |
300 |
Conference on Science Visualization and the Arts UNC |
|
27-Apr |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
50 |
Historian/Librarian Tour of Goddard |
|
6-May |
USA |
New York City, NY |
300 |
Rodeph Sholom School |
|
7-May |
USA |
Radnor, PA |
150 |
Armenian Sister’s Academy of Philadelphia |
|
28-May |
USA |
College Park, MD |
15 |
Marshall Space Center Director: Admiral Thomas Donaldson |
|
29-May |
USA |
College Park, MD |
25,000 |
Odyssey of The Mind World Finals: University of Maryland |
|
8-Jun |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
20 |
Howard University Students |
|
9-Jun |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
50 |
Elder Hostel at Goddard Visitor’s Center |
|
16-Jun |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
20 |
Summer Interns |
|
29-Jun |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
50 |
AMS Fellows |
|
31-Jul |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
500 |
Goddard Community Day (Presented by Steven Graham) |
|
20-Sep |
USA |
Anchorage, AK |
300 |
IGARSS Plenary Session in support of Dr. Asrar |
|
21-Sep |
USA |
Anchorage, AK |
30 |
IGARSS Scientific Visualization Session in support of JPL organizers |
|
28-Sep |
USA |
Logan, UT |
50 |
Agriculture Experimental Station—Space Week: Utah State University |
|
29-Sep |
USA |
Logan, UT |
50 |
Space Dynamics Laboratory—Seminar: Utah State University |
|
1-Oct |
USA |
Springfield, MO |
200 |
Drury University |
|
7-Oct |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
85 |
Princeton Alumni: Class of 1947 (Contact: Nina Harris, PAO) |
|
13-Oct |
USA |
Rosemont, PA |
250 |
Agnes Irwin Lower School |
|
13-Oct |
USA |
Rosemont, PA |
350 |
Agnes Irwin Middle School |
|
13-Oct |
USA |
Rosemont, PA |
400 |
Agnes Irwin Upper School |
|
14-Oct |
USA |
Haverford, PA |
350 |
Haverford Lower School |
|
14-Oct |
USA |
Haverford, PA |
400 |
Haverford Middle School |
|
14-Oct |
USA |
Haverford, PA |
500 |
Haverford Upper School |
|
21-Oct |
USA |
Greenbelt, MD |
30 |
Earth Sciences Mission Operations, Bldg 32, Contact: Warren Case (warren.case@gsfc.nasa.gov) |
|
2-Nov |
Thailand |
Bangkok |
NA |
Asia Institute of Technology (AIT), Contact: Honda Kiyoshi |
|
10-Nov |
Thailand |
Bangkok |
NA |
Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Contact: Daroonwan Kamthonkiat |
|
12-Nov |
Thailand |
Bangkok |
NA |
Mahaidol University, Bangkok, Contact: Suwisa.Mahasandana@ait.ac.th |
|
15-Nov |
Russia |
Saint Petersburg |
NA |
International Symposium on Remote Sensing and the Environment (ISRSE) Plenary Presentation |
|
19-Nov |
USA |
Baltimore, MD |
NA |
Mount Vernon Elementary School York County, VA, Contact: Mary Beth Wusk, telephone 757–864–3830 |
|
27-Nov |
USA |
Baltimore, MD |
NA |
Maryland Science Center, Earth Explorer Institute Workshop |
Nimbus Meteorological Satellite 40 Year Celebration
August 28, 2004 marked the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Nimbus-1 Earth Observation Satellite. The Nimbus program provided many benefits to the world by increasing our knowledge of the Earth’s atmospheric environment, weather, oceanography, and other geophysical properties of the Earth’s structure. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) managed the Nimbus program. Starting in 1964 and for the next 20 years, the Nimbus platform was the country’s primary Earth science remote-sensing research and development satellite platform. Seven satellites were launched over a 14-year period and they operated for 30 years. The large, multi-year, multi-discipline Nimbus data sets have been archived and are invaluable for Earth science research. Each Nimbus spacecraft carried instruments that demonstrated new techniques for measuring the Earth’s meteorological and environmental behavior and composition. This technology was transferred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new operational satellite instrument designs. The Nimbus research results were applied to NOAA’s application systems, resulting in new tools and processes for weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and Earth resources assessment. NASA satellites use this technology and the heritage of instruments on most Earth-resources satellites launched over the past three decades can be traced to Nimbus instrument technology and/or scientific accomplishments.
On October 26, 2004, the Nimbus program was recognized at a symposium held at the Goddard Visitor Center followed by dinner at the GSFC Recreation Center. Dr. Edward Weiler and Dr. Jack Kaye welcomed invited guests from around the country who returned to Goddard to celebrate the achievements of the program. Attendees included Bill Stroud, the original Project Manager; Bill Houston, a valued member of the Nimbus project team through all seven missions; Ralph Shapiro, Missions Operations Manager; and many other contributors to the Nimbus Project team. A commemorative bronze plaque (Figure 6-3) has been installed in the lobby of Building 3 near the Gott Auditorium to honor the Nimbus Mission Operations Control Center once located there.
Figure 6-3. The bronze plaque commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Nimbus Program.
6.4 Project Outreach
Funded projects in which Laboratory members participate contain elements of both education and public outreach that are described on the project Web sites. Some of these outreach efforts are summarized in the following sections.
TRMM
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall. TRMM continues its comprehensive Education/Outreach program, in which Laboratory personnel promote TRMM science and technology to the public under the leadership of TRMM Project Scientist Robert Adler (910), and TRMM Education and Outreach Scientist Jeffrey Halverson (912/JCET). TRMM has also included the development of broadcast visuals and educational curriculum in its outreach activities. The Education link on the TRMM home page leads to five problem-based classroom modules in PDF format. These manuals are titled “Investigating the Climate System” and consist of tutorials on clouds, winds, precipitation, weather, and energy. The first four are appropriate for students in grades 5–8, the last is directed at students in grades 9–12. These packages are available on the TRMM Web site (http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/) and have been reviewed as a part of the ESE Education product review.
EOS Aura
The Aura satellite was launched from Vandenberg AFB on July 15, 2004 (Figure 6-4). The Laboratory for Atmospheres has responsibility for conducting the Education and Public Outreach (E&PO) program for the EOS Aura mission. Aura’s Education and Public Outreach program has four objectives:
- Educate students about the role of atmospheric chemistry in geophysics and the biosphere;
- Enlighten the public about atmospheric chemistry and its relevance to the environment and their lives;
- Inform geophysics investigators of Aura science, and thus, enable interdisciplinary research; and
- Inform industry and environmental agencies of the ways Aura data will benefit the economy and contribute to answering critical policy questions regarding ozone depletion, climate change, and air quality.
Figure 6-4. Aura launch, July 15, 2004 photo taken by Boeing/Thom Baur.
To accomplish these objectives, the Laboratory has partnered with several institutions that have established infrastructures that reach large audiences through formal and informal education.
The Globe Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), supported via a grant to Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), is a worldwide network of students, teachers (10,000 schools in over 95 countries), and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Aura’s E&PO program will also be present at science and environmental fairs, and science and technology conferences to demonstrate how Aura fits into NASA’s program to study the Earth’s environment.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) will produce four special issues of the publication ChemMatters over the next three years. These issues will focus on the chemistry of the atmosphere and various aspects of the EOS Aura mission. The special editions of ChemMatters will reach approximately 30,000 U.S. high school chemistry teachers and their students.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), working with Aura scientists, will design and create an interactive exhibit on atmospheric chemistry as part of its Forces of Change program. NMNH will convey the role that atmospheric chemistry plays in people’s lives through the use of remote sensing visualizations and museum objects.
For further information, see the Aura Web site at http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
EOS Terra
The EOS Terra outreach effort—under the direction of Yoram Kaufman (Code 913), Jon Ranson (Code 920), and David Herring (Code 913)—is a coordinated effort to foster greater cooperation and synergy among the various outreach groups within the EOS community. The Terra mission is designed to improve understanding of the movements of carbon and energy throughout Earth’s climate system.
The “About Terra” link on the TERRA home page (http://terra.nasa.gov) contains links to five tutorials designed to inform the public about the importance of the physical parameters observed by the instruments aboard the Terra spacecraft. These tutorials deal with the properties of aerosols, changes in cloud cover and land surface, the Earth’s energy balance, and the role of the oceans in climate change.
TOMS
The Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch is committed to quality scientific education for students of all ages and levels. The TOMS Web site contains resource materials for science educators at http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/teacher/teacher.html. Three lessons that make use of TOM’s data and that study the uses of Earth-orbiting satellites are presented at this site. One of these is directed at students in grades 5–8, the others at grades 9–12. There is also a link to five projects for independent research that allow advanced students to learn more about atmospheric chemistry and dynamics.
There is also an online textbook at http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/ozone/ozone_v8.html, written by branch scientists and designed as an educational resource for the general public, as well as for students and educators. This book contains 12 chapters covering all aspects of the science of stratospheric ozone. Each chapter has numerous low- and high-resolution figures, and ends with a set of review questions.