Ozone Hole? Global Warming? El Nino? Separate the Issues and Use the Data!

presentation by:

Corinne Egner

W. Windsor-Plainsboro H.S.

Plainsboro, NJ 08536

conskayakr@aol.com

Remote Sensing of Oceans & Atmospheres

funded by see at NASA/Goddard

http://see.gsfc.nasa.gov/edu/SEES/

presented in cooperation with:

a valuable source of information, images and data available on the web

Introduction

What is Remote Sensing?

Problems and Promise of remote sensing in the classroom

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Atmospheric Processes(Ozone)

Ocean Processes

What is Remote Sensing?

Remote Sensing Is:– Inferring something about the nature and

properties of an object, surface, area, or phenomenon

– through the analysis of data/information– collected by a sensor– that is not in physical contact with the

object, surface, area, or phenomenon under investigation.

Why?? -- The Reasons to Teach RS

To assure the next generation has the tools to use current technology to study Earth’s environment.

Scientific literacy of the general public.

The PROMISE of Using Satellite Data in the Classroom

Spans Scientific Disciplines– Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics

Well-Suited for Inquiry-Based Learning Global or Regional Perspectives Long Historical Record (since late 1970’s) Recent and Real-Time Data

The REALITY of Using Satellite Data in the Classroom

Technical Complexity of Data Large Data Volumes Computer Hardware/Software Required Theoretical Background Needed Lack of Curriculum

The Final Analysis?

•Definitely do it! . . . . . but

•Go slowly!

•Try not to undertake too much at once!

•Collaborate and ask for help!

•Realize it’s a longterm learning process!

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

thanks to Microworld’s web site:

www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/ALSTool/EMSpec/EMSpec2.html

General Sources of Radiation

A

B

C

A- reflected radiation from surface

B- incident radiation (skylight)

C- radiance from the atmosphere

Atmospheric Windows

Development of the Ozone Hole

What is a Dobson unit?

Ozone Production

Ozone Production & Destruction

Ozone Hole in the 70’s and 90’s

Mathematical Analysis

Depletion of ozone in NH & SH

Different instruments to measure ozone

Ozone destruction is worse in SH

•Ocean Circulation–Sea Surface Temperature

–Sea Surface Topography and Sea Height Variability

•Ocean Productivity–Phytoplankton Pigment Concentration

•Sea Ice Processes–Sea Ice Concentration

Topics in Atmospheric/Oceanic Module

Sea Surface Temperature Measurements of Terrestrial Thermal Radiation

U.S. East CoastMay 21, 1999

The need for compositing images

Sea Surface Temperature Measurements of Terrestrial Thermal Radiation

U.S. East CoastMay 19-21, 1999

Sea Surface Temperature Measurements of Terrestrial Thermal Radiation

U.S. East Coast

Coriolis effect and Ekman transport

Generalized ocean currents

Ekman spiral

Sea Surface Temperature Measurements of Terrestrial Thermal Radiation

U.S. West Coast

Upwelling due to offshore transport

Polar Sea Ice Concentration Measurements of Terrestrial Microwave Radiation

September 1996

March 1996

Polar Sea Ice Concentration Measurements of Terrestrial Microwave Radiation

March 1996

September 1996

Sources of Radiation Arriving at Satellite from the Ocean Surface

Visible - Sunlight Reflected at the Surface

Visible - Sunlight Scattered Upward by Subsurface Plants & Particles

Infrared - Emitted (Terrestrial) Thermal Energy

Microwave– “Passive” Sensors Measure Emitted

(Terrestrial) Microwave Energy– “Active” Sensors Illuminate Terrain with Their

Own Signal, then Measure Returned Energy

Phytoplankton Concentration Measurements of Sunlight Scattered by Subsurface Plants

Global Biosphere Spring (March-May) 1998

Phytoplankton Concentration Measurements of Sunlight Scattered by Subsurface Plants

Global Biosphere Summer (June-August) 1998

Surface Roughness Measurements of Transmitted/Reflected Microwave Radiation

“Sea Empress” Oil Spill, Wales, United Kingdom, February 22, 1996

Surface Roughness Measurements of Transmitted/Reflected Microwave Radiation

Typhoon Violet, September 20, 1996

Surface Roughness Measurements of Transmitted/Reflected Microwave Radiation

Wind Speed&

Wave Height

El Nino

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly December 8, 1997

El Nino

TOPEX/Poseidon Sea Surface

Height Anomaly December 10,

1997

La Nina

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly February 27, 1999

La Nina

TOPEX/Poseidon Sea Surface

Height Anomaly February 27,

1999

see Image began with:

Ability to import some satellite data formats Macros:

– Multipaste/replace of geographic overlays– To calculate & find geog coordinates– To view/analyze data in projections

• (Goode, Polar, Hammer)

– Facilitates annotation and key– Perform temporal Z-plot analysis etc. – Compute statistics ignoring “no-data” pixels

see Image then added:

Ability to import satellite data

TOMS Stratospheric Ozone

AVHRR and NDVI

ISLSCP and UV data also, but no materials exist

Geographic overlays

NDVI measurement of “greenness” from the NOAA series satellite from October of 1988.

Monthly averaged TOMS Ozone data from October, 1992

MultiPaste/Replace

•Use a macro to apply an overlay to a stack. •No paste control window is needed.•Often relevant in geographic data with time series.

Calculate X/Y image coordinates.

Interactively display the lat/long in the info window. (Only works for global images.)

Ability to project global images

Hammer-Aitoff over -100 longSouth Polar Orthographic

Goode

TOMS ozone imageswithout overlays

Oct. 3, 1979

Facilitates making annotation & key w/ MakeMap macro

,

to see NDVI values indicating how vegetation changes

Arizona

Month of 1987

ND

VI

valu

eApplachians

Month of 1987

ND

VI

valu

e

QuickTime™ and aGraphics decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Perform temporal Z-plot analysis with a stack

Where to Get the Images Phytoplankton Concentration

– SeaWIFS Homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/

SEAWIFS.html

– Ocean Color Homepage: http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Sea Surface Temperature– JHU AVHRR Homepage:

http://fermi.jhu.apl.edu/avhrr

– SeaSpace Homepage:http://www.seaspace.com

Where to Get the Images

Imaging Radar– Shuttle Imaging Radar Homepage:

http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/

– RADARSAT Images:http://www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/

http://radarsat.space.gc.ca/welcome.html

Scatterometer Winds– NASA JPL Winds Homepage

http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html

Where to Get the Images

Sea Surface Topography– TOPEX/Poseidon Homepage:

http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/

El Nino– Topex/Poseidon El Nino Homepage

http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/elnino/elnino.html

– SST Anomaly Charthttp://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/

PSB/EPS/SST/climo.html

Studying the Earth’s Environment from Space

NASA/CGA/ODU Collaborative Project Classroom Materials Lab Materials

– Display Software– Satellite Data & Exercises

Topic List:– Ozone (NASA)

– Land Vegetation (NASA)

– Ocean Processes (CGA/ODU)

– Sea Ice Concentration (CGA/ODU)

Materials available at: http://see.gsfc.nasa.gov/edu/SEES/

Studying the Earth’s Environment from Space

Topics/Units Include:

Land Vegetation (AVHRR data)

Stratospheric Ozone (TOMS data)

Polar Processes

Sea Surface Temperatures