"Don't Forget the Salt!" "Don't Forget the Salt!" Aquarius Education and Public Aquarius Education and Public

OutreachOutreach

Annette deCharonAnnette deCharonUniversity of MaineUniversity of Maine

"Don't Forget the Salt!" "Don't Forget the Salt!" Aquarius Education and Public Aquarius Education and Public

OutreachOutreach

Annette deCharonAnnette deCharonUniversity of MaineUniversity of Maine

This map shows a seven-day average, based on all

known measurement locations sampled over

the past 100 years for Sea Surface Salinity (SSS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb7KAf-HsE8

Not presently measured by satellite, this map shows the weekly SSS coverage that will be achieved by Aquarius

after it is activated

Aquarius / SAC-D is a jointU.S. (NASA) - Argentine

(CONAE) venture

How do we engage today’s

learners to utilize SSS data sets?

By providing resources that demonstrate how improved understanding of salinity patterns – with ties to climate and the

water cycle – can benefit society as a whole.

K-4: Explain that evaporation can separate the water from the salt in salt water

Salinity patterns are governed by geographic differences in the "water

budget."

Students learn about the processes that influence salinity patterns using sequential maps of monthly mean

data from the North Atlantic Ocean.

5-8: Explain how the processes of the water cycle relate to the ocean

http://aquarius.nasa.gov/education-datatools.html

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

By clicking on the "play" button, users view pairs of monthly maps.

On a data analysis worksheet, students answer a series of "Key Questions":

What is the environmental significance of the "0" line on the E-P map?

Hands on experiments

Salinity difference(35 ppt)

Temperature difference(30 deg C)

Karp-Boss et al. (2009)http://tos.org/hands-on/teaching_phys.html

9-12: Explain the influence of ocean salinity on the thermohaline circulation (e.g., “global conveyer belt”)

Thermohaline circulation

Visualizations

Density

NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

http://aquarius.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery-animations.html

Advanced students can use interactive tools to explore

historical salinity, temperature & density data from the World

Ocean Atlas (2005).

Guided by a "Q & A" format, users can create maps, in-water

profiles & time-series graphs.

Direct links to Interactive Tools & Tutorials

Direct links to Interactive Tools & Tutorials

http://aquarius.jpl.nasa.gov

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Can choose up tosix locations at once

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Annual mean maps & In-water profiles: Salinity, temperature & density

Advanced students can use interactive tools to explore

historical salinity, temperature & density data from the World

Ocean Atlas (2005).

Guided by a "Q & A" format, users can create maps, in-water

profiles & time-series graphs.

Direct links to Interactive Tools & Tutorials

Direct links to Interactive Tools & Tutorials

http://aquarius.jpl.nasa.gov

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Monthly mean maps

&

Time-series graphs

Salinity, Temperature &

Density

from 1 - 6 depths

Interactive tools include annual salinity, temperature, and density data (1800-2005) to answer these questions:

Were the oceans as salty a hundred years ago?

Can we answer that question?

Why do we care?

Quick link toclimate dataQuick link toclimate data

http://aquarius.jpl.nasa.gov/

“Student outcomes” resources database (examples)

Grades K-4 Grades 5-8 Grades 9-12

Water CycleExplain that evaporation can separate the water from the salt in salt water

Explain how the processes of the water cycle relate to the ocean

Explain relationships between fresh water & ocean dynamics

Ocean Circulation

Describe connections between ocean salt water & fresh water in water cycle

Explain the effect of density on ocean circulation

Explain the influence of ocean salinity on the thermohaline circulation

ClimateCompare climates based on precipitation, temperature & distance from ocean

Explain the ocean holds a large amount of heat & its effect on climate

Describe how changes in ocean circulation can produce changes in climate

21st Century Technology

Explain that satellites can make measurements at a distance

Gather, analyze & interpret data about the ocean’s effects on climate

Explain how technology can enhance the gathering & use of oceanic data

http://aquarius.nasa.gov/education-outcomes.html

Where can you find these tools & resources?

http://aquarius.nasa.gov/education.html

For more information, please contact:Annette deCharon <annette.decharon@maine.edu>

Thank you!