# Presentation: 670823

## Oceanography from SpaceNMEA Presentation 22 July 2003  Annie Richardson Mona JasnowNASA/Jet Propulsion LaboratoryPasadena, California

## NASA Mission

**To understand and protect our home planet**
**To explore the Universe and search for life**
**To inspire the next generation of explorers**
**  ****. . . as only NASA can**

- NASA Mission

## Why does NASA Study Oceans?

- Why does NASA Study Oceans?

**-70% of Earth is water****-The interaction of ocean and atmosphere drives weather patterns and controls climate change.**

## TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 Missions

**TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 Missions**

**TOPEX/Poseidon**

**Jason-1**

- JPL oceanography missions provide a wealth of information for improving long-term climate studies, weather prediction, and determining the impact of humans on the environment.

- Both TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 use altimeters to
- measure ocean surface topography - the highs and lows of the ocean.

## So What is an Altimeter?

**So What is an Altimeter?**

## Satellite Radar Altimetry

## TOPEX/Poseidon

_**TOPEX/Poseidon**_
** ****First joint NASA/CNES satellite altimeter for ocean topography measurements **
** ****Launched August 10, 1992**
** ****Measures global sea-level change**
** ****Revolutionized our understanding of global ocean circulation**
** ****Demonstrated ability to forecast events such as El Niño**

**• ****10-day repeat of ground track (±1 km accuracy)**
**• ****Covers 95% of ice-free oceans every 10-days**
**• ****Global data coverage between 66°N and 66°S latitude**
**• ****Orbital altitude of 1334 km, circular, 66° inclination**
**• ****Data available through Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (U.S.) and AVISO (France)**

**TOPEX/Poseidon**

## JASON-1

_**JASON-1**_
** ****Follow-on to TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P)**
** ****Launched December 7, 2001**
** ****Scheduled for five years of operation**
** ****Increase understanding of ocean circulation**
** ****Improve forecasting of events such as El Niño**

**• ****Beginning of ****operational satellite altimetry**** **
**• ****10-day repeat of ground track (±1 km accuracy)**
**• ****Covers 95% of ice-free oceans every 10-days**
**• ****Has same orbit characteristics as T/P**
**• ****T/P Jason-1 Tandem Mission will double-team the oceans**

**JASON-1**

## SPACECRAFT COMPARISON

**Jason-1**
**500 kg**

**TOPEX/Poseidon**
**2500 kg**

- SPACECRAFT COMPARISON

## TANDEM MISSION

- • For the first 8 months after launch, the JASON-1 satellite flew the same ground track as TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) did during its first 9 years of operation
- • JASON-1 leading satellite, T/P trailing satellite
- • Near simultaneous measurements from same altitude of the same sea surface locations by the Jason-1 and T/P altimeters
- • After 8 months T/P was maneuvered to a nearby orbit to provide more spatial and temporal coverage
- • The tandem mission configuration allows exceptionally high-resolution data of ocean surface topography.

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## Measuring the Ocean’s Surface

**The height (or "relief") of the sea surface is caused by both gravity (which **
**doesn't change much over 100's of years), and the active (always changing) **
**ocean circulation.  In this figure, the colors represent higher or lower **
**than normal sea surface height.**

## Annual Sea Surface Height Anomaly

## Seasonal Sea Level Changes

## Dynamic Ocean Currents

## Multidisciplinary Studies

## Ocean Data Applications

- • **Climate Research**
**• ****Ship Routing**
** ****Offshore Industries**
** ****Hurricane Forecasting**
** ****Fisheries Management**
** ****Marine Mammal Research**
** ****El Niño & La Niña Forecasting**
** ****Coral Reef Research**
** ****Ocean Debris Tracking**
** **

## PACIFIC DECADAL OSCILLATION

** ****The current Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern has persisted since April 2001**
**  **
** ****Warm water (higher sea levels) in red and white**
** ****Cooler water (lower sea level) in blue**

**PDO images are courtesy of Nathan Mantua & Steven Hare, **
**University of Washington, **
**Units are degrees Celsius**

## GLOBAL MEAN SEA LEVEL VARIATION

**Nerem, 2001**

**Global sea level has increased at an average rate (red line)  of 2.4 millimeters per year from 1993-2001.**

## SHIP ROUTING

** ****Private companies make charts of surface height**
** ****Eddies and swift moving currents can be identified**
** ****Transatlantic ship routing, cable laying, and oil exploration use these maps to increase safety and economic return.**

## HURRICANE FORECASTING

** ****Long-term seasonal forecasts of the numbers and strengths of hurricanes expected in a given hurricane season**
** ****Short-term forecasts of the strength of individual hurricanes**

## WHERE ARE THE WHALES?

## EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA FORECASTING & MONITORING

**NOAA long-term climate forecasts: flood control, agricultural strategy, water and energy use planning**
**Media use to explain weather and climate to the public **** **
**TOPEX/Poseidon data have become familiar to more than a billion people worldwide**

- EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA FORECASTING & MONITORING

**Images produced by Dr. Victor Zlotnicki, Dr. Lee-Lueng Fu, and Akiko Hayashi, of the Oceans Research Element at  NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.****  **

## EL NIÑO COMING

## EL NIÑO GOING

## EL NIÑO GONE

## El  Niño Global Impacts: Some are Harmful...

## ... Some are Great!

-  Gulf of Alaska - Improved salmon fisheries due to increased juvenile survival
-  Arizona - Desert gets more rainfall than usual - flora and fauna thrive
-  California - Surf’s up, as sea levels are up by as much as six inches.  Better surfing and sport fishing this year
-  Kansas - Plenty of summer rain produces bountiful harvests and fills emergency silos.  “Tornado Alley” shuts down.
-  South Atlantic Coast of U.S. - A mild hurricane season after a disastrous 1996.
-  Southern Rocky Mountains - Plenty of snow forecast for this winter, water storage is up and so are tourist dollars.

**Notes:**
Global Damage of El Nino

Next
Good El Nino

## CORAL BLEACHING

**  ****TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter sea level and**
**   ****NOAA AVHRR sea-surface temperature data**
**   ****monitor and assess global coral reef environments.**
**  ****High and low tropical sea levels and ocean**
**    ****temperatures caused by the ‘97 to ‘98 El Niño/**
**    ****La Niña “bleached” 25% of all coral reefs.**

**Maldive Islands, Central Indian **
** ****Ocean, NASA Landsat 7 image**

**Biodiversity - Coral ecosystems **
**are our oceans “rainforests”**

**90%Bleached**

## Global Change is Inevitable

**Global Change is Inevitable**

**What causes the slight changes that influence our environment?**
**What role do we play in causing these changes?**
**Are small changes interacting to hasten long-term sweeping alterations of Earth’s water, land, and air?**

## “Climate touches all of us.  On a longer time scale, probably the most important determinant of human civilization has been climate."Dr. William Patzert,  NASA/JPL Oceanographer

***“******Climate touches all of us.  On a longer time scale, probably the most important determinant of human civilization has been climate."***Dr. William Patzert,  NASA/JPL Oceanographer

-  Because, it's clear that Earth is an ocean planet.

**SO WHY DO WE STUDY THE OCEANS...?**

-  The oceans are the most significant  influence on Earth’s weather and climate

-  Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population live in coastal regions.

## JPL Oceanography Educational ProductsSupporting National Education Standards

**JPL Oceanography Educational Products****Supporting National Education Standards**

## Oceans’ Music: Climate’s DanceEducational Poster

- Oceans’ Music: Climate’s DanceEducational Poster

## Oceans’ Music: Climate’s Dance  Educational Poster

- -- Appropriate for ages 11-14
- -- Inquiry-based learning about the connections between ocean circulation and global climate.
- -- Reverse has classroom-ready activities
- -- Science, engineering reinforcement
- --Can be ordered online

**Oceans’ Music:**** ****Climate’s Dance**

- Oceans’ Music: Climate’s Dance  Educational Poster

- http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/education/jason-1-poster.html

## “Discovering the Oceans” Book Cover and

**“****Discovering the Oceans” Book Cover and**
**“****Be a Junior Oceanographer” Website**

## “Discovering the Oceans” Book Cover and

**“****Be a Junior Oceanographer” Website**

**--The front of the book cover provides just the spark needed to imagine diving in to the study of our oceans. **
**--Read the cool comic on the back to learn that NASA uses satellites to study the surface of the ocean and to track marine life. **
**--At the “Be a Junior Oceanographer” website, students take a short quiz on oceanography and marine science.  When they pass the quiz they can print out their own Junior Oceanographer certificate and their first name/city will be added to the Junior Oceanographers’ Hall of Fame.**

- http://sealevel2.jpl.nasa.gov/jr_oceanographer/bookcover-educators.html

- •Discovering the Oceans book cover is targeted for students ages 8-12.
- •Educators may request student copies from topex@jpl.nasa.gov

## Voyage on the High Seas:  A Jason-1 Oceanic AdventurePoster - Board Game

**Voyage**** ****on the High Seas:  ****A Jason-1 Oceanic Adventure****Poster - Board Game**

## Voyage on the High Seas:  A Jason-1 Oceanic AdventurePoster - Board Game

- -- Engaging poster and a fun board game suitable for use within and outside the classroom
- -- Designed for ages 9 - 13 but offers a fun learning experience for the whole family
- -- Highlights global ocean current system
- -- Reverse has classroom-ready activities designed to be reproduced directly from the poster
- --Science, engineering, language, and world geography reinforcement
- --Can be ordered online

- http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/education/jason-1-game.html

**Voyage**** ****on the High Seas:  ****A Jason-1 Oceanic Adventure****Poster - Board Game**

## Let’s get started and have some fun!

***Let’s get started and have some fun!***

**Voyage**** ****on the High Seas:  ****A Jason-1 Oceanic Adventure**