On sweltering summer days, city power supplies are often taxed by increased air conditioning use, as citizens struggle to beat the heat. And those domes of trapped, heated air can actually create their own weather patterns over urban areas, increasing rainstorms. Equipped with remote sensing technology developed for the space program, the heat hunters fly NASA aircraft over urban areas, documenting patterns of heat formation in large metropolitan centers. This information helps determine strategies to reduce heat islands, such as installation of reflective roofing and paving materials to bounce thermal energy back into the atmosphere. La. Further tests in other metropolitan areas are planned.
Education is the key.
The Global Hydrology and Climate Center is a joint venture between government and academia to study the global water cycle and its effect on Earth's climate. Jointly funded by NASA and its academic partners, and jointly operated by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the Center conducts research in a number of critical areas. In the past, Marshall played key roles in the development and operation of the Saturn V rocket, Skylab, the Lunar Roving Vehicle, Spacelab and the Hubble Space Telescope. The Center is working to bring a future among the stars closer to reality for the people of Earth. Include the name of your media outlet, your title, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and the headline of this news release.