From Endangered Fish to Saturn's Rings: NASA Science Highlighted at American Geophysical Union Meeting
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SAN FRANCISCO -- NASA researchers are presenting a wide range of
science results at the 2009 fall meeting of the American Geophysical
Union. The meeting opens Dec. 14 and continues through Friday, Dec.
18, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. It features
more than 15,000 talks and poster presentations about the latest in
Earth and planetary sciences and heliophysics.
Below are summaries of presentations by NASA researchers and their
colleagues who use NASA research capabilities. For more information
about each topic, including the time and location of the
presentations, consult the meeting program at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/
Monday, Dec.14
WEATHERED ICE DEPOSITS EXPLAIN MARS GEOLOGY
Paul Niles of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston presents research
arguing that the origin of the layered, sulfate-rich sediments at
Meridiani Planum on Mars can be attributed to acidic weathering of
massive ice deposits. This ice-weathering model best explains the
geologic and geochemical observations made from orbit and the
surface. The model may provide a consistent explanation for the
formation of sediments early in Mars' history. (Presentation P12A-05)
SEARCHING FOR EXOTIC LIFE: TOO HOT, TOO COLD, JUST RIGHT?
When looking for places suitable for life, scientists traditionally
have targeted a liquid-water habitable zone about 0.1 astronomical
units (AU) from M-dwarf stars. The University of Arizona's Jonathan
Lunine suggests a different approach. The zone about 1 AU from a late
M-dwarf star may be much less severe for potential life and quite
abundant in the universe. Saturn's moon Titan is one example of this
kind of environment, where hydrocarbon seas may be fostering an
exotic type of life. (Presentation B11E-05)
Tuesday, Dec. 15
NEW SATELLITE VIEWS OF EARTH'S VOLCANIC PLUMES
The instruments on NASA's Earth Observing System satellites provide
rich measurements for mapping volcanic plumes and clouds. In this
talk, observations from three of these instruments are used to
examine recent eruptions of Alaska's Augustine volcano and the
Sarychev volcano on Russia's Kuril Island. The combined data reveal
the quantity and distribution of sulfur dioxide and silicate ash and
sulfate aerosols. (Presentation V21B-1988)
Wednesday, Dec. 16
SATELLITE REVEALS A DECADE OF ATMOSPHERE, LAND AND ENERGY TRENDS
After 10 years in orbit, NASA's Terra Earth-observing satellite has
turned up trends and science results that are helping researchers
better understand the complex Earth system. Researchers have updated
Earth's energy budget, showing the world is cloudier than we thought,
aerosols have an ambiguous yet critical role in climate, and not all
urban areas attract and store heat in the same way. Other atmospheric
discoveries have helped researchers show how high and far pollution
travels. (Sessions U31C, U32A, U33A, U33B)
NASA SCIENTISTS HELP PROTECT ENDANGERED FISH
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
developed models and software for water resource managers to help
prevent the death of threatened and endangered fish species in
streams and rivers affected by the Central Valley Project in
California's Sacramento River Basin. Scientists at NASA's Ames
Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and their colleagues
improved the accuracy of stream temperature and freshwater fish
mortality models. (Presentation IN34A-03)
SATELLITE IMPROVES ALTITUDE ESTIMATES OF VOLCANIC PLUMES
Many volcanic plumes inject ash and sulfur dioxide into the
atmosphere, posing hazards for human health and aviation. For the
first time, researchers can measure the height of volcanic plumes
directly from space. Kai Yang of NASA' s Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Md., and colleagues will describe two recent volcanic
eruptions and show how they used an instrument on the Aqua satellite
to estimate the altitude of the sulfur dioxide plume. This method can
detect volcanic ash more reliably than the traditional ash detection
methods. (Presentation V31A-1954)
ASIAN DUST AND CLIMATE: NASA OBSERVATIONS SHOW CLIMATE LINKS
The 10-year record of aerosol observations from the Multi-angle
Imaging SpectroRadiometer on NASA's Terra spacecraft illustrates how
climate is linked to Asian dust sources and the transport of that
dust around the globe. Scientists will present details of the
year-to-year and seasonal variability of Asian dust with an emphasis
on three regions: the Taklamakan and East and Central Gobi, South
Korea and Japan, and the North Pacific near the U.S. northwest coast.
(Presentation U33B-0067)
NEXT STEPS IN THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS
The possibility of life on Mars has become a scientific issue of
profound importance and great public interest. Michael Meyer, NASA
senior scientist for Mars exploration, will report on the search for
evidence of life on the Red Planet and how the Mars Science
Laboratory, the agency's first dedicated astrobiology mission to Mars
since Viking, will set the stage for the coming decade as Mars
exploration moves from "follow the water" to "seek the signs of
life." (Presentation P33C-02)
Thursday, Dec. 17
NASA FLIGHTS DETECT EFFECTS OF FIRE AND POLLUTION ON ATMOSPHERE
Using instruments aboard three NASA aircraft, scientists sampled
wildfire and human-caused pollution plumes over Alaska, California
and Western Canada in 2008 to determine their chemical composition
and influence on the atmosphere. Scientists found that while fire
emissions greatly disrupt the composition of the atmosphere, they do
not strongly influence ozone formation. They also found plumes at
high altitudes originated from Asia and often contained traces of
human-caused pollution. (Presentation A41E-04)
TOWERING SMOKE PLUMES FROM AUSTRALIAN WILDFIRES
Images of Australian wildfires from NASA's CALIPSO satellite surprised
scientists when they revealed the staggering height of the fires'
smoke plumes. CALIPSO's active-sensing lidar observes the vertical
profile of aerosols and clouds. During flights over the fires,
CALIPSO observed smoke plumes reaching 12 miles in height. At these
altitudes, smoke can influence cloud formation, persistence and
brightness, which in turn affects the amount of sunlight reflected or
absorbed by the atmosphere. (Presentation A43E-04)
NASA FLOOD AND LANDSLIDE MONITORING GOES GLOBAL
NASA's Global Hazard System is combining real-time, multi-satellite
rainfall observations to monitor and forecast floods and landslides
around the world. Dalia Kirschbaum of NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center, Bob Adler of the University of Maryland, and their colleagues
will discuss the system and present ways that a high-definition
version of the system can help officials in East Africa make
decisions and enhance their ability to respond to imminent regional
disasters. (Presentation NH42A-05)
Friday, Dec. 18
RECEDING SHORELINES AND WAVE ACTION AT LAKE ON TITAN
Radar observations by NASA's Cassini spacecraft have enabled the first
measurements for the sloping shoreline of the largest lake in the
southern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Titan. The new data about
Ontario Lacus, presented by Alexander Hayes of the California
Institute of Technology, show an active, dynamic body of liquid with
seasonal variations typical of terrestrial lakes. Analysis found the
Ontario Lacus shoreline recently receded at a rate that confirms the
presence of liquid. (Presentation P54C-02)
BOOM AND BUST CYCLES IN SATURN'S RINGS
In the routine bedlam of Saturn's rings, particles clump together then
fall away in patterns similar to economic boom and bust cycles,
according to recent observations from NASA'S Cassini spacecraft. The
crowding, collisions and dissolution occur on time scales ranging
from hours to weeks. Larry Esposito of the University of Colorado
presents new research indicating gravitational effects from some of
Saturn's moons appear to trigger these kinds of episodes.
(Presentation P51B-1130)
For more information about NASA-related news being presented at the
meeting, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
Source: NASA
