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Sensing our EnvironmentAs policy makers worldwide wrangle with strategies to mitigate the effects of global climate change, scientists must ensure that data on climate change collected by a variety of instruments show real trends and not just differences in instrument performance. NASA's Earth Observing System relies on NIST calibrations to ensure the accuracy of measurements and data collected over many years to assess global climate change. At the NIST Facility for Advanced Radiometric Calibration, scientists calibrate radiometers that measure temperature changes on Earth from satellites in space. This work is boosting the accuracy of remote sensing instruments used in climate research.
Ocean color from space Likewise, environmental regulators and monitoring agencies continue to seek improved methods for detecting low levels of toxic compounds as we learn more about their deleterious effects on our environment. They also want to accurately distinguish between closely related chemical compounds. A NIST invention, a portable Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer, can do both. The device can measure the presence of specific molecules in a complex mixture of smokestack gases or auto emissions.
Contents | Health | Environment | Time | Nanotechnology | Frontiers of Science | What can we do for you? Online: June 1999 - Last update: October 2001 |