A Proven Instrument in the Science of Weather Forecasting
Having twice-daily, global, 3D observations provides an unprecedented opportunity for studying atmospheric transport and improving climate and weather prediction models. AIRS data are assimilated by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and have provided a 6-hour improvement on the 6-day forecast with only 1% of AIRS data utilized to date. > more
Scientists Surf the Seas of Space to Catch an Atmospheric Wave
A study by NASA and university scientists is shedding new light on a mysterious, cyclical wave in Earth's atmosphere that at times profoundly affects our planet's weather and climate. > more
NASA's New Satellite Takes on Global Climate Change
Although there have been satellites measuring Earth's atmosphere since the 1970's, most have been designed for weather forecasting. Climate studies, which require the detection of subtle trends and changes that can take years to appear, require a new generation of spaceborne instruments. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, AIRS, flying on a NASA weather and climate research satellite called Aqua, is the first spaceborne instrument designed specifically to measure global climate change indicators. > more
Key developments:
AIRS produced the first global map of carbon dioxide based upon direct observation, rather than modeling
Scientists are using this data to establish background levels of carbon dioxide that will be used to validate climate models. Within two years, AIRS will produce maps that can track levels of carbon dioxide down to near Earth's surface. This will allow scientists to clearly identify sources and sinks of carbon dioxide.
AIRS now produces daily maps of global methane
The Version 5.0 AIRS Processing system is now producing daily maps of the global methane distribution at three levels. When used with climate models, these data are expected to help scientists more precisely quantify the role methane plays in global warming.
AIRS is helping to refine climate models
AIRS shows that moisture fields of 6 major climate models are drier than AIRS measurements by 10%-25% in tropics at low altitudes and are more moist by 25%-100% at high altitudes, especially in the extra-tropics. With water vapor being a dominant greenhouse gas, this imbalance indicates a high uncertainty in the model predictions of climate warming in the next century. AIRS data are used to improve water vapor transport in three dimensions in the models.
AIRS temperature and water vapor profiles are now available in real time to regional weather forecasters
Forecasters for growers in California will now have twice daily weather balloon-like measurements from satelite for the entire pacific ocean; once before the morning news and once before the evening news.
Improved Ozone Layer Monitoring
AIRS provides the best 3-dimensional view ever of the ozone layer. New infrared imaging allows viewing the antarctic even during polar winter. Monitoring global ozone is critical to identify events and places of high solar ultraviolet exposure.
Carbon Monoxide Emissions
Carbon monoxide itself is not a greenhouse gas, however it is a strong pollutant. Carbon monoxide emissions from biomass burning in rainforest and large cities can be seen from space using the AIRS. AIRS sees giant plumes of gas being transported across the planet from these large burning events. Scientists use this data to monitor the transport patterns and directly measure global emissions.
Methane Never Before Measured On A Global Scale From Space
Methane is 23 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide and is responsible for 5-10% of the greenhouse effect. With the warming planet, permafrost melts, releasing large amounts of methane in northern latitudes like Canada and Siberia. New AIRS data show these emissions for the first time.
Sulfur Dioxide Data Used By Volcano Alert Network
Sulfur dioxide is emitted in large quanitities from volcanoes. AIRS global daily coverage is currently being used to alert the NOAA Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Washington DC of volcanic events in remote areas. AIRS tracks ash and emitted sulfur dioxide plumes independently. AIRS data help the airline industry fly safely and avoid costly damage to flight systems.
Aerosols
AIRS measures dust and aerosols using infrared light. Not only does this allow viewing day or night but it helps understand the role dust has in the thermal balance of the earth. Dust storms can affect atmospheric chemistry and rainfall patterns, and transport micronutrients and microorganisms. Dust storms are now more frequent, in part because of land use change such as deforestation or overgrazing. AIRS provides a global daily view of the infrared spectral properties of dust that combine the ability to monitor transport and distinguish types of dust based on their spectral signature.
Images & Animations
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NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument is able to peel back cloud cover to reveal 3-D structure of a storm's water vapor content, information that can be used to improve weather forecast models. In this animation the initial visible cloud image series shows a front moving toward the West Coast of the United States as a low pressure area moves into the Pacific Northwest. The "Pineapple Express", a stream of moisture that originates in the tropics South of Hawaii and usually crosses Mexico to enter New Mexico and Texas, has shifted Westward and is also visible moving into Baja California. The area preceding the front appears to be relatively clear in the visible images. As the view shifts from the visible to the infrared wavelengths which highlight water vapor, we see both cloud areas contain heavy burdens of moisture. The area which appears clear in the visible images is seen to contain water vapor near the coastline as well. The viewpoint then rotates so that we can see the vertical cross section of the fronts. The variability of the vertical extent of water vapor and the amount is now clearly visible. The storm moving in from the Gulf of Alaska is more heavily laden with water vapor than that moving in from the Southwest. The moisture is concentrated in the lower atmosphere. The colors indicate the amount of water vapor present. Blue areas denote low water vapor content; green areas are medium water vapor content; red areas signify high water vapor content. The vertical grid for the final frame ranges from 250 millibar pressure at the top to 1000 millibar pressure at the bottom. The top is about 10 km (6.2 miles) above the surface of the Earth.
Credit: Greg Shirah, Goddard Science Visualization Studio
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Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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AIRS Team Members To Know
 Moustafa Chahine |
Moustafa Chahine is a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Considered the "founder" of the AIRS instrument, Mous ("Moose") spearheaded the design and lead the mission from concept to reality. Dr. Moustafa T. Chahine is Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena. JPL is a Division of the California Institute of Technology and the NASA lead center for the exploration of the Solar System. After receiving his Ph.D. in fluid physics from the University of California at Berkeley (1960), he joined JPL as Research Scientist. From 1975 to 1978 he headed the Planetary Atmosphere Section and in 1978 he established at JPL the Division of Earth and Space Sciences, recruited and managed the diverse activities of its 400 researchers until 1984. From 1984 to 2001 he served as JPL Chief Scientist responsible for the conduct of fundamental research at the Laboratory. He is currently Team Leader for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the NASA Aqua Mission. Dr. Chahine has served as a member of the NASA Earth System Sciences Committee, which developed the U.S. program to study global change. From 1989 to 1999 he served as chair of a closely related activity, the World Climate Research Programme's Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), which is organizing a worldwide effort to observe and model the global hydrological cycle and predict its response to climate change.
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 Tom Pagano |
Thomas S. Pagano is the Project Manager for the AIRS/AMSU/HSB Suite of instruments on the EOS Aqua Spacecraft. He manages the JPL staff and coordinates the activities of the AIRS Science Team. He is knowledgeable in a variety of aspects of the program from programmatic and technical, to scientific. He was the lead engineer responsible for the calibration of the AIRS instrument in orbit. Prior to joining JPL in 1997, he was the Chief Systems Engineer on the MODIS instrument development program at Raytheon SBRS since 1985. He has a BS in Physics from UC Santa Barbara, and an MS in Physics from Montana State University. He holds two US patents and is author of numerous papers on space remote sensing systems.
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 Eric Fetzer |
Dr. Eric Fetzer is a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. As a meteorologist with a primary professional interest in the study of atmospheric phenomena in satellite remote observations, Eric currently analyzes data from the AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft. The AIRS instrument collects high-resolution data of Earth's atmosphere globally, the objectives being to improve both weather forecasting and our understanding of climate change. Eric compares AIRS observations with those from other sources, especially weather balloons, and the primary goal of this work is to determine how useful the AIRS observations are for scientific analysis. Eric's interests encompass the wide range of weather phenomena viewed from space, and he has an ongoing scientific interest in atmospheric moisture and its influences on weather and climate. Dr. Fetzer holds a bachelors degree in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in atmospheric sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
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Supplemental Information
News Releases
Major mission events are usually covered by a news release, status report or image advisory.
Fact Sheets, Brochures, Posters
Public and technical fact sheets and poster, as well as the mission brochure are found here.
Feature Stories
Profiles and articles.
Aqua Press Kit
The AIRS instrument is flown aboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft, and the Aqua mission press kit gives an overview of mission goals with sections for each of its instruments. Also contains high-res stills and animations of the spacecraft, including launch and deployment.
JPL Image Use Policy
Contains information on image use.
Contact
With nearly five years of data available, and predictions of a 12-year lifetime, the impact of AIRS data on environmental research has really just begun. To learn more about the latest AIRS developments or to schedule an interview with members of the AIRS team, please contact Alan Buis of JPL Media Relations at 818-354-0474.
