Weather,
the mysterious force of nature that has haunted mankind from the beginning.
Humans have ever sought new ways to protect themselves from harsh climate
conditions. Early man used caves, modern man uses elaborate buildings and
technology, but they have always attempted to protect themselves from the
elements. Yet worldwide, climate and weather related events are still one
of the leading causes of death and property loss.
As the world population grows, the actions of humans actually
begin to affect the climate. The Antarctic ozone hole is the best example,
and there also exists evidence that additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
as a result of fossil fuel burning may be affecting temperature at Earth's
surface. Many issues of climate change are global in nature and must be
studied through the use of global measurements. These are often best achieved
by using instruments that orbit Earth and make measurements from space.
It is quite common to see weather satellite data on your local TV newscast.
New satellite instruments, as well as new uses for present satellites already
in orbit, are constantly being developed by NASA scientists to understand
the climate. However, as scientists understand one aspect of the weather,
new questions always arise.
At the Global Hydrology and Climate
Center, our principal area of study is the water cycle (or hydrologic
cycle) of the planet. One of the functions of weather is to redistribute
the energy the Earth captures from the Sun. The Earth's water releases or
absorbs a great deal of energy as it changes between solid, liquid, and
gaseous states, and this process is very important in carrying energy from
the equator to the poles. We are attempting to understand exactly how this
process works, and we hope to aid in the protection of people and property
through this understanding. A related area of study involves the production
of global data from satellites to measure very precisely any changes in
atmospheric temperature that may be occurring over the months or years.
This data set goes back to 1979 and will continue into the foreseeable future.
Is global warming really happening? Will the
polar ice caps melt and cause flooding of coastal regions? Will there be
another ice age? These are all questions scientists attempt to answer using
climate and weather modeling.
The atmosphere interacts with other components of the Earth system in strange
and interesting ways. Volcanoes which erupt in the western Pacific are most
likely going to affect your weather for some time to come. Perhaps it is
by providing beautiful sunsets, or perhaps it is responsible for all that
rain you've had lately. Changes in the temperature of the surface of the
ocean can cause dramatic changes in weather patterns over a period of several
months. The bottom line is that the weather in one part of the world will
certainly affect the weather you receive in your area.
Scientists at the Global
Hydrology and Climate Center use climate models (computer programs that
simulate weather, ocean temperatures, and other aspects of the Earth system
over long periods of time) to better understand many potential long term
effects on Earth's climate. With a better understanding of how various parts
of the Earth system interact, improvements can be made in both short term
weather forecasts and long-term climate changes. Such improvements in our
predictive abilities are very important in assisting policymakers in making
such far-reaching decisions such as whether to impose taxes on the release
of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, for example. That would make it
more expensive for you to drive your car, but if that causes people to cut
back on emissions into the atmosphere it may be worth it!
Curator: Bryan Walls
NASA Official: Tim Miller
last update: June 11, 1997