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.
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Author: Paul Meyer
Curator: Bryan Walls
NASA Official: Timothy L.
Miller
last update: July 20,1996