Responding to the Challenge of Climate and Environmental
Change
NASA's Plan for a Climate-Centric Architecture for Earth Observations and Applications from Space
Earth is a complex, dynamic system we do not yet fully understand. The Earth
system, like the human body, comprises diverse components that interact in
complex ways. We need to understand the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere,
hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere as a single connected system. Our planet
is changing on all spatial and temporal scales. The purpose of NASA's Earth
science program is to develop a scientific understanding of Earth's system and
its response to natural or human-induced changes, and to improve prediction of
climate, weather, and natural hazards. NASA's Plan for a Climate-Centric Architecture for Earth Observations and Applications from Space
A major component of NASA’s Earth Science Division is a coordinated series of satellite and airborne missions for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. This coordinated approach enables an improved understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. NASA is completing the development and launch of a set of Foundational missions, new Decadal Survey missions, and Climate Continuity missions.
This is a composite image of the North African Continent. A dust storm can be seen blowing off the coast of Morocco in the northwest corner.
Image: MODIS band combination 1,4,3.
The Foundational missions
are those missions in development at the time the decadal survey was published
and include Aquarius,
NPOESS Preparatory Project
(NPP), Landsat Data
Continuity Mission (LDCM), and Global Precipitation Measurement
(GPM). The Decadal Survey missions are those guided by the decadal survey
produced by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences
and published in 2007. These missions include Soil Moisture Active-Passive
(SMAP), Ice, Cloud and
land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-II), Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI),
Active
Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons
(ASCENDS), Surface Water
and Topography (SWOT), Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution
Events (GEO-CAPE), and Aerosol-Clouds-Ecosystems (ACE). Earth Venture, also
a recommendation of the decadal survey, consists of low cost, competed
suborbital and orbital missions as well as instruments for Missions of
Opportunity.The Climate Continuity missions include Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2
(OCO-2), Stratospheric Aerosol and
Gas Experiment – III (SAGE III), Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment
Follow-on (GRACE-FO), and Pre-Aerosol, Clouds, and Ocean Ecosystem (PACE).
Over the coming decades, NASA and the Agency's research partners will
continue to pioneer the use of both spaceborne and aircraft measurements to
characterize, understand, and predict variability and trends in Earth's system
for both research and applications. Earth is the only planet we know to be
capable of sustaining life. It is our lifeboat in the vast expanse of space.
Over the past 50 years, world population has doubled, grain yields have tripled
and economic output has grown sevenfold. Earth science research can ascertain
whether and how the Earth can sustain this growth in the future. Also, over a
third of the US economy - $3 trillion annually - is influenced by climate,
weather, and natural hazards, providing economic incentive to study the Earth.
NASA Earth System Science conducts and sponsors research, collects new observations, develops technologies and extends science and technology education to learners of all ages. We work closely with our global partners in government, industry, and the public to enhance economic security, and environmental stewardship, benefiting society in many tangible ways. We conduct and sponsor research to answer fundamental science questions about the changes we see in climate, weather, and natural hazards, and deliver sound science that helps decision-makers make informed decisions. We inspire the next generation of explorers by providing opportunities for learners of all ages to investigate the Earth system using unique NASA resources, and our Earth System research is strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics education nationwide.
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