Earth ScienceEarth Science

Presentation toPresentation toAmerican Astronautical SocietyAmerican Astronautical Society

Conference on Astronauts and Robots:Partners in Space Science and Exploration

May 13, 2015May 13, 2015

Randall R. FriedlRandall R. Friedl

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. … Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.“

-- Carl SaganFrom "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space," Random House, 1994

View from Voyager

View from Mars

Space observations provide a new perspective on Earth

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

Space observations reveal an inter-connected Earth system

MISR - aerosols

MLS – ozone layer

TES – trace gas

AIRS – atmospheric temperature

CLOUDSAT – water content

JASON – sea surface height

QUIKSCAT – wind

GRACE – gravity

Aquarius - sea surface salinity

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologySpace observations track Earth

transformations

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS)

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

At many spatial scales

1988

Pearl River Delta, China: Landsat false color image

Chandler Arizona: Landsat True color image

From NASA/USGS

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

Sea Surface Temperature (left) and Rainfall (Right) anomalies in the Eastern Pacific

From NASA’s Earth Observatory based on AVHRR and blended rainfall data from multiple satellites

1997

2007

Example 1: Understanding El Nino, La Nina, and Rainfall Patterns

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyExample 2: Projecting sea level rise

SatelliteRecord

From TOPEX/PoseidonAnd Jason series

3.0 m0.3 m Average Global Sea Level Rise Over the Next 10 Years

100

50

0

% P

roba

bilit

y

Greenland ice mass loss, from NOAA Arctic Report Card

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

Example 3: Understanding Arctic sea ice inter-annual processes and longer-term trends

2002

2008 2015

From NASA Earth ObservatoryBased on SSMI/DMSP data

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

1979 1990

2001 2013

From NASA Earth Observatory, based on TOMS/OMI data

Example 4: Understanding Antarctic ozone inter-annual processes and longer-term trends

Example 5: Understanding ground water Example 5: Understanding ground water storage changes storage changes

Landerer, JPL

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

GWSW

Groundwater depletion during drought threatens future water security of the Colorado River Basin, (from Castle et al., 2014)

Surface and ground water storage anomalies from GRACE data

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of Technology

Example 6: Characterizing Fault Slip and Crustal Motion

• Central creeping segment (AA’ to DD’): nonuniform creeping at shallow depth (~0-6km) and partially locked at upper crustal level (~6-10km)

• Parkfield segment (EE’ to GG’): creeping at 0-4 km and locked at variable depth range• Increased coupling towards Parkfield and fully locked in 1857 EQ rupture area (HH’ and beyond)

(Liu, et al, 2011)