June 24, 2002 1IGARSS 2002

The Earth Science Vision for 2025:

A NASA Perspective

Peter Hildebrand, Mark Schoeberl, Warren Wiscombe,

Mariann Albjerg, NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center

Martin Mlynczak, NASA / Langley Research Center, Langley

Carol Raymond, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

David Petersen, NASA / Ames Research Center

Rick Miller, NASA / Stennis Research Center

Timothy Miller, NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center

Jack Kaye, Granville Paules, NASA / Headquarters

June 24, 2002 2IGARSS 2002

NASA Vision and MissionNASA Vision:

To improve life here,

To extend life to there,

To find life beyond

NASA Mission:

To understand and protect our home planet

To explore the universe and search for life

To inspire the next generation of explorers

June 24, 2002 3IGARSS 2002

June 24, 2002 4IGARSS 2002

ESV Research Focus Areas• Long-term climate

– decades to centuries• Medium-term climate

– seasons to years• Severe weather

– hurricane landfall, floods, draught, …• Biosphere, ecosystems, human interactions

– ecological forecasting, sustainability, …• Solid earth, ice sheets and sea level

– volcanism, sea level rise, …

June 24, 2002 5IGARSS 2002

EARTH SCIENCE VISION 2025 WORKING GROUPS NASA HQ EARTH SCIENCE VISION

Mary CleaveMariann Albjerg, Ron Birk, Aprille Ericsson, Shahid Habib, Peter Hildebrand, Jack Kaye,

George Komar, Gran Paules, Edwin Sheffner, Greg Stover, Azita Valinia, Greg Williams

LONG TERM CLIMATEDavid Rind, Richard Somerville

Peter H. Gleick, Chris Kummerow Daniel Hillel, Cynthia Rosenzweig

Waleed Abdalati

EXTREME WEATHER

Scott Braun, Steve GoodmanRick Anthes, Chris Kummerow

Chris Velden, Craig BishopKerry Emanuel, Ralph Petersen

Jim Dodge

SOLID EARTHBen Chao, Tom Farr

Bruce Douglas, Eric RignotC.K. Shum, John WahrRobert, Bindschadler

John LaBrecque

BIOSPHERE – ECOSYSTEM --HUMAN INTERACTIONS

John. Schnase, Sara GravesJames Clark, Thomas Stohlgren

James Smith, Jim QuinnJoseph Coughlan, Chuck Trees

MEDIUM-TERM CLIMATEMichele Rienecker, Daniel Jacob

Jack Fishman, Dennis Lettenmaier Siegfried Schubert, Steve Schwartz

Roger Bales, Tsengdar Lee

VISION STEERING GROUPWarren Wiscombe, Peter Hildebrand

Mark Schoeberl, Marty MlynczakCarol Raymond, David Peterson

Tim Miller, Rick MillerMariann Albjerg

June 24, 2002 6IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Research Priorities

• availability of water

– under the stress of long term climate

changes,

• intra-seasonal to seasonal weather

and climate variability

– no current theoretical basis to explain

major changes in weather on these

scales.

• predictability of tropical storms

– track and intensities,

• ecological forecasting

– species identification and changes,

• linkage between sea level and

changes in climate

– and other aspects of the Earth system.

June 24, 2002 7IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Additional Research Topics

• understanding the hydrologic

cycle

– under the effects of the changing

climate;

• ecosystem health

– biodiversity changes and invasive

species;

• severe storm systems

– tornado, hail, winter snow and ice

storms;

• forecasting earthquakes and

volcanoes

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June 24, 2002 8IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Observational Requirements

• Measure atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems

– circulation and causes of variability

– transport of heat – in atmosphere:

• profiles temperature, humidity, and winds

• atmospheric chemical constituents

• aerosol loading

• Measure at temporal and spatial scales appropriate to the physical processes.

• availability of water

– relation to long-

term climate

change

• intra-seasonal

climate variability

– causes,

predictability

• tropical storms

– predictability

June 24, 2002 9IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Observational Requirements

• Measure full hydrologic cycle

– response to climate change

• Measure – precipitation – evaporation – clouds– cycling through ground

and surface water flow– ground water storage– ocean circulation,

SST, topography and salinity

– ice and frozen surfaces

• Measure at temporal and spatial scales appropriate to the physical processes.

• availability of water– relation to long-

term climate change

• intra-seasonal climate variability

– causes, predictability

• tropical storms– predictability

• ecological forecasting

• sea level linkage to climate

June 24, 2002 10IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Observational Requirements

• Measure Earth’s land and ocean surface:

– surface topography

– surface temperature, humidity, roughness

– boundary layer depth

– atmosphere - ocean fluxes

– ice and frozen surfaces.

• Measure at temporal and spatial scales appropriate to the physical processes.

• availability of water– relation to long-

term climate change

• intra-seasonal climate variability

– causes, predictability

• tropical storms– predictability

• ecological forecasting

• sea level linkage to climate

June 24, 2002 11IGARSS 2002

NASA Earth Science - 2025 Modeling Requirements

• four dimensional, ensemble models – numerical framework within which new theories can be developed, tested

and improved

• improved atmospheric and ocean model physics – sub-grid scale parameterizations of the hydrological, turbulent and air-

sea/land-sea interaction.

• ability to model and map biological resources, – biological structures, functional capability, physiological state, biological

production mapping, etc.

• modeling at temporal and spatial scales appropriate to the physical processes.

June 24, 2002 12IGARSS 2002