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DSCOVR k2 Satellite Calibration
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- DCSOVR K2 Satellite Calibration
DSCOVR k2 Satellite CalibrationDSCOVR serves as a device for central calibration of all satellites Donahue 11 (Bill, writer for Popular Science, “Who Killed the Deep Space Climate Observatory?” 4/6/11, http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-03/lost-satellite) Earth-observing satellites are subject to constant abuse. Cosmic rays grind on the delicate spectrometers that measure the planet's radiation. Over time, the satellites stray from their orbit and sink nearer to Earth. The data they collect becomes inconsistent. In short, they have limited life expectancies, and some of NASA's 14 Earth-observing satellites have already outlived theirs. All of which makes DSCOVR's decade of dormancy more puzzling. In addition to the continuous macrolevel monitoring of the Earth's albedo that the satellite would perform, it could also be a crucial component of a larger satellite array. Because DSCOVR would be farther away from Earth than any other satellite, it would be able to see every other satellite in the sky. As a result, other satellites would be able to calibrate their location and sensors against DSCOVR. Moreover, because it would constantly face the moon, which has no atmosphere and thus a constant albedo, it would have a uniquely consistent baseline from which it could calibrate its instruments-and from which other satellites could calibrate as well. In this way, DSCOVR could be the keystone on which present and future space-based Earth-monitoring systems could depend. Such a network would fulfill the primary missions of both agencies. NOAA's mission is first and foremost to "understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment." The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, meanwhile, established NASA's first objective as the "expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space." Yet for nearly a decade now, space exploration has been a higher priority for NASA than monitoring our own planet. Just this spring, it succeeded in pulling off a familiar-sounding mission: STEREO, in which a pair of satellites orbit the sun and beam back continuous footage of our resident star. But DSCOVR remained in storage. DCSOVR K2 Satellite CalibrationDSCOVR key to satellite calibration Valero, 2007 (9-25-2007, Francisco P.J. Valero, DSCOVR Principle Investigator, NRC Earth Science Decadal Survey-Mission Concept Earth Sciences from the Astronomer’s Perspective, a Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), National Resource Council, http://www.nswp.gov/lwstrt/mowg_907dscovr.pdf G.H) 2.0 DSCOVR Scientific Goals 2.1 Earth’s Atmosphere and Surface with EPIC Using the DSCOVR Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument, for the first time it will be possible to determine the daily cycles in total ozone, aerosols, and column water vapor at high temporal and spatial resolution. Ten global spectral images of the sunlit side of the Earth will be acquired within 2 minutes with a spatial resolution of 8 km at nadir to 14 km near the Earth’s limb. For example, Ozone anomalies arising from a variety of sources can be tracked with much improved accuracy and related to their meteorological environment. This new knowledge should greatly enhance our basic understanding of ozone processing in the atmosphere and permit more accurate modeling and prediction of ozone variations. The ozone data, in combination with data-assimilation modeling, will also be used to study wave motions, including gravity waves, in the stratosphere much better than previously possible. Other dynamical processes such as the polar vortex structure, near-tropopause circulations, and jet stream winds can be observed. Arctic ozone depletion events can also be detected to assess their ecological threats through enhanced UV radiation. The DSCOVR ozone, cloud, and aerosol data can be used to compute surface UV irradiance each hour so that exposures and health risks can be more accurately determined. Aerosols will be monitored hourly during the day using combinations of UV and visible wavelengths. The new combination of wavelengths allows determination of optical depth, single scattering albedo, and particle size. Previous use of visible wavelengths for aerosols has been limited to water or forest backgrounds. This new information, provided at high spatial and temporal resolution, will be extremely useful for understanding and modeling the processes that disperse and deplete aerosols, allowing for better assessment and prediction of their chemical, cloud, and radiative impacts. Detection of aerosols in the Arctic Basin, where anthropogenic haze (Arctic Haze) is a significant factor, permits a more accurate determination of the aerosol impact in this extremely sensitive part of the world. The ability to detect aerosols each hour at high spatial resolution will be exploited to provide timely warnings of volcanic ash events and visibility anomalies (smoke and dust plumes) to the air transportation industry (through the FAA), the US Park Service, and the EPA. EPIC data will also be used to develop valuable new information about cloud, water vapor, and surface properties. Since LEO/GEO satellites are being used to develop comprehensive climatologies of cloud properties at high spatial and temporal resolution, the unique viewing geometry of EPIC can be exploited in conjunction with these other satellites to determine cloud phase and particle shape. Cloud particle habit (shape) is an assumed parameter in current retrieval methods and in mesoscale models and GCMs. Retrieval of this parameter on a global basis will reduce the uncertainties in cloud and radiation modeling as well as in the retrievals of cloud particle size and ice water path. The atmospheric column water vapor will also be derived from reflected measurements over all surfaces on an hourly basis that will complement similar estimates from infrared retrievals of upper tropospheric water vapor column. The near retro-reflection geometry of the EPIC view can also be used to determine anisotropic reflectance properties of various types of vegetation and to improve characterization of canopy structure and plant condition. Diurnal variations of surface spectral albedo will also be derived to provide more accurate models for radiation calculations in GCMs and other atmospheric models. DSCOVR is a valuable platform for half of a multi-angle remote sensing program because its EPIC images can be collocated with those from any other satellite with close temporal and spatial tolerances. Although only one multi-angle application has been noted, it is expected that the ease of matching EPIC and other satellite data will be an extremely valuable resource for remote sensing and, ultimately, climate modeling, especially in the area of validation. Conversely, other satellite and ground-based measurements taken at sparse temporal or spatial resolution will serve to verify DSCOVR’s hourly retrievals. DSCOVR is critical to validate the inconsistent data of other satellites. Williams, 2008 (12-28-2008, Trevor Williams, University of Victoria Mechanical Engineering PhD, Bring Back DSCOVR!, greenmuze.com) http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/eco-geek/687-bring-back-dscovr.html G.H.) Obama’s first presidential pardon should be to free a political prisoner, held without trial, rhyme nor reason, in solitary confinement in an air conditioned prison box somewhere outside Washington, DC. The sentence was long-term incarceration by the Bush Administration. The crime was the Administration’s fear of DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) being a potential climate change whistle-blower and witness to human crimes against Earth. We are not reporting on a human prisoner of course, but a real prisoner nonetheless. DSCOVR has been locked away for the last 7 years, with little explanation for why an already paid for and completed US$100 million high-tech spacecraft should be left un-launched, especially when that spacecraft was designed to detect, measure and monitor Earth’s atmosphere, land and oceans for climate change. The DSCOVR spacecraft was designed to orbit at the L1 Lagrangian point, a gravity-neutral point 937 thousand miles (1.5 million kilometers) from the Earth toward the Sun, from where it could gaze at the entirety of the sunlit side of Earth, 24hours a day, 7 days a week. The mission had multiple objectives but one was to measure Earth’s absorption and emission of heat energy which is largely driven by cloud cover, snow cover, atmospheric conditions and the Earth’s ambient temperature. All these factors affect the albedo, the heat radiation exchange between Earth, the Sun and deep space. The information is critical to calibrate climate models, the ozone layer and global climate change in general. Dr. Jonah Colman, a climate modeler at Los Alamos National Laboratory, said in a Seed Magazine interview that "the availability of DSCOVR for inter-comparison between other measurements" would reconcile discrepancies in data from low-Earth orbit satellites. "Albedo is incredibly important," he added. "It can change quickly, and we currently do not have a direct method for measuring it. DSCOVR would have given us that". Other prominent climatologists also spoke out in its favor. There were some dark moments in DSCOVR’s history, perhaps political intrigue and maybe even some ill-informed engineering decisions, like proposing to launch it from the Space Shuttle instead of an expendable rocket like most other probes that leave Earth’s orbit. DSCOVR started out under another name, Triana, the Columbus' voyage sailor who first sighted the New World. Al Gore supported the project in 1998 hoping that it would broadcast real-time images of Earth to encourage interest in the environment. NASA seemed to cancel the project once and for all, in January 2006, even though the Ukraine offered to launch it for free. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) was interested in having DSCOVR in space to monitor solar activity. The project's future remains uncertain. From the L1 vantage point, the spacecraft would offer an un-interrupted monitoring of Earth, giving scientific data as well as a visual view of Earth so that we could log in to the internet and gaze in wonder at our beautiful planet but also see the harm we are doing to it, ourselves, and our fellow planet’s inhabitants. Satellites in geo-synchronous, or low earth orbit, see only the same portion Earth all the time, or mere snap-shots. The geo-synchronous satellites do not have a very good view angle to include the poles either. DSCOVR would truly have given us a global view of our home world, much like the Apollo 8 astronauts did 40 years ago with their famous Earthrise image that has been credited with giving environmentalism a great boost in the 1970s. It seems the last place this political prisoner was being held, was at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland. Maybe you can help free this political prisoner, by writing to your Senator and Congressional representative and asking for a pardon and a launch to orbit so DSCOVR can complete her mission. Directory: file -> view view -> Western Europe after wwii view -> Author study: paul fleischman view -> Qpa1 7ela study Guide view -> Arctic Oil/Gas Neg view -> November 1970 Approximately 150,000-500,000 deaths Bhola Cyclone Bangladesh view -> Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Caribbean glce view -> Citation: Duffield, Katy view -> Table of Contents Lesson # view -> Chinese Wind Energy Disad Download 0.93 Mb. Share with your friends:
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