Western Region Space Grant Conference-Reno September 19, 2009

Program Objectives Satellite Calibration and Validation

Provide platforms to enable essential calibration measurements for the Earth observing satellites, and the validation of data retrieval algorithms.

New Sensor Development

Provide sub-orbital flight opportunities to test and refine new instrument technologies/algorithms, and reduce risk prior to committing sensors for launch into space.

Process Studies

Obtain high-resolution temporal and spatial measurements of complex local processes, which can be coupled to global satellite observations for a better understanding of the complete Earth system.

Development of Next-Generation Scientists and Engineers

Foster the development of our future workforce with the hands-on involvement of graduate students, and young scientists/engineers in all aspects of ongoing Earth science investigations.

Airborne Science Program

Airborne Science Program Andrew Roberts Dep: Randy Albertson

Functions: Portfolio Mgmt, Grants Studies and Report rqmnts, Education and Outreach, Facilities, Testbeds and Operations

LaRC – Catalog Aircraft B-200 GRC – Catalog Aircraft S-3, Lear, Twin Otter, T-34 ARC ASP Program Matt Fladeland Functions:

Studies and Reports, Earth Science Project Office, Airborne Sensor Development Lab, Science Mission Mgmt, Sierra

DFRC ASP Program Bob Curry Dep Jaques Vaschon Functions:

DC-8/NSERC, ER-2, Ikhana, Global Hawk, G-III, DAOF

WFF ASP Program George Postell Dep Anthony Guillory Functions:

P-3, Catalog mgmt, small UAV, Reports, Budget Mgmt support

JSC ASP Program Ken Cockrell Dep Kevin Lesenski Functions:

WB-57, Mission Support Programs

NASA-NSERC Student Airborne Research Program (SARP)

July-August 2009 George Seielstad Rick Shetter Alexandra Novak

SARP’s Objectives

• Inspire students to pursue STEM disciplines.

• Develop next generation of Earth System Scientists—with fresh research ideas.

• Demonstrate integration of science, engineering, and operations in major missions.

• Expose students to NASA programs.

Students’ Institutions

• U Puerto Rico • Montclair State U • Rutgers U • U Michigan • Howard U • Coastal Carolina U • U Florida • Loyola Marymount • Slippery Rock U • Carleton College • U of Alaska Anchorage • Randolph College • U Iowa • Montana State U • UC Irvine • Wellesley College • Georgia Tech • Michigan Tech U • South Dakota School of Mines and Technology • U North Dakota • Brown U • Texas A&M U • Arizona State U • U Maryland • UC Santa Cruz

Students’ Concentrations

• • • • • • • • • Physics Chemistry Geoscience Environmental Science Engineering: Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, Agriculture, Civil Atmospheric Sciences Marine Biology Meteorology Telecommunications

SARP’s Strength: Students

29 Students, diverse in many respects

Faculty

• • • • • •

UC Irvine: Don Blake, Sherwood Rowland (chemistry) Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: (oceanography) John Ryan UC Davis: Susan Ustin (agriculture) Florida State U: Henry Fuelberg (meteorology) U Iowa: Greg Carmichael (modeling) NASA: Jeff Myers, Andy Roberts, Jack Kaye, Brenda Mulac, Marilyn Vasques, Ken Jucks, Jim Crawford, Barbara Schoeberl

Faculty Commitment

Learning from each other (Nobel Prize notwithstanding)

Mentors

Nick Clinton Melissa Yang Crucial Strengths of SARP Fully committed to students Extremely knowledgeable Constantly accessible Guidance, not spoon-feeding Personable Shawn Kefauver

End-to-End Mission

• • Classroom—lectures for context (See http://www.nserc.und.edu/learning/SARPmm.html) Hangar—flight planning • Aircraft—data acquisition • Field—surface validation • Laboratory—data analysis & interpretation • Classroom—Student presentations

Projects

• Evapotranspiration in Almond Orchard and Cotton Field, CA Central Valley • Air Quality, CA Central Valley • Algal Bloom, Monterey Bay, CA

Evapotranspiration

• Continuing drought and additional competing uses make water California’s most precious resource.

• Allocation for irrigation—in US’s most productive ag region—sharply reduced.

• Irrigation demand driven by water crops transpire.

Satellite

Almond Orchard

Air Ground

System Integration Objective

MASTER Monitors

Analysis & Interpretation

Satellite

COMPARISON

Drip irrigation Fanjet irrigation

ET from MASTER & Model

ET from ground data

1.074 mm/hr 1.064 mm/hr 1.081 mm/hr 1.053 mm/hr 1.056 mm/hr

Presentation of Results Students’ Conclusions, ET

• Fanjet irrigation more effective than drip irrigation, leading to higher ET. • METRIC model underestimates ET compared to the CIMIS PM equation.

Monterey Bay Features

MASTER Enhanced image (Square root: linear 2%)

Conclusions, Monterey Bay

• Hypothesis rejected: inconsistency in scaling between model and observed features. • Unlikely cause: inconsistency in orientation of observed features.

• • No significant difference in between features. No definitive cause of features. Apparently wind-driven, possibly linked to supercritical atmospheric waves . • Features not exclusively an atmospheric phenomenon.

Central Valley, CA Dairies

• First in U.S. milk production (2006) • 2.5 million cows in San Joaquin Valley • A main source of VOCs and fine particulates.

(SJV Air Pollution Control District, Aug. 2005)

Data Acquisition

Air (WAS) Ground Lab

25

Chromatograph Results

Propanol Ethanol

Conclusions: Air Quality

• Silage piles contributing oxygenates to Central Valley Air Basin • Methanol and ethanol concentrations from dairy perimeter consistent with concentrations in boundary layer.

• Grid study shows existence of even higher emissions than our case study’s.

Future 6-Week Program

• • • • • 1 week for lectures, limits per topic 1 week at DAOF for instrument integration, flight planning.

1 week of data acquisition from DAOF.

– 2 flights if DC-8; 3 flights if fewer seats on aircraft.

– 3 days per project for surface measurements 2.5 weeks for data analysis 0.5 weeks for presentations

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Education Flight Projects

Airborne Research Experiences for Educators (AREE) -

curriculum development experience for 10 (ten) middle and high school educators using the NASA DC-8 aircraft An airborne research and • • • • Outcome: To develop curriculum-based activities relating to NASA airborne research and Earth system science Educational goals mapped to NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework, 2006 to inspire, engage, educate, and employ the future aerospace workforce Target Group: Ten (10) secondary educators (grades 6-12) who specialize in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) disciplines Committed partnerships between Dryden FRC, Cal State Fullerton, NSERC, Johnson Space Center, UC Irvine and AEROI AREE educator home locations by state

• • • •

AREE Project Outcomes

Educators participated in an airborne and ground research campaign to learn how NASA uses airborne research to study Earth system science.

10 new curriculum units that engage students in the question “How does data gathered through NASA airborne research campaigns help us understand interactions between Earth systems?” 10 highly inspired AREE Master Teachers prepared and motivated to engage and educate high school students to pursue STEM and NASA-related careers through AREE curriculum units.

1500 middle and high school students motivated

to achieve in math and science through inquiry based investigations of NASA airborne research data.

Students and educators participated in airborne research aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft

AREE Future Projects

• • • • Using NASA Airborne Science Program (ASP) Flight platforms to provide K-12 educators with the skills and knowledge to attract and retain students in STEM disciplines.

Other AREE education flight projects will look to engage participants in airborne research aboard other ASP flight platforms including the DC-8, P-3B, and Global Hawk Developed AREE-extension programs will include pre- and in-service educators in summer workshops relating to NASA AREE-related outcomes – To include a global climate change research and professional development experience – A web-based Virtual Control Room Network highlighting ASP research campaigns Development of a professional online learning community and web-based platform to disseminate AREE-related curriculum Subsequent programs for K-12 students and higher education

Airborne Research Experiences for Educators (AREE)

An airborne research and curriculum development experience for 10 (ten) middle and high school educators using the NASA DC-8 aircraft

Thermal Infrared image DC -8 Flight Path

The MASTER instrument was used to collect remote sensing data of algal blooms at Monterey Bay , CA from ~37,000 ft. AGL Images collected from the MASTER instrument during the DC-8 SARP-AREE flight Wednesday July 22, 2009

MASTER (MODIS/ASTER) instrument NASA AREE-related curriculum will engage ~1500 middle and high school students across the country in Earth system sciences in its inaugural year NASA DC-8 aircraft flying above Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in California Visible Near Infrared image

Images will engage K-12 students in the differences between visible and infrared spectral bands in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Investigations

invites students to engage in inquiry-based activities.

Find Out More

invites students to review related NASA resources.

Airborne Research Experiences for Educators (AREE) Educators participated in an airborne and ground research campaign to learn how NASA uses airborne research to study Earth system science. Educators incorporated these concepts into their middle and high school curriculum Atmospheric science team Educators collected in situ dairy farm gas emissions over the Central Valley via the Whole Air Sampler from ~1000 ft. AGL Algal Bloom team Rachael Fein (far left) will simulate airborne and ground data collection to her 9th and 10th grade mathematics and robotics students using LEGO robots Crop Classification team Crop Classification team The MASTER instrument was used to measure evapotranspiration of crops (i.e. cotton fields and almond orchards) from ~13,000 ft AGL Air samples were analyzed in the laboratory and the results were incorporated into middle and high school curriculum modules Educators participated in collecting in situ data from a boat in Monterey Bay, CA for algal bloom research. Based on his airborne and ground

research experience, educator Terry

Nickerson incorporated the concepts of remote sensing and color to study vegetation into his Earth Science and Biology high school curriculum

Wetland Education using Maps, Aerial Photography, and Satellite Imagery Catherine M. Lockwood

Chadron State College Chadron, Nebraska

Lawrence R. Handley

USGS National Wetlands Research Center Lafayette, Louisiana

Nathan Handley

IT Consultant Lafayette, Louisiana

WETMAAP

Primary Goal

To teach basic map skills and imagery interpretation using Wetlands as the focal point .

Secondary Goal

To introduce multiple maps and images to educators .

Teacher Workshops

Program Facts 1996-2008

Sites in 16 states, the District of Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama Total Training Sessions: Total Participants: Average per session: 157 3,828 24.50

Workshops and Participants 1996-2008 Workshops (2 to 4 days) Workshops ( 3 to 8 hours) Workshops (50 min to < 3 hours) Presentations (20 min – 30 min) Total Number of Workshops 26 72 42 27 157 Number of Participants 519 1135 1234 950 3828

Summary

• Education is a substantial part of ASP • There are positive results • There is senior management support • This will continue