Earth Science
Presenta)on to American Astronau)cal Society
Conference on Astronauts and Robots: Partners in Space Science and Explora9on
May 13, 2015
Randall R. Friedl
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute 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 Sagan From "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space," Random House, 1994
View from Voyager
View from Mars
Space observa1ons provide a new perspec1ve on Earth
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
Space observa1ons 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 Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology Space observa1ons track Earth
transforma1ons
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
At many spa1al scales
1988
Pearl River Delta, China: Landsat false color image
Chandler Arizona: Landsat True color image
From NASA/USGS
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
Sea Surface Temperature (leO) and Rainfall (Right) anomalies in the Eastern Pacific From NASA’s Earth Observatory based on AVHRR and blended rainfall data from mul)ple satellites
1997
2007
Example 1: Understanding El Nino, La Nina, and Rainfall PaEerns
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology Example 2: Projec1ng sea level rise
Satellite Record
From TOPEX/Poseidon And Jason series
3.0 m 0.3 m Average Global Sea Level Rise Over the Next 10 Years
100
50
0
% Probability
Greenland ice mass loss, from NOAA Arc)c Report Card
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
Example 3: Understanding Arc1c sea ice inter-‐annual processes and longer-‐term trends
2002
2008 2015
From NASA Earth Observatory Based on SSMI/DMSP data
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
1979 1990
2001 2013 From NASA Earth Observatory, based on TOMS/OMI data
Example 4: Understanding Antarc1c ozone inter-‐annual processes and longer-‐term trends
Example 5: Understanding ground water storage changes
Landerer, JPL
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
GW SW
Groundwater deple)on 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 Laboratory California Ins)tute of Technology
Example 6: Characterizing Fault Slip and Crustal Mo1on
• Central creeping segment (AA’ to DD’): nonuniform creeping at shallow depth (~0-‐6km) and par)ally 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)