A small mission concept to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point for innovative solar, heliospheric and space weather science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavraud, B.; Liu, Y.; Segura, K.; He, J.; Qin, G.; Temmer, M.; Vial, J.-C.; Xiong, M.; Davies, J. A.; Rouillard, A. P.; Pinto, R.; Auchère, F.; Harrison, R. A.; Eyles, C.; Gan, W.; Lamy, P.; Xia, L.; Eastwood, J. P.; Kong, L.; Wang, J.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; Zhang, S.; Zong, Q.; Soucek, J.; An, J.; Prech, L.; Zhang, A.; Rochus, P.; Bothmer, V.; Janvier, M.; Maksimovic, M.; Escoubet, C. P.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Tappin, J.; Vainio, R.; Poedts, S.; Dunlop, M. W.; Savani, N.; Gopalswamy, N.; Bale, S. D.; Li, G.; Howard, T.; DeForest, C.; Webb, D.; Lugaz, N.; Fuselier, S. A.; Dalmasse, K.; Tallineau, J.; Vranken, D.; Fernández, J. G.

2016-08-01

We present a concept for a small mission to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point for innovative solar, heliospheric and space weather science. The proposed INvestigation of Solar-Terrestrial Activity aNd Transients (INSTANT) mission is designed to identify how solar coronal magnetic fields drive eruptions, mass transport and particle acceleration that impact the Earth and the heliosphere. INSTANT is the first mission designed to (1) obtain measurements of coronal magnetic fields from space and (2) determine coronal mass ejection (CME) kinematics with unparalleled accuracy. Thanks to innovative instrumentation at a vantage point that provides the most suitable perspective view of the Sun-Earth system, INSTANT would uniquely track the whole chain of fundamental processes driving space weather at Earth. We present the science requirements, payload and mission profile that fulfill ambitious science objectives within small mission programmatic boundary conditions.

Snow as Field-Teaching Medium for Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Custer, Stephan Gregory

1991-01-01

Snow is a widely available earth-science teaching medium which can be used to explore scientific concepts in the field, either directly or by analogy. Snow can be considered a mineral, sediment, sedimentary rock, or metamorphic rock. Natural processes such as crystal growth, melting, sedimentation, and metamorphism can be studied in practical time…

Junior High School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinson, Gail; And Others

Science instruction is the topic of this guide developed for the junior high schools of Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The subjects covered are (1) Biology I, Advanced, for grades 9-12; (2) Earth/Physical Science, Advanced, for advanced 8th graders; (3) Earth/Physical Science, Advanced (Field Test), for advanced 8th graders; (4) Earth…

A Geograns update. New experiences to teach earth sciences to students older than 55

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerdà, A.; Pinazo, S.

2009-04-01

How to teach earth science to students that have access to the university after the age of 55 is a challenge due to the different background of the students. They ranged from those with only basic education (sometimes they finished school at the age of 9) to well educate students such as university professors, physicians or engineers. Students older than 55 are enrolled in what is called the university programme NauGran project at the University of Valencia. They follow diverse topics, from health science to Arts. Since 2006 the Department of Geography and the NauGran project developed the Club for Geographers and Walkers called Geograns. The objective is to teach Earth Science in the field as a strategy to improve the knowledge of the students with a direct contact with the territory. This initiative reached a successful contribution by the students, with 70 students registered. The successful strategy we have developed since then is to base our teaching on field work. Every lecture is related to some visits to the field. A pre-excursion lecture introduces the key questions of the study site (hydrology, geology, botany, geomorphology…). During the field work we review all the topics and the students are encouraged to ask and discuss any of the topics studied. Finally, a post-excursion lecture is given to review the acquired knowledge. During the last academic year 2007-2008 the excursion focussed on: (i) energy sources: problems and solutions, with visit to nuclear, wind and hydraulic power stations; (i) human disturbances and humankind as landscaper, with visits to wetlands, river gorges and Iberian settlements; and (iii) human activities and economical resources, with visits to vineyards and wineries and orange fields devoted to organic farming. This is being a positive strategy to teach Earth Science to a wide and heterogeneous group of students, as they improve their knowledge with a direct contact with the landscape, other colleagues and teachers in the field. Key Words: Teaching, Earth Science, Field work, Earth Science, Environment.

Solid earth science in the 1990s. Volume 1: Program plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This is volume one of a three volume series. A plan for solid earth science research for the next decade is outlined. The following topics are addressed: scientific requirements; status of current research; major new emphasis in the 1990's; interagency and international participation; and the program implementation plan. The following fields are represented: plate motion and deformation; lithospheric structure and evolution; volcanology; land surface (processes of change); earth structure and dynamics; earth rotation and reference frames; and geopotential fields. Other topics of discussion include remote sensing, space missions, and space techniques.

Virtual Globes and Glacier Research: Integrating research, collaboration, logistics, data archival, and outreach into a single tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, M.

2006-12-01

Virtual Globes are a paradigm shift in the way earth sciences are conducted. With these tools, nearly all aspects of earth science can be integrated from field science, to remote sensing, to remote collaborations, to logistical planning, to data archival/retrieval, to PDF paper retriebal, to education and outreach. Here we present an example of how VGs can be fully exploited for field sciences, using research at McCall Glacier, in Arctic Alaska.

A decade of Earth science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-01-01

Great Earth science has been published over the ten years since the launch of Nature Geoscience. The field has also become more interdisciplinary and accountable, as well as more central to society and sustainability.

EarthCache as a Tool to Promote Earth-Science in Public School Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Rose, W. I.; Klawiter, M.; Vye, E. C.; Engelmann, C. A.

2011-12-01

Geoscientists often find it difficult to bridge the gap in communication between university research and what is learned in the public schools. Today's schools operate in a high stakes environment that only allow instruction based on State and National Earth Science curriculum standards. These standards are often unknown by academics or are written in a style that obfuscates the transfer of emerging scientific research to students in the classroom. Earth Science teachers are in an ideal position to make this link because they have a background in science as well as a solid understanding of the required curriculum standards for their grade and the pedagogical expertise to pass on new information to their students. As part of the Michigan Teacher Excellence Program (MiTEP), teachers from Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Jackson school districts participate in 2 week field courses with Michigan Tech University to learn from earth science experts about how the earth works. This course connects Earth Science Literacy Principles' Big Ideas and common student misconceptions with standards-based education. During the 2011 field course, we developed and began to implement a three-phase EarthCache model that will provide a geospatial interactive medium for teachers to translate the material they learn in the field to the students in their standards based classrooms. MiTEP participants use GPS and Google Earth to navigate to Michigan sites of geo-significance. At each location academic experts aide participants in making scientific observations about the locations' geologic features, and "reading the rocks" methodology to interpret the area's geologic history. The participants are then expected to develop their own EarthCache site to be used as pedagogical tool bridging the gap between standards-based classroom learning, contemporary research and unique outdoor field experiences. The final phase supports teachers in integrating inquiry based, higher-level learning student activities to EarthCache sites near their own urban communities, or in regional areas such as nature preserves and National Parks. By working together, MiTEP participants are developing a network of regional EarthCache sites and shared lesson plans which explore places that are meaningful to students while simultaneously connecting them to geologic concepts they are learning in school. We believe that the MiTEP EarthCaching model will help participants emerge as leaders of inquiry style, and virtual place-based educators within their districts.

"Kahua A'o"--A Learning Foundation: Using Hawaiian Language Newspaper Articles for Earth Science Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinn, Pauline W. U; Businger, Steven; Lance, Kelly; Ellinwood, Jason K.; Stone, J. Kapomaika'i; Spencer, Lindsey; McCoy, Floyd W.; Nogelmeier, M. Puakea; Rowland, Scott K.

2014-01-01

"Kahua A'o," a National Science Foundation Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences project, seeks to prepare educators to address issues of underrepresentation of Native Hawaiian students in Earth and Space Science (ESS) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. An interdisciplinary team…

APPENDIX AND BIBLIOGRAPHY TO BE USED WITH LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCE GUIDES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MAHLER, FRED

CONTAINED IN THIS TEACHER'S GUIDE FOR LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCES ARE BIBLIOGRAPHIES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND EXPERIMENTS. BOOKS ARE LISTED FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE WHICH COVER A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING NATURE STUDY, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND PHYSICS AS WELL AS MORE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED FIELDS OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. TEXTBOOKS LISTED INCLUDE…

A Directory of Societies in Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geotimes, 1981

1981-01-01

Lists the titles and addresses of approximately 450 domestic and foreign organizations which deal with earth science fields, including geology, paleontology, mining, and geophysics. Also listed are U.S. state geological surveys. (WB)

Design, Implementation and Impact of the MS PHD’S Professional Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson Whitney, V.

2009-12-01

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S)® in Earth System Science initiative facilitates the involvement of underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate Earth system science students in a series of activities designed to: (1) increase exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science community, via participation in scientific conferences, mentoring relationships, virtual activities, and field trips; (2) enhance professional skills, grantsmanship, oral and written communication; (3) provide funding, education and career opportunity resources; (4) facilitate networking opportunities with established researchers and educators; (5) and sustain on-going interaction, communication and support via membership within a virtual community comprised of peers, junior/senior-level researchers, and educators actively involved in facilitating full participation of minorities in the Earth system sciences. These activities, conducted in three phases, occur during professional society meetings, field trips, visits to several federal agencies, and a 'capstone' event at the National Academies. Nearly 150 Earth system science undergraduate, graduate and recent minority graduates have participated in MS PHD’S activities and are better prepared to successfully achieve their academic and professional goals. It is also expected that because of mentor-mentee partnerships, science exposure, and networking activities, MS PHD'S participants will remain actively engaged in their fields of specialization and respective professional societies. Evaluation data for MS PHD’S activities indicate that virtual and face-to-face mentoring, on-site professional development and community-building activities resulted in increased participant exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science professional community and served to better equip student participants to make informed post-baccalaureate academic and professional career decisions.

Secondary-School Earth Science: A Column for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christman, Robert

1984-01-01

Six secondary school teachers describe their most successful earth science investigations. They include various outdoor field activities, road-map reading skills, student-prepared and conducted investigations, and use of several materials for studying volcanoes. (JN)

Field-based education and indigenous knowledge: Essential components of geoscience education for native American communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riggs, Eric M.

2005-03-01

The purpose of this study is to propose a framework drawing on theoretical and empirical science education research that explains the common prominent field-based components of the handful of persistent and successful Earth science education programs designed for indigenous communities in North America. These programs are primarily designed for adult learners, either in a postsecondary or in a technical education setting and all include active collaboration between local indigenous communities and geoscientists from nearby universities. Successful Earth science curricula for indigenous learners share in common an explicit emphasis on outdoor education, a place and problem-based structure, and the explicit inclusion of traditional indigenous knowledge in the instruction. Programs sharing this basic design have proven successful and popular for a wide range of indigenous cultures across North America. We present an analysis of common field-based elements to yield insight into indigenous Earth science education. We provide an explanation for the success of this design based in research on field-based learning, Native American learning styles research, and theoretical and empirical research into the nature and structure of indigenous knowledge. We also provide future research directions that can test and further refine our understanding of best practices in indigenous Earth science education.

The highlights of 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Activity of the Earth Science and Application Division in 1989 is reported. On overview of the work of Division is presented, and the main changes in previously announced flight schedules are noted. The following subject areas are covered: the Earth Observing System; studies of the stratospheric ozone; U.S.-U.S.S.R. collaboration in Earth sciences; cloud climatology and the radiation budget; studies of ocean color; global tropospheric chemistry studies; first ISLSCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) field experiment; and solid Earth science research plan.

The Earth Science Research Network as Seen Through Network Analysis of the AGU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narock, T.; Hasnain, S.; Stephan, R.

2017-12-01

Scientometrics is the science of science. Scientometric research includes measurements of impact, mapping of scientific fields, and the production of indicators for use in policy and management. We have leveraged network analysis in a scientometric study of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Data from the AGU's Linked Data Abstract Browser was used to create a visualization and analytics tools to explore the Earth science's research network. Our application applies network theory to look at network structure within the various AGU sections, identify key individuals and communities related to Earth science topics, and examine multi-disciplinary collaboration across sections. Opportunities to optimize Earth science output, as well as policy and outreach applications, are discussed.

Building an Outdoor Classroom for Field Geology: The Geoscience Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron, John W. F.; Locock, Andrew J.; Pujadas-Botey, Anna

2016-01-01

Many geoscience educators have noted the difficulty that students experience in transferring their classroom knowledge to the field environment. The Geoscience Garden, on the University of Alberta North Campus, provides a simulated field environment in which Earth Science students can develop field observation skills, interpret features of Earth's…

Student Internships

Science.gov Websites

Nanotechnologies (CINT) Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL Engineering Institute Information Science & Technology Institute Center for Space and Earth Science Integrated Nanotechnologies Lujan Neutron Scattering Center National High Magnetic Field Lab Quantum

Family inspiration for my career(s) in transdisciplinary science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plumlee, Geoffrey S.

2014-01-01

I have been fortunate to spend the last 31 years working for an organization that has allowed me to make multiple career shifts across earth science disciplines and to collaborate with people in fields well beyond the earth sciences. Many inspirational colleagues have guided me along this transdisciplinary science path, but perhaps my biggest source of inspiration has been my family.

Development of an Environmental Virtual Field Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramasundaram, V.; Grunwald, S.; Mangeot, A.; Comerford, N. B.; Bliss, C. M.

2005-01-01

Laboratory exercises, field observations and field trips are a fundamental part of many earth science and environmental science courses. Field observations and field trips can be constrained because of distance, time, expense, scale, safety, or complexity of real-world environments. Our objectives were to develop an environmental virtual field…

Collaboration between research scientists and educators to prepare new Earth Science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagnotta, Ashley; Grcevich, J.; Shara, M.; Mac Low, M.; Flores, K.; Nadeau, P. A.; Sessa, J.; Ustunisik, G.; Zirakparvar, N.; Ebel, D.; Harlow, G.; Webster, J. D.; Kinzler, R.; MacDonald, M. B.; Contino, J.; Cooke-Nieves, N.; Howes, E.; Zachowski, M.

2014-01-01

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. The lack of Earth Science teachers in New York State has resulted in fewer students taking the statewide Earth Science Regents Exam, which negatively affects graduation rates and reduces the number of students who pursue related college degrees. The MAT program was designed to address this problem, and is the result of a collaboration between research scientists and educators at the Museum, with faculty comprised of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level Education faculty. The full-time, 15-month program combines courses and field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology at the Museum with pedagogical coursework and a teaching residency in local urban classrooms. The MAT program targets high-needs schools with diverse student populations and therefore has the potential to stimulate interest and achievement in a variety of STEM fields among thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The first cohort of candidates entered the MAT program in June of 2012 and finished in August of 2013. Nineteen new Regents-qualified Earth Science teachers are now in full-time teaching positions at high-needs schools in New York State. We report on the experience of the first cohort as well as the continuation of the program for current and future cohorts of teacher candidates.

Examination of a Model for Field Studies in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riban, David M.

1976-01-01

Discusses ways to increase the effectiveness of field studies as an instructional method. Describes a study in which high school students who completed a geological field study scored higher on an earth science test than students who had not participated in the field study. (MLH)

Studies of radiative transfer in the earth's atmosphere with emphasis on the influence of the radiation budget in the joint institute for advancement of flight sciences at the NASA-Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Earth and solar radiation budget measurements were examined. Sensor calibration and measurement accuracy were emphasized. Past works on the earth's radiation field that must be used in reducing observations of the radiation field were reviewed. Using a finite difference radiative transfer algorithm, models of the angular and spectral dependence of the earth's radiation field were developed.

Pilot Program for Teaching Earth Science in New York

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeau, Patricia A.; Flores, Kennet E.; Ustunisik, Gokce; Zirakparvar, Nasser A.; Grcevich, Jana; Pagnotta, Ashley; Sessa, Jocelyn A.; Kinzler, Rosamond J.; Macdonald, Maritza; Mathez, Edmond; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark

2013-06-01

During the 2009-2010 school year, 40% of New York City (NYC) Earth science teachers were not certified to teach Earth science [New York State Education Department (NYSED), 2011]. This highlights a longstanding shortage of certified teachers, which persists today and prevents many schools from offering courses on the subject, thus diminishing student opportunities to study or embark on careers in Earth science. More generally, the paucity of qualified, effective science teachers hinders student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and research has consistently shown that improving the quality of teaching substantially increases achievement in STEM-related fields [National Science Board, 2007]. With only 36% of NYC 8th graders scoring at or above the basic level of proficiency in science and with even lower scores for African-American and Hispanic students [Livingston and Wirt, 2005], the need for more qualified science teachers is clear.

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and its activities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-06-01

The Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (BESR) coordinates, the National Research Council`s advice to the federal government on solid-earth science issues. The board identifies opportunities for advancing basic research and understanding, reports on applications of earth sciences in such areas as disaster mitigation and resource utilization, and analyzes the scientific underpinnings and credibility of earth science information for resource, environmental and other applications and policy decision. Committees operating under the guidance of the Board conducts studies addressing specific issues within the earth sciences. The current committees are as follows: Committee on Geophysical and Environmental Data; Mapping Sciences Committee; Committeemore » on Seismology; Committee on Geodesy; Rediscovering Geography Committee; Committee on Research Programs of the US Bureau of Mines. The following recent reports are briefly described: research programs of the US Bureau of Mines, first assessment 1994; Mount Rainier, active cascade volcano; the national geomagnetic initiative; reservoir class field demonstration program; solid-earth sciences and society; data foundation for the national spatial infrastructure; promoting the national spatial data infrastructure through partnerships; toward a coordinated spatial data infrastructure for the nation; and charting a course into the digital era; guidance to the NOAA`s nautical charting mission.« less

Earth Science Outreach: A Move in the Right Direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLarty Halfkenny, B.; Schröder Adams, C.

2009-05-01

There is concern within the Geoscience Community about the public's limited understanding of Earth Science and its fundamental contribution to society. Earth Science plays only a minor role in public school education in Ontario leaving many students to stumble upon this field of study in post-secondary institutions. As the Earth Sciences offer relevant advice for political decisions and provide excellent career opportunities, outreach is an increasingly important component of our work. Recruitment of post-secondary students after they have chosen their discipline cannot remain the sole opportunity. Outreach must be directed to potential students at an early stage of their education. High school teachers are influential, directing students towards professional careers. Therefore we are first committed to reach these teachers. We provide professional development, resources and continued support, building an enthusiastic community of educators. Specific initiatives include: a three day workshop supported by a grant from EdGEO introducing earth science exercises and local field destinations; a resource kit with minerals, rocks, fossils, mineral identification tools and manuals; a CD with prepared classroom exercises; and in-class demonstrations and field trip guiding on request. Maintaining a growing network with teachers has proven highly effective. Direct public school student engagement is also given priority. We inspire students through interaction with researchers and graduate students, hand-on exercises, and by providing opportunities to visit our department and work with our collections. Successful projects include our week-long course "School of Rock" for the Enrichment Mini-Course Program, classroom visits and presentations on the exciting and rewarding career paths in geology during Carleton University open houses. Outreach to the general public allows us to educate the wider community about the Geoheritage of our region, and initiate discussions about science and global issues such as climate science and stewardship of our natural resources. A new initiative for Science and Technology Week, 'Explore Geoheritage Day' introduced the public to the geological history of the National Capital Region. We have found collaborations with other agencies very effective. We work with PDAC's "Mining Matters", LTS, the Ottawa Gatineau Geoheritage Project, Ottawa Heritage, STAO, local school boards, naturalist groups, and other community organizations to promote Earth Science education. Our efforts over the last 5 years have brought tangible results in: a) a considerable increase in student enrolment at the university level in our department; b) increased teaching of the Grade 12 Earth and Space Sciences course at local high schools through teachers who were inspired by our workshops; c) a flourishing network of enthusiastic earth science educators sharing ideas with us to define each other's needs; and d) a growing interaction with the general public. Future initiatives need to consider lobbying for curriculum changes to give Earth Science a prominent place in the public education system. As well, only few university education departments currently allow Earth Science graduates into their programs, requiring them to first take additional courses in other "teachable" subjects. This must change. University graduates with an Earth Science degree and an interest in teaching must be permitted direct entry into these programs so that their skills will be passed on to the next generation of science students.

Future perspectives in astronomy and the earth sciences.

PubMed

Thompson, J Michael T; Wang, Charles H-T

2005-12-15

This article is an overview of the contributions to the Triennial Issue of Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A published in December, 2005, and also plays the role of a Preface. Devoted to the work of young scientists, the issue covers the fields of astronomy and earth science.

A Sky-High Classroom Provides a New Perspective for Earth Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Albert C.

1969-01-01

Describes an earth science program conducted from an airplane for 8th grade students of Carmel Middle School, Carmel, California. The steps involved in getting the program started, the classroom work and the preparatory field trips, as well as the airborne lesson itself, are described. (LC)

Deep Space Gateway Science Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quincy, C. D.; Charles, J. B.; Hamill, Doris; Sidney, S. C.

2018-01-01

The NASA Life Sciences Research Capabilities Team (LSRCT) has been discussing deep space research needs for the last two years. NASA's programs conducting life sciences studies - the Human Research Program, Space Biology, Astrobiology, and Planetary Protection - see the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) as affording enormous opportunities to investigate biological organisms in a unique environment that cannot be replicated in Earth-based laboratories or on Low Earth Orbit science platforms. These investigations may provide in many cases the definitive answers to risks associated with exploration and living outside Earth's protective magnetic field. Unlike Low Earth Orbit or terrestrial locations, the Gateway location will be subjected to the true deep space spectrum and influence of both galactic cosmic and solar particle radiation and thus presents an opportunity to investigate their long-term exposure effects. The question of how a community of biological organisms change over time within the harsh environment of space flight outside of the magnetic field protection can be investigated. The biological response to the absence of Earth's geomagnetic field can be studied for the first time. Will organisms change in new and unique ways under these new conditions? This may be specifically true on investigations of microbial communities. The Gateway provides a platform for microbiology experiments both inside, to improve understanding of interactions between microbes and human habitats, and outside, to improve understanding of microbe-hardware interactions exposed to the space environment.

ESSEA as an Enhancement to K-12 Earth Systems Science Efforts at San José State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, P.; Metzger, E. P.; Sedlock, R. L.

2002-12-01

San José State University's Geology Department has implemented and maintained a two-fold approach to teacher education efforts. Both pre-service and in-service populations have been participants in a wide variety of content-area enrichment, training, and professional development endeavors. Spearheading these initiatives is the Bay Area Earth Science Institute (BAESI); organized in 1990, this program has served more than 1,000 teachers in weekend- and summer-workshops, and field trips. It sustains a network of Bay Area teachers via its Website (http://www.baesi.org), newsletter, and allows teachers to borrow classroom-pertinent materials through the Earth Science Resource Center. The Department has developed a course offering in Earth Systems Science (Geology 103), which targets pre-service teachers within SJSU's multiple-subject credential program. The curriculum satisfies California subject matter competency requirements in the geosciences, and infuses pedagogy into the syllabus. Course activities are intended for pre-service and in-service teachers' adaptation in their own classrooms. The course has been enhanced by two SJSU-NASA collaborations (Project ALERT and the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum), which have facilitated incorporation of NASA data, imagery, and curricular materials. SJSU's M.A. in Natural Science, a combined effort of the Departments of Geology, Biology, and Program in Science Education, is designed to meet the multi-disciplinary needs of single-subject credential science teachers by providing a flexible, individually-tailored curriculum that combines science course work with a science education project. Several BAESI teachers have extended their Earth science knowledge and teaching skills through such projects as field guides to local sites of geological interest; lab-based modules for teaching about earthquakes, rocks and minerals, water quality, and weather; and interactive online materials for students and teachers of science. In keeping with SJSU's alliance with NASA Centers, the Geology Department is proud to offer ESSEA online courses as part of its multi-dimensional approach to Earth Systems teacher education. SJSU plans to offer both the middle- and high-school courses to a national audience, beginning spring 2003. The addition of ESSEA courses will complement existing projects, and will help to build a stronger Earth Systems-savvy community.

[Biogeography: geography or biology?].

PubMed

Kafanov, A I

2009-01-01

General biogeography is an interdisciplinary science, which combines geographic and biological aspects constituting two distinct research fields: biological geography and geographic biology. These fields differ in the nature of their objects of study, employ different methods and represent Earth sciences and biological sciences, respectively. It is suggested therefore that the classification codes for research fields and the state professional education standard should be revised.

GRACE, time-varying gravity, Earth system dynamics and climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wouters, B.; Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.; Riva, R. E. M.; Sasgen, I.; Wahr, J.

2014-11-01

Continuous observations of temporal variations in the Earth's gravity field have recently become available at an unprecedented resolution of a few hundreds of kilometers. The gravity field is a product of the Earth's mass distribution, and these data—provided by the satellites of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)—can be used to study the exchange of mass both within the Earth and at its surface. Since the launch of the mission in 2002, GRACE data has evolved from being an experimental measurement needing validation from ground truth, to a respected tool for Earth scientists representing a fixed bound on the total change and is now an important tool to help unravel the complex dynamics of the Earth system and climate change. In this review, we present the mission concept and its theoretical background, discuss the data and give an overview of the major advances GRACE has provided in Earth science, with a focus on hydrology, solid Earth sciences, glaciology and oceanography.

GRACE, time-varying gravity, Earth system dynamics and climate change.

PubMed

Wouters, B; Bonin, J A; Chambers, D P; Riva, R E M; Sasgen, I; Wahr, J

2014-11-01

Continuous observations of temporal variations in the Earth's gravity field have recently become available at an unprecedented resolution of a few hundreds of kilometers. The gravity field is a product of the Earth's mass distribution, and these data-provided by the satellites of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)-can be used to study the exchange of mass both within the Earth and at its surface. Since the launch of the mission in 2002, GRACE data has evolved from being an experimental measurement needing validation from ground truth, to a respected tool for Earth scientists representing a fixed bound on the total change and is now an important tool to help unravel the complex dynamics of the Earth system and climate change. In this review, we present the mission concept and its theoretical background, discuss the data and give an overview of the major advances GRACE has provided in Earth science, with a focus on hydrology, solid Earth sciences, glaciology and oceanography.

Rising Above the Storm: DIG TEXAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.; Miller, K. C.; Bednarz, S. W.; Mosher, S.

2011-12-01

For a decade Texas educators, scientists and citizens have shown a commitment to earth science education through planning at the national and state levels, involvement in earth science curriculum and teacher professional development projects, and the creation of a model senior level capstone Earth and Space Science course first offered in 2010 - 2011. The Texas state standards for Earth and Space Science demonstrate a shift to rigorous content, career relevant skills and use of 21st century technology. Earth and Space Science standards also align with the Earth Science, Climate and Ocean Literacy framework documents. In spite of a decade of progress K-12 earth science education in Texas is in crisis. Many school districts do not offer Earth and Space Science, or are using the course as a contingency for students who fail core science subjects. The State Board for Educator Certification eliminated Texas' secondary earth science teacher certification in 2009, following the adoption of the new Earth and Space Science standards. This makes teachers with a composite teacher certification (biology, physics and chemistry) eligible to teach Earth and Space Science, as well other earth science courses (e.g., Aquatic Science, Environmental Systems/Science) even if they lack earth science content knowledge. Teaching materials recently adopted by the State Board of Education do not include Earth and Space Science resources. In July 2011 following significant budget cuts at the 20 Education Service Centers across Texas, the Texas Education Agency eliminated key staff positions in its curriculum division, including science. This "perfect storm" has created a unique opportunity for a university-based approach to confront the crisis in earth science education in Texas which the Diversity and Innovation in the Geosciences (DIG) TEXAS alliance aims to fulfill. Led by the Texas A&M University College of Geosciences and The University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, with initial assistance of the American Geophysical Union, the alliance comprises earth scientists and educators at higher education institutions across the state, and science teachers, united to improve earth science literacy (geoscience-earth, ocean, atmospheric, planetary, and geography) among Texas science teachers in order to attract individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue earth science as a career. Members of the alliance are affiliated with one of eight regional DIG TEXAS hub institutions. With an NSF planning grant, DIG TEXAS leaders created the DIG TEXAS brand, developed a project website, organized and held the first community meeting in March, 2011 at Exxon Mobil's Training Center in Houston. DIG TEXAS members have also delivered testimony to the State Board for Educator Certification in support of a new earth science teacher certification and collaborated on proposals that seek funding to support recommendations formulated at the community meeting.

Earth Institute at Columbia University ADVANCE Program: Addressing Needs for Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, R. E.; Cane, M.; Mutter, J.; Miller, R.; Pfirman, S.; Laird, J.

2004-12-01

The Earth Institute has received a major NSF ADVANCE grant targeted at increasing the participation and advancement of women scientists and engineers in the Academy through institutional transformation. The Earth Institute at Columbia University includes 9 research institutes including Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC), Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), International Research Institute (IRI) for Climate Prediction, Earth Engineering Center, NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Center for Risks and Hazards, Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development, and Center for Global Health and Economic Development and six academic departments including Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B, School of Arts and Sciences), Earth and Environmental Engineering (DEEE, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences), Department of Environmental Health (School of Public Health), Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES, School of Arts and Sciences), Department of International and Public Affairs (School of International and Policy Affairs), and Barnard College Department of Environmental Science. The Earth Institute at Columbia University's ADVANCE program is based both on a study of the status of women at Columbia and research on the progression of women in science elsewhere. The five major targets of the Columbia ADVANCE program are to (1) change the demographics of the faculty through intelligent hiring practices, (2) provide support to women scientists through difficult life transitions including elder care and adoption or birth of a child, (3) enhance mentoring and networking opportunities, (4) implement transparent promotion procedures and policies, and (5) conduct an institutional self study. The Earth Institute ADVANCE program is unique in that it addresses issues that tend to manifest themselves in the earth and environmental fields, such as extended field programs, which lay the foundation for leadership positions, but which may be difficult for young faculty. The strategy is to use the Earth Institute as a test bed for institutional change, and then expand the successful programs to other Columbia Science and Engineering Departments, as appropriate. Columbia's administration is committed to changing policies and supporting successful programs beyond the completion of the NSF grant. Earth Institute ADVANCE programs include (a) a self study including a climate survey modeled after the 1999 MIT study, (b) a senior faculty working group that will facilitate recruitment and retention by providing support for searches, faculty development, and retention, (c) internal funding competitions designed to recruit and retain women scientists and engineers, and (d) focused workshops and conferences. The ADVANCE program will establish offices both on the Morningside campus in Manhattan and Lamont campus in Palisades, NY.

Big Outcrops and Big Ideas in Earth Science K-8 Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, K. A.; Cooper, C. M.; Cavagnetto, A.; Morrison, J.; Adesope, O.

2014-12-01

Washington State has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state leaders are now working toward supporting teachers' implementation of the new standards and the pedagogical practices that support them. This poster encompasses one of one such professional development (PD) effort. The Enhancing Understanding of Concepts and Processes of Science (EUCAPS) project serves 31 K-8 in-service teachers in two southeast Washington school districts. In year two of this three year PD project, in-service teachers explored the Earth sciences and pedagogical approaches such as the Science Writing Heuristic, concept mapping, and activities which emphasized the epistemic nature of science. The goals of the EUCAPS PD project are to increase in-service teachers' big ideas in science and to provide support to in-service teachers as they transition to the NGSS. Teachers used concepts maps to document their knowledge of Earth science processes before and after visiting a local field site in Lewiston, Idaho. In the context of immersive inquiries, teachers collected field-based evidence to support their claims about the geological history of the field site. Teachers presented their claims and evidence to their peers in the form a story about the local geologic history. This poster will present an overview of the PD as well as provide examples of teacher's work and alignment with the NGSS.

The Earth's Magnetic Field Fuels Inter-Disciplinary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul-Razzaq, Wathiq; Biller, R. Dale; Wilson, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

There is no doubt that integrated concepts inspire students and take learning to a new level. As we fly, we fly through the magnetic field of the Earth. We used the concepts involved in flying to develop an exercise that bonds geology, physics and life sciences.

Data Mining in Earth System Science (DMESS 2011)

Treesearch

Forrest M. Hoffman; J. Walter Larson; Richard Tran Mills; Bhorn-Gustaf Brooks; Auroop R. Ganguly; William Hargrove; et al

2011-01-01

From field-scale measurements to global climate simulations and remote sensing, the growing body of very large and long time series Earth science data are increasingly difficult to analyze, visualize, and interpret. Data mining, information theoretic, and machine learning techniques—such as cluster analysis, singular value decomposition, block entropy, Fourier and...

Engaging Underserved and Underrepresented Students in the Earth Sciences through a Summer Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güereque, M.; Olgin, J. G.; Pennington, D. D.

2016-12-01

The EarthTech outreach program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks to expand the inclusion of underserved and under-represented high-school students into the geoscience pipeline. A successful partnership with the federally funded, year round college preparatory program for high school students Upward Bound (UB) program at UTEP was decisive for the success and execution of the program. Program activities aimed to engage students and expand their knowledge of the Earth Sciences through participation in STEM hands-on activities, incorporating technology and field experiences. For its second year, the program chose to address the intersection of science and societal issues by selecting an overall topic for the weeklong program that students could relate and understand from personal experiences, facilitating participation. The exposure to outdoor on-site learning experiences via field trips proved a critical component based on student feedback, by allowing the students to engage with their surroundings and relate to basic Earth Science knowledge and principles. Qualitative feedback and discussion of the program and its activities are presented here.

Unique collaboration between research scientists and educators to prepare new Earth Science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagnotta, Ashley; Grcevich, J.; Shara, M.; Mac Low, M.; Lepine, S.; Nadeau, P.; Flores, K.; Sessa, J.; Zirakparvar, N.; Ustunisik, G.; Kinzler, R.; Macdonald, M.; Contino, J.; Cooke-Nieves, N.; Zachowski, M.

2013-01-01

Abstract: The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. The dearth of Earth Science teachers in New York State has resulted in fewer students taking the statewide Earth Science Regents Exam, which negatively affects graduation rates and reduces the number of students who pursue related college degrees. The MAT program was designed to address this problem, and is the result of a collaboration between research scientists and educators at the Museum, with faculty comprised of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level Education faculty. The full-time, 15-month program combines courses and field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology at the Museum with pedagogical coursework and real-world teaching experience in local urban classrooms. The program is part of New York State’s Race to the Top initiative and particularly targets high-needs schools with diverse student populations. Because of this, the MAT program has the potential to stimulate interest and achievement in a variety of STEM fields among thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The first cohort of teacher candidates entered the MAT program in June of 2012. They represent diverse scientific expertise levels, geographic backgrounds, and career stages. We report on the first six months of this pilot program as well as the future plans and opportunities for prospective teacher candidates.

An Analysis of Earth Science Data Analytics Use Cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shie, Chung-Lin; Kempler, Steve

2014-01-01

The increase in the number and volume, and sources, of globally available Earth science data measurements and datasets have afforded Earth scientists and applications researchers unprecedented opportunities to study our Earth in ever more sophisticated ways. In fact, the NASA Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) archives have doubled from 2007 to 2014, to 9.1 PB (Ramapriyan, 2009; and https:earthdata.nasa.govaboutsystem-- performance). In addition, other US agency, international programs, field experiments, ground stations, and citizen scientists provide a plethora of additional sources for studying Earth. Co--analyzing huge amounts of heterogeneous data to glean out unobvious information is a daunting task. Earth science data analytics (ESDA) is the process of examining large amounts of data of a variety of types to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations and other useful information. It can include Data Preparation, Data Reduction, and Data Analysis. Through work associated with the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation, a collection of Earth science data analytics use cases have been collected and analyzed for the purpose of extracting the types of Earth science data analytics employed, and requirements for data analytics tools and techniques yet to be implemented, based on use case needs. ESIP generated use case template, ESDA use cases, use case types, and preliminary use case analysis (this is a work in progress) will be presented.

Educational program using four-dimensional presentation of space data and space-borne data with Dagik Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Akinori; Yoshida, Daiki; Odagi, Yoko; Takahashi, Midori; Tsugawa, Takuya; Kumano, Yoshisuke

We developed an educational program of space science data and science data observed from the space using a digital globe system, Dagik Earth. Dagik Earth is a simple and affordable four dimensional (three dimension in space and one dimension in time) presentation system. The educational program using Dagik Earth has been carried out in classrooms of schools, science museums, and research institutes to show the scientific data of the earth and planets in an intuitive way. We are developing the hardware system, data contents, and education manuals in cooperation with teachers, museum staffs and scientists. The size of the globe used in this system is from 15cm to 2m in diameter. It is selected according to the environment of the presentation. The contents cover the space science, such as aurora and geomagnetic field, the earth science, such as global clouds and earthquakes, and planetary science. Several model class plans are ready to be used in high school and junior high school. In public outreach programs of universities, research institutes, and scientific meetings, special programs have been carried out. We are establishing a community to use and develop this program for the space science education.

Earth Expeditions: Telling the stories of eight NASA field campaigns by focusing on the human side of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, S.

2016-12-01

NASA's Earth Right Now communication team kicked off an ambitious multimedia campaign in March 2016 to tell the stories of eight major field campaigns studying regions of critical change from the land, sea and air. Earth Expeditions focused on the human side of science, with live reporting from the field, behind-the-scenes images and videos, and extended storytelling over a six-month period. We reported from Greenland to Namibia, from the eastern United States to the South Pacific. Expedition scientists explored ice sheets, air quality, coral reefs, boreal forests, marine ecosystems and greenhouse gases. All the while the campaign communications team was generating everything from blog posts and social media shareables, to Facebook Live events and a NASA TV series. We also participated in community outreach events and pursued traditional media opportunities. A massive undertaking, we will share lessons learned, best practices for social media and some of our favorite moments when science communication touched our audience's lives.

Exemplary Programs Supporting Teacher Professional Development in the U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passow, Michael J.

2015-04-01

By Law, there is no national curriculum in the U.S.A., so each State sets its own regulations for teacher certification and professional development. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards) provide guidelines for teacher training and curriculum development in Earth Science, Life Science, and the physical sciences (chemistry and biology). Presented here are examples of effective programs designed to support in-service Earth Science teachers, especially at the middle school and high school level (grades 6 - 12, ages 12 - 18). The Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (E2C) provides monthly gatherings of research scientists and teachers to learn about cutting-edge investigations in a wide variety of fields, and develop lesson plans to share these discoveries. The E2C website, www.earth2class.org/site, also provides a wide variety of educational resources used by teachers and students to learn about the planet. The National Earth Science Teachers Association (www.nestanet.org) is the largest professional society focused on pre-college Earth Science education. Together with its partner, Windows to the Universe (www.windows2universe.org), NESTA offers workshops and other programs at national and regional teacher conferences, a quarterly journal designed for classroom use, monthly E-Newsletters, and one of the largest collection of web resources in education. For more than twenty years, the American Meteorological Society has trained teachers across the country through its online courses: DataStreme Weather, DataStreme Ocean, and DataStreme Earth's Climate System (www.ametsoc.org/amsedu). Informal science education institutions also provide strong in-person and web-based professional development programs. Among these are the American Museum of Natural History's "Seminars on Science" (http://www.amnh.org/learn/) and many programs for educators that utilize the AMNH collections in New York City. Each year at the American Geophysical Union Meeting, teachers find out about "Hot Topics in Science" through the GIFT Workshops (http://education.agu.org/education-activities-at-agu-meetings/gift/). Field experiences aboard the scientific ocean drilling vessel, "JOIDES Resolution," have enhanced the knowledge and skills of teachers from the USA and Europe (http://joidesresolution.org/node/3002). Many teachers also connect with each other through the ESPRIT list-serv and others (http://external.oneonta.edu/mentor/listserv.html). These are just a sample of the many programs offered to provide life-long professional development for Earth Science educators and promote 'Science in Tomorrow's Classroom.'

EDGE (Experiential Discoveries in Geoscience Education) Field Course Provides Alaskan High School and Middle School students with Earth Science and GIS Skills for Science Fair Projects and a College Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, C. L.; Prakash, A.; Brownlee, M.; Nagorski, S.; Walling, R.

2006-12-01

For this outreach project we created watershed scale field activities in the Mendenhall Glacier system in Juneau, Alaska to introduce pre-college students to earth surface processes. These activities were designed to teach field data collection methods and to provide experiences that included exposure to the disciplines of glaciology, hydrology, and geomorphology. Students used their own observations to understand the on-going effects of warming climate in southeastern Alaska. Twenty seven, pre-college students from throughout the state participated in a 5-day, two-credit, introductory college-level course. This course was designed to introduce them to earth science as practiced in the field. Students divided their time between field sessions with data collection and indoor GIS labs. EDGE field excursions enabled students to learn about glacial geomorphology from river rafts, to collect stream discharge and other hydrologic data in local streams, and to integrate glacier recession observations with GPS waypoints collected from observed recessional positions. In labs at the University of Alaska Southeast campus, EDGE students were introduced to the fundamentals of ArcGIS. They downloaded their GPS waypoints onto modern and historic maps. They analyzed their stream flow data and created dynamic maps using their own observations in the field. During Fall 2006 semester, the students will generate earth science projects in their villages and towns that they can complete and present to their peers. EDGE teachers who attended a 10 day workshop in June will mentor their EDGE students. EDGE teachers and students will return to the UAS Juneau campus in March 2007 for a symposium. EGDE students will present their projects to Juneau area undergraduates and Juneau School District K-12 classes. In addition EDGE high school students will have the option to enter and compete in the Southeast Alaska Regional Science Fair held the same weekend. Funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), US Department of Education, and NASA Space Grant programs will support 3-4 cohorts of EDGE teachers and 2-3 cohorts of EDGE students.

Making the Most of a Limited Opportunity: Empowering our Future Earth Science Educators by Engaging Them in Field-Based Inquiry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, R.; David, H.; Carlson, D.; Kunz, G.

2004-12-01

Geoscience courses that engage students in our K-12 learning environments represent a fundamental method to increase public awareness and understanding of Earth systems science. K-12 teachers are ultimately responsible for developing and teaching these courses. We recognize that it is our role as university instructors to ensure that our future K-12 teachers receive a high-quality and practical Earth science education; unfortunately many education majors at our institution receive no formal exposure to geoscience. Furthermore, for those students who choose to take a geoscience course, the experience is typically limited to a large introductory lecture-lab. While these courses are rich in content they neither provide opportunities for students to experience `real' Earth science nor address the skills required to teach Earth science to others. In 2002 we began to develop a field-based introductory geoscience course designed specifically for education students. Our major goal was to attract education majors and provide a field-based geoscience learning experience that was challenging, exciting, and directly applicable to their chosen career. Specific objectives of our project were to: (1) teach geoscience concepts and skills that K-12 teachers are expected to understand and teach to their students (outlined in national standards); (2) provide students with an opportunity to learn through scientific inquiry; (3) enhance student confidence in their ability to teach geoscience in the K-12 classroom. We piloted a two-week field course during summer 2004. The field excursion followed a route through Nebraska and Wyoming. Instructors focused on exposing students to the Earth systems concepts and content outlined in national education standards. The primary instructional approach was to engage students in inquiry-based learning. Students were provided many opportunities to utilize science process skills including: observation, documentation, classification, questioning, formulation of hypotheses and models, and interpretation and debate. Evening `classes' on effective teaching practices were conducted at camp. A mobile library, comprising a range of K-12 Earth science curricular materials and activities, was provided for students to utilize, examine, and critique. Students were given sample boxes so that they could collect and curate Earth materials to build their own `teaching set'. Digital cameras were used to record images of natural phenomena. Each student will receive a DVD of the images to use in their future classroom activities. Near the end of the course students were asked to generate a series of lesson plans to teach plate tectonics. Evaluation of our pilot project comprised a series of pre and post instruments to measure: geoscience content knowledge, science process skills, confidence for teaching science related courses, self-efficacy for self-regulation, and student perceptions of classroom knowledge-building. Results indicate significant gains in all measures. The course instructors have also spent time reflecting on instructional approach and associated activities and will use student feedback to modify and improve the course for the future. We are currently applying the evaluation instruments to education majors taking a large lecture-lab course in order to compare outcomes between the two course models. Results will help guide future geoscience education course development.

Grand Research Questions in the Solid-Earth Sciences Final Scientific/Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Linn, Anne M.

2008-12-03

Over the past three decades, Earth scientists have made great strides in understanding our planet’s workings and history. Yet this progress has served principally to lay bare more fundamental questions about the Earth. Expanding knowledge is generating new questions, while innovative technologies and new partnerships with other sciences provide new paths toward answers. A National Academies committee was established to frame some of the great intellectual challenges inherent in the study of the Earth and planets. The goal was to focus on science, not implementation issues, such as facilities or recommendations aimed at specific agencies. The committee canvassed the geologicalmore » community and deliberated at length to arrive at 10 questions: 1. How did Earth and other planets form? 2. What happened during Earth’s “dark age” (the first 500 million years)? 3. How did life begin? 4. How does Earth’s interior work, and how does it affect the surface? 5. Why does Earth have plate tectonics and continents? 6. How are Earth processes controlled by material properties? 7. What causes climate to change—and how much can it change? 8. How has life shaped Earth—and how has Earth shaped life? 9. Can earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and their consequences be predicted? 10. How do fluid flow and transport affect the human environment? Written for graduate students, colleagues in sister disciplines, and program managers funding Earth and planetary science research, the report describes where the field stands, how it got there, and where it might be headed. Our hope is that the report will spark new interest in and support for the field by showing how Earth science can contribute to a wide range of issues—including some not always associated with the solid Earth—from the formation of the solar system to climate change to the origin of life. Its reach goes beyond the United States; the report is being translated into Chinese and distributed in China.« less

Preparing new Earth Science teachers via a collaborative program between Research Scientists and Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grcevich, Jana; Pagnotta, Ashley; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael; Flores, Kennet; Nadeau, Patricia A.; Sessa, Jocelyn; Ustunisik, Gokce; Zirakparvar, Nasser; Ebel, Denton; Harlow, George; Webster, James D.; Kinzler, Rosamond; MacDonald, Maritza B.; Contino, Julie; Cooke-Nieves, Natasha; Howes, Elaine; Zachowski, Marion

2015-01-01

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a innovative program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. New York State is experiencing a lack of qualified Earth Science teachers, leading in the short term to a reduction in students who successfully complete the Earth Science Regents examination, and in the long term potential reductions in the number of students who go on to pursue college degrees in Earth Science related disciplines. The MAT program addresses this problem via a collaboration between practicing research scientists and education faculty. The faculty consists of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level education experts. During the 15-month, full-time program, students participate in a residency program at local urban classrooms as well as taking courses and completing field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology. The program targets high-needs schools with diverse populations. We seek to encourage, stimulate interest, and inform the students impacted by our program, most of whom are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, about the rich possibilities for careers in Earth Science related disciplines and the intrinsic value of the subject. We report on the experience of the first and second cohorts, all of whom are now employed in full time teaching positions, and the majority in high needs schools in New York State.

Digital Earth reloaded - Beyond the next generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehlers, M.; Woodgate, P.; Annoni, A.; Schade, S.

2014-02-01

Digital replicas (or 'mirror worlds') of complex entities and systems are now routine in many fields such as aerospace engineering; archaeology; medicine; or even fashion design. The Digital Earth (DE) concept as a digital replica of the entire planet occurs in Al Gore's 1992 book Earth in the Balance and was popularized in his speech at the California Science Center in January 1998. It played a pivotal role in stimulating the development of a first generation of virtual globes, typified by Google Earth that achieved many elements of this vision. Almost 15 years after Al Gore's speech, the concept of DE needs to be re-evaluated in the light of the many scientific and technical developments in the fields of information technology, data infrastructures, citizen?s participation, and earth observation that have taken place since. This paper intends to look beyond the next generation predominantly based on the developments of fields outside the spatial sciences, where concepts, software, and hardware with strong relationships to DE are being developed without referring to this term. It also presents a number of guiding criteria for future DE developments.

Signing Earth Science: Accommodations for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Whose First Language Is Sign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesel, J.; Hurdich, J.

2014-12-01

TERC and Vcom3D used the SigningAvatar® accessibility software to research and develop a Signing Earth Science Dictionary (SESD) of approximately 750 standards-based Earth science terms for high school students who are deaf and hard of hearing and whose first language is sign. The partners also evaluated the extent to which use of the SESD furthers understanding of Earth science content, command of the language of Earth science, and the ability to study Earth science independently. Disseminated as a Web-based version and App, the SESD is intended to serve the ~36,000 grade 9-12 students who are deaf or hard of hearing and whose first language is sign, the majority of whom leave high school reading at the fifth grade or below. It is also intended for teachers and interpreters who interact with members of this population and professionals working with Earth science education programs during field trips, internships etc. The signed SESD terms have been incorporated into a Mobile Communication App (MCA). This App for Androids is intended to facilitate communication between English speakers and persons who communicate in American Sign Language (ASL) or Signed English. It can translate words, phrases, or whole sentences from written or spoken English to animated signing. It can also fingerspell proper names and other words for which there are no signs. For our presentation, we will demonstrate the interactive features of the SigningAvatar® accessibility software that support the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and have been incorporated into the SESD and MCA. Results from national field-tests will provide insight into the SESD's and MCA's potential applicability beyond grade 12 as accommodations that can be used for accessing the vocabulary deaf and hard of hearing students need for study of the geosciences and for facilitating communication about content. This work was funded in part by grants from NSF and the U.S. Department of Education.

Earth Science Teaching Strategies Used in the International Polar Year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparrow, E. B.

2009-04-01

There are many effective methods for teaching earth science education that are being successfully used during the fourth International Polar Year (IPY). Relevance of IPY and the polar regions is better understood using a systems thinking approach used in earth science education. Changes in components of the earth system have a global effect; and changes in the polar regions will affect the rest of the world regions and vice versa. Teaching strategies successfully used for primary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate student earth science education and IPY education outreach include: 1) engaging students in earth science or environmental research relevant to their locale; 2) blending lectures with research expeditions or field studies, 3) connecting students with scientists in person and through audio and video conferencing; 4) combining science and arts in teaching, learning and communicating about earth science and the polar regions, capitalizing on the uniqueness of polar regions and its inhabitants, and its sensitivity to climate change; and 5) integrating different perspectives: western science, indigenous and community knowledge in the content and method of delivery. Use of these strategies are exemplified in IPY projects in the University of the Arctic IPY Higher Education Outreach Project cluster such as the GLOBE Seasons and Biomes project, the Ice Mysteries e-Polar Books: An Innovative Way of Combining Science and Literacy project, the Resilience and Adaptation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship project, and the Svalbard Research Experience for Undergraduates project.

Spacelab 1 - Scientific objectives, life sciences, space plasma physics, astronomy and solar physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, C. R.

1985-01-01

A general overview of the accomplishments of the Spacelab 1 complement to the Shuttle mission of Nov. 28, 1983, is presented. Consideration is given to scientific results in the fields of life sciences, materials sciences, atmospheric physics, and earth observations. A table is given which lists the scientific objectives and the percentage of objectives accomplished in each field.

Global Systems Science: A New World View

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sneider, Cary; Golden, Richard; Barrett, Katharine

1999-01-01

Global systems science is a new field of study about the interactions between Earth's natural systems and human activities. The people who study global systems science draw on methods and theories of many different fields from chemistry and biology to economics and politics-in order to predict how today's actions are likely to affect the world of tomorrow - our world and our children's world.

An Overview of Rare Earth Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gschneidner, Karl, Jr.

2012-02-01

Currently rare earth science and technology is robust: this includes all the major branches of science -- biochemistry, chemistry, materials and physics. There are, however, currently some anomalies and distortions especially in the technology and applications sector of the rare earth field, which is caused by the dominance of China on the sales of rare earths and rare earth containing products. For the past 5 to 10 years ˜95% of rare earths utilized in commerce came from China. Although Chinese actions have lead to sudden and large price spikes and export embargoes, the rare earths are still available but at a higher cost. The start up of production in 2011 at mines in the USA and Australia will alleviate this situation in about two years. Basic and applied research on the condensed matter physics/materials science has hardly been impacted by these events, but new research opportunities are opening up especially with regard to the USA's military and energy security. Magnets seems to be the hottest topic, but research on battery materials, phosphors and catalysts are also (or should be) strongly considered.

The Geophysical Revolution in Geology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter J.

1980-01-01

Discussed is the physicists' impact on the revolution in the earth sciences particularly involving the overthrow of the fixist notions in geology. Topics discussed include the mobile earth, the route to plate tectonics, radiometric dating, the earth's magnetic field, ocean floor spreading plate boundaries, infiltration of physics into geology and…

Musings about the word “absolute” in Earth science literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffield, Wendell A.

Rather than face the prospect of old age and retirement sometimes disturbed by the niggling feeling that I should have said something earlier, here is a public statement about a pet peeve concerning the use, if not the abuse and misuse, of the word absolute as it appears in a variety of Earth science literature. The triggering event for taking action, after a couple of decades of inaction, was seeing yet another title of the sort “The Absolute Age of the… Volcanic Rock”, combined with a little too much spare time during evenings in a lonely, isolated field camp.Because my interests are principally in magmatic systems and secondarily in global plate tectonics, I see absolute used mostly with reference to the ages of igneous rocks and to the motions of lithospheric plates. People in other fields of Earth science surely will think of their own examples.

Exploring the Relationship between Virtual Learning Environment Preference, Use, and Learning Outcomes in 10th Grade Earth Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Ming-Chao; Tutwiler, M. Shane; Chang, Chun-Yen

2011-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between the use of a three-dimensional Virtual Reality Learning Environment for Field Trip (3DVLE[subscript (ft)]) system and the achievement levels of senior high school earth science students. The 3DVLE[subscript (ft)] system was presented in two separate formats: Teacher Demonstrated Based and Student…

Increasing participation in the Earth sciences through engagement of K-12 educators in Earth system science analysis, inquiry and problem- based learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, S.

2012-12-01

Given low course enrollment in geoscience courses, retention in undergraduate geoscience courses, and granting of BA and advanced degrees in the Earth sciences an effective strategy to increase participation in this field is necessary. In response, as K-12 education is a conduit to college education and the future workforce, Earth science education at the K-12 level was targeted with the development of teacher professional development around Earth system science, inquiry and problem-based learning. An NSF, NOAA and NASA funded effort through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies led to the development of the Earth System Science Educational Alliance (ESSEA) and dissemination of interdisciplinary Earth science content modules accessible to the public and educators. These modules formed the basis for two teacher workshops, two graduate level courses for in-service teachers and two university course for undergraduate teacher candidates. Data from all three models will be presented with emphasis on the teacher workshop. Essential components of the workshop model include: teaching and modeling Earth system science analysis; teacher development of interdisciplinary, problem-based academic units for implementation in the classroom; teacher collaboration; daily workshop evaluations; classroom observations; follow-up collaborative meetings/think tanks; and the building of an on-line professional community for continued communication and exchange of best practices. Preliminary data indicate increased understanding of Earth system science, proficiency with Earth system science analysis, and renewed interest in innovative delivery of content amongst teachers. Teacher-participants reported increased student engagement in learning with the implementation of problem-based investigations in Earth science and Earth system science thinking in the classroom, however, increased enthusiasm of the teacher acted as a contributing factor. Teacher feedback on open-ended questionnaires about impact on students identify higher order thinking, critical evaluation of quantitative and qualitative information, cooperative learning, and engagement in STEM content through inquiry as core competencies of this educational method. This presentation will describe the program model and results from internal evaluation.

Breakthrough Science Enabled by Smallsat Optical Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorjian, V.

2017-12-01

The recent NRC panel on "Achieving Science with Cubesats" found that "CubeSats have already proven themselves to be an important scientific tool. CubeSats can produce high-value science, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications that address decadal survey science goals." While some science is purely related to the size of the collecting aperture, there are plentiful examples of new and exciting experiments that can be achieved using the relatively inexpensive Cubesat platforms. We will present various potential science applications that can benefit from higher bandwidth communication. For example, on or near Earth orbit, Cubesats could provide hyperspectral imaging, gravity field mapping, atmospheric probing, and terrain mapping. These can be achieved either as large constellations of Cubesats or a few Cubesats that provide multi-point observations. Away from the Earth (up to 1AU) astrophysical variability studies, detections of solar particles between the Earth and Venus, mapping near earth objects, and high-speed videos of the Sun will also be enabled by high bandwidth communications.

Overview of NASA Finesse (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) Science and Exploration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heldmann, J. L.; Lim, D.S.S.; Hughes, S.; Nawotniak, S. Kobs; Garry, B.; Sears, D.; Neish, C.; Osinski, G. R.; Hodges, K.; Downs, M.;

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-06-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and university scientists from the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Alabama, are watching the Sun in an effort to better predict space weather - blasts of particles and magnetic fields from the Sun that impact the magnetosphere, the magnetic bubble around the Earth. Filled by charged particles trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, the spherical comet-shaped magnetosphere extends out 40,000 miles from Earth's surface in the sunward direction and more in other directions. This image illustrates the Sun-Earth cornection. When massive solar explosions, known as coronal mass ejections, blast through the Sun's outer atmosphere and plow toward Earth at speeds of thousands of miles per second, the resulting effects can be harmful to communication satellites and astronauts outside the Earth's magnetosphere. Like severe weather on Earth, severe space weather can be costly. On the ground, magnetic storms wrought by these solar particles can knock out electric power. By using the Solar Vector Magnetograph, a solar observation facility at MSFC, scientists are learning what signs to look for as indicators of potential severe space weather.

Emerging Propulsion Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonometti, J. A.

2004-11-01

The Emerging Propulsion Technologies (EPT) technology area is a branch of the In-Space Program that serves as a bridge to bring high-risk/high-payoff technologies to a higher level of maturity. Emerging technologies are innovative and, if successfully developed, could result in revolutionary science capabilities for NASA science missions. EPT is also charged with the responsibility of assessing the technology readiness level (TRL) of technologies under consideration for inclusion in the ISP portfolio. One such technology is the Momentum-eXchange/Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) tether concept, which is the current, primary investment of EPT. The MXER tether is a long, rotating cable placed in an elliptical Earth orbit, whose rapid rotation allows its tip to catch a payload in a low Earth orbit and throw that payload to a high-energy orbit. Electrodynamic tether propulsion is used to restore the orbital energy transferred by the MXER tether to the payload and reboost the tether's orbit. This technique uses solar power to drive electrical current collected from the Earth's ionosphere through the tether, resulting in a magnetic interaction with the terrestrial field. Since the Earth itself serves as the reaction mass, the thrust force is generated without propellant and allows the MXER facility to be repeatedly reused without re-supply. Essentially, the MXER facility is a 'propellantless' upper stage that could assist nearly every mission going beyond low Earth orbit. Payloads to interplanetary destinations could especially benefit from the boost provided by the MXER facility, resulting in launch vehicle cost reductions, increased payload fractions and more frequent mission opportunities. Synergistic tether technologies resulting from MXER development could include science sampling in the upper atmosphere, remote probes or attached formation flying, artificial gravity experiments with low Coriolis forces, and other science needs that use long, ultra-light strength or conducting cables in space. Tether development additionally embraces the science investigation of ionospheric physics, micrometeorite and space particulates in LEO and precise earth environment knowledge of gravity fields, solar flux, .thermal environments and magnetic fields.

Broadening Pathways to Geosciences with an Integrated Program at The University of Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, G.; Munson, J.

2017-12-01

Low participation of under-represented minorities (URM) in the geosciences is an acute issue at the University of Michigan (U-M), where the number of undergraduate URM students majoring in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) is typically 5% of total majors. The goal of our project is to substantially increase the number and success rate of underrepresented minorities majoring in EES at U-M. We are pursuing this goal with five primary objectives: (i) inspire and recruit high schools seniors to pursue geoscience at U-M, especially through hands-on experiences including field trips; (ii) establish infrastructure to support students interested in geosciences through the critical juncture between high school and college; (iii) increase the number of URM students transferring from community college; (iv) develop student interest in geosciences through research and field experiences; (v) expose students to career opportunities in the geosciences. To accomplish these objectives we are leveraging existing programs, including Earth Camp, Foundations for Undergraduate Teaching: Uniting Research and Education (FUTURE), M-Sci, and college academic advisors. Throughout our interactions with students from high-school through college, we expose them to career opportunities in the geosciences, including private industry, academia, and government agencies. Evaluation of the program revealed three main conclusions: (i) the program increased student interest in pursuing an earth science degree; (ii) participating students showed a marked increase in awareness about the various opportunities that are available with an earth science degree including pathways to graduate school and earth science careers; (iii) field trips were the most effective route for achieving outcomes (i) and (ii).

Making the Math/Science Connection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Laurel Galbraith

1989-01-01

Suggestions are made for activities that combine the teaching of math and science. Math concepts include: graphing, estimating, measurement, statistics, geometry, and logic. Science topics include: plant reproduction, solar system, forces, longitude and latitude, Earth's magnetic field, nutrition, and heat. (IAH)

Atmospheric Research 2012 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, William K -M.

2013-01-01

This annual report, as before, is intended for a broad audience. Our readers include colleagues within NASA, scientists outside the Agency, science graduate students, and members of the general public. Inside are descriptions of atmospheric research science highlights and summaries of our education and outreach accomplishments for calendar year 2012.The report covers research activities from the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office under the Office of Deputy Director for Atmospheres, Earth Sciences Division in the Sciences and Exploration Directorate of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. The overall mission of the office is advancing knowledge and understanding of the Earths atmosphere. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential to our continuing research.

Networking Technologies Enable Advances in Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Marjory; Freeman, Kenneth; Gilstrap, Raymond; Beck, Richard

2004-01-01

This paper describes an experiment to prototype a new way of conducting science by applying networking and distributed computing technologies to an Earth Science application. A combination of satellite, wireless, and terrestrial networking provided geologists at a remote field site with interactive access to supercomputer facilities at two NASA centers, thus enabling them to validate and calibrate remotely sensed geological data in near-real time. This represents a fundamental shift in the way that Earth scientists analyze remotely sensed data. In this paper we describe the experiment and the network infrastructure that enabled it, analyze the data flow during the experiment, and discuss the scientific impact of the results.

EarthTrek - helping scientists to get citizens involved in real science. (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, G.

2010-12-01

Citizen science programs are not new and many scientists can report good success at engaging the public in their research. However, many scientists who could really benefit from the collective pool of eager volunteers do not have the time or patience to develop system to track and manage the collective “enthusiasm”. EarthTrek takes on that role and provides scientists with the support for their venture into a citizen science program. EarthTrek manages the people, rewards them for their involvement and provides avenues for scientists to communicate with the participants. Scientists concentrate on developing sounds collection protocols (with EarthTrek’s help if needed) and then provide feedback once the data stars to come in. EarthTrek is about linking people with real research. EarthTrek will work with scientists from every field as long as projects are collecting data for research, are time constrained and the lead scientists agree to a communication schedule for results back to participants. Examples of active science projects include weathering rates on gravestones, invasive plant species and phenology. EarthTrek is a project of the Geological Society of America and partners around the globe. EarthTrekker collecting data for the Gravestone Project

Two cultures are better than one: Earth sciences and Art for a better planet sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanza, Tiziana; Rubbia, Giuliana; Negrete, Aquiles

2015-04-01

Climate change, pollution, desertification, natural hazard, animals' extinction are some of the problems we face every day. Very often Science and Technology are charged of the solutions while Art is intended mainly for entertainment. Are we sure this is the right attitude? "Technology is a queer thing. It brings you gifts with one hand, and stabs you in the back with the other", says C.P.Snow, author of a milestone book on the Two Cultures, namely Sciences and Humanities. If Science can drive to a rigorous knowledge of the Earth speaking to people's mind, Technology is Science in action. When individuals act very often the reasons behind their actions are linked to their education, values, sense of beauty, presence or absence of feelings, all things pertaining to the emotional sphere of humans usually addressed by humanistic culture. But if in one hand, Science and Technology cannot be left alone to solve the impelling problems that are deteriorating not only our planet resources but also our quality of life, on the other hand the humanistic culture can find a powerful ally in scientific culture for re-awakening in everybody the sense of beauty, values and respect for the planet. To know Earth is to love Earth, since nature is in itself a work of Art. Earth sciences dig out all the secrets that make our planet a unique place in the Universe we know. Every single phenomena can be seen then in a double face value. An Aurora, for instance, can inspire poetry for its beauty and colors but always remains the result of the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth magnetic field. And, most important, an Aurora will never inspire negative feelings. To make our part in creating a common field between Art and Earth sciences, we have created a blog and a related FaceBook page to collect, browsing the web, all the experiences in this trend, to find out that many scientists and artists are already working in this direction as a final and enjoyable surprise.

The 2000 revision of the joint UK/US geomagnetic field models and an IGRF 2000 candidate model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Macmillan, S.; Quinn, J.M.

2000-01-01

The method of derivation of the joint UK/US spherical harmonic geomagnetic main-field and secular-variation models is presented. Early versions of these models, with the main field truncated at degree 10, are the UK/US candidates for the IGRF 2000 model. The main-field model describes the Earth's magnetic field at the 2000.0 epoch, while the secular-variation model predicts the evolution of this field between 2000.0 and 2005.0. A revised 1995.0 main-field model was also generated. Regional models for the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii were also produced as a by-product of the UK/US global modelling effort. Copy right?? The Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences (SGEPSS); The Seismological Society of Japan; The Volcanological Society of Japan; The Geodetic Society of Japan; The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences.

Drowning in Data: Going Beyond Traditional Data Archival to Educate Data Users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, A. M.; Smith, T.; Smith, D. K.; Bugbee, K.; Sinclair, L.

2017-12-01

Increasing quantities of Earth science data and information prove overwhelming to new and unfamiliar users. Data discovery and use challenges faced by these users are compounded with atmospheric science field campaign data collected by a variety of instruments and stored, visualized, processed and analyzed in different ways. To address data and user needs assessed through annual surveys and user questions, the NASA Global Hydrology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC), in collaboration with a graphic designer, has developed a series of resources to help users learn about GHRC science focus areas, field campaigns, instruments, data, and data processing techniques. In this talk, GHRC data recipes, micro articles, interactive data visualization techniques, and artistic science outreach and education efforts, such as ESRI story maps and research as art, will be overviewed. The objective of this talk is to stress the importance artistic information visualization has in communicating with and educating Earth science data users.

New Earth Science Data and Access Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, John F.; Weinstein, Beth E.; Farnham, Jennifer

2004-01-01

NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, working with its domestic and international partners, provides scientific data and analysis to improve life here on Earth. NASA provides science data products that cover a wide range of physical, geophysical, biochemical and other parameters, as well as services for interdisciplinary Earth science studies. Management and distribution of these products is administered through the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), which all hold data within a different Earth science discipline. This paper will highlight selected EOS datasets and will focus on how these observations contribute to the improvement of essential services such as weather forecasting, climate prediction, air quality, and agricultural efficiency. Emphasis will be placed on new data products derived from instruments on board Terra, Aqua and ICESat as well as new regional data products and field campaigns. A variety of data tools and services are available to the user community. This paper will introduce primary and specialized DAAC-specific methods for finding, ordering and using these data products. Special sections will focus on orienting users unfamiliar with DAAC resources, HDF-EOS formatted data and the use of desktop research and application tools.

Earth Science Digital Museum (ESDM): Toward a new paradigm for museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Shaochun; Xu, Shijin; Wu, Gangshan

2006-07-01

New technologies have pushed traditional museums to take their exhibitions beyond the barrier of a museum's walls and enhance their functions: education and entertainment. Earth Science Digital Museum (ESDM) is such an emerging effort in this field. It serves as a platform for Earth Scientists to build a Web community to share knowledge about the Earth and is of to benefit the general public for their life-long learning. After analyzing the purposes and requirements of ESDM, we present here our basic philosophy of ESDM and a four-layer hierarchical architecture for enhancing the structure of ESDM via Internet. It is a Web-based application to enable specimens to be exhibited, shared and preserved in digital form, and to provide the functionalities of interoperability. One of the key components of ESDM is the development of a metadata set for describing Earth Science specimens and their digital representations, which is particularly important for building ESDM. Practical demonstrations show that ESDM is suitable for formal and informal Earth Science education, including classroom education, online education and life-long learning.

Contextualizing Earth Science Professional Development Courses for Geoscience Teachers in Boston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. F.; Pelletier, P.; Dorsen, J.; Douglas, E. M.; Pringle, M. S.; Karp, J.

2009-12-01

Inquiry-based, hands-on, graduate content courses have been developed specifically for Boston Public School middle school teachers of Earth Science. Earth Science I: Weather and Water and Earth Science II: The Solid Earth--Earth History and Planetary Systems have been taught a total of seven times to over 120 teachers. Several key attributes to these successful courses have been identified, including co-instruction by a university professor and a high school and a middle school teacher that are familiar with the Boston curriculum, use of hands-on activities that are closed related to those used in the Boston curriculum, pre- and post-course local field trips, and identification of key learning objectives for each day. This model of professional development was developed over several years in all disciplines (Earth Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry) by the Boston Science Partnership (BSP), an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership program. One of the core strategies of the BSP is these Contextualized Content Courses (CCC), graduate level, lab-based courses taught at either UMass Boston or Northeastern University during summer intensive or semester formats. Two of the eleven courses developed under the grant are Earth Science I & II. This presentation shares the model of the CCC, the impact on teacher participants, the value of these courses for the professor, and lessons learned for successful professional development. Findings about the courses’ impact and effectiveness come from our external evaluation by the Program Evaluation Research Group (PERG). The combination of content and modeling good instructional practices have many positive outcomes for teachers, including increased self-efficacy in science understanding and teaching, positive impacts on student achievement, and teacher shifts from more traditional, more lecture-based instructional models to more inquiry approaches. STEM faculty members become involved in science education and learn and practice new instructional strategies. The teacher co-instructors hold leadership roles for their peers and gain university teaching experience. The participants have a course that is content rich and tailored for their needs in the classroom. Earth scientists develop a “broader impact” for their science by increasing climate and earth science literacy for teachers who, in turn, reach 100s to 1000s of students every year, possibly stimulating interest for students becoming future earth scientists, but at the very least, increasing the public appreciation for earth science.

Report of the panel on geopotential fields: Gravity field, section 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Allen Joel; Kaula, William M.; Lazarewics, Andrew R.; Lefebvre, Michel; Phillips, Roger J.; Rapp, Richard H.; Rummel, Reinhard F.; Smith, David E.; Tapley, Byron D.; Zlotnick, Victor

1991-01-01

The objective of the Geopotential Panel was to develop a program of data acquisition and model development for the Earth's gravity and magnetic fields that meet the basic science requirements of the solid Earth and ocean studies. Presented here are the requirements for gravity information and models through the end of the century, the present status of our knowledge, data acquisition techniques, and an outline of a program to meet the requirements.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-01

Using the Solar Vector Magnetograph, a solar observation facility at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), scientists from the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Alabama, are monitoring the explosive potential of magnetic areas of the Sun. This effort could someday lead to better prediction of severe space weather, a phenomenon that occurs when blasts of particles and magnetic fields from the Sun impact the magnetosphere, the magnetic bubble around the Earth. When massive solar explosions, known as coronal mass ejections, blast through the Sun's outer atmosphere and plow toward Earth at speeds of thousands of miles per second, the resulting effects can be harmful to communication satellites and astronauts outside the Earth's magnetosphere. Like severe weather on Earth, severe space weather can be costly. On the ground, magnetic storms wrought by these solar particles can knock out electric power. Photographed are a group of contributing researchers in front of the Solar Vector Magnetograph at MSFC. The researchers are part of NSSTC's solar physics group, which develops instruments for measuring magnetic fields on the Sun. With these instruments, the group studies the origin, structure, and evolution of the solar magnetic fields and the impact they have on Earth's space environment.

The Grace Mission: The Challenges of Using Micron-Level Satellite-to-Satellite Ranging to Measure the Earth's Gravity Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, M.; Bettadpur, S.

2000-01-01

The GRACE Mission, to be launched in mid-2001, will provide an unprecedented map of the Earth's gravity field every month. In this paper, we outline the challenges associated with this micron-level satellite-to-satellite ranging, the solutions used by the GRACE project, and the expected science applications of the data.

Design, Development and Preliminary Student Evaluation of Virtual Field Guides as aids to teaching and learning in the Earth sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stott, Tim

2010-05-01

In Universities the benefits of teaching and learning through fieldwork has been brought under closer examination in recent years (e.g. Andrews et al., 2003) and the notion of supporting fieldwork in the Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (GEES) disciplines has been gathering momentum over the past decade as evidenced by conferences on ‘Supporting fieldwork using information technology' (Maskall et al., 2007) and a Higher Education Academy GEES Virtual Fieldwork Conference at University of Worcester (May 2007). Virtual environments and e-learning resources have been shown to help students become active rather than passive learners by appealing to their multi-sensory learning ability with interactive media (Fletcher et al., 2002; 2007). Research on glacial and fluvial processes has been conducted since 2003 by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) staff, sometimes in collaboration with other Universities, at field sites in the French Alps, Swiss Alps and Cariboo Mountains in British Columbia. A virtual field guide (VFG) (www.virtualalps.co.uk) has been developed which uses maps, site photos, panorama movies, video clips, a google earth tour, student exercises using hydrological and glacial datasets collected in the field and revision exercises. A preliminary evaluation of this learning resource has been carried out with two groups of LJMU students and an article written (Stott et al. 2009a). The Ingleton Waterfalls VFG (http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/BIE/ingleton/) was developed by LJMU staff to meet the needs of Foundation degree and undergraduate students. A workshop was presented at the Earth Science Teachers Association 2008 Annual Conference at LJMU, and a subsequent article written (Stott et al. 2009b). The final section of this presentation will summarise some staff perspectives and raises some questions and issues concerned with development and accessibility of VFGs in the light of new developments of a ‘semantic web' at LJMU (Carmichael, 2009). Andrews, J., Kneale, P., Sougnez, Y., Stewart, M., and Stott, T. A. (2003). Carrying out Pedagogic research into the Constructive Alignment of Fieldwork. Planet Special Edition 5: Linking Teaching and Research and undertaking Pedagogic Research in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 51-52. Carmichael, P. (2008) ‘The Semantic Web and ‘Web 3.0' in: Selwyn, N. (ed.) Education 2.0? Designing the web for teaching and learning. London: ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme. Fletcher, S., France, D., Moore, K. and Robinson, G. (2002). Fieldwork education and technology: A GEES perspective, Planet 4, 17-19. Fletcher, S., France, D., Moore, K. and Robinson, G. (2007). Putting technology into fieldwork education: A pedagogic evaluation. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 31, 2, 319 - 330 Maskall, J., Stokes, A., Truscott, J. B., Bridge, A., Magnier, K. and Calderbank, V. (2007) Supporting fieldwork using information technology, Planet 18, 18-21. Stott, TA., Nuttall, AM. and McCloskey, J. (2009a) Design, Development and Student Evaluation of a Virtual Alps Field Guide www.virtualalps.co.uk. Planet 22, 64-71. Publication of the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Learning & Teaching Support Network www.gees.ac.uk/planet/. Stott, TA, Clark, H., Milson, C., McCloskey, J. and Crompton, K. (2009b) The Ingleton Waterfalls Virtual Field Trip: Design, Development and Preliminary Evaluation, Teaching Earth Sciences 34 (1), 13-19, Magazine of the Earth Science Teachers Association.

Interacting with Petabytes of Earth Science Data using Jupyter Notebooks, IPython Widgets and Google Earth Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, T. A.; Granger, B.; Grout, J.; Corlay, S.

2017-12-01

The volume of Earth science data gathered from satellites, aircraft, drones, and field instruments continues to increase. For many scientific questions in the Earth sciences, managing this large volume of data is a barrier to progress, as it is difficult to explore and analyze large volumes of data using the traditional paradigm of downloading datasets to a local computer for analysis. Furthermore, methods for communicating Earth science algorithms that operate on large datasets in an easily understandable and reproducible way are needed. Here we describe a system for developing, interacting, and sharing well-documented Earth Science algorithms that combines existing software components: Jupyter Notebook: An open-source, web-based environment that supports documents that combine code and computational results with text narrative, mathematics, images, and other media. These notebooks provide an environment for interactive exploration of data and development of well documented algorithms. Jupyter Widgets / ipyleaflet: An architecture for creating interactive user interface controls (such as sliders, text boxes, etc.) in Jupyter Notebooks that communicate with Python code. This architecture includes a default set of UI controls (sliders, dropboxes, etc.) as well as APIs for building custom UI controls. The ipyleaflet project is one example that offers a custom interactive map control that allows a user to display and manipulate geographic data within the Jupyter Notebook. Google Earth Engine: A cloud-based geospatial analysis platform that provides access to petabytes of Earth science data via a Python API. The combination of Jupyter Notebooks, Jupyter Widgets, ipyleaflet, and Google Earth Engine makes it possible to explore and analyze massive Earth science datasets via a web browser, in an environment suitable for interactive exploration, teaching, and sharing. Using these environments can make Earth science analyses easier to understand and reproducible, which may increase the rate of scientific discoveries and the transition of discoveries into real-world impacts.

Integrating outdoor activities into the FOSS curriculum: Effect on teacher practices on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraghty, E.

2004-12-01

A goal of the Center for Learning and Teaching West based at the University of Montana is to provide in-depth professional development through a combination of on-site and distance education activities to mathematics and science middle and high school teachers at identified high-needs schools. In accordance with the Center's goal, teachers on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation have been contacted as they meet the "high-needs" criteria: the schools are in a rural setting and educate mainly Native American students. Since the spring of 2003, contact with the directors of the Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI) on the Blackfeet Reservation has uncovered the need for integration of local outdoor earth science activities into the current Full Option Science System (FOSS) curriculum used in the middle school classrooms. This information combined with the results of a teacher interest survey sent out to the Blackfeet educators in early 2004 indicates an interest in professional development (PD) that covers training in both earth science and field experiences. This research focuses on the earth science teachers and their use of outdoor activities in their science curriculum. Much research has been conducted on the learning styles of Native American students and show that these students have some tendency toward: global/holistic style of organizing information, visual style of mental representation in thinking, reflective style for information processing, and preference of collaborative work on assigned tasks (Hilberg and Tharp, 2002). Though native students generally perform poorly in science, the belief is that their learning styles matched with hands-on, outdoor instruction may improve the students' connection with science and their performance on science assessments. Therefore, the first step in the process is to work with the teachers through professional development in order to incorporate activities that match the learning styles of their students. The workshop designed for the middle school teachers on the Blackfeet Reservation provides support for teachers with regards to FOSS training, content, and activities at local field sites (example is the outdoor classroom at Cut Bank Creek outside of Browning, MT) specific to the Earth History FOSS kit activities chosen for the workshop. The field activities will highlight National and Montana Science Content Standards identified by the teachers and specifically Montana Science Content Standard 5 which reads: "Students understand how scientific knowledge and technological developments impact society." The specific focus on this standard provides opportunity for the "traditional" and "practical" earth science experiences to be "integrated into the more formal content approach of school science (Cajete, 1988)"; a format more accessible to native students."

MS PHD'S PDP: Vision, Design, Implementation, and Outcomes of a Minority-Focused Earth System Sciences Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habtes, S. Y.; Mayo, M.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Pyrtle, A. J.; Williamson Whitney, V.

2007-05-01

As minorities are predicted to comprise at least 33% of the US population by the year 2010, their representation in the STEM fields, including the ocean sciences, is still poorly established. In order to advance the goal of better decision making, the Ocean Sciences community must achieve greater levels of diversity in membership. To achieve this objective of greater diversity in the sciences, the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science® Professional Development Program (MS PHD'S PDP), which was launched in 2003, is supported via grants from NASA's Office of Earth Science, and NSF's Directorate for Geosciences. The MS PHD'S PDP is designed to provide professional and mentoring experiences that facilitate the advancement of minorities committed to achieving outstanding Earth System Science careers. The MS PHD'S PDP is structured in three phases, connected by engagement in a virtual community, continuous peer and mentor to mentee interactions, and the professional support necessary for ensuring the educational success of the student participants. Since the pilot program in 2003, the MSPHD'S PDP, housed at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, has produced 4 cohorts of students. Seventy-five have completed the program; of those 6 have earned their doctoral degrees. Of the 45 current participants 10 are graduate students in Marine Science and 15 are still undergraduates, the remaining 10 participants are graduate students in other STEM fields. Since the implementation of the MSPHD'S PDP a total of 87 students and 33 scientist mentors have become part of the MSPHD'S virtual community, helping to improve the learning environment for current and future participants as well as build a community of minority students that encourages each other to pursue their academic degrees.

Herding Cats: Geocuration Practices Employed for Field Research Data Collection Activities and Visualization by Blueprint Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, R.; Harrison, M.; Sonnenthal, N.; Hernandez, A.; Pelaez, J.

2015-12-01

Researchers investigating interdisciplinary topics must work to understand the barriers created by information siloes in order to productively collaborate on complex Earth science questions. These barriers create acute challenges when research is driven by observations rather than hypotheses, as communication between collaborators hinges on data synthesis techniques that often vary greatly between disciplines. Field data collection across disciplines creates even more challenges, and employing student researchers of varying abilities demands an approach that is structured, and yet still flexible enough to accommodate inherent differences in the subjective portions of student data collection. Blueprint Earth is performing system-level environmental observations in the broad areas of geology, biology, hydrology, and atmospheric science. Traditional field data collection methodologies are employed for ease of reproducibility, but must translate across disciplinary information siloes. Information collected must be readily useable in the formulation of hypotheses based on field observations, which necessitates an understanding of key metrics by all investigators involved in data analysis. Blueprint Earth demonstrates the ability to create clear data standards across several disciplines while incorporating a quality control process and this allows for conversion of data into functional visualizations. Additionally, geocuration is organized such that data will be ready for public dissemination upon completion of field research.

Introduction to Geomagnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinze, William J.

Coincidentally, as I sat down in late October 2003 to read and review the second edition of Wallace H. Campbell's text, Introduction to Geomagnetic Fields, we received warnings from the news media of a massive solar flare and its possible effect on power supply systems and satellite communications. News programs briefly explained the source of Sun-Earth interactions. If you are interested in learning more about the physics of the connection between sun spots and power supply systems and their impact on orbiting satellites, I urge you to become acquainted with Campbell's book. It presents an interesting and informative explanation of the geomagnetic field and its applications to a wide variety of topics, including oil exploration, climate change, and fraudulent claims of the utility of magnetic fields for alleviating human pain. Geomagnetism, the study of the nature and processes of the Earth's magnetic fields and its application to the investigation of the Earth, its processes, and history, is a mature science with a well-developed theoretical foundation and a vast array of observations. It is discussed in varied detail in Earth physics books and most entry-level geoscience texts. The latter treatments largely are driven by the need to discuss paleomagnetism as an essential tool in studying plate tectonics. A more thorough explanation of geomagnetism is needed by many interested scientists in related fields and by laypersons. This is the objective of Campbell's book. It is particularly germane in view of a broad range of geomagnetic topics that are at the forefront of today's science, including environmental magnetism, so-called ``jerks'' observed in the Earth's magnetic field, the perplexing magnetic field of Mars, improved satellite magnetic field observations, and the increasing availability of high-quality continental magnetic anomaly maps, to name only a few.

Earth Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-07-18

Workers at Launch Complex 17 Pad A, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) encapsulate the Geomagnetic Tail (GEOTAIL) spacecraft (upper) and attached payload Assist Module-D upper stage (lower) in the protective payload fairing. GEOTAIL project was designed to study the effects of Earth's magnetic field. The solar wind draws the Earth's magnetic field into a long tail on the night side of the Earth and stores energy in the stretched field lines of the magnetotail. During active periods, the tail couples with the near-Earth magnetosphere, sometimes releasing energy stored in the tail and activating auroras in the polar ionosphere. GEOTAIL measures the flow of energy and its transformation in the magnetotail and will help clarify the mechanisms that control the imput, transport, storage, release, and conversion of mass, momentum, and energy in the magnetotail.

Hands-on earth science with students at schools for the Deaf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke, M. L.

2011-12-01

Earth science teachers at schools for the Deaf face a variety of challenges. This community of students has a wide range of language skills, teaching resources can be limited and often teachers are not trained in geosciences. An NSF CAREER grant provided an opportunity to make a difference to this community and foster earth science learning at 8 schools for the Deaf around the country. We designed hands-on deformational sandboxes for the teachers and provided accompanying curriculum materials. The sandbox is a physical model of crustal deformation that students can manipulate to test hypotheses. The visual nature of the sandbox was well-suited for the spatial grammar of American Sign Language used by these students. Furthermore, language skills were enhanced by scaffolded observation, sketch, annotation, discussion, interpretation assignments. Geoscience training of teachers was strengthened with workshops and three 5-day field trips for teachers and selected students to Utah, western New England and southern California. The field trips provided opportunity for students to work as geoscientists observing, interpreting, discussing and presenting their investigations. Between field trips, we set up videoconferences from the UMass experimental lab with the high school earth science classrooms. These sessions facilitated dialog between students and researchers at UMass. While the project set out to provide geoscience learning opportunities for students at Schools for the Deaf, the long lasting impact was the improved geoscience training of teachers, most of whom had limited post-secondary earth science training. The success of the project also rested on the dedication of the teachers to their students and their willingness to try new approaches and experiences. By tapping into a community of 6 teachers, who already shared curriculum and had fantastic leadership, the project was able to have significant impact and exceed the initial goals. The project has led to a manuscript in Science Teacher on the educational benefits of the deformational sandbox. At the 2009 GSA meeting, we ran a workshop on the deformational sandbox that included teachers from hearing schools. The project also highlights the potential for a cognitive science investigation on learning of 3D geologic concepts by people who use a language with spatial grammar, such as ASL.

No Joyrides These: Peacetime Planning and Policy for the Field Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korsmo, F. L.

2002-05-01

Financial support for American field science after World War I differed markedly from that after World War II. In the 1920s, science patrons came from the private sector: industrialists and the foundations built on the past commercial success of industrialists and financiers, such as Carnegie and Rockefeller. After World War II, the U.S. government stepped in. The Great Depression collapsed the sources of private sector support. From the late 1940s through the early 1950s, Congress established and expanded granting organizations such as the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation, and government support for the field sciences became not only accepted but advocated. Despite the differences in the sources and styles of patronage, field scientists in both post-war situations were faced with a similar dilemma. In peacetime, after demobilization, government sponsorship of science becomes uncertain. The earth and ocean sciences, in particular, depended on the expensive research platforms, transportation, and remote logistics supplied by the military. In the absence of an identifiable and generally reliable source of support, field scientists expressly, publicly reject exploration and discovery as wasteful joyrides and costly expeditions. In contrast, they characterize their science as multi-purpose, open-ended, and responsive to societal and economic needs. In addition, the arguments are directed at both patrons and fellow scientists; the persuasive language serves the purpose of establishing and nurturing coalitions between researcher and patron and among researchers of different disciplines. To maintain a multidisciplinary coalition of researchers, the scientific agenda remains broad and difficult choices are postponed. This paper looks at two interdisciplinary science plans, one that never made it to implementation, another that became a major international program for earth sciences, to illustrate the policy-relevant and interdisciplinary aspects of peacetime field science. An important conference on oceanography held in 1924 set forth a program of study that the U.S. Congress did not support. Several private donors, however, contributed to a less ambitious scientific cruise. In 1953, the U.S. National Committee on the International Geophysical Year (IGY) planned what would become a massive international undertaking in earth sciences which was carried out in 1957 and 1958. Both of these science planning efforts involved the U.S. military, yet not to the exclusion of civilian scientists and organizations. On the contrary, the call for science was public and celebratory rather than clandestine. In conclusion, the paper derives historical lessons for contemporary science planning and policy.

Dartmouth College Earth Sciences Mobile Field Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, E. E.; Osterberg, E. C.; Dade, W. B.; Sonder, L. J.; Renshaw, C. E.; Kelly, M. A.; Hawley, R. L.; Chipman, J. W.; Mikucki, J.; Posmentier, E. S.; Moore, J. R.

2011-12-01

For the last 50 years the Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College has offered a term-long, undergraduate field program, informally called "the Stretch". A student typically enrolls during fall quarter of his or her junior year soon after choosing a major or minor. The program thus provides valuable field context for courses that a student will take during the remainder of his or her undergraduate career. Unlike many traditional field camps that focus on one particular region, the Stretch is a mobile program that currently travels through Western North America, from the Canadian Rockies to the Grand Canyon. The program spans two and a half months, during which time undergraduates, graduate TAs, and faculty live, work, and learn collaboratively. Dartmouth College faculty members sequentially teach individual 1- to 2-week segments that focus on their interests and expertise; currently, there are a total of eight segments led by eleven faculty members. Consequently, topics are diverse and include economic geology, geobiology, geomorphology, glaciology, glacial geology, geophysics, hydrogeology, paleontology, stratigraphy, structure and tectonics, and volcanology. The field localities are equally varied, including the alpine glaciers of western Alberta, the national parks of Montana, Wyoming and Utah, the eastern Sierra Nevada, the southern Great Basin, and highlight such classic geological field locales as Sheep Mountain in Wyoming's Bighorn Basin, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon. Overall, the program aims to: 1) give students a broad perspective on the timing and nature of the processes that resulted in the landscape and underlying geology of western North America; and 2) introduce students to a wide variety of geological environments, field techniques, and research equipment. Students emerge from the program with wide-ranging exposure to active research questions as well as a working knowledge of core field skills in the earth sciences. Stretch students spend several weeks conducting traditional multiday mapping of complexly-deformed sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks, and also collect and interpret geobiological, geochemical, geophysical, paleoclimatological, paleontological, and remote-sensing data outside the context of traditional mapping. During the Mono Lake segment, for example, students examine the interaction of ecology and chemistry in alkaline lakes. During the Canadian Rockies segment, students reconstruct Holocene paleoclimate using tree stumps and fossil wood detritus marking former positions of an alpine glacier. While a mobile, wide-ranging field program requires complicated logistics and potentially high per-student costs, the diversity of research topics, geological environments, and field techniques have made it a successful cornerstone of the Dartmouth Earth Sciences major. After the Stretch experience, significant fractions of our students become involved in ongoing faculty research, pursue senior theses, and go on to pursue Earth Sciences graduate degrees.

A Template for an Intensive Ecohydrology Field Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emanuel, R. E.; McGlynn, B. L.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.

2014-12-01

Many of the greatest challenges in the earth and environmental sciences are complex and interdisciplinary in nature. Ecohydrology exemplifies the type of holistic inquiry needed to address these challenges because it spans and integrates earth science, biological science and, often, social science. Ecohydrology courses can prepare the next generation of scientists, decision-makers and informed citizens to understand and address these challenges, and field courses in particular can play an important role in this preparation. Ecohydrology field course instructors have unique opportunities to convey interwoven theoretical and applied principles through a variety of modes that include lecture, discussion, immersion, and hands-on activity. In this presentation, we report on our experience co-teaching the Mountain Ecohydrology Field Course, a full-credit course taught 3 times in the past 5 years to more than 30 students representing 6 universities. The course, which has ranged from 1-2 weeks in length, has given students in-depth exposure to intensively instrumented ecohydrological field sites in the southern Appalachian and northern Rocky Mountains. Students learn fundamental principles in ecohydrology and related fields of watershed hydrology, soil biogeochemistry, micrometeorology and plant ecophysiology. They gain hands-on experience in a variety of cutting edge field techniques, tools and analyses while practicing presentation and communication of science. Students and instructors deal with real-world challenges of conducting fieldwork in remote settings. We offer our experience as one potential template for others interested in developing or refining ecohydrology field courses elsewhere.

Science Is an Action Word! Grades 1-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdue, Peggy K.

This book includes 20 science activities in the fields of scientific method, earth science, life science, and physical science. Each activity is composed of two parts--an explanatory section for the teacher and a student lab sheet. The explanatory section begins with a brief introduction designed to give an overview of the activity's main concept.…

A Possible Pathway for High School Science in a STEM World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary

2011-01-01

Today's high school science teachers find themselves in a period of transition. For the past decade there have been calls for replacing a narrow focus on science education--the traditional courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and space science--with a broader curriculum on STEM (that is, the four allied fields of science, technology,…

The Denali EarthScope Education Partnership: Creating Opportunities for Learning About Solid Earth Processes in Alaska and Beyond.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roush, J. J.; Hansen, R. A.

2003-12-01

The Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, in partnership with Denali National Park and Preserve, has begun an education outreach program that will create learning opportunities in solid earth geophysics for a wide sector of the public. We will capitalize upon a unique coincidence of heightened public interest in earthquakes (due to the M 7.9 Denali Fault event of Nov. 3rd, 2002), the startup of the EarthScope experiment, and the construction of the Denali Science & Learning Center, a premiere facility for science education located just 43 miles from the epicenter of the Denali Fault earthquake. Real-time data and current research results from EarthScope installations and science projects in Alaska will be used to engage students and teachers, national park visitors, and the general public in a discovery process that will enhance public understanding of tectonics, seismicity and volcanism along the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. Activities will take place in five program areas, which are: 1) museum displays and exhibits, 2) outreach via print publications and electronic media, 3) curriculum development to enhance K-12 earth science education, 4) teacher training to develop earth science expertise among K-12 educators, and 5) interaction between scientists and the public. In order to engage the over 1 million annual visitors to Denali, as well as people throughout Alaska, project activities will correspond with the opening of the Denali Science and Learning Center in 2004. An electronic interactive kiosk is being constructed to provide public access to real-time data from seismic and geodetic monitoring networks in Alaska, as well as cutting edge visualizations of solid earth processes. A series of print publications and a website providing access to real-time seismic and geodetic data will be developed for park visitors and the general public, highlighting EarthScope science in Alaska. A suite of curriculum modules will be developed for middle school classrooms to enrich earth science curricula by taking students into the field, and by providing opportunities to interact with scientists using real EarthScope data and research results. Curriculum modules will take advantage of Denali's new "Nature Area Network", an IEEE 802.11b wireless network serving the backcountry areas of the Park where students can engage in hands on learning about geology and geophysics and share their experiences with students worldwide via the Internet. Curricula will also focus on the new field of digital story telling, in which students will develop their own understanding of solid earth processes by creating digital stories using readily available digital moviemaking technology. A training course will be developed to enhance K-12 educators' ability to teach earth science utilizing real data and research results. And a series of public lectures both at Denali and in communities across Alaska will engage Geophysical Institute researchers with the public and foster wider participation in the EarthScope Experiment. The anticipated benefits of this project are many. An increase in public awareness and understanding of solid earth processes will lead to better preparedness, and improved decision making regarding the mitigation of risk from seismic and volcanic hazards. Earth science education will be made more vital and engaging for both students and teachers. And Alaska's visitors and residents will gain a better understand and greater appreciation for the dynamic tectonic processes that have created the rugged landscape of the state and its national parklands.

Welcome to NASA's Earth Science Enterprise: Educational CD-ROM Activity Supplement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has been studying the Earth and its changing environment by observing the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, and snow, and their influence on weather and climate. We now understand that the key to gaining a better understanding of the global environment is exploring how the Earth's systems of air, land, water, and life interact with each other. This approach-called Earth Systems Science-blends together fields like meteorology, oceanography, geology, and biology. In 1991, NASA launched a more comprehensive program to study the Earth as an integrated environmental system. They call it NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. A major component of the Earth Science Enterprise is the Earth Observing System (EOS). EOS is series of satellites to be launched over the next two decades that will be used to intensively study the Earth, with the hopes of expanding our under- standing of how natural processes affect us, and how we might be affecting them. Such studies will yield improved weather forecasts, tools for managing agriculture and forests, information for fishermen and local planners, and, eventually, the ability to predict how the climate will change in the future. Today's program is laying the foundation for long-term environmental and climate monitoring and prediction. Potentially, this will provide the understanding needed in the future to support difficult decisions regarding the Earth's environment.

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vette, J. I. (Editor); Vostreys, R. W. (Editor)

1977-01-01

Information concerning active and planned spacecraft and experiments is reported. The information includes a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represent the efforts and funding of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries.

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Littlefield, R. G. (Editor)

1983-01-01

Information concerning active and planned spacecraft and experiments is included. The information covers a wide range of scientific disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represent the efforts and fundng of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries.

Online and in-person networking among women in the Earth Sciences Women's Network at www.ESWNonline.org

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontak, R.; Adams, A. S.; De Boer, A. M.; Hastings, M. G.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.

2012-12-01

The Earth Science Women's Network is an international peer-mentoring network of women in the Earth Sciences, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers. Membership is free and has grown through "word of mouth," and includes upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, professionals in a range of environmental fields, scientists working in public and private institutions. Our mission is to promote career development, build community, provide informal mentoring and support, and facilitate professional collaborations. Since 2002 we have accomplished this trough online networking, including over email and a listserv, on facebook, in-person networking events, and professional development workshops. Now in our 10th year, ESWN is debuting a new web-center that creates an online space exclusively for women in any discipline of the Earth (including planetary) sciences. ESWN members can connect and create an online community of support and encouragement for themselves as women in a demanding career. Many women in Earth Science fields feel isolated and are often the only woman in their department or work environments. ESWN is a place to meet others, discuss issues faced in creating work-life balance and professional success and share best practices through peer mentoring. Now on ESWN's new web-center, members can create and personalize their profiles and search for others in their field, nearby, or with similar interests. Online discussions in the members-only area can also be searched. Members can create groups for discussion or collaboration, with document sharing and password protection. Publicly, we can share gained knowledge with a broader audience, like lessons learned at our professional development workshops and collected recommendations from members. The new web center allows for more connectivity among other online platforms used by our members, including linked-in, facebook, and twitter. Built in Wordpress with a Buddpress members-only section, the new ESWN website is supported by AGU and a NSF ADVANCE grant.;

Lessons Learned from NASA UAV Science Demonstration Program Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wegener, Steven S.; Schoenung, Susan M.

2003-01-01

During the summer of 2002, two airborne missions were flown as part of a NASA Earth Science Enterprise program to demonstrate the use of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform earth science. One mission, the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES), successfully measured lightning storms in the vicinity of Key West, Florida, during storm season using a high-altitude Altus(TM) UAV. In the other, a solar-powered UAV, the Pathfinder Plus, flew a high-resolution imaging mission over coffee fields in Kauai, Hawaii, to help guide the harvest.

Authentic Learning Experiences for Educators through Summer Internships: Revising the DIG Texas Instructional Blueprints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, A. O.; Bohls-Graham, E.; Jacobs, B. E.; Ellins, K. K.

2014-12-01

Texas teachers have expressed a need for engaging activities for use in high school Earth science courses. With funding from the NSF, geoscience and education faculty from different institutions around the state collaborated with ten Earth science teachers to create five online Earth science instructional blueprints. The work is part of the DIG (Diversity and Innovation for Geosciences) Texas Instructional Blueprint project. A blueprint stitches together nine units for a yearlong Earth science course (scope and sequence). Each unit covers three weeks of teaching and contains lectures, readings, visualizations, lab investigations, learning activities, and other educational materials from credible sources, which are aligned with Texas state science standards for Earth and Space Science and the Earth Science Literacy Principles. Taken together, the collection of activities address the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). During summer 2014, three minority-serving secondary teachers completed a six-week internship at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). As DIG Texas Education Interns, we organized and revised the content of the units, created scaffolding notes, and built blueprints by selecting groups of nine units from the project's current collection of twenty-one units. Because fieldwork is an important element of geoscience learning, we integrated virtual field trips into each unit. We (1) gained expertise in selecting high quality activities that directly correlate with state standards and address the Earth Science Literacy Principles; (2) developed a keen awareness of the value of the NGSS; (3) learned how to navigate through the NGSS website to track the relationships between the Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts for Earth science, as well as connections to other disciplines in the same grade level. Collaborating with other secondary Earth science teachers introduced each of us to new teaching practices, allowing us to build relationships that we expect to last for many years. UTIG researchers mentored and introduced us to their research and methodology. In addition, they helped us find high quality activities for the units. In turn, we shared our knowledge of pedagogy and classroom expertise with them.

Righting the balance: Gender diversity in the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Robin E.; Kastens, Kim A.; Cane, Mark; Muller, Roberta B.; Mutter, John C.; Pfirman, Stephanie

The blatant barriers are down. Women are now routinely chief scientists on major cruises, lead field parties to all continents, and have risen to leadership positions in professional organizations, academic departments, and funding agencies. Nonetheless, barriers remain. Women continue to be under-represented in the Earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences. Let's do the numbers: As of 1997, women received 41% of all Ph.D.s in science and engineering, but only 29% of the doctorates in the Earth, atmospheric, and oceanographic sciences [NSF, 1999a]. Women were 23% of employed Ph.D.s across all fields of science, but only accounted for 13% in the geosciences. Women's salaries also lag: the median salary for all Ph.D. geoscientists was $60,000; for women, the figure is $47,000 [NSF, 1999b]. The growing number of women students is a step in the right direction, but only a step.

Optimal Reorganization of NASA Earth Science Data for Enhanced Accessibility and Usability for the Hydrology Community

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William; Rui, Hualan; Strub, Richard; Vollmer, Bruce

2016-01-01

A long-standing "Digital Divide" in data representation exists between the preferred way of data access by the hydrology community and the common way of data archival by earth science data centers. Typically, in hydrology, earth surface features are expressed as discrete spatial objects (e.g., watersheds), and time-varying data are contained in associated time series. Data in earth science archives, although stored as discrete values (of satellite swath pixels or geographical grids), represent continuous spatial fields, one file per time step. This Divide has been an obstacle, specifically, between the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. and NASA earth science data systems. In essence, the way data are archived is conceptually orthogonal to the desired method of access. Our recent work has shown an optimal method of bridging the Divide, by enabling operational access to long-time series (e.g., 36 years of hourly data) of selected NASA datasets. These time series, which we have termed "data rods," are pre-generated or generated on-the-fly. This optimal solution was arrived at after extensive investigations of various approaches, including one based on "data curtains." The on-the-fly generation of data rods uses "data cubes," NASA Giovanni, and parallel processing. The optimal reorganization of NASA earth science data has significantly enhanced the access to and use of the data for the hydrology user community.

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vette, J. I. (Editor); Vostreys, R. W. (Editor); Horowitz, R. (Editor)

1978-01-01

Information is presented, concerning active and planned spacecraft and experiments known to the National Space Science Data Center. The information included a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represented the efforts and funding of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries.

Deriving Earth Science Data Analytics Tools/Techniques Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempler, S. J.

2015-12-01

Data Analytics applications have made successful strides in the business world where co-analyzing extremely large sets of independent variables have proven profitable. Today, most data analytics tools and techniques, sometimes applicable to Earth science, have targeted the business industry. In fact, the literature is nearly absent of discussion about Earth science data analytics. Earth science data analytics (ESDA) is the process of examining large amounts of data from a variety of sources to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other useful information. ESDA is most often applied to data preparation, data reduction, and data analysis. Co-analysis of increasing number and volume of Earth science data has become more prevalent ushered by the plethora of Earth science data sources generated by US programs, international programs, field experiments, ground stations, and citizen scientists. Through work associated with the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation, ESDA types have been defined in terms of data analytics end goals. Goals of which are very different than those in business, requiring different tools and techniques. A sampling of use cases have been collected and analyzed in terms of data analytics end goal types, volume, specialized processing, and other attributes. The goal of collecting these use cases is to be able to better understand and specify requirements for data analytics tools and techniques yet to be implemented. This presentation will describe the attributes and preliminary findings of ESDA use cases, as well as provide early analysis of data analytics tools/techniques requirements that would support specific ESDA type goals. Representative existing data analytics tools/techniques relevant to ESDA will also be addressed.

Deriving Earth Science Data Analytics Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steven J.

2015-01-01

Data Analytics applications have made successful strides in the business world where co-analyzing extremely large sets of independent variables have proven profitable. Today, most data analytics tools and techniques, sometimes applicable to Earth science, have targeted the business industry. In fact, the literature is nearly absent of discussion about Earth science data analytics. Earth science data analytics (ESDA) is the process of examining large amounts of data from a variety of sources to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other useful information. ESDA is most often applied to data preparation, data reduction, and data analysis. Co-analysis of increasing number and volume of Earth science data has become more prevalent ushered by the plethora of Earth science data sources generated by US programs, international programs, field experiments, ground stations, and citizen scientists.Through work associated with the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation, ESDA types have been defined in terms of data analytics end goals. Goals of which are very different than those in business, requiring different tools and techniques. A sampling of use cases have been collected and analyzed in terms of data analytics end goal types, volume, specialized processing, and other attributes. The goal of collecting these use cases is to be able to better understand and specify requirements for data analytics tools and techniques yet to be implemented. This presentation will describe the attributes and preliminary findings of ESDA use cases, as well as provide early analysis of data analytics toolstechniques requirements that would support specific ESDA type goals. Representative existing data analytics toolstechniques relevant to ESDA will also be addressed.

Introduction to the Special Session on Thermal Remote Sensing Data for Earth Science Research: The Critical Need for Continued Data Collection and Development of Future Thermal Satellite Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale a.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.; Anderson, Martha; Hook, Simon

2006-01-01

There is a rich and long history of thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing data for multidisciplinary Earth science research. The continuity of TIR data collection, however, is now in jeopardy given there are no planned future Earth observing TIR remote sensing satellite systems with moderately high spatial resolutions to replace those currently in orbit on NASA's Terra suite of sensors. This session will convene researchers who have actively worked in the field of TIR remote sensing to present results that elucidate the importance of thermal remote sensing to the wider Earth science research community. Additionally, this session will also exist as a forum for presenting concepts and ideas for new thermal sensing systems with high spatial resolutions for future Earth science satellite missions, as opposed to planned systems such as the Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer (VIIRS) suite of sensors on the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) that will collect TIR data at very coarse iairesolutions.

Magnetic field of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Aleksey

2013-04-01

The magnetic field of the Earth has global meaning for a life on the Earth. The world geophysical science explains: - occurrence of a magnetic field of the Earth it is transformation of kinetic energy of movements of the fused iron in the liquid core of Earth - into the magnetic energy; - the warming up of a kernel of the Earth occurs due to radioactive disintegration of elements, with excretion of thermal energy. The world science does not define the reasons: - drift of a magnetic dipole on 0,2 a year to the West; - drift of lithospheric slabs and continents. The author offers: an alternative variant existing in a world science the theories "Geodynamo" - it is the theory « the Magnetic field of the Earth », created on the basis of physical laws. Education of a magnetic field of the Earth occurs at moving the electric charge located in a liquid kernel, at rotation of the Earth. At calculation of a magnetic field is used law the Bio Savara for a ring electric current: dB = . Magnetic induction in a kernel of the Earth: B = 2,58 Gs. According to the law of electromagnetic induction the Faradey, rotation of a iron kernel of the Earth in magnetic field causes occurrence of an electric field Emf which moves electrons from the center of a kernel towards the mantle. So of arise the radial electric currents. The magnetic field amplifies the iron of mantle and a kernel of the Earth. As a result of action of a radial electric field the electrons will flow from the center of a kernel in a layer of an electric charge. The central part of a kernel represents the field with a positive electric charge, which creates inverse magnetic field Binv and Emfinv When ?mfinv = ?mf ; ?inv = B, there will be an inversion a magnetic field of the Earth. It is a fact: drift of a magnetic dipole of the Earth in the western direction approximately 0,2 longitude, into a year. Radial electric currents a actions with the basic magnetic field of a Earth - it turn a kernel. It coincides with laws of electromagnetism. According to a rule of the left hand: if the magnetic field in a kernel is directed to drawing, electric current are directed to an axis of rotation of the Earth, - a action of force clockwise (to West). Definition of the force causing drift a kernel according to the law of Ampere F = IBlsin. Powerful force 3,5 × 1012 Nyton, what makes drift of the central part of a kernel of the Earth on 0,2 the longitude in year to West, and also it is engine of the mechanism of movement of slabs together with continents. Movement of a core of the Earth carry out around of a terrestrial axis one circulation in the western direction in 2000 of years. Linear speed of rotation of a kernel concerning a mantle on border the mantle a kernel: V = × 3,471 × 10 = 3,818 × 10 m/s = 33 m/day = 12 km/years. Considering greater viscosity of a mantle, the powerful energy at rotation of a kernel seize a mantle and lithospheric slabs and makes their collisions as a result of which there are earthquakes and volcano. Continents Northern and Southern America every year separate from the Europe and Africa on several centimeters. Atlantic ocean as a result of movement of these slabs with such speed was formed for 200 million years, that in comparison with the age of the Earth - several billions years, not so long time. Drift of a kernel in the western direction is a principal cause of delay of speed of rotation of the Earth. Flow of radial electric currents allot according to the law of Joule - Lenz, the quantity of warmth : Q = I2Rt = IUt, of thermal energy 6,92 × 1017 calories/year. This defines heating of a kernel and the Earth as a whole. In the valley of the median-Atlantic ridge having numerous volcanos, the lava flow constantly thus warm up waters of Atlantic ocean. It is a fact the warm current Gulf Stream. Thawing of a permafrost and ices of Arctic ocean, of glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica is acknowledgement: the warmth of earth defines character of thawing of glaciers and a permafrost. This is a global warming. The version of the author: the periods of inversion of a magnetic field of the Earth determine cycles of the Ice Age. At inversions of a magnetic field when B=0, radial electric currents are small or are absent, excretion of thermal energy minimally or an equal to zero,it is the beginning of the cooling the Earth and offensive of the Ice Age. Disappearance warm current Gulf Stream warming the north of the Europe and Canada. Drift of a magnetic dipole of the Earth in a rotation the opposite to rotation of the Earth, is acknowledgement of drift of a kernel of the Earth in a rotation the opposite to rotation of the Earth and is acknowledgement of the theory « the Magnetic field of the Earth ». The author continues to develop the theory « the Magnetic field of the Earth » and invites geophysicists to accept in it participation in it.

Integrating the Earth, Atmospheric, and Ocean Sciences at Millersville University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, R. D.

2005-12-01

For nearly 40 years, the Department of Earth Sciences at Millersville University (MU-DES) of Pennsylvania has been preparing students for careers in the earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences by providing a rigorous and comprehensive curricula leading to B.S. degrees in geology, meteorology, and oceanography. Undergraduate research is a hallmark of these earth sciences programs with over 30 students participating in some form of meritorious research each year. These programs are rich in applied physics, couched in mathematics, and steeped in technical computing and computer languages. Our success is measured by the number of students that find meaningful careers or go on to earn graduate degrees in their respective fields, as well as the high quality of faculty that the department has retained over the years. Student retention rates in the major have steadily increased with the introduction of a formal learning community and peer mentoring initiatives, and the number of new incoming freshmen and transfer students stands at an all-time high. Yet until recently, the disciplines have remained largely disparate with only minor inroads made into integrating courses that seek to address the Earth as a system. This is soon to change as the MU-DES unveils a new program leading to a B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems. The B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems (ISS) is not a reorganization of existing courses to form a marketable program. Instead, it is a fully integrated program two years in development that borrows from the multi-disciplinary backgrounds and experiences of faculty, while bringing in resources that are tailored to visualizing and modeling the Earth system. The result is the creation of a cross-cutting curriculum designed to prepare the 21st century student for the challenges and opportunities attending the holistic study of the Earth as a system. MU-DES will continue to offer programs leading to degrees in geology, meteorology, and ocean science, but in addition, the B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems will serve those students who find excitement at the boundaries of these disciplines, and prepare them for careers in this emerging field. The ISS program will target high school students of the highest caliber who demonstrate strong aptitude in mathematics and the physical sciences, who will need a minimum amount of remedial work. These select students will be exposed to courses in Earth Systems: Cycles and Interactions, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Air-Sea Interaction, Boundary Layers and Turbulence, Climate Variability and Global Change, Atmosphere-Ocean Modeling, Solar-Terrestrial Interactions, Weather Systems Science, Earth Observing Systems, Remote Sensing and more, as part of the ISS curriculum. This paper will highlight the MU-DES programs and learning initiatives and expand and elaborate on the new program in ISS.

Atmospheric Research 2016 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platnick, Steven

2017-01-01

Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Divisions goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the Earth Sciences Division in atmospheric science research. Figure 1.1 shows the 22-year record of peer-reviewed publications and proposals among the various laboratories.

NASA's Global Change Master Directory: Discover and Access Earth Science Data Sets, Related Data Services, and Climate Diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleman, A.; Olsen, L. M.; Ritz, S.; Stevens, T.; Morahan, M.; Grebas, S. K.

2011-12-01

NASA's Global Change Master Directory provides the scientific community with the ability to discover, access, and use Earth science data, data-related services, and climate diagnostics worldwide.The GCMD offers descriptions of Earth science data sets using the Directory Interchange Format (DIF) metadata standard; Earth science related data services are described using the Service Entry Resource Format (SERF); and climate visualizations are described using the Climate Diagnostic (CD) standard. The DIF, SERF and CD standards each capture data attributes used to determine whether a data set, service, or climate visualization is relevant to a user's needs.Metadata fields include: title, summary, science keywords, service keywords, data center, data set citation, personnel, instrument, platform, quality, related URL, temporal and spatial coverage, data resolution and distribution information.In addition, nine valuable sets of controlled vocabularies have been developed to assist users in normalizing the search for data descriptions. An update to the GCMD's search functionality is planned to further capitalize on the controlled vocabularies during database queries.By implementing a dynamic keyword "tree", users will have the ability to search for data sets by combining keywords in new ways.This will allow users to conduct more relevant and efficient database searches to support the free exchange and re-use of Earth science data.

Methodology for Time-Domain Estimation of Storm-Time Electric Fields Using the 3D Earth Impedance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelbert, A.; Balch, C. C.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Egbert, G. D.; Love, J. J.; Rigler, E. J.; Fujii, I.

2016-12-01

Magnetic storms can induce geoelectric fields in the Earth's electrically conducting interior, interfering with the operations of electric-power grid industry. The ability to estimate these electric fields at Earth's surface in close to real-time and to provide local short-term predictions would improve the ability of the industry to protect their operations. At any given time, the electric field at the Earth's surface is a function of the time-variant magnetic activity (driven by the solar wind), and the local electrical conductivity structure of the Earth's crust and mantle. For this reason, implementation of an operational electric field estimation service requires an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort between space science, real-time space weather operations, and solid Earth geophysics. We highlight in this talk an ongoing collaboration between USGS, NOAA, NASA, Oregon State University, and the Japan Meteorological Agency, to develop algorithms that can be used for scenario analyses and which might be implemented in a real-time, operational setting. We discuss the development of a time domain algorithm that employs discrete time domain representation of the impedance tensor for a realistic 3D Earth, known as the discrete time impulse response (DTIR), convolved with the local magnetic field time series, to estimate the local electric field disturbances. The algorithm is validated against measured storm-time electric field data collected in the United States and Japan. We also discuss our plans for operational real-time electric field estimation using 3D Earth impedances.

The Howard University Program in Atmospheric Sciences (HUPAS): A Program Exemplifying Diversity and Opportunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Vernon R.; Joseph, Everette; Smith, Sonya; Yu, Tsann-wang

2012-01-01

This paper discusses experiences and lessons learned from developing an interdisciplinary graduate program (IDP) during the last 10 y: The Howard University Graduate Program in Atmospheric Sciences (HUPAS). HUPAS is the first advanced degree program in the atmospheric sciences, or related fields such as meteorology and earth system sciences,…

AGU Webinars: Leveraging 21st Century Technology to Level the Playing Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janick, N. G.; Harwell, D. E.; Hankin, E. R.; Asher, P. M.; Marasco, L.

2017-12-01

AGU Webinars offer weekly insights into topics in the Earth and space sciences presented by scientists and other experts every Thursday at 2:00 pm ET. Its monthly Professional Development series emphasizes essential soft skills, connections to experiential and learning opportunities, jobs outside of academia, and other career resources. Additional topics focus on science communication, science policy, special topics for Earth and space science department heads and chairs, technical highlights from AGU Meetings and Publications, among others. By offering these live sessions and recordings free of charge to all participants, AGU is removing barriers to entry and encouraging diversity in the global talent pool of Earth and space scientists. This presentation will look at the first year of the AGU Webinars program and explore its future goals and how we can achieve them together.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-10-01

Using the Solar Vector Magnetograph, a solar observation facility at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), scientists from the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Alabama, are monitoring the explosive potential of magnetic areas of the Sun. This effort could someday lead to better prediction of severe space weather, a phenomenon that occurs when blasts of particles and magnetic fields from the Sun impact the magnetosphere, the magnetic bubble around the Earth. When massive solar explosions, known as coronal mass ejections, blast through the Sun's outer atmosphere and plow toward Earth at speeds of thousands of miles per second, the resulting effects can be harmful to communication satellites and astronauts outside the Earth's magnetosphere. Like severe weather on Earth, severe space weather can be costly. On the ground, the magnetic storm wrought by these solar particles can knock out electric power. The researchers from MSFC and NSSTC's solar physics group develop instruments for measuring magnetic fields on the Sun. With these instruments, the group studies the origin, structure, and evolution of the solar magnetic field and the impact it has on Earth's space environment. This photograph shows the Solar Vector Magnetograph and Dr. Mona Hagyard of MSFC, the director of the observatory who leads the development, operation and research program of the Solar Vector Magnetograph.

Astrosociology and Science Fiction: a Synergy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caroti, Simone

2010-01-01

Both astrosociology and science fiction have claimed outer space as their preferred turf. Astrosociology did so in order to study the impact of space on human societies, and to develop a set of protocols that earthbound governments can utilize to prepare us for the next phase of humanity's adventure outside our home planet. Science fiction, on the other hand, found in outer space a fitting environment for dramatizing in a work of fiction the potential outcomes attending the kind of decision astrosociology is trying to foster in actuality. This paper explores the relationship between the two fields, and examines ways in which science fiction can contribute to the creation of an astrosociological consciousness. Particular attention will be given to the most relevant commonality that the two fields share: both astrosociology and science fiction are earthbound disciplines, areas of inquiry created by those who never left earth for those who never left earth. They can potentially function as partners in the endeavor of educating the bulk of humanity on the subject of space flight and space colonization.

A relevancy algorithm for curating earth science data around phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, Manil; Ramachandran, Rahul; Li, Xiang; Weigel, Amanda; Bugbee, Kaylin; Gatlin, Patrick; Miller, J. J.

2017-09-01

Earth science data are being collected for various science needs and applications, processed using different algorithms at multiple resolutions and coverages, and then archived at different archiving centers for distribution and stewardship causing difficulty in data discovery. Curation, which typically occurs in museums, art galleries, and libraries, is traditionally defined as the process of collecting and organizing information around a common subject matter or a topic of interest. Curating data sets around topics or areas of interest addresses some of the data discovery needs in the field of Earth science, especially for unanticipated users of data. This paper describes a methodology to automate search and selection of data around specific phenomena. Different components of the methodology including the assumptions, the process, and the relevancy ranking algorithm are described. The paper makes two unique contributions to improving data search and discovery capabilities. First, the paper describes a novel methodology developed for automatically curating data around a topic using Earth science metadata records. Second, the methodology has been implemented as a stand-alone web service that is utilized to augment search and usability of data in a variety of tools.

Climate Literacy: STEM and Climate Change Education and Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, S. R.

2015-12-01

NASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE) is a competitive project to promote climate and Earth system science literacy and seeks to increase the access of underrepresented minority groups to science careers and educational opportunities. A three year funding was received from NASA to partnership with JSU and MSU under cooperative agreement "Strengthening Global Climate Change education through Remote Sensing Application in Coastal Environment using NASA Satellite Data and Models". The goal is to increase the number of highschool and undergraduate students at Jackson State University, a Historically Black University, who are prepared to pursue higher academic degrees and careers in STEM fields. A five Saturday course/workshop was held during March/April 2015 at JSU, focusing on historical and technical concepts of math, enginneering, technology and atmosphere and climate change and remote sensing technology and applications to weather and climate. Nine students from meteorology, biology, industrial technology and computer science/engineering of JSU and 19 high scool students from Jackson Public Schools participated in the course/workshop. The lecture topics include: introduction to remote sensing and GIS, introduction to atmospheric science, math and engineering, climate, introduction to NASA innovations in climate education, introduction to remote sensing technology for bio-geosphere, introduction to earth system science, principles of paleoclimatology and global change, daily weather briefing, satellite image interpretation and so on. In addition to lectures, lab sessions were held for hand-on experiences for remote sensing applications to atmosphere, biosphere, earth system science and climate change using ERDAS/ENVI GIS software and satellite tools. Field trip to Barnett reservoir and National weather Service (NWS) was part of the workshop. Basics of Earth System Science is a non-mathematical introductory course designed for high school seniors, high school teachers and undergraduate students who may or may not have adequate exposure to fundamental concepts of the key components of the modern earth system and their interactions. This is an online course that will be delivered using Blackboard platform available at Jackson State University.

Learning geosciences from science fictions movies: A quantitative analysis of Pando-magnetism in Avatar.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Hernandez, F.; Negredo, A. M.; Salguero, J. M.

2015-12-01

Many storylines presenting a geoscientific background are portrayed in science fiction movies. However, this background is often discussed only in qualitative terms in outreach books and forums. Here we report a mentoring experience of an end of degree project carried out in the fourth year of the degree in Physics in the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). The supervisors intended to take advantage of the students' passion for science fiction movies to foster learning by assessing a robust, quantitative and critical analysis of the main geoscientific phenomena appearing in Avatar movie by James Cameron (2009). The student was supposed to consult abundant scientific literature. Much interest was paid to analyze the conditions for the levitation of Hallelujah floating mountains in Pandora, the imaginary satellite where the movie action takes place. Pandora was assumed to be an Earth-like astronomical object where the same physical laws as in the Earth could be applied. Hallelujah Mountains are made of unobtanium, an electrical superconductor at room-temperature and therefore diamagnetic material and they are assumed to be located over a magnetic field pole. The numerical values of the magnetic susceptibility and the required field to make the material levitate at the Pandora's gravity conditions were estimated. For this purpose, the magnetic susceptibility of the superconductor with the highest critical temperature existing today on Earth, the cuprate YBa2Cu3O7 was estimated. Results were compared with the magnetic susceptibility of two diamagnetic and abundant materials in the Earth's crust, namely quartz and calcite, and with the water susceptibility. The magnetic field required to levitate cuprates was almost 9 T, about six orders of magnitude higher than the Earth's magnetic field. On the basis of the quantitative analysis of magnetic and gravity field in Pandora, the student provided a list of suggestions to improve the scientific basis for futures releases.

UAS Applications for Hurricane Science, Hurrican and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braun, Scott

2014-01-01

Earth Science Industry Update: UAS Applications for Hurricane Science Unmanned systems can significantly transform hurricane observations and monitoring, improving our knowledge about and ability to forecast storm formation, track, and intensity change. NASA's use of the Global Hawk has demonstrated the scientific value of this platform and provided a proof-of-concept for operational applications. However, science flight operations face several challenges and constraints. In this session, learn about how NASA adapted the Global Hawk to do science; How NASA conducts its hurricane missions, and some of the challenges and constraints they face; Science results from NASA's recent hurricane field campaigns using the Global Hawk. How assimilation of dropsonde and radar data into weather prediction models may improve forecast accuracy; Other Earth science problems that could be addressed with Global Hawks.

The American Indian Summer Institute in Earth System Science (AISESS) at UC Irvine: A Two-Week Residential Summer Program for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, K. R.; Polequaptewa, N.; Leon, Y.

2012-12-01

Native Americans remain severely underrepresented in the geosciences, despite a clear need for qualified geoscience professionals within Tribal communities to address critical issues such as natural resource and land management, water and air pollution, and climate change. In addition to the need for geoscience professionals within Tribal communities, increased participation of Native Americans in the geosciences would enhance the overall diversity of perspectives represented within the Earth science community and lead to improved Earth science literacy within Native communities. To address this need, the Department of Earth System Science and the American Indian Resource Program at the University California have organized a two-week residential American Indian Summer Institute in Earth System Science (AISESS) for high-school students (grades 9-12) from throughout the nation. The format of the AISESS program is based on the highly-successful framework of a previous NSF Funded American Indian Summer Institute in Computer Science (AISICS) at UC Irvine and involves key senior personnel from the AISICS program. The AISESS program, however, incorporates a week of camping on the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians reservation in Northern San Diego County, California. Following the week of camping and field projects, the students spend a week on the campus of UC Irvine participating in Earth System Science lectures, laboratory activities, and tours. The science curriculum is closely woven together with cultural activities, native studies, and communication skills programs The program culminates with a closing ceremony during which students present poster projects on environmental issues relevant to their tribal communities. The inaugural AISESS program took place from July 15th-28th, 2012. We received over 100 applications from Native American high school students from across the nation. We accepted 40 students for the first year, of which 34 attended the program. The objective of the program is to introduce students to Earth System Science and, hopefully, inspire them to pursue Earth or Environmental Science degrees. Towards this end, we developed a fairly broad curriculum which will be presented here. Evaluation planning was conducted during the first quarter of 2012 during recruitment. A longitudinal database was established for the project to track college preparatory course-taking, GPA, school attendance, participation in earth science activities, and attitudes and interest in attending college and completing a degree after high school. Based on attendance during AISESS, schools and students will be selected as descriptive case studies. A pre-post design for evaluating the Summer Institute includes a survey about student background, attitudes, and knowledge about preparing to complete high school and attend college after graduation and focus groups of participants immediately after the Institute to capture qualitative data about their experiences in the field and at the University. Initial evaluation results will be presented here.

Designing Summer Outreach Programs as an Engagement tool to connect Underserved and Underrepresented HS Students with Climate Science Topics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Güereque, M.; Pennington, D. D.; Ricketts, J.; Salas, K.

2017-12-01

The EarthTech outreach program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks to expand the inclusion of underserved and under-represented high-school students into the geoscience pipeline. A successful partnership with the federally funded, year-round college preparatory program for high school students Upward Bound (UB) program at UTEP was decisive for the success and execution of the program. Program activities aimed to engage students and expand their knowledge of the Earth Sciences through participation in STEM hands-on activities, incorporating technology and field experiences. For its third year, the program chose to address the intersection of climate science and societal issues by selecting an overall topic for the week-long program that students could relate and understand from personal experiences, facilitating participation. The exposure to outdoor on-site learning experiences via field trips, coupled with introducing data analysis projects using NASA's GLOBE program, proved to be critical learning components based on student feedback; allowing students to engage with their surroundings and relate to basic Earth Science knowledge and principles. Qualitative feedback and discussion of the program and its activities are presented here.

Climate Change Education Today in K-12: What's Happening in the Earth and Space Science Classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzer, M. A.; National Earth Science Teachers Association

2011-12-01

Climate change is a highly interdisciplinary topic, involving not only multiple fields of science, but also social science and the humanities. There are many aspects of climate change science that make it particularly well-suited for exploration in the K-12 setting, including opportunities to explore the unifying processes of science such as complex systems, models, observations, change and evolution. Furthermore, this field of science offers the opportunity to observe the nature of science in action - including how scientists develop and improve their understanding through research and debate. Finally, climate change is inherently highly relevant to students - indeed, students today will need to deal with the consequences of the climate change. The science of climate change is clearly present in current science education standards, both at the National level as well as in the majority of states. Nonetheless, a significant number of teachers across the country report difficulties addressing climate change in the classroom. The National Earth Science Teachers Association has conducted several surveys of Earth and space science educators across the country over the past several years on a number of issues, including their needs and concerns, including their experience of external influences on what they teach. While the number of teachers that report external pressures to not teach climate change science are in the minority (and less than the pressure to not teach evolution and related topics), our results suggest that this pressure against climate change science in the K-12 classroom has grown over the past several years. Some teachers report being threatened by parents, being encouraged by administrators to not teach the subject, and a belief that the "two sides" of climate change should be taught. Survey results indicate that teachers in religious or politically-conservative districts are more likely to report difficulties in teaching about climate change than in other areas of the country. This presentation will provide an overview of our most recent survey results on climate change education in the K-12 Earth and space science classroom, including highlighting some of the strategies that teachers are using to bring this critically important area of science to their students.

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brecht, J. J. (Editor)

1974-01-01

Information dealing with active and planned spacecraft and experiments known to the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is presented. Included is information concerning a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft represent the efforts and funding of individual countries, as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries.

Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN): Fostering Excellence in Earth Science Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haidl, F. M.; Vodden, C.; Bates, J. L.; Morgan, A. V.

2009-05-01

CGEN, the outreach arm of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences, is a network of more than 270 individuals from all over Canada who work to promote geoscience education and public awareness of science. CGEN's priorities are threefold: to improve the quality of Earth science education delivered in our primary and secondary schools; to raise public awareness about the Earth sciences and their impact on everyday life; and to encourage student interest in the Earth sciences as a career option. These priorities are supported by CGEN's six core programs: 1) The national EdGEO program (www.edgeo.org), initiated in the 1970s, supports Earth science workshops for teachers. These workshops, organized by teams of local educators and geoscientists, provide teachers with "enhanced knowledge, classroom resources and increased confidence" to more effectively teach Earth science. In 2008, a record 521 teachers attended 14 EdGEO workshops. 2) EarthNet (www.earthnet-geonet.ca) is a virtual resource centre that provides support for teachers and for geoscientists involved in education and outreach. In 2008, EarthNet received a $11,500 grant from Encana Corporation to develop energy-related content. 3) The new Careers in Earth Science website (www.earthsciencescanada.com/careers), launched in October 2008, enhances CGEN's capacity to encourage students to pursue a career in the Earth sciences. This project exemplifies the value of collaboration with other organizations. Seven groups provided financial support for the project and many other organizations and individuals contributed in-kind support. 4) Geoscape Canada and Waterscape Canada, programs led by the Geological Survey of Canada, communicate practical Earth science information to teachers, students, and other members of communities across Canada through a series of electronic and hard-copy posters and other resources. Many of the resources created from 1998 to 2007 are available online (www.geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca). A northern British Columbia geological highway map was published in 2008. In the works are a geological map for southern British Columbia and three community and regional geoscience guides. 5) What on Earth (www.whatonearth.org), a biannual national newsletter established at the University of Waterloo in 1987, provides a range of Earth science information for teachers in Canada and elsewhere. It was originally published as a colourful printed newsletter, which in recent years was also available online; new issues will be available only online. 6) Friends of Canadian Geoheritage is a new national program currently being piloted in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, where it is working with municipal and other government agencies, schools, universities, and community groups to help preserve, protect and promote Canada's rich geoheritage. A new Geo-Park, a book on building materials in Ottawa, a Geoheritage day, field trips and public talks are just some of the initiatives underway.

Geophysics: The Earth in Space. A Guide for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC.

Geophysics is the application of physics, chemistry, and mathematics to the problems and processes of the earth, from its innermost core to its outermost environs in space. Fields within geophysics include the atmospheric sciences; geodesy; geomagnetism and paleomagnetism; hydrology; oceanography; planetology; seismology; solar-planetary…

Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Official journal of Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences (JAMS), focusing on mineralogical and petrological sciences and their related fields. Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences (JMPS) is the successor journal to both “Journal of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology” and “Mineralogical Journal”. Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences (JMPS) is indexed in the ISI database (Thomson Reuters), the Science Citation Index-Expanded, Current Contents/Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences, and ISI Alerting Services.

Earth and Space Science Ph.D. Class of 2003 Report released

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keelor, Brad

AGU and the American Geological Institute (AGI) released on 26 July an employment study of 180 Earth and space science Ph.D. recipients who received degrees from U.S. universities in 2003. The AGU/AGI survey asked graduates about their education and employment, efforts to find their first job after graduation, and experiences in graduate school. Key results from the study include: The vast majority (87%) of 2003 graduates found work in the Earth and space sciences, earning salaries commensurate with or slightly higher than 2001 and 2002 salary averages. Most (64%) graduates were employed within academia (including postdoctoral appointments), with the remainder in government (19%), industry (10%), and other (7%) sectors. Most graduates were positive about their employment situation and found that their work was challenging, relevant, and appropriate for someone with a Ph.D. The percentage of Ph.D. recipients accepting postdoctoral positions (58%) increased slightly from 2002. In contrast, the fields of physics and chemistry showed significant increases in postdoctoral appointments for Ph.D.s during the same time period. As in previous years, recipients of Ph.D.s in the Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences (median age of 32.7 years) are slightly older than Ph.D. recipients in most other natural sciences (except computer sciences), which is attributed to time taken off between undergraduate and graduate studies. Women in the Earth, atmospheric,and ocean sciences earned 33% of Ph.D.s in the class of 2003, surpassing the percentage of Ph.D.s earned by women in chemistry (32%) and well ahead of the percentage in computer sciences (20%), physics (19%), and engineering (17%). Participation of other underrepresented groups in the Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences remained extremely low.

The Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP) Science Data Products: Results of Testing with Field Experiment and Algorithm Testbed Simulation Environment Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Entekhabi, Dara; Njoku, Eni E.; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Kellogg, Kent H.; Entin, Jared K.

2010-01-01

Talk outline 1. Derivation of SMAP basic and applied science requirements from the NRC Earth Science Decadal Survey applications 2. Data products and latencies 3. Algorithm highlights 4. SMAP Algorithm Testbed 5. SMAP Working Groups and community engagement

Graded Course of Study, Science (K-12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euclid City Schools, OH.

This course of study specifies the science skills and concepts that are to be taught in the various grades of the Euclid (Ohio) City Schools. Included are instructional objectives for the life, physical, and earth sciences for grades K to 6, suggested field trips and planetarium schedules (by elementary grade levels), and scope and sequence charts…

Laboratory Experiences for Disadvantaged Youth in the Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baillie, John H.

This guide contains experiments in the fields of Physical Science, Earth Science, and Biological Science designed to be used with any series of texts in a sequence for disadvantaged youth in the middle school. Any standard classroom can be used, with minor modifications and inexpensive equipment and materials. All students could participate,…

High School Girls' Negotiation of Perceived Self-Efficacy and Science Course Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Jill Voorhees; Johnson, Ane Turner

2017-01-01

Sustainability issues have led to increased demands for a STEM-literate society and workforce. Potential contributors need to be competent, have an understanding of earth and physical sciences, and be willing to pursue such fields. High school girls, however, remain underrepresented in physical science course enrollments (College Board, 2014).…

NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Centers Near Real-Time Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davenport, T.; Parker, L.; Rinsland, P. L.

2014-12-01

Over the past decade the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center has archived and distributed a variety of satellite mission data sets. NASA's goal in Earth science is to observe, understand, and model the Earth system to discover how it is changing, to better predict change, and to understand the consequences for life on Earth. The ASDC has collaborated with Science Teams to accommodate emerging science users in the climate and modeling communities. The ASDC has expanded its original role to support operational usage by related Earth Science satellites, support land and ocean assimilations, support of field campaigns, outreach programs, and application projects for agriculture and energy industries to bridge the gap between Earth science research results and the adoption of data and prediction capabilities for reliable and sustained use in Decision Support Systems (DSS). For example; these products are being used by the community performing data assimilations to regulate aerosol mass in global transport models to improve model response and forecast accuracy, to assess the performance of components of a global coupled atmospheric-ocean climate model, improve atmospheric motion vector (winds) impact on numerical weather prediction models, and to provide internet-based access to parameters specifically tailored to assist in the design of solar and wind powered renewable energy systems. These more focused applications often require Near Real-Time (NRT) products. Generating NRT products pose their own unique set challenges for the ASDC and the Science Teams. Examples of ASDC NRT products and challenges will be discussed.

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horowitz, R. (Editor); Nostreys, R. W. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Information on current and planned spacecraft activity for a broad range of scientific disciplines is presented. The information covers a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, Earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represent the efforts and funding of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries.

Auroras and Space Weather Celebrating the International Heliophysics Year in Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, N.; Peticolas, L. M.; Angelopoulos, V.; Thompson, B.

2007-05-01

2007 Celebrates the International Heliophysics year and its outreach has a primary objective, to "demonstrate the beauty, relevance and significance of Space and Earth Science to the world." NASA's first five-satellite mission, THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms), was launched on February 17, 2007 and is to investigate a key mystery surrounding the dynamics of the auroras- when, where, and how are they triggered? When the five probes align perfectly over the North American continent- every four days - and with 20 ground stations in Northern Canada and Alaska with automated, all-sky cameras will document the auroras from Earth. To monitor the large-scale local effects of the currents in space, THEMIS Education and Outreach program has installed 10 ground magnetometers, instruments that measure Earth's magnetic field, in competitively selected rural schools around the country and receive data. The THEMIS Education and Outreach Program shares the IHY objective by bringing in this live local space weather data in the classrooms and engaging the teachers and students on authentic research in the classroom. The data are displayed on the school computer monitors as well as on the THEMIS E/PO website providing the local data to the science mission as well as schools. Teachers use the data to teach about the aurora not only in math and science, but also in Earth science, history and art. These students and their teachers are our ambassadors to rural America and share the excitement of learning and teaching with their regional teachers. We will share how authentic space science data related to Earth's magnetic field and auroras can be understood, researched, predicted and shared via the internet to any school around the globe that wished to be part of tracking solar storms. Complimenting IHY, World Space Week will take place from October 4-10th and this year. World Space week is "an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition." THEMIS will take part in World Space Week as a feature science mission with its education program contributing materials to the project so that students around the world can learn more about Earth's magnetic field, magnetic storms and substorms, and beautiful auroras. To facilitate the use of some of our magnetism materials around the world, we will provide some of our activities in German and Spanish on the web.

Cohort studies in health sciences librarianship.

PubMed

Eldredge, Jonathan

2002-10-01

What are the key characteristics of the cohort study design and its varied applications, and how can this research design be utilized in health sciences librarianship? The health, social, behavioral, biological, library, earth, and management sciences literatures were used as sources. All fields except for health sciences librarianship were scanned topically for either well-known or diverse applications of the cohort design. The health sciences library literature available to the author principally for the years 1990 to 2000, supplemented by papers or posters presented at annual meetings of the Medical Library Association. A narrative review for the health, social, behavioral, biological, earth, and management sciences literatures and a systematic review for health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000, with three exceptions, were conducted. The author conducted principally a manual search of the health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000 as part of this systematic review. The cohort design has been applied to answer a wide array of theoretical or practical research questions in the health, social, behavioral, biological, and management sciences. Health sciences librarianship also offers several major applications of the cohort design. The cohort design has great potential for answering research questions in the field of health sciences librarianship, particularly evidence-based librarianship (EBL), although that potential has not been fully explored.

EarthLabs: A National Model for Earth Science Lab Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2008-12-01

As a response to the need for more rigorous, inquiry-based high school Earth science courses, a coalition of scientists, educators, and five states have created EarthLabs, a set of pilot modules that can serve as a national model for lab-based science courses. The content of EarthLabs chapters focuses on Earth system science and environmental literacy and conforms to the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The effort is funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. The pilot modules present activities on Corals, Drought, Fisheries, and Hurricanes. The Fisheries and Hurricanes units were reviewed and field-tested by educators in Texas and Arizona. The feedback from this evaluation led to revisions of these units and guided development of the Corals and Drought chapters. Each module consists of activities that use online data sets, satellite imagery, web-based readings, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The project comprises two separate websites, one for the instructor and one for students. The instructor's site contains the pedagogical underpinnings for each lab including teaching materials, assessment strategies, and the alignment of activities with state and national science standards. The student site provides access to all materials that students need to complete the activities or, in the case of the hands-on labs, where they access additional information to help extend their learning. There are also formative and summative questions embedded in the student webpages to help scaffold learning through the activities.

GES DISC Data Recipes in Jupyter Notebooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, A.; Banavige, B.; Garimella, K.; Rice, J.; Shen, S.; Liu, Z.

2017-12-01

The Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project manages twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) which are geographically dispersed across the United States. The DAACs are responsible for ingesting, processing, archiving, and distributing Earth science data produced from various sources (satellites, aircraft, field measurements, etc.). In response to projections of an exponential increase in data production, there has been a recent effort to prototype various DAAC activities in the cloud computing environment. This, in turn, led to the creation of an initiative, called the Cloud Analysis Toolkit to Enable Earth Science (CATEES), to develop a Python software package in order to transition Earth science data processing to the cloud. This project, in particular, supports CATEES and has two primary goals. One, transition data recipes created by the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Service Center (GES DISC) DAAC into an interactive and educational environment using Jupyter Notebooks. Two, acclimate Earth scientists to cloud computing. To accomplish these goals, we create Jupyter Notebooks to compartmentalize the different steps of data analysis and help users obtain and parse data from the command line. We also develop a Docker container, comprised of Jupyter Notebooks, Python library dependencies, and command line tools, and configure it into an easy to deploy package. The end result is an end-to-end product that simulates the use case of end users working in the cloud computing environment.

From field data collection to earth sciences dissemination: mobile examples in the digital era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giardino, Marco; Ghiraldi, Luca; Palomba, Mauro; Perotti, Luigi

2015-04-01

In the framework of the technological and cultural revolution related to the massive diffusion of mobile devices, as smartphones and tablets, the information management and accessibility is changing, and many software houses and developer communities realized applications that can meet various people's needs. Modern collection, storing and sharing of data have radically changed, and advances in ICT increasingly involve field-based activities. Progresses in these researches and applications depend on three main components: hardware, software and web system. Since 2008 the geoSITLab multidisciplinary group (Earth Sciences Department and NatRisk Centre of the University of Torino and the Natural Sciences Museum of the Piemonte Region) is active in defining and testing methods for collecting, managing and sharing field information using mobile devices. Key issues include: Geomorphological Digital Mapping, Natural Hazards monitoring, Geoheritage assessment and applications for the teaching of Earth Sciences. An overview of the application studies is offered here, including the use of Mobile tools for data collection, the construction of relational databases for inventory activities and the test of Web-Mapping tools and mobile apps for data dissemination. The fil rouge of connection is a standardized digital approach allowing the use of mobile devices in each step of the process, which will be analysed within different projects set up by the research group (Geonathaz, EgeoFieldwork, Progeo Piemonte, GeomediaWeb). The hardware component mainly consists of the availability of handheld mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, PDAs and Tablets). The software component corresponds to applications for spatial data visualization on mobile devices, such as composite mobile GIS or simple location-based apps. The web component allows the integration of collected data into geodatabase based on client-server architecture, where the information can be easily loaded, uploaded and shared between field staff and data management team, in order to disseminate collected information to media or to inform the decision makers. Results demonstrated the possibility to record field observations in a fast and reliable way, using standardized formats that can improve the precision of collected information and lower the possibility of errors and data omission. Dedicated forms have been set up for gathering different thematic data (geologic/geomorphologic, faunal and floristic, path system…etc.). Field data allowed to arrange maps and SDI useful for many application purposes: from country-planning to disaster risk management, from Geoheritage management to Earth Science concepts dissemination.

Transfer of New Earth Science Understandings to Classroom Teaching: Lessons Learned From Teachers on the Leading Edge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, R.; Ault, C.; Bishop, E.; Southworth-Neumeyer, T.; Magura, B.; Hedeen, C.; Groom, R.; Shay, K.; Wagner, R.

2006-05-01

Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE) provided a field-based teacher professional development program that explored the active continental margin geology of the Pacific Northwest during a two-week field workshop that traversed Oregon from the Pacific Coast to the Snake River. The seventeen teachers on this journey of geological discovery experienced regional examples of subduction-margin geology and examined the critical role of geophysics in connecting geologic features with plate tectonic processes. Two examples of successful transfer of science content learning to classroom teaching are: (1) Great Earthquakes and Tsunamis. This topic was addressed through instruction on earthquake seismology; field observations of tsunami geology; examination of tsunami preparedness of a coastal community; and interactive learning activities for children at an Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Camp. Teachers at Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland developed a story line for middle school students called "The Tsunami Hotline" in which inquiries from citizens serve as launch points for studies of tsunamis, earthquakes, and active continental margin geology. OMSI Science Camps is currently developing a new summer science camp program entitled "Tsunami Field Study" for students ages 12-14, based largely on TOTLE's Great Earthquakes and Tsunamis Day. (2) The Grand Cross Section. Connecting regional geologic features with plate tectonic processes was addressed many times during the field workshop. This culminated with teachers drawing cross sections from the Juan de Fuca Ridge across the active continental margin to the accreted terranes of northeast Oregon. Several TOTLE teachers have successfully transferred this activity to their classrooms by having student teams relate earthquakes and volcanoes to plate tectonics through artistic renderings of The Grand Cross Section. Analysis of program learning transfer to classroom teaching (or lack thereof) clearly indicates the importance of pedagogical content knowledge and having teachers share their wisdom in crafting new earth science content knowledge into learning activities. These lessons and adjustments to TOTLE program goals and strategies may be valuable to other Geoscience educators seeking to prepare K-12 teachers to convey the discoveries of EarthScope's USArray and Plate Boundary Observatory experiments to their students.

NASA Applied Sciences' DEVELOP Program Fosters the Next Generation of Earth Remote Sensing Scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childs, Lauren M.; Brozen, Madeline W.; Gleason, Jonathan L.; Silcox, Tracey L.; Rea, Mimi; Holley, Sharon D.; Renneboog, Nathan; Underwood, Lauren W.; Ross, Kenton W.

2009-01-01

Satellite remote sensing technology and the science associated with the evaluation of the resulting data are constantly evolving. To meet the growing needs related to this industry, a team of personnel that understands the fundamental science as well as the scientific applications related to remote sensing is essential. Therefore, the workforce that will excel in this field requires individuals who not only have a strong academic background, but who also have practical hands-on experience with remotely sensed data, and have developed knowledge of its real-world applications. NASA's DEVELOP Program has played an integral role in fulfilling this need. DEVELOP is a NASA Science Mission Directorate Applied Sciences training and development program that extends the benefits of NASA Earth science research and technology to society.

Self-Guided Field Explorations: Integrating Earth Science into Students' Lives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkby, K. C.; Kirkby, S.

2013-12-01

Self-guided field explorations are a simple way to transform an earth science class into a more pedagogically effective experience. Previous experience demonstrated that self-guided student explorations of museum and aquarium exhibits were both extremely popular and remarkably effective. That success led our program to test an expansion of the concept to include self-guided student explorations in outdoor field settings. Preliminary assessment indicates these self-guided field explorations are nearly as popular with students as the museum and aquarium explorations and are as pedagogically effective. Student gains on post-instruction assessment match or exceed those seen in instructor-assisted, hands-on, small group laboratory activities and completely eclipse gains achieved by traditional lecture instruction. As importantly, self-guided field explorations provide a way to integrate field experiences into large enrollment courses where the sheer scale of class trips makes them logistically impossible. This expands course breadth, integrating new topics that could not be as effectively covered by the original class structure. Our introductory program assessed two models of self-guided field explorations. A walking/cycling exploration of the Saint Anthony Falls area, a mile from campus, focuses on the intersections of geological processes with human history. Students explore the geology behind the waterfalls' evolution as well as its subsequent social and economic impacts on human history. A second exploration focuses on the campus area geology, including its building stones as well as its landscape evolution. In both explorations, the goal was to integrate geology with the students' broader understanding of the world they live in. Although the explorations' creation requires a significant commitment, once developed, self-guided explorations are surprisingly low maintenance. These explorations provide a model of a simple, highly effective pedagogical tool that is easily adapted to almost any campus setting. A number of factors contribute to self-guided explorations' success. For most students, these are novel, particularly memorable experiences. Interactive in nature, self-guided explorations are also relaxed, self-paced instruction without the pressures that can dominate other educational settings. Well designed explorations build on students' prior knowledge, allowing them to integrate new earth science concepts with familiar ideas and settings. By creating connections between geology and human society, these explorations also make earth science more relevant to students who had not previously considered their world from a geological perspective. By their very nature, explorations are place-centered education which helps ground instruction and makes it more relevant to students without strong science backgrounds. Further these explorations give students control over, and responsibility for, their own learning, which is always a pedagogically sound approach. Finally, self-guided explorations can integrate earth science education into students' social lives as most students choose to complete the explorations in groups, often with friends and family who are not enrolled in the course.

Who uses NASA Earth Science Data? Connecting with Users through the Earthdata website and Social Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, M. M.; Brennan, J.; Bagwell, R.; Behnke, J.

2015-12-01

This poster will introduce and explore the various social media efforts, monthly webinar series and a redesigned website (https://earthdata.nasa.gov) established by National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) project. EOSDIS is a key core capability in NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program. It provides end-to-end capabilities for managing NASA's Earth science data from various sources - satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. It is comprised of twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), Science Computing Facilities (SCFs), data discovery and service access client (Reverb and Earthdata Search), dataset directory (Global Change Master Directory - GCMD), near real-time data (Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS - LANCE), Worldview (an imagery visualization interface), Global Imagery Browse Services, the Earthdata Code Collaborative and a host of other discipline specific data discovery, data access, data subsetting and visualization tools. We have embarked on these efforts to reach out to new audiences and potential new users and to engage our diverse end user communities world-wide. One of the key objectives is to increase awareness of the breadth of Earth science data information, services, and tools that are publicly available while also highlighting how these data and technologies enable scientific research.

STS-95 Mission Insignia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

The STS-95 patch, designed by the crew, is intended to reflect the scientific, engineering, and historic elements of the mission. The Space Shuttle Discovery is shown rising over the sunlit Earth limb, representing the global benefits of the mission science and the solar science objectives of the Spartan Satellite. The bold number '7' signifies the seven members of Discovery's crew and also represents a historical link to the original seven Mercury astronauts. The STS-95 crew member John Glenn's first orbital flight is represented by the Friendship 7 capsule. The rocket plumes symbolize the three major fields of science represented by the mission payloads: microgravity material science, medical research for humans on Earth and in space, and astronomy.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-06-08

The STS-95 patch, designed by the crew, is intended to reflect the scientific, engineering, and historic elements of the mission. The Space Shuttle Discovery is shown rising over the sunlit Earth limb, representing the global benefits of the mission science and the solar science objectives of the Spartan Satellite. The bold number '7' signifies the seven members of Discovery's crew and also represents a historical link to the original seven Mercury astronauts. The STS-95 crew member John Glenn's first orbital flight is represented by the Friendship 7 capsule. The rocket plumes symbolize the three major fields of science represented by the mission payloads: microgravity material science, medical research for humans on Earth and in space, and astronomy.

Alaska's Secondary Science Teachers and Students Receive Earth Systems Science Knowledge, GIS Know How and University Technical Support for Pre- College Research Experiences: The EDGE Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, C. L.; Prakash, A.

2007-12-01

Alaska's secondary school teachers are increasingly required to provide Earth systems science (ESS) education that integrates student observations of local natural processes related to rapid climate change with geospatial datasets and satellite imagery using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Such skills are also valued in various employment sectors of the state where job opportunities requiring Earth science and GIS training are increasing. University of Alaska's EDGE (Experiential Discoveries in Geoscience Education) program has provided training and classroom resources for 3 cohorts of inservice Alaska science and math teachers in GIS and Earth Systems Science (2005-2007). Summer workshops include geologic field experiences, GIS instruction, computer equipment and technical support for groups of Alaska high school (HS) and middle school (MS) science teachers each June and their students in August. Since 2005, EDGE has increased Alaska science and math teachers' Earth science content knowledge and developed their GIS and computer skills. In addition, EDGE has guided teachers using a follow-up, fall online course that provided more extensive ESS knowledge linked with classroom standards and provided course content that was directly transferable into their MS and HS science classrooms. EDGE teachers were mentored by University faculty and technical staff as they guided their own students through semester-scale, science fair style projects using geospatial data that was student- collected. EDGE program assessment indicates that all teachers have improved their ESS knowledge, GIS knowledge, and the use of technology in their classrooms. More than 230 middle school students have learned GIS, from EDGE teachers and 50 EDGE secondary students have conducted original research related to landscape change and its impacts on their own communities. Longer-term EDGE goals include improving student performance on the newly implemented (spring 2008) 10th grade, standards-based, High School Qualifying Exam, on recruiting first-generation college students, and on increasing the number of Earth science majors in the University of Alaska system.

Exploring Best Practices for Research Data Management in Earth Science through Collaborating with University Libraries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, T.; Branch, B. D.

2013-12-01

Earth Science research data, its data management, informatics processing and its data curation are valuable in allowing earth scientists to make new discoveries. But how to actively manage these research assets to ensure them safe and secure, accessible and reusable for long term is a big challenge. Nowadays, the data deluge makes this challenge become even more difficult. To address the growing demand for managing earth science data, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) partners with the Library and Technology Services (LTS) of Lehigh University and Purdue University Libraries (PUL) on hosting postdoctoral fellows in data curation activity. This inter-disciplinary fellowship program funded by the SLOAN Foundation innovatively connects university libraries and earth science departments and provides earth science Ph.D.'s opportunities to use their research experiences in earth science and data curation trainings received during their fellowship to explore best practices for research data management in earth science. In the process of exploring best practices for data curation in earth science, the CLIR Data Curation Fellows have accumulated rich experiences and insights on the data management behaviors and needs of earth scientists. Specifically, Ting Wang, the postdoctoral fellow at Lehigh University has worked together with the LTS support team for the College of Arts and Sciences, Web Specialists and the High Performance Computing Team, to assess and meet the data management needs of researchers at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES). By interviewing the faculty members and graduate students at EES, the fellow has identified a variety of data-related challenges at different research fields of earth science, such as climate, ecology, geochemistry, geomorphology, etc. The investigation findings of the fellow also support the LTS for developing campus infrastructure for long-term data management in the sciences. Likewise, Benjamin D. Branch, the postdoctoral fellow at PUL conducted GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data curation interviews and worked closely with the GIS Information Specialist towards GIS-related instructional programs in order to recognize the data management needs in GIS research. Conceptually, the research implemented grounded theory approach of campus wide interviews for spatial GIS inquiry. To date, research analysis of a subset of 32 individual interviews with faculty, graduate students, or geospatial staff users is underway with the intent of publication. Collectively, CLIR fellowship program should work to expand the capacity and job resiliency of the library as necessary vehicle of institutional competitiveness via its prominence in data services for future consideration in the areas of data science, data curation, data rescue and collaborative support of the scientific community. In addition, the digital data service aspects of library transformation may be showcased in the results of the fellows' accomplishments.

NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T. G.; Callery, S.; Chambers, L. H.; Riebeek Kohl, H.; Taylor, J.; Martin, A. M.; Ferrell, T.

2016-12-01

The NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) is led by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies with partners at three NASA Earth science Centers: Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Langley Research Center. This cross-organization team enables the project to draw from the diverse skills, strengths, and expertise of each partner to develop fresh and innovative approaches for building pathways between NASA's Earth-related STEM assets to large, diverse audiences in order to enhance STEM teaching, learning and opportunities for learners throughout their lifetimes. These STEM assets include subject matter experts (scientists, engineers, and education specialists), science and engineering content, and authentic participatory and experiential opportunities. Specific project activities include authentic STEM experiences through NASA Earth science themed field campaigns and citizen science as part of international GLOBE program (for elementary and secondary school audiences) and GLOBE Observer (non-school audiences of all ages); direct connections to learners through innovative collaborations with partners like Odyssey of the Mind, an international creative problem-solving and design competition; and organizing thematic core content and strategically working with external partners and collaborators to adapt and disseminate core content to support the needs of education audiences (e.g., libraries and maker spaces, student research projects, etc.). A scaffolded evaluation is being conducted that 1) assesses processes and implementation, 2) answers formative evaluation questions in order to continuously improve the project; 3) monitors progress and 4) measures outcomes.

NASA's Global Change Master Directory: Discover and Access Earth Science Data Sets, Related Data Services, and Climate Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aleman, Alicia; Olsen, Lola; Ritz, Scott; Morahan, Michael; Cepero, Laurel; Stevens, Tyler

2011-01-01

NASA's Global Change Master Directory provides the scientific community with the ability to discover, access, and use Earth science data, data-related services, and climate diagnostics worldwide. The GCMD offers descriptions of Earth science data sets using the Directory Interchange Format (DIF) metadata standard; Earth science related data services are described using the Service Entry Resource Format (SERF); and climate visualizations are described using the Climate Diagnostic (CD) standard. The DIF, SERF and CD standards each capture data attributes used to determine whether a data set, service, or climate visualization is relevant to a user's needs. Metadata fields include: title, summary, science keywords, service keywords, data center, data set citation, personnel, instrument, platform, quality, related URL, temporal and spatial coverage, data resolution and distribution information. In addition, nine valuable sets of controlled vocabularies have been developed to assist users in normalizing the search for data descriptions. An update to the GCMD's search functionality is planned to further capitalize on the controlled vocabularies during database queries. By implementing a dynamic keyword "tree", users will have the ability to search for data sets by combining keywords in new ways. This will allow users to conduct more relevant and efficient database searches to support the free exchange and re-use of Earth science data. http://gcmd.nasa.gov/

Report on Active and Planned Spacecraft and Experiments. [bibliographies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vostreys, R. W. (Editor); Horwitz, R. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Information concerning concerning active and planned spacecraft and experiments known to the National Space Science Data Center are included. The information contains a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represent the efforts and funding of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries. Approximately 850 articles are included.

Developing High School Geoscientists through Summer Internships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saltzman, J.

2012-12-01

High school students in the San Francisco Bay Area have the opportunity to contribute to Earth sciences research during the summer at Stanford University. The School of Earth Sciences hosts about 25 high school students each summer to support ongoing research, through more than just washing glassware. To increase diversity in the geosciences, we select students from diverse backgrounds through an application process which lessens the burden on busy faculty. The students work for 15-20 hours per week under the supervision of graduate students or postdoctoral fellows. The supervisors come to value the interns for a few reasons: not only are they getting some extra help with their research, but they are getting teaching experience in an informal but powerful way and supervising the interns' work over the summer. Another key part of the internship is bringing all of the interns together regularly. Whether it is for career talks, lab tours or field trip, high school students find kindred spirits in the group. Another important reason for weekly gatherings is to introduce the students to the wide field of Earth sciences and the different approaches and paths that scientists take. The summer ends with a culminating event where interns make short informal presentations about their research which give them an opportunity to articulate the big questions they have been helping to answer. Some interns are also invited to present a poster in a session for high school students at the Fall AGU meeting. These experiences of working in the laboratory and communicating about the research are part of the world of Earth sciences that are absent for most youth. The high school internships foster good will between Stanford and the local communities, help develop a more Earth and environmentally knowledgeable public and may have a long-term affect on diversifying the geosciences by exposing more young people to these fields.

Publications of the Western Earth Surface Processes Team 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Charles L.; Stone, Paul

2007-01-01

The Western Earth Surface Processes Team (WESPT) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts geologic mapping, earth-surface process investigations, and related topical earth science studies in the western United States. This work is focused on areas where modern geologic maps and associated earth-science data are needed to address key societal and environmental issues such as ground-water quality, landslides and other potential geologic hazards, and land-use decisions. Areas of primary emphasis in 2006 included southern California, the San Francisco Bay region, the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau region of northern Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. The team has its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, and maintains smaller field offices at several other locations in the western United States. This compilation gives the bibliographical citations for 123 new publications, most of which are available online using the hyperlinks provided.

Graduate student involvement with designing inquiry-based Earth science field projects for the secondary-level classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDermott, J. M.; Scherf, L.; Ward, S.; Cady, P.; Bromley, J.; Varner, R. K.; Froburg, E.

2008-12-01

In a secondary-level Earth System Science (ESS) curriculum, the most authentic learning is achieved through the inquiry-based application of real-world research methods in the context of modern understanding of the interconnected components of the Earth System (e.g. lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere). Following the intensive ESST-1 summer institute at UNH, during which teachers enhance their ESS content knowledge via interactions with UNH faculty, staff, and graduate students, each participating teacher is paired with one graduate student fellow for the duration of the school year. This graduate fellow provides a continuing link between the secondary-level school teaching environment and university resources, facilitating the implementation of new content knowledge and current scientific research methodology into the classroom setting. According to the National Science Education Standards (1), scientific inquiry is the central strategy for teaching science. "In successful science classrooms, teachers and students collaborate in the pursuit of ideas... Students formulate questions and devise ways to answer them, they collect data and decide how to represent it, they organize data to generate knowledge, and they test the reliability of the knowledge they have generated. As they proceed, students explain and justify their work to themselves and to one another, learn to cope with problems such as the limitations of equipment, and react to challenges posed by the teacher and by classmates." To speak to these goals, an ongoing local wetland field study has been conceptualized and implemented in three example classrooms (seventh grade general science, ninth grade physical science and tenth grade biology) in two school systems (Oyster River Middle School in Durham, NH and Berlin High School in Berlin, NH). These field studies were conducted using authentic scientific equipment to collect data, including a Li-Cor 840 infrared CO2 analyzer and handmade sediment coring devices. Students utilized GPS and Google Earth technology both to facilitate the generation of research questions and for accurate geographic location during their field studies. An emphasis was placed on maintaining organized records of observations and data using field notebooks. Every site visit was followed by teacher-guided data analyses, and students communicated their results through a variety of formats, including posters, written reports, and oral presentations. These authentic research experiences create an initial data set which may be referenced in future classroom studies, while effectively engaging students in ESS topics that meet national and state educational standards. (1) National Research Council, 1996.

The 2009 Earth Science Literacy Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysession, M. E.; Budd, D. A.; Campbell, K. M.; Conklin, M. H.; Kappel, E. S.; Ladue, N.; Lewis, G.; Raynolds, R.; Ridky, R. W.; Ross, R. M.; Taber, J.; Tewksbury, B. J.; Tuddenham, P.

2009-12-01

In 2009, the NSF-funded Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI) completed and published a document representing a community consensus about what all Americans should understand about Earth sciences. These Earth Science Literacy Principles, presented as a printed brochure and on the Internet at www.earthscienceliteracy.org, were created through the work of nearly 1000 geoscientists and geoeducators who helped identify nine “big ideas” and seventy-five “supporting concepts” fundamental to terrestrial geosciences. The content scope involved the geosphere and land-based hydrosphere as addressed by the NSF-EAR program, including the fields of geobiology and low-temperature geochemistry, geomorphology and land-use dynamics, geophysics, hydrologic sciences, petrology and geochemistry, sedimentary geology and paleobiology, and tectonics. The ESLI Principles were designed to complement similar documents from the ocean, atmosphere, and climate research communities, with the long-term goal of combining these separate literacy documents into a single Earth System Science literacy framework. The aim of these principles is to educate the public, shape the future of geoscience education, and help guide the development of government policy related to Earth science. For example, K-12 textbooks are currently being written and museum exhibits constructed with these Principles in hand. NPR-funded educational videos are in the process of being made in alignment with the ESLP Principles. US House and Senate representatives on science and education committees have been made aware that the major geoscience organizations have endorsed such a document generated and supported by the community. Given the importance of Earth science in so many societally relevant topics such as climate change, energy and mineral resources, water availability, natural hazards, agriculture, and human impacts on the biosphere, efforts should be taken to ensure that this document is in a position to assist in areas such as the creation of educational products and standards and the setting of relevant government policy. In order to increase the reach of the ESLI Principles, the document has been translated into Spanish, and other languages are also being considered. The document will undergo annual updating in response to growth and change in the scientific understandings of Earth science.

Patterns in the Sky: Ways to Make the Most of Planetarium Field Trips for First-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrie, Kaylan

2015-01-01

Earth and space science deserve the same level of inclusion in early childhood curriculum as the other science disciplines, and research shows that the sooner children are introduced to concepts like those presented in planetarium programs, the stronger their lifelong interest in science will be. Much astronomy visualization outside of…

Situational Awareness Applied to Geology Field Mapping using Integration of Semantic Data and Visualization Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, P. I. Q.

2017-12-01

21st century earth science is data-intensive, characterized by heterogeneous, sometimes voluminous collections representing phenomena at different scales collected for different purposes and managed in disparate ways. However, much of the earth's surface still requires boots-on-the-ground, in-person fieldwork in order to detect the subtle variations from which humans can infer complex structures and patterns. Nevertheless, field experiences can and should be enabled and enhanced by a variety of emerging technologies. The goal of the proposed research project is to pilot test emerging data integration, semantic and visualization technologies for evaluation of their potential usefulness in the field sciences, particularly in the context of field geology. The proposed project will investigate new techniques for data management and integration enabled by semantic web technologies, along with new techniques for augmented reality that can operate on such integrated data to enable in situ visualization in the field. The research objectives include: Develop new technical infrastructure that applies target technologies to field geology; Test, evaluate, and assess the technical infrastructure in a pilot field site; Evaluate the capabilities of the systems for supporting and augmenting field science; and Assess the generality of the system for implementation in new and different types of field sites. Our hypothesis is that these technologies will enable what we call "field science situational awareness" - a cognitive state formerly attained only through long experience in the field - that is highly desirable but difficult to achieve in time- and resource-limited settings. Expected outcomes include elucidation of how, and in what ways, these technologies are beneficial in the field; enumeration of the steps and requirements to implement these systems; and cost/benefit analyses that evaluate under what conditions the investments of time and resources are advisable to construct such system.

Linear and nonlinear dynamics of liquid planetary cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathrop, D. P.

2013-12-01

This is the 50th anniversary of Ed Lorenz brilliant paper "Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow.'' Lorenz's work, along with many other founders' efforts, gave rise to the study of nonlinear dynamics. That field has allowed us to move beyond simple linear characterizations of nature, and to open up a deeper understanding of the Earth, other planets, and stars. Of the many things that make the Earth a habitable home, one is the existence of a planetary magnetic field generated in our liquid iron outer core. The generation process is known to be strongly nonlinear, and thereby almost certainly turbulent. Yet it is not a simple homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow, but is instead heavily modified by rotation and magnetic forces. We attempt to better understand the Earth's core using a three-meter liquid sodium laboratory model of the core. Our work in sodium in this system has just begun. The system exhibits a variety of behaviors with at least twelve different states, drawing different amounts of power, and causing varying levels of magnetic field amplification. In some states, rotation and magnetic fields cause the dynamics to simplify relative to more general turbulent flows in comparable conditions. Acknowledgements: I gratefully acknowledge my collaborators Daniel Zimmerman, Santiago Triana, Donald Martin, Nolan Balew, Henri-Claude Nataf, and Barbara Brawn-Cinani, and funding from the National Science Foundation Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Geophysics programs.

An Invitation to Kitchen Earth Sciences, an Example of MISO Soup Convection Experiment in Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurita, K.; Kumagai, I.; Davaille, A.

2008-12-01

In recent frontiers of earth sciences such as computer simulations and large-scale observations/experiments involved researchers are usually remote from the targets and feel difficulty in having a sense of touching the phenomena in hands. This results in losing sympathy for natural phenomena particularly among young researchers, which we consider a serious problem. We believe the analog experiments such as the subjects of "kitchen earth sciences" proposed here can be a remedy for this. Analog experiments have been used as an important tool in various research fields of earth science, particularly in the fields of developing new ideas. The experiment by H. Ramberg by using silicone pate is famous for guiding concept of the mantle dynamics. The term, "analog" means something not directly related to the target of the research but in analogical sense parallel comparison is possible. The advantages of the analog experiments however seem to have been overwhelmed by rapid progresses of computer simulations. Although we still believe in the present-day meaning, recently we are recognizing another aspect of its significance. The essence of "kitchen earth science" as an analog experiment is to provide experimental setups and materials easily from the kitchen, by which everyone can start experiments and participate in the discussion without special preparations because of our daily-experienced matter. Here we will show one such example which can be used as a heuristic subject in the classrooms at introductory level of earth science as well as in lunch time break of advanced researchers. In heated miso soup the fluid motion can be easily traced by the motion of miso "particles". At highly heated state immiscible part of miso convects with aqueous fluid. At intermediate heating the miso part precipitates to form a sediment layer at the bottom. This layered structure is destroyed regularly by the instability caused by accumulated heat in the miso layer as a bursting. By showing interesting movie we will discuss characteristics of the bursting and possible implications in the understanding of layered system in the planetary interior in the style of lunch time discussion.

NESTA Revolutionizing Teacher's Experiences at NSTA Conventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireton, F.

2002-05-01

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conventions are traditionally composed of short workshops, half or full day workshops, and lectures on science teaching or education research. Occasional science lectures such as the AGU lecture offer science content information. The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) will join the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), American Geophysical Union (AGU), and the American Geological Institute (AGI) to bring teachers a suite of exciting and informative events at the (NSTA) 2002 convention. Events begin with a guided learning field trip to Mission Trails Regional Park and Torrey Pines State Reserve where Earth and space science teachers experience a model of constructivist leaning techniques. Most field trips are a "show and tell" experience, designed to transmit knowledge from the field trip leader to the field trip participants. In the "guided learning" environment, the leader serves as a facilitator, asking questions, guiding participants to discover concepts for themselves. Participants examine selected processes and features that constitute a constructivist experience in which knowledge acquired at any given location builds on knowledge brought to the site. Employing this strategy involves covering less breadth but greater depth, modeling the concept of "less is more." On Thursday NESTA will host two Share-a-thons. These are not what a person would think of as a traditional workshop where presenter makes a presentation then the participants work on an activity. They could be called the flea market of teaching ideas. Tables are set around the perimeter of a room where the presenters are stationed. Teachers move from table to table picking up information and watching short demonstrations. The Earth and Space Science Resource Day on Friday will focus on teachers needs. Starting with breakfast, teachers will hear from Soames Summerhays, Naturalist and President of Summerhays Films, about how he works science and education into the making of IMAXr films. After breakfast, NESTA and NAGT members team up for a joint Share-a-thon. Three AGU sponsored scientists discussing their research follow the Share-a-thon. These presentations are designed to provide teachers with up-to-date content information. A highlight of the day will be the NESTA rock raffle of over 100 specimens.

Earthtech, Dig-Texas and Upward Bound: Outreach to At-Risk Students with Interdisciplinary STEM Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Güereque, M.; Pennington, D. D.; Everett, A.; Dixon, J. G.; Reyes, A.; Houser, P. I. Q.; Baker, J. A.; Stocks, E.; Ellins, K.

2015-12-01

The Geological Sciences department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) hosted the EarthTech outreach program - a one-week intensive summer camp for low-income, at-risk high school students. The EarthTech program engaged students in STEM activities from geological and environmental sciences. Developed and led by university student-mentors with guidance from a supervising faculty member, the course engaged Upward Bound students with lectures, interactive projects, and excursions to local ecological preserves and geological sites around El Paso, Texas. Topics covered plant and animal distribution and diversity, water and soil dynamics, evolution and paleontology, geohazards, and planetary science. Field trips were combined with hands-on activities, including activities from DIG Texas teaching modules. The NSF-funded DIG Texas Instructional Blueprints project is organizing vetted, high quality online educational resources and learning activities into teaching modules. The modules follow a storyline and demonstrate congruency with the Next Generation Science Standards. Selected DIG Texas resources were included in the daily curriculum to complement the field trip and other hands-on activities. EarthTech students created ESRI Online GIS story maps in which they showed the locations of the field trips, incorporated photographs they had taken, and provided written reflections about their camp experiences. The DIG Texas project evaluation collected survey and interview data from the university student mentors throughout the week to ascertain the efficacy of the program. This poster presentation will include an overview of the program, including examples of work and evaluation results.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-09-08

This is the insignia for STS-98, which marks a major milestone in assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Atlantis' crew delivered the United States Laboratory, Destiny, to the ISS. Destiny will be the centerpiece of the ISS, a weightless laboratory where expedition crews will perform unprecedented research in the life sciences, materials sciences, Earth sciences, and microgravity sciences. The laboratory is also the nerve center of the Station, performing guidance, control, power distribution, and life support functions. With Destiny's arrival, the Station will begin to fulfill its promise of returning the benefits of space research to Earth's citizens. The crew patch depicts the Space Shuttle with Destiny held high above the payload bay just before its attachment to the ISS. Red and white stripes, with a deep blue field of white stars, border the Shuttle and Destiny to symbolize the continuing contribution of the United States to the ISS. The constellation Hercules, seen just below Destiny, captures the Shuttle and Station's team efforts in bringing the promise of orbital scientific research to life. The reflection of Earth in Destiny's window emphasizes the connection between space exploration and life on Earth.

The Examining Your Environment through the Power of Data Project (EYE-POD) Project at NAU: Professional Development for Secondary Education Teachers Using Earth Sciences and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sample, J. C.; Rubino-Hare, L.; Claesgens, J.; Fredrickson, K.; Manone, M.; White, M.

2010-12-01

The EYE-POD project at Northern Arizona University is an NSF-ITEST-funded professional development program for secondary science (SS) and career technical education (CTE) teachers. The program recruited SS-CTE teacher pairs from Arizona and the surrounding region to participate in two-week workshops during Summer, 2010, and an advanced workshop ins Summer, 2011. The workshops are led by a team with distinct expertise in science content, professional development and pedagogy, GIS, and project evaluation. Learning modules and a workshop agenda are developed using the Legacy Cycle of learning. Rather than compartmentalize pedagogical, content, and GIS learning activities, they have been combined throughout the workshop timeline. Early activities focus on learning of climate and weather processes through GIS modules provided by ESRI-“Mapping our World” and “Analyzing our World”. Participants learn the technical aspects of GIS software while investigating real phenomena. The science/GIS learning activities are augmented by laboratory demonstrations and field data collection using Labquest handheld field measurement systems with a variety of probes. At the end of the first week teacher-participants presented the solution to a problem, using GIS-based climate and weather data, involving travel to various locations on Earth. The second week focused on classroom, lab, and field activities devoted to recommendations to the City of Flagstaff for development in the Rio de Flag floodplain. Teacher-participant groups presented solutions making claims and recommendations supported by evidence from georeferenced field data and other GIS data acquired from various sources. At the close of the workshop teachers were provided with GIS software, hardware for field data collection, and several reference materials to aid in curriculum development. They have been tasked with implementing two GIS-based Earth science content modules in their schools, to one science class and one CTE class. One module must involve a field-based problem at their school site. The EYE-POD team will provide support to each school team through site visits and phone consultation. As part of the project, data on learning efficacy is being collected by an independent evaluator and analyzed by a science education faculty member (summarized in companion paper by Claesgens, et al.).

Science at the ends of the Earth: astrobiology field expeditions as outreach tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billings, Linda

INTRODUCTION This paper will report on and evaluate communication, education, and outreach initiatives conducted in conjunction with NASA Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) field campaigns, addressing the costs and benefits of linking students, teachers, and other interested citizens with researchers in the field. This paper will highlight success stories, lessons learned, and promising practices regarding educational programs in scientific research environments. The Astrobiology Program in the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Science Mission Directorate studies the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Public interest in astrobiology is great, and advances in the field are rapid. Hence, the Astrobiology Program supports the widest possible dissemination of timely and useful information about scientific discoveries, technology development, new knowledge, and greater understanding produced by its investigators, employing an approach described as strategic communication planning. That is, the Astrobiology Program aims to integrate communication, education, and outreach into all aspects of program planning and execution. The Program encourages all of its investigators to contribute to the ongoing endeavor of informing public audiences about Astrobiology. The ASTEP element of the Astrobiology Program sponsors terrestrial field campaigns to further scientific research and technology development relevant to future solar system exploration missions. ASTEP science investigations are designed to further biological research in terrestrial environments analogous to those found on other planets, past or present. ASTEP sponsors the development of technologies to enable remote searches for, and identification of, life in extreme environments. ASTEP supports systems-level field campaigns designed to demonstrate and validate the science and technology in extreme environments on Earth. This paper will report on and evaluate communication, education, and outreach initiatives conducted in conjunction with ASTEP field campaigns, addressing the costs and benefits of linking students, teachers, and other interested citizens with researchers in the field. This paper will highlight success stories, lessons learned, and promising practices regarding educational programs in scientific research environments. SUMMARY The Astrobiology Program in NASA's Science Mission Directorate studies the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Astrobiology research addresses three fundamental questions: How does life begin and evolve? Is there life beyond Earth and how can we detect it? What is the future of life on Earth and in the universe? Goals of the Astrobiology Program range from determining the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the Solar System and beyond to understanding the emergence of life from cosmic and planetary precursors, the interaction of past life on Earth with its changing environment, the formation and evolution of planets, links between planetary and biological evolution, the effects of climate and geology on habitability, and life's precursors and habitats in the outer solar system. Research dedicated to fulfilling these goals is conducted on Earth and in space, with a growing number of astrobiology investigations flying on planetary exploration missions. The field of astrobiology is an endeavor that brings together researchers in a broad range of disciplines including Earth and planetary science, astrophysics, heliophysics, microbiology and evolutionary biology, and cosmochemistry. Since 1995, the field of astrobiology has grown rapidly, and the pace of discovery has been brisk. The possibility of extraterrestrial life is now a serious scientific question. Research findings over the past decade that are relevant to this question include the controversial 1996 claim of fossil evidence for microbial life in a martian meteorite, evidence of past and perhaps even present liquid water on Mars, the likelihood of a liquid water ocean on Europa, the possibility of liquid water beneath the surface of Titan, observations of a growing number of extrasolar planets, and identification of new forms of microbial life in an ever-widening range of extreme Earth environments. Consequently, in the 21st century the pace of robotic planetary exploration is speeding up and scientific and public attention is increasingly focusing on astrobiology research, especially the search for signs of life on Mars and in other environments in our solar system. NASA's ASTEP program is sponsoring field campaigns to test science strategies and robotic technologies that could be useful in conducting astrobiological investigations in planetary environments, focusing on Mars and Europa. Public interest in astrobiology research is substantial, and advances in the field are rapid. Thus the NASA Astrobiology Program encourages Principal Investigators to incorporate communication, education, and public outreach initiatives in their research plans. NASA ASTEP projects provide especially good opportunities for communication, education, and outreach. The work of ASTEP projects takes place in remote terrestrial environments, places typically inaccessible to "civilians": the Norwegian protectorate of Svalbard, above the Arctic Circle; the far-northern reaches of the Arctic Ocean; the dry valleys of Antarctica; deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems and other unmapped underwater environments. ASTEP projects involve human researchers working with robotic adjuncts. ASTEP teams often combine include senior and student researchers. Some have even included "embedded" journalists and public affairs officers. ASTEP expeditions typically unfold in visually interesting, sometimes stunning, physical environments. ASTEP expeditions are virtually always intensive learning experiences for their researchers, and thus they provide good opportunities to demonstrate how science is actually done. Science means different things to different people in different situations, and thus public understanding of science, and science communication, are not simple things. Science can be a set of practices, a body of knowledge, a process of investigation, or a world view. In attempting to improve public understanding of science, it is useful to provide non-scientists with a window into the working world of science. ASTEP expeditions provide such windows. With the proliferation of miniaturized and increasingly affordable digital communication technology - still and video cameras, recorders, laptop computers - connections between the remote locations of ASTEP expeditions and students, teachers, and other interested citizens around the world are easier to make. Thanks to these technologies, interactive communications are also becoming easier. This paper will report on communication, education, and outreach activities for recent ASTEP field expeditions in the Arctic and Pacific oceans, Svalbard, and Mexico, highlighting success stories, lessons learned, and promising practices.

A multimedia and interactive approach to teach soil science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badía-Villas, D.; Martí-Dalmau, C.; Iñiguez-Remón, E.

2012-04-01

Soil Science is a discipline concerned with a material that has unique features and behaviours (Churchman, 2010). Thus, teachers of Soil Science need to be experienced with Soil Science practices and must appreciate the complexities and relationships inherent within the discipline (Field et al, 2011). But when soil science had to be taught not by specialists, for instance in the introductory courses of earth and environmental sciences Degrees or in Secondary School, adequate material cannot be found. For this reason, multimedia and interactive programmes have been developed and showed here. EDAFOS is an e-learning resource that provides a comprehensive review of the fundamental concepts on soil science and reveals it as the living skin of planet Earth (European Commission, 2006). This programme is available via website (www.cienciadelsuelo.es) both in Spanish and, more recently, also in English. Edafos is a programme with different modules, which after outlining the study of soil components goes on to examine the main factors and processes of soil genesis explaining the mechanisms of soil processes. By the use of animations, the vital functions of soil are explained. The program ends with a section of multiple-choice exercises with self-assessment. To complement this program, virtual visits to the field are showed in the program iARASOL (www.suelosdearagon.es), in a time when field trips are gradually diminishing due to insufficiency in time and budget, as well as safety concerns (Çaliskan, 2011). In this case, the objective of iARASOL is to set out that soil vary from place to place not randomly, but in a systematic way, according to landscape units; therefore, graduates can classify the soils using the WRB system (IUSS, 2007). It presents diverse types of data and images instantly, from a variety of viewpoints, at many different scales and display non-visual information in the field. Both programs provide an additional source of information to supplement lectures, real field visits and other learning activities on soil sciences. The development of these programmes has been sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología, FECYT) and it has won the "Félix de Azara" Award (2011). Çaliskan, O. (2011). Virtual field trips in education of earth and environmental sciences. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15: 3229-3243. Churchman, G. J. (2010). The philosophical status of soil science. Geoderma 157, 214-221. European Commission (2006). Thematic strategy for soil protection. COM (2006) 231. Field D.J., A. J. Koppi, L. E. Jarrett, L. K. Abbott, S. R. Cattle, C. D. Grant, A. B. McBratney, N. W. Menzies, A. J. Weatherley (2011). Soil Science teaching principles. Geoderma, 167-168: 9-14. IUSS Working Group WRB (2007). World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2006, fist update 2007. World Soil Resources Reports n° 103. FAO. Rome.

From agricultural geology to hydropedology: Forging links within the twenty-first-century geoscience community

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landa, E.R.; ,

2006-01-01

Despite historical linkages, the fields of geology and soil science have developed along largely divergent paths in the United States during much of the mid- to late-twentieth century. The shift in recent decades within both disciplines, towards greater emphasis on environmental-quality issues and a systems approach, has created new opportunities for collaboration and cross-training. Because of the importance of the soil as a dynamic interface between the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere, introductory and advanced soil-science classes are now taught in a number of Earth and environmental science departments. The National Research Council's recent report, Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science, highlights the soil zone as part of the land surface to groundwater 'critical zone' requiring additional investigation. To better prepare geology undergraduates to deal with complex environmental problems, their training should include a fundamental understanding of the nature and properties of soils. Those undergraduate geology students with an interest in this area should be encouraged to view soil science as a viable Earth-science specialty area for graduate study. ?? The Geological Society of London 2006.

Spring Meeting Preview: Sessions Focus on Astrobiology, Geoneutrinos, and International Science Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2006-05-01

New technologies, such as the emerging field of geoneutrino research, and new data sets from the Cassini and Voyager spacecrafts have captured the attention of scientists, prompting them to freshly explore the furthest reaches of their fields, from the Earth's deep interior to the outer solar system and beyond. Several sessions at the 23-26 May 2006 AGU Joint Assembly in Baltimore, Md., will offer a glimpse into these new investigations, while others are devoted to discussing plans for coordinated research efforts during upcoming international science years. One session on ``Geoneutrinos: A New Tool for the Study of the Solid Earth'' (U41F) will take place on Wednesday, 25 May at 8:30 A.M. Geoneutrinos, which are anti-neutrinos produced by the radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, and potassium housed within the Earth, have been detected by Japan's Kamioka Liquid-Scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND) apparatus. With such information, scientists for the first time can directly estimate the amount of radioactive elements present in different regions of the Earth.

The role of Facilities in Engaging and Informing the Public of EarthScope Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charlevoix, D. J.; Taber, J. J.; Berg, M.; Dorr, P. M.; McQuillan, P.; Olds, S. E.

2013-12-01

The IRIS and UNAVCO facilities play an important role in support of EarthScope through joint and independent education and outreach activities. These activities are focused on providing data and data products to a wide range of audiences, disseminating EarthScope science results through formal and informal venues, and informing the public of the broader impacts of EarthScope. The facilities are particularly well-suited for sustained engagement of multiple audiences over the decade-long course of EarthScope. One such example of a long-term effort was the Transportable Array student siting program, where over an 8 year period, students from about 55 institutions across the US and Canada conducted site reconnaissance and talked to landowners about EarthScope. Another activity focused on students was the development of a student intern program to support field engineering efforts during the construction of the Plate Boundary Observatory. Other ongoing activities include developing and maintaining relationships with media representatives and annual training of National Parks staff throughout the western U.S. The UNAVCO-IRIS partnership has been particularly valuable for EarthScope-related activities, where UNAVCO and IRIS work closely with the EarthScope National Office (ESNO) to bring EarthScope science to national, regional and local audiences within the EarthScope footprint. Collaborations have ranged across each group's products and services, including: EarthScope-focused teacher workshops, participation in EarthScope interpretive workshops for informal educators (led by ESNO), development of content for the IRIS Active Earth Monitor, preparing PBO-, USArray- and EarthScope-focused materials on topics such as Episodic Tremor and Slip for wider distribution through print, web, and mobile information technologies, and organizing research experiences for undergraduates on EarthScope-related topics. Other collaborations have focused on social media, and the development and dissemination of materials for the scientifically interested public at science and technology centers. The presentation will also share techniques used and future plans for evaluation of the public impact of EarthScope.

Learning in Authentic Earth and Planetary Contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fergusson, J. A.; Oliver, C. A.

2006-12-01

A Virtual Field Trip project has been developed in collaboration with NASA Learning Technologies to allow students, internationally, to accompany scientists on a field trip to the Pilbara region of Western Australia to debate the relevance of ancient structures called stromatolites, to the origins of life on Earth and the search for life on Mars. The project was planned with the aim of exposing high school students to `science in the making', including exposure to the ongoing debate and uncertainties involved in scientific research. The development of the project stemmed from both research-based and anecdotal evidence that current science education programs are not providing secondary students with a good understanding of the processes of science. This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of student use of the tools to increase awareness of the processes of science and to evaluate the effectiveness of the tools in terms of student learning. The literature reports that there is a need for learning activities to be conducted within meaningful contexts. The virtual field trip tools create an environment that simulates key elements in the scientific process. Such an approach allows students to learn by doing, to work like scientists and apply their learning in an authentic context.

The TXESS Revolution: A Partnership to Advance Earth and Space Science in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.; Olson, H. C.; Willis, M.

2007-12-01

The Texas State Board of Education voted in 2006 to require a fourth year of science for graduation from high school and to authorize the creation of a new senior level Earth Systems and Space Science course as an option to fulfill that requirement. The new Earth Systems and Space Science course will be a capstone course for which three required science courses(biology, chemistry and physics)are prerequisites. Here, we summarize the collective efforts of business leaders, scientists and educators who worked collaboratively for almost a decade to successfully reinstate Earth science as part of Texas' standard high school curriculum and describe a new project, the Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a 5-year professional development program for 8th -12th grade minority and minority-serving science teachers and teacher mentors in Texas to help prepare them to teach the new capstone course. At the heart of TXESS Revolution is an extraordinary partnership, involving (1) two UT-Austin academic units, the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; (2) TERC, a not-for-profit educational enterprise in Massachusetts with 30 years experience in designing science curriculum; (3) the University of South Florida; and (4) the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, a statewide network of teacher mentors and science teachers. With guidance from the Texas Education Agency, the state agency charged with overseeing education, the TXESS Revolution project will provide teachers with access to high quality materials and instruction aligned with the Texas educational standards for the new capstone course through: a program of eight different 3-day professional development academies offered to both teachers and teachers mentors; immersive summer institutes, field experiences, and a Petroleum Science and Technology Institute; training on how to implement Earth Science by Design, a teacher professional development program developed by TERC and the American Geological Institute with National Science Foundation (NSF) funding; and an online learning forum designed to keep teachers and teacher mentors in contact with facilitators and fellow project-participants between and after training, as well as share best practices and new information. The new capstone course promises to be a rigorous and dynamic change to the way Earth and Space Science has been presented previously anywhere in the U.S. and will provide many opportunities for professional development and the dissemination of suitable Earth and Space Science curriculum. The TXESS Revolution project welcomes opportunities to collaborate with geoscience consortia, programs, organizations and geoscience educators to advance Earth and Space Science in Texas. NSF's Opportunities to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences program, the Shell Oil Company and the Jackson School of Geosciences are together funding the TXESS Revolution project.

Value of Earth Observations: Key principles and techniques of socioeconomic benefits analysis (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, L.; Macauley, M.; Bernknopf, R.

2013-12-01

Internationally, multiple organizations are placing greater emphasis on the societal benefits that governments, businesses, and NGOs can derive from applications of Earth-observing satellite observations, research, and models. A growing set of qualitative, anecdotal examples on the uses of Earth observations across a range of sectors can be complemented by the quantitative substantiation of the socioeconomic benefits. In turn, the expanding breadth of environmental data available and the awareness of their beneficial applications to inform decisions can support new products and services by companies, agencies, and civil society. There are, however, significant efforts needed to bridge the Earth sciences and social and economic sciences fields to build capacity, develop case studies, and refine analytic techniques in quantifying socioeconomic benefits from the use of Earth observations. Some government programs, such as the NASA Earth Science Division's Applied Sciences Program have initiated activities in recent years to quantify the socioeconomic benefits from applications of Earth observations research, and to develop multidisciplinary models for organizations' decision-making activities. A community of practice has conducted workshops, developed impact analysis reports, published a book, developed a primer, and pursued other activities to advance analytic methodologies and build capacity. This paper will present an overview of measuring socioeconomic impacts of Earth observations and how the measures can be translated into a value of Earth observation information. It will address key terms, techniques, principles and applications of socioeconomic impact analyses. It will also discuss activities to pursue a research agenda on analytic techniques, develop a body of knowledge, and promote broader skills and capabilities.

Collaboration and Community Building in Summer Undergraduate Research Programs in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevle, R. J.; Watson Nelson, T.; Harris, J. M.; Klemperer, S. L.

2012-12-01

In 2012, the School of Earth Sciences (SES) at Stanford University sponsored two summer undergraduate research programs. Here we describe these programs and efforts to build a cohesive research cohort among the programs' diverse participants. The two programs, the Stanford School of Earth Sciences Undergraduate Research (SESUR) Program and Stanford School of Earth Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) Program, serve different undergraduate populations and have somewhat different objectives, but both provide students with opportunities to work on strongly mentored yet individualized research projects. In addition to research, enrichment activities co-sponsored by both programs support the development of community within the combined SES summer undergraduate research cohort. Over the course of 6 to 9 months, the SESUR Program engages Stanford undergraduates, primarily rising sophomores and juniors, with opportunities to deeply explore Earth sciences research while learning about diverse areas of inquiry within SES. Now in its eleventh year, the SESUR experience incorporates the breadth of the scientific endeavor: finding an advisor, proposal writing, obtaining funding, conducting research, and presenting results. Goals of the SESUR program include (1) providing a challenging and rewarding research experience for undergraduates who wish to explore the Earth sciences; (2) fostering interdisciplinary study in the Earth sciences among the undergraduate population; and (3) encouraging students to major or minor in the Earth sciences and/or to complete advanced undergraduate research in one of the departments or programs within SES. The SURGE Program, now in its second year, draws high performing students, primarily rising juniors and seniors, from 14 colleges and universities nationwide, including Stanford. Seventy percent of SURGE students are from racial/ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields, and approximately one-third are the first in their families to attend college. For eight weeks, SURGE scholars conduct independent research with the guidance of faculty, research group mentors, and program assistants. The primary objectives of the SURGE program are to (1) provide undergraduates with a research experience in SES; (2) prepare undergraduates for the process of applying to graduate school; (3) introduce undergraduates to career opportunities in the geosciences and engineering; and (4) increase diversity in SES graduate programs. Independent research, network building, and intense mentoring culminate in a final oral and poster symposium. SESUR and SURGE scholars jointly participate in enrichment activities including faculty research seminars; career, graduate school, and software training workshops; GRE preparation classes; and geoscience-oriented field trips. Interaction among our students takes place through both research and enrichment activities, creating a critical mass of undergraduate scholars and promoting community development. Pre- and post-program surveys indicate that the overall goals of both programs are being achieved.

Project CUES: A New Middle-School Earth System Science Curriculum Being Developed by the American Geological Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. C.; Smith, M. J.; Lederman, N.; Southard, J. B.; Rogers, E. A.; Callahan, C. N.

2002-12-01

Project CUES is a middle-school earth systems science curriculum project under development by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and funded by the National Science Foundation (ESI-0095938). CUES features a student-centered, inquiry pedagogy and approaches earth science from a systems perspective. CUES will use the expanded learning cycle approach of Trowbridge and Bybee (1996), known as the 5E model (engage-explore-explain-elaborate-evaluate). Unlike AGI's Investigating Earth Systems (IES) curriculum modules, CUES will include a single hard-bound textbook, and will take one school-year to complete. The textbook includes a prologue that addresses systems concepts and four main units: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. Each eight-week unit takes students through a progression from guided inquiry to open-ended, student-driven inquiry. During first 4 to 5 weeks of each unit, students explore important earth science phenomena and concepts through scripted investigations and narrative reading passages written by scientists as "inquiry narratives". The narratives address the development of scientific ideas and relay the personal experiences of a scientist during their scientific exploration. Aspects of the nature of science will be explicitly addressed in investigations and inquiry narratives. After the guided inquiry, students will develop a research proposal and conduct their own inquiry into local or regional scientific problems. Each unit culminates with a science conference at which students present their research. CUES will be the first NSF-funded, comprehensive earth systems textbook for middle school that is based on national standards. CUES will be pilot tested in 12 classrooms in January 2003, with a national field test of the program in 50 classrooms during the 2003-2004 school year.

C3: A Collaborative Web Framework for NASA Earth Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foughty, E.; Fattarsi, C.; Hardoyo, C.; Kluck, D.; Wang, L.; Matthews, B.; Das, K.; Srivastava, A.; Votava, P.; Nemani, R. R.

2010-12-01

The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is a new collaboration platform for the Earth science community that provides a mechanism for scientific collaboration and knowledge sharing. NEX combines NASA advanced supercomputing resources, Earth system modeling, workflow management, NASA remote sensing data archives, and a collaborative communication platform to deliver a complete work environment in which users can explore and analyze large datasets, run modeling codes, collaborate on new or existing projects, and quickly share results among the Earth science communities. NEX is designed primarily for use by the NASA Earth science community to address scientific grand challenges. The NEX web portal component provides an on-line collaborative environment for sharing of Eearth science models, data, analysis tools and scientific results by researchers. In addition, the NEX portal also serves as a knowledge network that allows researchers to connect and collaborate based on the research they are involved in, specific geographic area of interest, field of study, etc. Features of the NEX web portal include: Member profiles, resource sharing (data sets, algorithms, models, publications), communication tools (commenting, messaging, social tagging), project tools (wikis, blogs) and more. The NEX web portal is built on the proven technologies and policies of DASHlink.arc.nasa.gov, (one of NASA's first science social media websites). The core component of the web portal is a C3 framework, which was built using Django and which is being deployed as a common framework for a number of collaborative sites throughout NASA.

Monitoring Seasons Through Global Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparrow, E. B.; Robin, J. H.; Jeffries, M. O.; Gordon, L. S.; Verbyla, D. L.; Levine, E. R.

2006-12-01

Monitoring Seasons through Global Learning Communities (MSTGLC) is an inquiry- and project-based project that monitors seasons, specifically their interannual variability, in order to increase K-12 students' understanding of the Earth system by providing teacher professional development in Earth system science and inquiry, and engaging K-12 students in Earth system science research relevant to their local communities that connect globally. MSTGLC connects GLOBE students, teachers, and communities, with educators and scientists from three integrated Earth systems science programs: the International Arctic Research Center, and NASA Landsat Data Continuity and Terra Satellite Missions. The project organizes GLOBE schools by biomes into eight Global Learning Communities (GLCs) and students monitor their seasons through regional based field campaigns. The project expands the current GLOBE phenology network by adapting current protocols and making them biome-specific. In addition, ice and mosquito phenology protocols will be developed for Arctic and Tropical regions, respectively. Initially the project will focus on Tundra and Taiga biomes as phenological changes are so pronounced in these regions. However, our long-term goal is to determine similar changes in other biomes (Deciduous Forest, Desert, Grasslands, Rain Forest, Savannah and Shrubland) based upon what we learn from these two biomes. This project will also contribute to critically needed Earth system science data such as in situ ice, mosquito, and vegetation phenology measurements for ground validations of remotely sensed data, which are essential for regional climate change impact assessments. Additionally it will contribute environmental data critical to prevention and management of diseases such as malaria in Asian, African, and other countries. Furthermore, this project will enable students to participate in the International Polar Year (IPY) (2007-2009) through field campaigns conducted by students in polar regions, and web chats between IPY scientists and GLOBE students from all eight GLCs that include non-polar countries.

The ClearEarth Project: Preliminary Findings from Experiments in Applying the CLEARTK NLP Pipeline and Annotation Tools Developed for Biomedicine to the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duerr, R.; Thessen, A.; Jenkins, C. J.; Palmer, M.; Myers, S.; Ramdeen, S.

2016-12-01

The ability to quickly find, easily use and effortlessly integrate data from a variety of sources is a grand challenge in Earth sciences, one around which entire research programs have been built. A myriad of approaches to tackling components of this challenge have been demonstrated, often with some success. Yet finding, assessing, accessing, using and integrating data remains a major challenge for many researchers. A technology that has shown promise in nearly every aspect of the challenge is semantics. Semantics has been shown to improve data discovery, facilitate assessment of a data set, and through adoption of the W3C's Linked Data Platform to have improved data integration and use at least for data amenable to that paradigm. Yet the creation of semantic resources has been slow. Why? Amongst a plethora of other reasons, it is because semantic expertise is rare in the Earth and Space sciences; the creation of semantic resources for even a single discipline is labor intensive and requires agreement within the discipline; best practices, methods and tools for supporting the creation and maintenance of the resources generated are in flux; and the human and financial capital needed are rarely available in the Earth sciences. However, other fields, such as biomedicine, have made considerable progress in these areas. The NSF-funded ClearEarth project is adapting the methods and tools from these communities for the Earth sciences in the expectation that doing so will enhance progress and the rate at which the needed semantic resources are created. We discuss progress and results to date, lessons learned from this adaptation process, and describe our upcoming efforts to extend this knowledge to the next generation of Earth and data scientists.

Transforming Science Data for GIS: How to Find and Use NASA Earth Observation Data Without Being a Rocket Scientist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagwell, Ross; Peters, Byron; Berrick, Stephen

2017-01-01

NASAs Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) manages Earth Observation satellites and the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), where the data is stored and processed. The challenge is that Earth Observation data is complicated. There is plenty of data available, however, the science teams have had a top-down approach: define what it is you are trying to study -select a set of satellite(s) and sensor(s), and drill down for the data.Our alternative is to take a bottom-up approach using eight environmental fields of interest as defined by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) called Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs): Disaster Resilience (DR) Public Health Surveillance (PHS) Energy and Mineral Resource Management (EMRM) Water Resources Management (WRM) Infrastructure and Transport Management (ITM) Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FSSA) Biodiversity and Ecosystems Sustainability (BES).

Cohort studies in health sciences librarianship

PubMed Central

Eldredge, Jonathan

2002-01-01

Question: What are the key characteristics of the cohort study design and its varied applications, and how can this research design be utilized in health sciences librarianship? Data Sources: The health, social, behavioral, biological, library, earth, and management sciences literatures were used as sources. Study Selection: All fields except for health sciences librarianship were scanned topically for either well-known or diverse applications of the cohort design. The health sciences library literature available to the author principally for the years 1990 to 2000, supplemented by papers or posters presented at annual meetings of the Medical Library Association. Data Extraction: A narrative review for the health, social, behavioral, biological, earth, and management sciences literatures and a systematic review for health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000, with three exceptions, were conducted. The author conducted principally a manual search of the health sciences librarianship literature for the years 1990 to 2000 as part of this systematic review. Main Results: The cohort design has been applied to answer a wide array of theoretical or practical research questions in the health, social, behavioral, biological, and management sciences. Health sciences librarianship also offers several major applications of the cohort design. Conclusion: The cohort design has great potential for answering research questions in the field of health sciences librarianship, particularly evidence-based librarianship (EBL), although that potential has not been fully explored. PMID:12398244

Focusing the EarthScope for a broader audience: Advancing geoscience education with interactive kiosks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B. R.; Solis, T.

2012-12-01

A primary objective of the EarthScope Education and Outreach program is to transform technical science into teachable products for a technologically thriving generation. One of the most challenging milestones of scientific research, however, is often the translation of a technical result into a clear teachable moment that is accessible to a broader audience. As 4D multimedia now dominate most aspects of our social environment, science "teaching" now also requires intervention of visualization technology and animation to portray research results in an inviting and stimulating manner. Following the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)'s lead in developing interactive Earth science kiosk multimedia (bundled in a free product called Active Earth), we have made a major effort to construct and install customized EarthScope-themed touch screen kiosks in local communities. These kiosks are helping to educate a broader audience about EarthScope's unique instrumentation and observations using interactive animations, games, and virtual field trips. We are also developing new kiosk content that reflect career stories showcasing the personal journeys of EarthScope scientists. To truly bring the interactive aspect of our EarthScope kiosk media into the classroom, we have collaborated with local teachers to develop a one-page EarthScope TerraMap activity worksheet that guides students through kiosk content. These activities are shaping a new pathway for how teachers teach and students learn about planet Earth and its fantastic EarthScope - one click (and touch) at a time.

Spacecraft Instrumentation to Measure and Stimulate Space Particles and Plasma Waves in the Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) Regime

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-12

fluxgate magnetometer for the AFRL-DSX mission. The instrument is designed to measure the medium-Earth orbit geomagnetic field with precision of 0.1 nT and...which is essential to fulfill the two primary goals of the DSX science program. 1.1. Scientific Rationale: Ring Current and The fluxgate magnetometer ...UCLA’s ments and the Radiation Belt Remediation primary motivation in providing fluxgate requirements. The magnetic field is necessary magnetometers for

Field Guide to Rock Weathering. Earth Science Curriculum Project Pamphlet Series PS-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Robert E.

Highlighted are the effects of weathering through field investigations of the environment, both natural rocks, and the urban environment's pavements, buildings, and cemeteries. Both physical weathering and chemical weathering are discussed. Questions are presented for post-field trip discussion. References and a glossary are provided. (Author/RE)

GeoBus: bringing Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Ruth; Roper, Kathryn; Pike, Charlotte

2015-04-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Almost 35,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by April 2015, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning within the Scotland Curriculum for Excellence, and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. A key aim of GeoBus is to incorporate research outcomes directly into workshops, and to involve early career researchers in project development. One example that is currently in progress is a set of hydrology workshops that focus on the water cycle, groundwater flow and aqueous geochemistry arising from a 3rd year PhD student's research. One workshop will include some fieldwork which is an important part of the Scottish curriculum, and hydrology provides the ideal platform for pupils to develop their investigative skills, and collect and manipulate field data. Our presentation will provide examples of these hands-on GeoBus activities that introduce basic concepts in hydrology and hydrogeology.

Welcome to Nanoscience: Interdisciplinary Environmental Explorations, Grades 9-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Andrew S.; Hochella, Michael F., Jr.; Glasson, George E.; Grady, Julie R.; Bank, Tracy L.; Green, Andre M.; Norris, Mary A.; Hurst, Andrew N.; Eriksson, Susan C.

2011-01-01

In a society where technology plays an ever-increasing role, students' ability to understand the underlying science and make smart social and environmental decisions based on that knowledge is crucial. "Welcome to Nanoscience" helps biology, chemistry, and Earth science teachers introduce the revolutionary fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology…

Career Opportunities in Aerospace Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This document contains information about professional positions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The following five types of information are included: (1) the kinds of work NASA does; (2) appropriate fields of college study for those who want to work for NASA (including space sciences, earth sciences, fluid and flight…

Spatial abilities, Earth science conceptual understanding, and psychological gender of university non-science majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Alice A. (Jill)

Research has shown the presence of many Earth science misconceptions and conceptual difficulties that may impede concept understanding, and has also identified a number of categories of spatial ability. Although spatial ability has been linked to high performance in science, some researchers believe it has been overlooked in traditional education. Evidence exists that spatial ability can be improved. This correlational study investigated the relationship among Earth science conceptual understanding, three types of spatial ability, and psychological gender, a self-classification that reflects socially-accepted personality and gender traits. A test of Earth science concept understanding, the Earth Science Concepts (ESC) test, was developed and field tested from 2001 to 2003 in 15 sections of university classes. Criterion validity was .60, significant at the .01 level. Spearman/Brown reliability was .74 and Kuder/Richardson reliability was .63. The Purdue Visualization of Rotations (PVOR) (mental rotation), the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) (spatial perception), the Differential Aptitude Test: Space Relations (DAT) (spatial visualization), and the Bem Inventory (BI) (psychological gender) were administered to 97 non-major university students enrolled in undergraduate science classes. Spearman correlations revealed moderately significant correlations at the .01 level between ESC scores and each of the three spatial ability test scores. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that PVOR scores were the best predictor of ESC scores, and showed that spatial ability scores accounted for 27% of the total variation in ESC scores. Spatial test scores were moderately or weakly correlated with each other. No significant correlations were found among BI scores and other test scores. Scantron difficulty analysis of ESC items produced difficulty ratings ranging from 33.04 to 96.43, indicating the percentage of students who answered incorrectly. Mean score on the ESC was 34%, indicating that the non-majors tested exhibited many Earth science misconceptions and conceptual difficulties. A number of significant results were found when independent t-tests and correlations were conducted among test scores and demographic variables. The number of previous university Earth science courses was significantly related to ESC scores. Preservice elementary/middle majors differed significantly in several ways from other non-majors, and several earlier results were not supported. Results of this study indicate that an important opportunity may exist to improve Earth science conceptual understanding by focusing on spatial ability, a cognitive ability that has heretofore not been directly addressed in schools.

Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Spacecraft: Independent Technical Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbrech, Richard J.; McManamen, John P.; Wilson, Timmy R.; Robinson, Frank; Schoren, William R.

2004-01-01

CALIPSO is a joint science mission between the CNES, LaRC and GSFC. It was selected as an Earth System Science Pathfinder satellite mission in December 1998 to address the role of clouds and aerosols in the Earth's radiation budget. The spacecraft includes a NASA light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) instrument, a NASA wide-field camera and a CNES imaging infrared radiometer. The scope of this effort was a review of the Proteus propulsion bus design and an assessment of the potential for personnel exposure to hydrazine propellant.

Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Spacecraft: Independent Technical Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbrech, Richard J.; McManamen, John P.; Wilson, Timmy R.; Robinson, Frank; Schoren, William R.

2005-01-01

CALIPSO is a joint science mission between the CNES, LaRC and GSFC. It was selected as an Earth System Science Pathfinder satellite mission in December 1998 to address the role of clouds and aerosols in the Earth's radiation budget. The spacecraft includes a NASA light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) instrument, a NASA wide-field camera and a CNES imaging infrared radiometer. The scope of this effort was a review of the Proteus propulsion bus design and an assessment of the potential for personnel exposure to hydrazine propellant.

AGU Public Affairs: How to Get Involved in Science Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landau, E. A.; Hankin, E. R.; Uhlenbrock, K. M.

2012-12-01

AGU Public Affairs offers many ways for its members to get involved in science policy at different levels of participation, whether you would love to spend a year working as a resident science expert in a congressional office in Washington, D.C., or would rather simply receive email alerts about Earth and space science policy news. How you can get involved: Sign up for AGU Science Policy Alerts to receive the most relevant Earth and space science policy information delivered to your email inbox. Participate in one of AGU's Congressional Visits Days to speak with your legislators about important science issues. Attend the next AGU Science Policy Conference in spring 2013. Participate in events happening on Capitol Hill, and watch video of past events. Learn about AGU Embassy Lectures, where countries come together to discuss important Earth and space science topics. Learn how you can comment on AGU Position Statements. Apply to be an AGU Congressional Science Fellow, where you can work in a congressional office for one year and serve as a resident science expert, or to be an AGU Public Affairs Intern, where you can work in the field of science policy for three months. The AGU Public Affairs Team will highlight ways members can be involved as well as provide information on how the team is working to shape policy and inform society about the excitement of AGU science.

Engaging science communication that are time-saving for scientists using new online technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilja Bye, Bente

2016-04-01

Science communication is a time consuming and challenging task. Communicating scientific results comes on top of doing science itself and the administrative work the modern day scientists have to cope with. The competition on peoples time and attention is also fierce. In order to get peoples attention and interest, it is today often required that there is a two-way communication. The audience needs and wants to be engaged, even in real-time. The skills and times required to do that is normally not included in the university curricula. In this presentation we will look at new technologies that can help scientists overcome some of those skills and time challenges. The new online technologies that has been tested and developed in other societal areas, can be of great use for research and the important science communication. We will illustrate this through an example from biodiversity, wetlands and these fields use of Earth observations. Both the scientists themselves representing different fields of research and the general public are being engaged effectively and efficiently through specifically designed online events/seminars/workshops. The scientists are able to learn from each other while also engaging in live dialogues with the audience. A cooperation between the Group of Earth Observations and the Ramsar Convention of Wetlands will be used to illustrate the method. Within the global Earth observation community, where this example comes from, there is a great potential for efficient capacity building, targeting both experts, decision-makers and the general public. The method presented is demonstrating one way of tapping into that potential using new online technologies and it can easily be transferred to other fields of geoscience and science in general.

Institute of Geophyics and Planetary Physics. Annual report for FY 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryerson, F.J.

1995-09-29

The Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) is a Multicampus Research Unit of the University of California (UC). IGPP was founded in 1946 at UC Los Angeles with a charter to further research in the earth and planetary sciences and in related fields. The Institute now has branches at UC campuses in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and Irvine and at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories. The University-wide IGPP has played an important role in establishing interdisciplinary research in the earth and planetary sciences. For example, IGPP was instrumental in founding the fields of physical oceanography andmore » space physics, which at the time fell between the cracks of established university departments. Because of its multicampus orientation, IGPP has sponsored important interinstitutional consortia in the earth and planetary sciences. Each of the six branches has a somewhat different intellectual emphasis as a result of the interplay between strengths of campus departments and Laboratory programs. The IGPP branch at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was approved by the Regents of the University of California in 1982. IGPP-LLNL emphasizes research in seismology, geochemistry, cosmochemistry, high-pressure sciences, and astrophysics. It provides a venue for studying the fundamental aspects of these fields, thereby complementing LLNL programs that pursue applications of these disciplines in national security and energy research. IGPP-LLNL is directed by Charles Alcock and is structured around three research centers. The Center for Geosciences, headed by George Zandt and Frederick Ryerson, focuses on research in geophysics and geochemistry. The Center for High-Pressure Sciences, headed by William Nellis, sponsors research on the properties of planetary materials and on the synthesis and preparation of new materials using high-pressure processing.« less

Cultural Earth Science in Hawai`i: Hands-on Place-Based Investigations that Merge Traditional Knowledge with Earth Science Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moxey, L.; Dias, R. K.; Legaspi, E.

2011-12-01

During the summer of 2011, the Mālama Ke Ahupua`a (to care of our watershed) GEARUP summer program provided 25 under-served and under-represented minority public high school students (Hawaiian, part-Hawaiian, Filipino, Pacific Islanders) from Farrington High School (Kalihi, Honolulu) with a hands-on place-based multidiscipline course located within Manoa Valley (Ahupua`a O Kona) with the objective of engaging participants in scientific environmental investigations while exploring Hawaii's linkages between traditional knowledge, culture and science. The 4-week field program enabled students to collect samples along the perennial Manoa Stream and conduct water quality assessments throughout the Manoa watershed. Students collected science quality data from eight different sampling stations by means of field- and laboratory-based quantitative water quality testing equipment and GPS/GIS technology. While earning Hawaii DOE academic credits, students were able to document changes along the stream as related to pollution and urbanization. While conducting the various scientific investigations, students also participated in cultural fieldtrips and activities that highlighted the linkages between historical sustainable watershed uses by native Hawaiian communities, and their connections with natural earth processes. Additionally, students also participated in environmental service-learning projects that highlight the Hawaiian values of laulima (teamwork), mālama (to care for), and imi `ike (to seek knowledge). By contextualizing and merging hands-on place-based earth science inquiry with native Hawaiian traditional knowledge, students experienced the natural-cultural significance of their ahupua`a (watershed). This highlighted the advantages for promoting environmental literacy and geoscience education to under-served and under-represented minority populations in Hawaii from a rich native Hawaiian cultural framework.

STS-75 crew insignia

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-01

STS075-S-001 (September 1995) --- The STS-75 crew patch depicts the space shuttle Columbia and the Tethered Satellite connected by a 21-kilometer electronically conducting tether. The orbiter/satellite system is passing through Earth?s magnetic field which, like an electronic generator, will produce thousands of volts of electricity. Columbia is carrying the United States Microgravity pallet to conduct microgravity research in material science and thermodynamics. The tether is crossing Earth?s terminator signifying the dawn of a new era for space tether applications and in mankind?s knowledge of Earth?s ionosphere, material science, and thermodynamics. The patch was designed for the STS-75 crew members by Mike Sanni. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

A comprehensive mission to planet Earth: Woods Hole Space Science and Applications Advisory Committee Planning Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA program Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) is described in this set of visuals presented in Massachusetts on July 29, 1991. The problem presented in this document is that the earth system is changing and that human activity accelerates the rate of change resulting in increased greenhouse gases, decreasing levels of stratospheric ozone, acid rain, deforestation, decreasing biodiversity, and overpopulation. Various national and international organizations are coordinating global change research. The complementary space observations for this activity are sun-synchronous polar orbits, low-inclination, low altitude orbits, geostationary orbits, and ground measurements. The Geostationary Earth Observatory is the major proposed mission of MTPE. Other proposed missions are EOS Synthetic Aperture Radar, ARISTOTELES Magnetic Field Experiment, and the Global Topography Mission. Use of the NASA DC-8 aircraft is outlined as carrying out the Airborne Science and Applications Program. Approved Earth Probes Program include the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS). Other packages for earth observation are described.

NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS): A U.S. Network of Data Centers Serving Earth Science Data: A Network Member of ICSU WDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behnke, Jeanne; Ramapriyan, H. K. " Rama"

2016-01-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been in operation since August 1994, and serving a diverse user community around the world with Earth science data from satellites, aircraft, field campaigns and research investigations. The ESDIS Project, responsible for EOSDIS is a Network Member of the International Council for Sciences (ICSU) World Data System (WDS). Nine of the 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), which are part of EOSDIS, are Regular Members of the ICSUWDS. This poster presents the EOSDIS mission objectives, key characteristics of the DAACs that make them world class Earth science data centers, successes, challenges and best practices of EOSDIS focusing on the years 2014-2016, and illustrates some highlights of accomplishments of EOSDIS. The highlights include: high customer satisfaction, growing archive and distribution volumes, exponential growth in number of products distributed to users around the world, unified metadata model and common metadata repository, flexibility provided to uses by supporting data transformations to suit their applications, near-real-time capabilities to support various operational and research applications, and full resolution image browse capabilities to help users select data of interest. The poster also illustrates how the ESDIS Project is actively involved in several US and international data system organizations.

Soil science and geology: Connects, disconnects and new opportunities in geoscience education

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landa, E.R.

2004-01-01

Despite historical linkages, the fields of geology and soil science have developed along largely divergent paths in the United States during much of the mid- to late- twentieth century. The shift in recent decades within both disciplines to greater emphasis on environmental quality issues and a systems approach has created new opportunities for collaboration and cross-training. Because of the importance of the soil as a dynamic interface between the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, introductory and advanced soil science classes are now being taught in a number of earth and environmental science departments. The National Research Council's recent report, Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science, highlights the soil zone as part of the land surface-to-groundwater "critical zone" requiring additional investigation. To better prepare geology undergraduates to deal with complex environmental problems, their training should include a fundamental understanding of the nature and properties of soils. Those undergraduate geology students with an interest in this area should be encouraged to view soil science as a viable earth science specialty area for graduate study. Summer internships such as those offered by the National Science Foundation-funded Integrative Graduate Education, Research, and Training (IGERT) programs offer geology undergraduates the opportunity to explore research and career opportunities in soil science.

ERESE: An online forum for research-based earth science inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Symons, C. M.; Koppers, A.; Helly, M.; Staudigel, H.; Miller, S. P.

2007-12-01

The Enduring Resources for Earth Science Education (ERESE) Project bridges the gap between earth science research and science education by providing a forum for electronic collaboration between practicing scientists and classroom teachers. By combining the resources of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the expertise of educators, ERESE leverages a wide variety of assets to provide state-of-the-art, online digital resources through two National Science Digital Library collections: Earthref.org (http://www.Earthref.org/ERESE) and SIOExplorer (http://SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu). Earthref.org provides a wealth of plate tectonic-related content appropriate for designing and enacting inquiry lessons. The SIOExplorer Digital Library houses marine geophysical data from over 800 research cruises each containing a variety of data types from meteorological, to oceanographic, geophysical and navigational data. Built on successful collaboration between scientists and middle and high school teachers from across the country beginning in 2004, ERESE has expanded into a multifaceted repository for thought-provoking earth science data and images, virtual field trips and inquiry lessons designed by our partner teachers. More than static interfaces, both Earthref.org and SIOExplorer introduce users to current topics in science, seeking to answer outstanding questions about the earth, its processes, formation, and future. To provide a starting point for new users to design and contribute lessons to Earthref.org we have created a basic inquiry lesson plan template that models the process of investigating a real scientific problem. The template is designed on the basis of our five-stage model of inquiry adapted to the National Science Education Standards. As with all inquiry lessons, our model focuses on the shift of power from the teacher at the outset of the lesson to the students upon completion of the lesson.

Space Sciences Focus Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reeves, Geoffrey D.

To advance our understanding of the space environment (from the Sun to the Earth and beyond) and to advance our ability to operate systems in space that protect life and society. Space Science is distinct from other field, such as astrophysics or cosmology, in that Space Science utilizes in-situ measurements from high altitude rockets, balloons and spacecraft or ground-based measurements of objects and conditions in space.

Simplify and Accelerate Earth Science Data Preparation to Systemize Machine Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, K. S.; Rilee, M. L.; Oloso, A.

2017-12-01

Data preparation is the most laborious and time-consuming part of machine learning. The effort required is usually more than linearly proportional to the varieties of data used. From a system science viewpoint, useful machine learning in Earth Science likely involves diverse datasets. Thus, simplifying data preparation to ease the systemization of machine learning in Earth Science is of immense value. The technologies we have developed and applied to an array database, SciDB, are explicitly designed for the purpose, including the innovative SpatioTemporal Adaptive-Resolution Encoding (STARE), a remapping tool suite, and an efficient implementation of connected component labeling (CCL). STARE serves as a universal Earth data representation that homogenizes data varieties and facilitates spatiotemporal data placement as well as alignment, to maximize query performance on massively parallel, distributed computing resources for a major class of analysis. Moreover, it converts spatiotemporal set operations into fast and efficient integer interval operations, supporting in turn moving-object analysis. Integrative analysis requires more than overlapping spatiotemporal sets. For example, meaningful comparison of temperature fields obtained with different means and resolutions requires their transformation to the same grid. Therefore, remapping has been implemented to enable integrative analysis. Finally, Earth Science investigations are generally studies of phenomena, e.g. tropical cyclone, atmospheric river, and blizzard, through their associated events, like hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Unfortunately, except for a few high-impact phenomena, comprehensive episodic records are lacking. Consequently, we have implemented an efficient CCL tracking algorithm, enabling event-based investigations within climate data records beyond mere event presence. In summary, we have implemented the core unifying capabilities on a Big Data technology to enable systematic machine learning in Earth Science.

Integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earthdata Web Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, M. M.; McLaughlin, B. D.; Huang, T.; Baynes, K.

2015-12-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acquires and distributes an abundance of Earth science data on a daily basis to a diverse user community worldwide. To assist the scientific community and general public in achieving a greater understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of Earth science and of key environmental and climate change topics, the NASA Earthdata web infrastructure is integrating new methods of presenting and providing access to Earth science information, data, research and results. This poster will present the process of integrating thematic web portal capabilities into the NASA Earthdata web infrastructure, with examples from the Sea Level Change Portal. The Sea Level Change Portal will be a source of current NASA research, data and information regarding sea level change. The portal will provide sea level change information through articles, graphics, videos and animations, an interactive tool to view and access sea level change data and a dashboard showing sea level change indicators. Earthdata is a part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) project. EOSDIS is a key core capability in NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program. It provides end-to-end capabilities for managing NASA's Earth science data from various sources - satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. It is comprised of twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), Science Computing Facilities (SCFs), data discovery and service access client (Reverb and Earthdata Search), dataset directory (Global Change Master Directory - GCMD), near real-time data (Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS - LANCE), Worldview (an imagery visualization interface), Global Imagery Browse Services, the Earthdata Code Collaborative and a host of other discipline specific data discovery, data access, data subsetting and visualization tools.

The Right Tools for the Job: The Challenges of Theory and Method in Geoscience Education Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riggs, E. M.

2011-12-01

As geoscience education has matured as a research field over the last decade, workers in this area have been challenged to adapt methodologies and theoretical approaches to study design and data collection. These techniques are as diverse as the earth sciences themselves, and researchers have drawn on established methods and traditions from science education research, social science research, and the cognitive and learning sciences. While the diversity of methodological and theoretical approaches is powerful, the challenge is to ground geoscience education research in rigorous methodologies that are appropriate for the epistemological and functional realities of the content area and the environment in which the research is conducted. The issue of theory is the first hurdle. After techniques are proven, earth scientists typically need not worry much about the theoretical value or theory-laden nature of measurements they make in the field or laboratory. As an example, a field geologist does not question the validity of the gravitational field that levels the spirit level within a Brunton compass. However, in earth science education research, these issues are magnified because a theoretical approach to a study affects what is admitted as data and the weight that can be given to conclusions. Not only must one be concerned about the validity of measurements and observations, but also the value of this information from an epistemological standpoint. The assigning of meaning to student gestures, utterances, writing and actions all carries theoretical implications. For example, working with geologists learning or working in the field, purely experimental research designs are very difficult, and the majority of the work must be conducted in a naturalistic environment. In fact dealing with time pressure, distractions, and complexity of a field environment is part of intellectual backdrop for field geology that separates experts from novices and advanced students from beginners. Thus researchers must embrace the uncontrolled nature of the setting, the qualitative nature of the data collected, and the researcher's role in interpreting geologically appropriate actions as evidence of successful problem solving and investigation. Working to understand the role of diversity and culture in the geosciences also involves a wide array of theory, from affective issues through culturally and linguistically-influenced cognition, through gender, self-efficacy, and many other areas of inquiry. Research in understanding spatial skills draws heavily on techniques from cognition research but also must involve the field-specific knowledge of geoscientists to infuse these techniques with exemplars, a catalog of meaningful actions by students, and an understanding of how to recognize success. These examples illustrate briefly the wide array of tools from other fields that is being brought to bear to advance rigorous geoscience education research. We will illustrate a few of these and the insights we have gained, and the power of theory and method from other fields to enlighten us as we attempt to educate a broader array of earth scientists.

Mars for Earthlings: an analog approach to Mars in undergraduate education.

PubMed

Chan, Marjorie; Kahmann-Robinson, Julia

2014-01-01

Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover images. Two years of MFE class evaluation data suggest that science literacy and general interest in Mars geology and astrobiology topics increased after participation in the MFE curriculum. Students also used newly developed skills to create a Mars mission team presentation. The MFE curriculum, learning modules, and resources are available online at http://serc.carleton.edu/marsforearthlings/index.html.

Report on Active and Planned Spacecraft and Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vostreys, R. W. (Editor); Maitson, H. H. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Active and planned spacecraft activity and experiments between June 1, 1980 and May 31, 1981 known to the National Space Science Data Center are described. The information covers a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, Earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. Each spacecraft and experiment is described and its current status presented. Descriptions of navigational and communications satellites and of spacecraft that contain only continuous radio beacons used for ionospheric studies are specifically excluded.

Deep Carbon Observatory investigates Carbon from Crust to Core: An Academic Record of the History of Deep Carbon Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitton, S. A.

2017-12-01

Carbon plays an unparalleled role in our lives: as the element of life, as the basis of most of society's energy, as the backbone of most new materials, and as the central focus in efforts to understand Earth's variable and uncertain climate. Yet in spite of carbon's importance, scientists remain largely ignorant of the physical, chemical, and biological behavior of many of Earth's carbon-bearing systems. The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) is a global research program to transform our understanding of carbon in Earth. At its heart, DCO is a community of scientists, from biologists to physicists, geoscientists to chemists, and many others whose work crosses these disciplinary lines, forging a new, integrative field of deep carbon science. As a historian of science, I specialise in the history of planetary science and astronomy since 1900. This is directed toward understanding of the history of the steps on the road to discovering the internal dynamics of our planet. Within a framework that describes the historical background to the new field of Earth System Science, I present the first history of deep carbon science. This project will identifies the key discoveries of deep carbon science. It will assess the impact of new knowledge on geochemistry, geodynamics, and geobiology. The project will lead to publication, in book form in 2019, of an illuminating narrative that will highlight the engaging human stories of many remarkable scientists and natural philosophers from whom we have learned about the complexity of Earth's internal world. On this journey of discovery we will encounter not just the pioneering researchers of deep carbon science, but also their institutions, their instrumental inventiveness, and their passion for exploration. The book is organised thematically around the four communities of the Deep Carbon Observatory: Deep Life, Extreme Physics and Chemistry, Reservoirs and Fluxes, and Deep Energy. The presentation has a gallery and list of Deep Carbon Pioneers. As a biographer, I am keenly searching for people who may have been overlooked in the standard accounts of the historical development of geology, geodynamics, and the study of subsurface life. Whom would you choose as pioneers? Can you nominate a colleague, or even add a selfie? Do you have a standout story or personal recollection to enrich my chronicle?

New Resources to Take Action on Science Policy Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunge, Carissa

2014-10-01

Millions of people across the United States make their voices heard by asking political candidates and elected officials about the issues that matter to them. As a scientist, you can be a part of the conversation and show politicians that Earth and space sciences are critical fields in need of their support.

EarthLabs - Investigating Hurricanes: Earth's Meteorological Monsters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2007-12-01

Earth science is one of the most important tools that the global community needs to address the pressing environmental, social, and economic issues of our time. While, at times considered a second-rate science at the high school level, it is currently undergoing a major revolution in the depth of content and pedagogical vitality. As part of this revolution, labs in Earth science courses need to shift their focus from cookbook-like activities with known outcomes to open-ended investigations that challenge students to think, explore and apply their learning. We need to establish a new model for Earth science as a rigorous lab science in policy, perception, and reality. As a concerted response to this need, five states, a coalition of scientists and educators, and an experienced curriculum team are creating a national model for a lab-based high school Earth science course named EarthLabs. This lab course will comply with the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The content will focus on Earth system science and environmental literacy. The lab experiences will feature a combination of field work, classroom experiments, and computer access to data and visualizations, and demonstrate the rigor and depth of a true lab course. The effort is being funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. One of the prototype units of the course is Investigating Hurricanes. Hurricanes are phenomena which have tremendous impact on humanity and the resources we use. They are also the result of complex interacting Earth systems, making them perfect objects for rigorous investigation of many concepts commonly covered in Earth science courses, such as meteorology, climate, and global wind circulation. Students are able to use the same data sets, analysis tools, and research techniques that scientists employ in their research, yielding truly authentic learning opportunities. This month-long integrated unit uses hurricanes as the story line by which students investigate the different interactions involved in hurricane generation, steering, and intensification. Students analyze a variety of visualization resources looking for patterns in occurrence and to develop an understanding of hurricane structure. They download archived data about past hurricanes and produce temporal and spatial plots to discover patterns in hurricane life cycles. They investigate the relationship between hurricane wind speed and factors such as barometric pressure and sea surface temperature by conducting spreadsheet analyses on archived data. They also conduct hands-on laboratory experiments in order to understand the physical processes that underpin energy transfer in convection, condensation, and latent heat. These activities highlight Earth science as a vital, rich, invigorating course, employing state-of-the-art technologies and in-depth labs with high relevance for our daily lives and the future.

Laurel Clark Earth Camp: Building a Framework for Teacher and Student Understanding of Earth Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colodner, D.; Buxner, S.; Schwartz, K.; Orchard, A.; Titcomb, A.; King, B.; Baldridge, A.; Thomas-Hilburn, H.; Crown, D. A.

2013-04-01

Laurel Clark Earth Camp is designed to inspire teachers and students to study their world through field experiences, remote sensing investigations, and hands on exploration, all of which lend context to scientific inquiry. In three different programs (for middle school students, for high school students, and for teachers) participants are challenged to understand Earth processes from the perspectives of both on-the ground inspection and from examination of satellite images, and use those multiple perspectives to determine best practices on both a societal and individual scale. Earth Camp is a field-based program that takes place both in the “natural” and built environment. Middle School Earth Camp introduces students to a variety of environmental science, engineering, technology, and societal approaches to sustainability. High School Earth Camp explores ecology and water resources from southern Arizona to eastern Utah, including a 5 day rafting trip. In both camps, students compare environmental change observed through repeat photography on the ground to changes observed from space. Students are encouraged to utilize their camp experience in considering their future course of study, career objectives, and lifestyle choices. During Earth Camp for Educators, teachers participate in a series of weekend workshops to explore relevant environmental science practices, including water quality testing, biodiversity surveys, water and light audits, and remote sensing. Teachers engage students, both in school and after school, in scientific investigations with this broad based set of tools. Earth Stories from Space is a website that will assist in developing skills and comfort in analyzing change over time and space using remotely sensed images. Through this three-year NASA funded program, participants will appreciate the importance of scale and perspective in understanding Earth systems and become inspired to make choices that protect the environment.

Carl Sagan and Joseph Shklovsky: Intelligent Life in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurt, Vladimir

J. S. Shklovsky and Carl Sagan played an outstanding role in modern astronomy. Their names are well known not only to professional astronomers, but also to millions of educated people in many countries, which are interested in modern state of science research. Among these trends of modern science, which are difficult to define, are such problems, as the creation of Solar system, the origin of life on Earth, the evolution of living organisms on Earth from the simplest viruses to Homo Sapiens, the evolution of intelligence and technology. Finally, both outstanding scientists were deeply interested in the problem of SETI (Search Extraterrestrial Intelligence), i.e. search of extraterrestrial civilizations and methods of making contacts with them. And both scientists were high professionals in their fields. Joseph Shklovsky was a theoretical astronomer in all fields of modern astronomy (geophysics and physics of the upper atmosphere of the Earth, Sun and Solar Corona, Interplanetary Medium and Solar Wind, Interstellar Medium, Supernova and their remnants, the Galaxy and galaxies, Quasars and Cosmology). There is hardly a field in modern astrophysics (except perhaps the theory of the interior structure of stars), where Joseph Shklovsky has not l a bright stamp of his talent…

Sedimentary Geology Context and Challenges for Cyberinfrastructure Data Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, M. A.; Budd, D. A.

2014-12-01

A cyberinfrastructure data management system for sedimentary geology is crucial to multiple facets of interdisciplinary Earth science research, as sedimentary systems form the deep-time framework for many geoscience communities. The breadth and depth of the sedimentary field spans research on the processes that form, shape and affect the Earth's sedimentary crust and distribute resources such as hydrocarbons, coal, and water. The sedimentary record is used by Earth scientists to explore questions such as the continental crust evolution, dynamics of Earth's past climates and oceans, evolution of the biosphere, and the human interface with Earth surface processes. Major challenges to a data management system for sedimentary geology are the volume and diversity of field, analytical, and experimental data, along with many types of physical objects. Objects include rock samples, biological specimens, cores, and photographs. Field data runs the gamut from discrete location and spatial orientation to vertical records of bed thickness, textures, color, sedimentary structures, and grain types. Ex situ information can include geochemistry, mineralogy, petrophysics, chronologic, and paleobiologic data. All data types cover multiple order-of-magnitude scales, often requiring correlation of the multiple scales with varying degrees of resolution. The stratigraphic framework needs dimensional context with locality, time, space, and depth relationships. A significant challenge is that physical objects represent discrete values at specific points, but measured stratigraphic sections are continuous. In many cases, field data is not easily quantified, and determining uncertainty can be difficult. Despite many possible hurdles, the sedimentary community is anxious to embrace geoinformatic resources that can provide better tools to integrate the many data types, create better search capabilities, and equip our communities to conduct high-impact science at unprecedented levels.

Earth Sciences' Capacity Building In Developing Countries through International Programmes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eder, W.

2007-12-01

Within the framework of "traditional" programmes, like the joint UNESCO-IUGS "International Geoscience Programme" (IGCP), the "International Continental Scientific Drilling Program" (ICDP), the "Integrated Ocean Drilling Program" (IODP) or the "International Lithosphere Programme" (ILP) numerous opportunities are provided to strengthen postgraduate geo-scientific education of representatives from developing countries. Recently established new initiatives, such as the "International Year of Planet Earth" (IYPE) or UNESCO's Global Network of Geoparks complement these in addition as important components to UNESCO's 'Education for All' programme, notably the youth, as well as to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 - 2014). The "International Year of Planet Earth" is a joint initiative of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO. The central aims and ambitions of the Year, proclaimed for 2008 by the UN General Assembly, are to demonstrate the great potential of the Earth sciences in building a safer, healthier and wealthier society, and to encourage more widespread and effective application of this potential by targeting politicians and other decision-makers, educational systems, and the general public. Promotion of international collaboration, as well as capacity building and training of students of developing countries in all fields of Earth Sciences seem to be the most appropriate way to meet also the challenges of the IYPE. Another opportunity to improve the international recognition of Earth Scinces, also in developing countries, is the use of Geoparks as a promotional tool for education and popularization of Earth Sciences. Geoparks, notably those included in the European and/or Global Geoparks Networks, provide an international platform of cooperation and exchange between experts and practitioners in geological heritage matters, and are as such excellent instruments in highlighting Earth sciences. The general goal of Geoparks to integrate the preservation of geological heritage into a strategy for regional sustainable socio-economic and cultural development serves ideally the overall objective of the "International Year of Planet Earth" with its subtitle "Earth Sciences for Society". International geo-related cooperation projects, run under the umbrella of international NGOs (like IUGS, IUGG, IGU, IUSS and others) are often supported financially by international and national funding agencies. Out of the broad international spectrum, some German projects devoted to developing countries - summer schools, training and capacity building courses in Earth Sciences, funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation), DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), InWent (Capacity Building International, Germany) and others - are selected as examples in improving the geo-research capacity and education of developing countries.

Putting teachers-to-be in the field and the lab: Hands-on research at the American Museum of Natural History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeau, P. A.; Ebel, D. S.; Harlow, G. E.; Landman, N. H.; Pagnotta, A.; Sessa, J.; Shara, M.; Ustunisik, G. K.; Webster, J. D.; Blair, D.; Shumer, M.

2013-12-01

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is halfway through a pilot program designed to prepare Earth Science teachers for grades 7-12 in high-needs schools in New York. The program was implemented to address a critical shortage of qualified Earth Science teachers throughout the state as well as to reach student populations that traditionally have limited science exposure and hands-on learning opportunities. This Master of Arts in Teaching is unique amongst teacher preparation programs, not only in that it is housed at a world-class research museum and places the teacher candidates in a year-long teaching residency, but also in that it accepts only students with a strong background in Earth Science via a degree in geology, meteorology, oceanography, astronomy, or a related discipline. Following a year of graduate courses in science and pedagogy, as well as teaching residencies, and only months before embarking on teaching career, candidates begin a seven-week science practicum. This exercise combines field and lab work under the tutelage of AMNH science curators and postdoctoral research fellows to provide experience with the scientific process, from field work and data collection to interpretation and public presentation of results. In the science practicum, teaching candidates begin by selecting one of four topics on which to focus their research: astrophysics, experimental petrology, mineralogy, or paleontology. An introduction to lab materials, techniques, and instrumentation is followed by two weeks in the field, both upstate and in New York City, where rocks of all types are encountered and discussed. Nights are devoted to astronomical observing and data collection to supplement the geology-oriented daytime sessions. Following the trips, candidates are back at AMNH analyzing data and samples in preparation for a short, scientific-style manuscript and presentation of results in an AGU-style talk. Three research groups have already discovered potentially publishable results from candidate-oriented lab work. Here we report on the practicum experiences of the first cohort of teacher candidates. Teacher preparation programs such as this will be increasingly valuable in coming years as a result of the recently released national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These new standards shift emphasis from students memorizing scientific content to understanding the practice of science. While NGSS have not yet been adopted in New York State, they likely will be in the near future, making this program at AMNH highly relevant to the current state of science education in the United States.

ARTEMIS Science Objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibeck, D. G.; Angelopoulos, V.; Brain, D. A.; Delory, G. T.; Eastwood, J. P.; Farrell, W. M.; Grimm, R. E.; Halekas, J. S.; Hasegawa, H.; Hellinger, P.;

Science and User Needs for Observing Global Mass Transport to Understand Global Change and to Benefit Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pail, Roland; Bingham, Rory; Braitenberg, Carla; Dobslaw, Henryk; Eicker, Annette; Güntner, Andreas; Horwath, Martin; Ivins, Eric; Longuevergne, Laurent; Panet, Isabelle; Wouters, Bert

2015-11-01

Satellite gravimetry is a unique measurement technique for observing mass transport processes in the Earth system on a global scale, providing essential indicators of both subtle and dramatic global change. Although past and current satellite gravity missions have achieved spectacular science results, due to their limited spatial and temporal resolution as well as limited length of the available time series numerous important questions are still unresolved. Therefore, it is important to move from current demonstration capabilities to sustained observation of the Earth's gravity field. In an international initiative performed under the umbrella of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, consensus on the science and user needs for a future satellite gravity observing system has been derived by an international panel of scientists representing the main fields of application, i.e., continental hydrology, cryosphere, ocean, atmosphere and solid Earth. In this paper the main results and findings of this initiative are summarized. The required target performance in terms of equivalent water height has been identified as 5 cm for monthly fields and 0.5 cm/year for long-term trends at a spatial resolution of 150 km. The benefits to meet the main scientific and societal objectives are investigated, and the added value is demonstrated for selected case studies covering the main fields of application. The resulting consolidated view on the required performance of a future sustained satellite gravity observing system represents a solid basis for the definition of technological and mission requirements, and is a prerequisite for mission design studies of future mission concepts and constellations.

Exploring uncertainty in the Earth Sciences - the potential field perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saltus, R. W.; Blakely, R. J.

2013-12-01

Interpretation of gravity and magnetic anomalies is mathematically non-unique because multiple theoretical solutions are possible. The mathematical label of 'non-uniqueness' can lead to the erroneous impression that no single interpretation is better in a geologic sense than any other. The purpose of this talk is to present a practical perspective on the theoretical non-uniqueness of potential field interpretation in geology. There are multiple ways to approach and constrain potential field studies to produce significant, robust, and definitive results. For example, a smooth, bell-shaped gravity profile, in theory, could be caused by an infinite set of physical density bodies, ranging from a deep, compact, circular source to a shallow, smoothly varying, inverted bell-shaped source. In practice, however, we can use independent geologic or geophysical information to limit the range of possible source densities and rule out many of the theoretical solutions. We can further reduce the theoretical uncertainty by careful attention to subtle anomaly details. For example, short-wavelength anomalies are a well-known and theoretically established characteristic of shallow geologic sources. The 'non-uniqueness' of potential field studies is closely related to the more general topic of scientific uncertainty in the Earth sciences and beyond. Nearly all results in the Earth sciences are subject to significant uncertainty because problems are generally addressed with incomplete and imprecise data. The increasing need to combine results from multiple disciplines into integrated solutions in order to address complex global issues requires special attention to the appreciation and communication of uncertainty in geologic interpretation.

Nicolas Receives 2004 Harry H. Hess Medal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allègre, Claude J.

2005-02-01

Adolphe Nicolas received the Hess Medal at the 2004 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony on 15 December, in San Francisco, California. The medal is given for outstanding achievements in research in the constitution and evolution of Earth and other planets. Citation. Adolphe Nicolas is a pioneer in Earth sciences. He has almost created a new field that we can name: the textural geodynamics.

Climate Data Service in the FP7 EarthServer Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantovani, Simone; Natali, Stefano; Barboni, Damiano; Grazia Veratelli, Maria

2013-04-01

EarthServer is a European Framework Program project that aims at developing and demonstrating the usability of open standards (OGC and W3C) in the management of multi-source, any-size, multi-dimensional spatio-temporal data - in short: "Big Earth Data Analytics". In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, six thematic Lighthouse Applications (Cryospheric Science, Airborne Science, Atmospheric/ Climate Science, Geology, Oceanography, and Planetary Science), each with 100+ TB, are implemented. Scope of the Atmospheric/Climate lighthouse application (Climate Data Service) is to implement the system containing global to regional 2D / 3D / 4D datasets retrieved either from satellite observations, from numerical modelling and in-situ observations. Data contained in the Climate Data Service regard atmospheric profiles of temperature / humidity, aerosol content, AOT, and cloud properties provided by entities such as the European Centre for Mesoscale Weather Forecast (ECMWF), the Austrian Meteorological Service (Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik - ZAMG), the Italian National Agency for new technologies, energies and sustainable development (ENEA), and the Sweden's Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut -- SMHI). The system, through an easy-to-use web application permits to browse the loaded data, visualize their temporal evolution on a specific point with the creation of 2D graphs of a single field, or compare different fields on the same point (e.g. temperatures from different models and satellite observations), and visualize maps of specific fields superimposed with high resolution background maps. All data access operations and display are performed by means of OGC standard operations namely WMS, WCS and WCPS. The EarthServer project has just started its second year over a 3-years development plan: the present status the system contains subsets of the final database, with the scope of demonstrating I/O modules and visualization tools. At the end of the project all datasets will be available to the users.

Atmospheric Research 2014 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platnick, Steven

2015-01-01

Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Division's goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various Laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the Earth Sciences Division in atmospheric science research. Figure 1.1 shows the 20-year record of peer-reviewed publications and proposals among the various Laboratories. This data shows that the scientific work being conducted in the Laboratories is competitive with the work being done elsewhere in universities and other government agencies. The office of Deputy Director for Atmospheric Research will strive to maintain this record by rigorously monitoring and promoting quality while emphasizing coordination and integration among atmospheric disciplines. Also, an appropriate balance will be maintained between the scientists' responsibility for large collaborative projects and missions and their need to carry out active science research as a principal investigator. This balance allows members of the Laboratories to improve their scientific credentials, and develop leadership potentials. Interdisciplinary research is carried out in collaboration with other laboratories and research groups within the Earth Sciences Division, across the Sciences and Exploration Directorate, and with partners in universities and other government agencies. Members of the Laboratories interact with the general public to support a wide range of interests in the atmospheric sciences. Among other activities, the Laboratories raise the public's awareness of atmospheric science by presenting public lectures and demonstrations, by making scientific data available to wide audiences, by teaching, and by mentoring students and teachers. The Atmosphere Laboratories make substantial efforts to attract and recruit new scientists to the various areas of atmospheric research. We strongly encourage the establishment of partnerships with Federal and state agencies that have operational responsibilities to promote the societal application of our science products. This report describes our role in NASA's mission, provides highlights of our research scope and activities, and summarizes our scientists' major accomplishments during calendar year 2014. The composition of the organization is shown in Figure 1.2 for each code. This report is published in a printed version with an electronic version on our atmospheres Web site, http://atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

GeoEthics from the Ground Up: A Carbon-Neutral Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, A.; Derry, L. A.

2014-12-01

Discussion with students about the science of global warming and the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions - while emitting greenhouse gasses in the process - is a focal point for geoethics in the Cornell University Earth and Environmental Systems (EES) Field Program. If we seek to educate students in the fundamentals of environmental stewardship we must also put stewardship into practice as part of that education. The EES program is a semester length earth systems field program held on Hawai`i Island. In Hawai`i students gain first-hand experience with the interconnected solid earth, living earth, ocean and atmosphere. They also gain first-hand experience with the consequences of unsustainable resource use: marine resource depletion, deforestation and species loss, development v. conservation, fossil fuel v. alternative energy options. Yet as a travel-based field program the pursuit of these goals carries a clear environmental cost. Thus a core element of EES education is to run a carbon-neutral program. To achieve this, students quantify every aspect of the program's carbon footprint. They decide which actions they must include as part of that footprint and learn how to monitor and calculate the resulting CO2 emissions. Students learn how to reduce emissions where possible, and offset emissions that cannot be eliminated. Working in partnership with island-based conservation organizations students engage in reforestation of degraded native forest landscapes. They model the carbon sequestration capacity of restored forest biomass and soil reservoirs. The outcome of this process has triple-bottom-line benefits: (1) native forest and endangered species habitat is restored, (2) carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and sequestered, and (3) students gain hands-on, minds-on experience with carbon-cycle science, ecosystem science, and with the ethical imperative of putting one's knowledge into action.

GRIP Experiment 2010

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-08-14

Jeffrey Beyon, lower right, and Paul Joseph Petzar, right, researchers from NASA's Langley Research Center, speak with Ramesh Kakar right, of the NASA Earth Science Division as they work with DAWN Air Data Acquisition and Processing software aboard NASA's DC-8 research aircraft, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, in support of the GRIP experiment at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment is a NASA Earth science field experiment in 2010 that is being conducted to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Engaging High School Science Teachers in Field-Based Seismology Research: Opportunities and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, M. D.

2015-12-01

Research experiences for secondary school science teachers have been shown to improve their students' test scores, and there is a substantial body of literature about the effectiveness of RET (Research Experience for Teachers) or SWEPT (Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers) programs. RET programs enjoy substantial support, and several opportunities for science teachers to engage in research currently exist. However, there are barriers to teacher participation in research projects; for example, laboratory-based projects can be time consuming and require extensive training before a participant can meaningfully engage in scientific inquiry. Field-based projects can be an effective avenue for involving teachers in research; at its best, earth science field work is a fun, highly immersive experience that meaningfully contributes to scientific research projects, and can provide a payoff that is out of proportion to a relatively small time commitment. In particular, broadband seismology deployments provide an excellent opportunity to provide teachers with field-based research experience. Such deployments are labor-intensive and require large teams, with field tasks that vary from digging holes and pouring concrete to constructing and configuring electronics systems and leveling and orienting seismometers. A recently established pilot program, known as FEST (Field Experiences for Science Teachers) is experimenting with providing one week of summer field experience for high school earth science teachers in Connecticut. Here I report on results and challenges from the first year of the program, which is funded by the NSF-CAREER program and is being run in conjunction with a temporary deployment of 15 seismometers in Connecticut, known as SEISConn (Seismic Experiment for Imaging Structure beneath Connecticut). A small group of teachers participated in a week of field work in August 2015 to deploy seismometers in northern CT; this experience followed a visit of the PI to the classroom of one of the teacher participants during spring 2015 to give a series of talks on Connecticut earthquakes and geology. This presentation will focus on the challenges and opportunities of running small, PI-driven, field-based RET programs.

Enhancing the earth-science content and inquiry basis of physical geography education in Singapore schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaughey, J.; Chong, E.

2011-12-01

Singapore has a long tradition of geography education at the secondary and Junior College levels (ages 12-18). Although most geography teachers teach both human and physical geography, many of them have received more extensive university training in human geography. The Earth Obervatory of Singapore (EOS), a newly established research institute at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is building an education and outreach program to integrate its research across formal and informal education. We are collaborating with the Singapore Ministry of Education to enhance the earth-science content and inquiry basis of physical geography education in Singapore classrooms. EOS is providing input to national curriculum, textbook materials, and teaching resources, as well as providing inquiry-based field seminars and workshops for inservice teachers. An upcoming 5-year "Our Dynamic Earth" exhibit at the Science Centre Singapore will be a centerpoint of outreach to younger students, their teachers and parents, and to the community at large. On a longer time scale, the upcoming undergraduate program in earth science at NTU, the first of its kind in Singapore, will provide a stream of earth scientists into the geography teaching workforce. Developing ties between EOS and the National Institute of Education will further enhance teacher training. With a highly centralized curriculum, small land area, high-performing student population, and key stakeholders eager to collaborate with EOS, Singapore presents an unusual opportunity to impact classrooms on a national scale.

The GeoBus project: a mobile Earth science outreach project for secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, R. A.; Roper, K. A.; Macfarlane, D.; Pike, C.

2013-12-01

GeoBus is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews. It is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (high) schools by providing teaching resources that are not readily available to educators, to inspire young learners by incorporating new science research outcomes in teaching activities, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. These linkages are important for introducing career opportunities in Earth sciences. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 140 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Over 20,000 pupils will have been involved in practical hands-on Earth science learning activities by December 2013, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The resources that GeoBus brings to schools include all the materials and equipment needed to run workshops, field excursions and Enterprise Challenges. GeoBus provides 16 workshops which can be adapted for different learning levels. Workshops are 50 to 80 minute sessions for up to 30 pupils and topics include minerals, rocks, fossils, geological time, natural resources, climate change, volcanoes, earthquakes, and geological mapping. As with all GeoBus activities, the inclusion of equipment and technology otherwise unavailable to schools substantially increases the engagement of pupils in workshops. Field excursions are popular, as many teachers have little or no field trainng and feel unable to lead this type of activity. The excursions comprise half or full day sessions for up to 30 pupils and are tailored to cover the local geology or geomorphology. The Enterprise Challenges are half or full day sessions for up to 100 pupils. Current topics are Drilling for Oil, Renewable Energy, a Journey to Mars and Scotland's Rock Story. Drilling for Oil and Renewable Energy were designed to incorporate ideas and datasets from Maersk Oil Ltd, Centrica Upstream Research and Shell. Pupils are assigned roles (geologists, geophysicists and engineers) and work in teams on the datasets provided. These challenges develop geological skills, team working, spatial (3D) and mathematical skills, and provide insight on career opportunities in the natural resources sector. In order to keep all GeoBus materials as current and engaging as possible, university academics from different disciplines, students and industry professionals are all involved in developing its resources.

Laboratory for Atmospheres 2008 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cote, Charles E.

2009-01-01

The 2008 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report. The Laboratory for Atmospheres (Code 613) is part of the Earth Sciences Division (Code 610), formerly the Earth Sun Exploration Division, under the Sciences and Exploration Directorate (Code 600) based at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In line with NASA s Exploration Initiative, the Laboratory executes a comprehensive research and technology development program dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmospheres of Earth and other planets. The research program is aimed at understanding the influence of solar variability on the Earth s climate; predicting the weather and climate of Earth; understanding the structure, dynamics, and radiative properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; understanding atmospheric chemistry, especially the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and advancing our understanding of physical properties of Earth s atmosphere. The research program identifies problems and requirements for atmospheric observations via satellite missions. Laboratory scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology for remote sensing of the atmosphere. Laboratory members conduct field measurements for satellite data calibration and validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud-resolving models, and development of next-generation Earth system models. Interdisciplinary research is carried out in collaboration with other laboratories and research groups within the Earth Sciences Division, across the Sciences and Exploration Directorate, and with partners in universities and other Government agencies. The Laboratory for Atmospheres is a vital participant in NASA s research agenda. Our Laboratory often has relatively large programs, sizable satellite missions, and observational campaigns that require the cooperative and collaborative efforts of many scientists. We ensure an appropriate balance between our scientists responsibility for these large collaborative projects and their need for an active individual research agenda. This balance allows members of the Laboratory to continuously improve their scientific credentials. Members of the Laboratory interact with the general public to support a wide range of interests in the atmospheric sciences. Among other activities, the Laboratory raises the public s awareness of atmospheric science by presenting public lectures and demonstrations, by making scientific data available to wide audiences, by teaching, and by mentoring students and teachers. The Laboratory makes substantial efforts to attract new scientists to the various areas of atmospheric research. We strongly encourage the establishment of partnerships with Federal and state agencies that have operational responsibilities to promote the societal application of our science products. This report describes our role in NASA s mission, gives a broad description of our research, and summarizes our scientists major accomplishments during calendar year 2008. The report also contains useful information on human resources, scientific interactions, and outreach activities.

Understanding the Role of Biology in the Global Environment: NASA'S Mission to Planet Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, William F.

1996-01-01

NASA has long used the unique perspective of space as a means of expanding our understanding of how the Earth's environment functions. In particular, the linkages between land, air, water, and life-the elements of the Earth system-are a focus for NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. This approach, called Earth system science, blends together fields like meteorology, biology, oceanography, and atmospheric science. Mission to Planet Earth uses observations from satellites, aircraft, balloons, and ground researchers as the basis for analysis of the elements of the Earth system, the interactions between those elements, and possible changes over the coming years and decades. This information is helping scientists improve our understanding of how natural processes affect us and how we might be affecting them. Such studies will yield improved weather forecasts, tools for managing agriculture and forests, information for fishermen and local planners, and, eventually, an enhanced ability to predict how the climate will change in the future. NASA has designed Mission to Planet Earth to focus on five primary themes: Land Cover and Land Use Change; Seasonal to Interannual Climate Prediction; Natural Hazards; Long-Term Climate Variability; and Atmosphere Ozone.

Collaboration between research scientists and educators in implementation of a Masters program for training new Earth Science teachers in New York State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeau, P. A.; Flores, K. E.; Zirakparvar, N. A.; Grcevich, J.; Ustunisik, G. K.; Kinzler, R. J.; Macdonald, M.; Mathez, E. A.; Mac Low, M.

2012-12-01

Educators and research scientists at the American Museum of Natural History are collaborating to implement a teacher education program with the goal of addressing a critical shortage of qualified Earth Science teachers in New York State (NYS), particularly in high-needs schools with diverse populations. This pilot program involves forging a one-of-a-kind partnership between a world-class research museum and high-needs schools in New York City. By placing teaching candidates in such schools, the project has potential to engage, motivate, and improve Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers of thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented populations including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. The program, which is part of the state's Race to the Top initiative, is approved by the NYS Board of Regents and will prepare a total of 50 candidates in two cohorts to earn a Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The museum is in a unique position of being able to break traditional educational barriers as a result of a long history of interdisciplinary collaborations between educators and research scientists, as well as being the only stand-alone science graduate degree-granting museum in the United States. The intensive 15-month curriculum for MAT candidates comprises one summer of museum teaching residency, a full academic year of residency in high-needs public schools, one summer of science research residency, and concurrent graduate-level courses in Earth and space sciences, pedagogy, and adolescent psychology. We emphasize field-based geological studies and experiential learning, in contrast to many traditional teacher education programs. In an effort to ensure that MAT candidates have a robust knowledge base in Earth science, and per NYS Department of Education requirements, we selected candidates with strong backgrounds in fields including geology, meteorology, and environmental science and engineering. Program faculty includes curators and post-doctoral fellows specializing in geology, astrophysics, and paleontology, and doctoral-level Education faculty, who work side by side across disciplines to develop and co-teach courses. With the first cohort of teaching candidates having entered the program in June of 2012, the MAT program is still in the early stages. Current teacher candidates have a wide variety of scientific expertise, come from diverse geographic localities, range from recent bachelors graduates to career changers, and thus far have provided much positive feedback about their experiences with the MAT curriculum. Here we report on the first 6 months of the program.

Research and technology, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, P. Y.

1990-01-01

The annual report of the Marshall Space Flight Center for 1990 is presented. Brief summaries of research are presented for work in the fields of transportation systems, space systems, data systems, microgravity science, astronomy, astrophysics, solar physics, magnetospheric physics, atomic physics, aeronomy, Earth science and applications, propulsion technology, materials and processes, structures and dynamics, automated systems, space systems, and avionics.

A Science Strategy for Space Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This report by the Committee on Solar and Space Physics and the Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Research recommends the major directions for scientific research in space physics for the coming decade. As a field of science, space physics has passed through the stage of simply looking to see what is out beyond Earth's atmosphere. It has become a 'hard' science, focusing on understanding the fundamental interactions between charged particles, electromagnetic fields, and gases in the natural laboratory consisting of the galaxy, the Sun, the heliosphere, and planetary magnetospheres, ionospheres, and upper atmospheres. The motivation for space physics research goes far beyond basic physics and intellectual curiosity, however, because long-term variations in the brightness of the Sun virtually affect the habitability of the Earth, while sudden rearrangements of magnetic fields above the solar surface can have profound effects on the delicate balance of the forces that shape our environment in space and on the human technology that is sensitive to that balance. The several subfields of space physics share the following objectives: to understand the fundamental laws or processes of nature as they apply to space plasmas and rarefied gases both on the microscale and in the larger complex systems that constitute the domain of space physics; to understand the links between changes in the Sun and the resulting effects at the Earth, with the eventual goal of predicting the significant effects on the terrestrial environment; and to continue the exploration and description of the plasmas and rarefied gases in the solar system.

Earth resources-regional transfer activity contracts review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bensko, J., Jr.; Daniels, J. L.; Downs, S. W., Jr.; Jones, N. L.; Morton, R. R.; Paludan, C. T.

1977-01-01

A regional transfer activity contracts review held by the Earth Resources Office was summarized. Contracts in the earth resources field primarily directed toward applications of satellite data and technology in solution of state and regional problems were reviewed. A summary of the progress of each contract was given in order to share experiences of researchers across a seven state region. The region included Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. Research in several earth science disciplines included forestry, limnology, water resources, land use, geology, and mathematical modeling. The use of computers for establishment of information retrieval systems was also emphasized.

Introductory geology for elementary education majors utilizing a constructivist approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, L.M.; Kelso, P.R.; Rexroad, C.B.

2001-01-01

"Field Excursions in Earth Science" is designed as a non-prerequisite field-based course for elementary education majors. Classic Canadian Shield and Michigan Basin outcrops and Quaternary features are used to teach those Earth science objectives considered most important for K-8 teachers by the Michigan State Board of Education and by others. We integrated these objectives into five conceptual pathways rather than presenting them as discrete pieces of information. A variety of teaching techniques based on constructivist educational theory are employed, so that pre-service teachers experience active-learning strategies in the context of how science is practiced. Our learning strategies address the cognitive and affective domains and utilize personal experiences in conjunction with pre- and post-experience organizers to allow students to develop individual meanings. We place emphasis on observations and concepts and we encourage students to explain their understanding of concepts verbally and in a variety of written formats. Activities address spatial concepts and map reading; mineral, rock, and fossil identification; formation of rocks; surficial processes and landform development; structural deformation and plate tectonics; and environmental issues. Students keep field notes and have daily projects. They address the pedagogical structure of the course in a daily diary.

Heliophysics: The Solar and Space Physics of a New Era. Recommended Roadmap for Science and Technology 2009-2030

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, Andrew B.; Spann, James; Cyr, O. C.; Cummings, Alan; Heelis, Roderick; Hill, Frank; Immel, Thomas; Kasper, Justin; Kistler, Lynn; Kuhn, Jeffrey;

Honors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-05-01

Lisa Tauxe, distinguished professor of geophysics in the Geosciences Research Division and department chair and deputy director for education at Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego, received the Franklin Institute's Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science "for the development of observational techniques and theoretical models providing an improved understanding of the behavior of, and variations in intensity of, the Earth's magnetic field through geologic time."

Enhancements and Evolution of the Real Time Mission Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, M.; Blakeslee, R.; Hardin, D.; Hall, J.; He, Y.; Regner, K.

2008-12-01

The Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decision-making for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery, radar, surface and airborne instrument data sets, model output parameters, lightning location observations, aircraft navigation data, soundings, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual earth application. RTMM has proven extremely valuable for optimizing individual Earth science airborne field experiments. Flight planners, mission scientists, instrument scientists and program managers alike appreciate the contributions that RTMM makes to their flight projects. RTMM has received numerous plaudits from a wide variety of scientists who used RTMM during recent field campaigns including the 2006 NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA), 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4), 2008 Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) missions, the 2007-2008 NOAA-NASA Aerosonde Hurricane flights and the 2008 Soil Moisture Active-Passive Validation Experiment (SMAP-VEX). Improving and evolving RTMM is a continuous process. RTMM recently integrated the Waypoint Planning Tool, a Java-based application that enables aircraft mission scientists to easily develop a pre-mission flight plan through an interactive point-and-click interface. Individual flight legs are automatically calculated for altitude, latitude, longitude, flight leg distance, cumulative distance, flight leg time, cumulative time, and satellite overpass intersections. The resultant flight plan is then generated in KML and quickly posted to the Google Earth-based RTMM for planning discussions, as well as comparisons to real time flight tracks in progress. A description of the system architecture, components, and applications along with reviews and animations of RTMM during the field campaigns, plus planned enhancements and future opportunities will be presented.

Monitoring the Earth's Dynamic Magnetic Field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Applegate, David; Townshend, John B.

2008-01-01

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey's Geomagnetism Program is to monitor the Earth's magnetic field. Using ground-based observatories, the Program provides continuous records of magnetic field variations covering long timescales; disseminates magnetic data to various governmental, academic, and private institutions; and conducts research into the nature of geomagnetic variations for purposes of scientific understanding and hazard mitigation. The program is an integral part of the U.S. Government's National Space Weather Program (NSWP), which also includes programs in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSWP works to provide timely, accurate, and reliable space weather warnings, observations, specifications, and forecasts, and its work is important for the U.S. economy and national security. Please visit the National Geomagnetism Program?s website, http://geomag.usgs.gov, where you can learn more about the Program and the science of geomagnetism. You can find additional related information at the Intermagnet website, http://www.intermagnet.org.

Unique geologic insights from "non-unique" gravity and magnetic interpretation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, R.W.; Blakely, R.J.

2011-01-01

Interpretation of gravity and magnetic anomalies is mathematically non-unique because multiple theoretical solutions are always possible. The rigorous mathematical label of "nonuniqueness" can lead to the erroneous impression that no single interpretation is better in a geologic sense than any other. The purpose of this article is to present a practical perspective on the theoretical non-uniqueness of potential-field interpretation in geology. There are multiple ways to approach and constrain potential-field studies to produce significant, robust, and definitive results. The "non-uniqueness" of potential-field studies is closely related to the more general topic of scientific uncertainty in the Earth sciences and beyond. Nearly all results in the Earth sciences are subject to significant uncertainty because problems are generally addressed with incomplete and imprecise data. The increasing need to combine results from multiple disciplines into integrated solutions in order to address complex global issues requires special attention to the appreciation and communication of uncertainty in geologic interpretation.

Intra-EVA Space-to-Ground Interactions when Conducting Scientific Fieldwork Under Simulated Mars Mission Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaton, Kara H.; Chappell, Steven P.; Abercromby, Andrew F. J.; Lim, Darlene S. S.

2018-01-01

The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) project is a four-year program dedicated to iteratively designing, implementing, and evaluating concepts of operations (ConOps) and supporting capabilities to enable and enhance scientific exploration for future human Mars missions. The BASALT project has incorporated three field deployments during which real (non-simulated) biological and geochemical field science have been conducted at two high-fidelity Mars analog locations under simulated Mars mission conditions, including communication delays and data transmission limitations. BASALT's primary Science objective has been to extract basaltic samples for the purpose of investigating how microbial communities and habitability correlate with the physical and geochemical characteristics of chemically altered basalt environments. Field sites include the active East Rift Zone on the Big Island of Hawai'i, reminiscent of early Mars when basaltic volcanism and interaction with water were widespread, and the dormant eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho, similar to present-day Mars where basaltic volcanism is rare and most evidence for volcano-driven hydrothermal activity is relict. BASALT's primary Science Operations objective has been to investigate exploration ConOps and capabilities that facilitate scientific return during human-robotic exploration under Mars mission constraints. Each field deployment has consisted of ten extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the volcanic flows in which crews of two extravehicular and two intravehicular crewmembers conducted the field science while communicating across time delay and under bandwidth constraints with an Earth-based Mission Support Center (MSC) comprised of expert scientists and operators. Communication latencies of 5 and 15 min one-way light time and low (0.512 Mb/s uplink, 1.54 Mb/s downlink) and high (5.0 Mb/s uplink, 10.0 Mb/s downlink) bandwidth conditions were evaluated. EVA crewmembers communicated with the MSC via voice and text messaging. They also provided scientific instrument data, still imagery, video streams from chest-mounted cameras, GPS location tracking information. The MSC monitored and reviewed incoming data from the field across delay and provided recommendations for pre-sampling and sampling tasks based on their collective expertise. The scientists used dynamic priority ranking lists, referred to as dynamic leaderboards, to track and rank candidate samples relative to one another and against the science objectives for the current EVA and the overall mission. Updates to the dynamic leaderboards throughout the EVA were relayed regularly to the IV crewmembers. The use of these leaderboards enabled the crew to track the dynamic nature of the MSC recommendations and helped minimize crew idle time (defined as time spent waiting for input from Earth during which no other productive tasks are being performed). EVA timelines were strategically designed to enable continuous (delayed) feedback from an Earth-based Science Team while simultaneously minimizing crew idle time. Such timelines are operationally advantageous, reducing transport costs by eliminating the need for crews to return to the same locations on multiple EVAs while still providing opportunities for recommendations from science experts on Earth, and scientifically advantageous by minimizing the potential for cross-contamination across sites. This paper will highlight the space-to-ground interaction results from the three BASALT field deployments, including planned versus actual EVA timeline data, ground assimilation times (defined as the amount of time available to the MSC to provide input to the crew), and idle time. Furthermore, we describe how these results vary under the different communication latency and bandwidth conditions. Together, these data will provide a basis for guiding and prioritizing capability development for future human exploration missions.

Tsé na'alkaah: Weaving Native and Mainstream Earth and Environmental Science into Place-Based Teacher Professional Development on the Colorado Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semken, S. C.; Godsey, H. S.; Tsosie, W. B., Jr.

2017-12-01

Place-based, culturally-integrated approaches to teaching geoscience and environmental science are aligned with traditional indigenous education, and illustrate the premise that leveraging the cultural capital of Native Americans and other underrepresented groups renders more inclusive and relevant teaching. Situating learning within local landscapes, environments, and communities; and meaningfully connecting mainstream science with Native science and knowledge of place enables students to construct new knowledge that is scaffolded by their own worldview and experiences, and helps lessen any sense of discontinuity that may arise from apparently disparate interpretations of Earth processes. We drew on this philosophy in implementing a multi-year program of summer professional-development workshops for K-12 teachers in the Colorado Plateau and Intermountain regions, many of whom work in schools that serve majority Native American student populations. Through collaboration of geoscientists, Diné (Navajo) cultural experts, and master teachers, we developed and implemented inquiry-rich field excursions in which learning about Earth-system features and processes on the Plateau utilized factual and conceptual knowledge from mainstream geoscience and Diné geoscience (tsé na'alkaah) alike, as well as on other forms of local place knowledge such as Diné toponymy and history. Participants used concepts such as the dynamic interactions of Earth (Nahasdzaan) and Sky (Yádilhil) systems and the natural order (nitsahakees, nahat'a, iina, siihasin) to interpret natural landscape features (e.g., desert landforms, Plateau stratigraphy, Laramide structures) as well as anthropogenic impacts (e.g., uranium extraction and its environmental and health effects) in the field. We will share specific examples of place-based, culturally integrated curriculum and assessment from this program.

Production and Uses of Multi-Decade Geodetic Earth Science Data Records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bock, Y.; Kedar, S.; Moore, A. W.; Fang, P.; Liu, Z.; Sullivan, A.; Argus, D. F.; Jiang, S.; Marshall, S. T.

2017-12-01

The Solid Earth Science ESDR System (SESES) project funded under the NASA MEaSUREs program produces and disseminates mature, long-term, calibrated and validated, GNSS based Earth Science Data Records (ESDRs) that encompass multiple diverse areas of interest in Earth Science, such as tectonic motion, transient slip and earthquake dynamics, as well as meteorology, climate, and hydrology. The ESDRs now span twenty-five years for the earliest stations and today are available for thousands of global and regional stations. Using a unified metadata database and a combination of GNSS solutions generated by two independent analysis centers, the project currently produces four long-term ESDR's: Geodetic Displacement Time Series: Daily, combined, cleaned and filtered, GIPSY and GAMIT long-term time series of continuous GPS station positions (global and regional) in the latest version of ITRF, automatically updated weekly. Geodetic Velocities: Weekly updated velocity field + velocity field histories in various reference frames; compendium of all model parameters including earthquake catalog, coseismic offsets, and postseismic model parameters (exponential or logarithmic). Troposphere Delay Time Series: Long-term time series of troposphere delay (30-min resolution) at geodetic stations, necessarily estimated during position time series production and automatically updated weekly. Seismogeodetic records for historic earthquakes: High-rate broadband displacement and seismic velocity time series combining 1 Hz GPS displacements and 100 Hz accelerometer data for select large earthquakes and collocated cGPS and seismic instruments from regional networks. We present several recent notable examples of the ESDR's usage: A transient slip study that uses the combined position time series to unravel "tremor-less" slow tectonic transient events. Fault geometry determination from geodetic slip rates. Changes in water resources across California's physiographic provinces at a spatial resolution of 75 km. Retrospective study of a southern California summer monsoon event.

Conceptual Understanding of Geological Concepts by Students with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wild, Tiffany A.; Hilson, Margilee P.; Farrand, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

Eighteen middle and high school students with visual impairments participated in a weeklong field-based geology summer camp. This paper reports the curriculum, strategies, and what the students learned about Earth science by climbing in and out of caves, collecting fossils, exploring a bog, and interacting with experts in the field. Students were…

Outdoor Education, Junior Biology Field Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aikman, John H.; And Others

Field studies for grade nine and ten biology students are developed in this teacher and student guide for outdoor education. A small section is devoted to teacher pre-planning and final sections are concerned with equipment, audio-visual resources, and a large booklist. Twenty-three investigations related to earth science and biology topics are…

Guidebook for Field Trips in Virginia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Exline, Joseph D., Ed.

Presented is geological information and site descriptions for teachers to use in planning and conducting earth science field trips in Virginia. Among the topics included are: (1) Geology, Soils and Land Use in Central Virginia; (2) Using Coastal Plain Stratigraphy Near Fredericksburg, Virginia as a Teaching Tool; and (3) The Culpepper Basin of the…

A Relevancy Algorithm for Curating Earth Science Data Around Phenomenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maskey, Manil; Ramachandran, Rahul; Li, Xiang; Weigel, Amanda; Bugbee, Kaylin; Gatlin, Patrick; Miller, J. J.

2017-01-01

Earth science data are being collected for various science needs and applications, processed using different algorithms at multiple resolutions and coverages, and then archived at different archiving centers for distribution and stewardship causing difficulty in data discovery. Curation, which typically occurs in museums, art galleries, and libraries, is traditionally defined as the process of collecting and organizing information around a common subject matter or a topic of interest. Curating data sets around topics or areas of interest addresses some of the data discovery needs in the field of Earth science, especially for unanticipated users of data. This paper describes a methodology to automate search and selection of data around specific phenomena. Different components of the methodology including the assumptions, the process, and the relevancy ranking algorithm are described. The paper makes two unique contributions to improving data search and discovery capabilities. First, the paper describes a novel methodology developed for automatically curating data around a topic using Earthscience metadata records. Second, the methodology has been implemented as a standalone web service that is utilized to augment search and usability of data in a variety of tools.

Geophysical information for teachers: Wave tanks, homemade clouds, glacial goo, and more!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamec, Bethany Holm

2012-02-01

AGU is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of Earth and space scientists. Union activities contribute to this effort in many ways, one of which is partnering with the National Earth Science Teacher's Association (NESTA) to hold the Annual Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at AGU's annual Fall Meeting. GIFT allows K-12 science teachers to hear about the latest geoscience research from the scientists making the discoveries, explore new classroom resources for their students, and visit exhibits and technical sessions of the AGU meeting for free. In 2011 AGU worked with NESTA to develop an improved rigorous and open application process for scientists and education professionals who wished to work as a team and present their Earth and space science work to teachers, as well as lead the educators in a hands-on, classroom- ready activity. Twenty-four applications were received for five slots, so the selected presentations (on tsunamis, clouds, field campaigns, glaciers, and volcanoes), chosen through a peer- review process, truly represented the best ways of getting cutting-edge science into the classroom.

Using Earth System Science as Basis for Sustainability Education in an Undergraduate Environmental Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinton, C. W.

2012-12-01

Undergraduate programs in Environmental Science (ES) have progressively grown over the past decades. One of the many challenges of providing an effective curriculum is deciding what content and which skills are included in such a wide ranging field. Certainly geoscience needs to be included as part of the content but how is this best executed? More precisely, what should ES majors know about how the earth, oceans, and atmosphere work? One possible approach is to include existing undergraduate geology or atmospheric science courses as part of the required core, but this has potential pitfalls. For example, courses may be geared toward general education requirements or may be designed more for geology majors. A better solution is to offer a course or set of courses that are specifically tailored for ES majors. I propose that Earth System Science (ESS) is an excellent approach as it incorporates the earth as a whole system and can be taught within the context of environmental sustainability. My approach to ESS is to focus on the movement/cycles of matter (e.g., carbon, calcium, nitrogen) and energy. By referring back to this focus throughout the semester, students are provided with a structure to begin to make sense of a complex problem. In support of this, lab exercises provide practice in collecting and analyzing data using a variety resources.

NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory - An End-to-End Observational Science Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rockwell, A.; Baeuerle, B.; Grubišić, V.; Hock, T. F.; Lee, W. C.; Ranson, J.; Stith, J. L.; Stossmeister, G.

2017-12-01

Researchers who want to understand and describe the Earth System require high-quality observations of the atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere. Making these observations not only requires capable research platforms and state-of-the-art instrumentation but also benefits from comprehensive in-field project management and data services. NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is an end-to-end observational science enterprise that provides leadership in observational research to scientists from universities, U.S. government agencies, and NCAR. Deployment: EOL manages the majority of the NSF Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities, which includes research aircraft, radars, lidars, profilers, and surface and sounding systems. This suite is designed to address a wide range of Earth system science - from microscale to climate process studies and from the planet's surface into the Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere. EOL offers scientific, technical, operational, and logistics support to small and large field campaigns across the globe. Development: By working closely with the scientific community, EOL's engineering and scientific staff actively develop the next generation of observing facilities, staying abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and applications in order to improve our measurement capabilities. Through our Design and Fabrication Services, we also offer high-level engineering and technical expertise, mechanical design, and fabrication to the atmospheric research community. Data Services: EOL's platforms and instruments collect unique datasets that must be validated, archived, and made available to the research community. EOL's Data Management and Services deliver high-quality datasets and metadata in ways that are transparent, secure, and easily accessible. We are committed to the highest standard of data stewardship from collection to validation to archival. Discovery: EOL promotes curiosity about Earth science, and fosters advanced understanding of the processes involved in observational research. Through EOL's Education and Outreach Program, we strive to inspire and develop the next generation of observational scientists and engineers by offering a range of educational, experiential, and outreach opportunities, including engineering internships.

Spacelab program's scientific benefits to mankind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graft, Harry G., Jr.; Marmann, Richard A.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the important scientific discoveries and accomplishments achieved by the Spacelab program during the ten years of its operation starting with the first flight in 1983, with emphasis on the discoveries and accomplishments in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, atmospheric science, life sciences, microgravity science, plasma physics, and earth observations. The Spacelab systems performance and operations are discussed with particular attention given to the operations applicable to the Space Station era.

Education and Outreach Programs Offered by the Center for High Pressure Research and the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, G. A.

2003-12-01

Major research facilities and organizations provide an effective venue for developing partnerships with educational organizations in order to offer a wide variety of educational programs, because they constitute a base where the culture of scientific investigation can flourish. The Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES) conducts education and outreach programs through the Earth Science Educational Resource Center (ESERC), in partnership with other groups that offer research and education programs. ESERC initiated its development of education programs in 1994 under the administration of the Center for High Pressure Research (CHiPR), which was funded as a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center from 1991 to 2002. Programs developed during ESERC's association with CHiPR and COMPRES have targeted a wide range of audiences, including pre-K, K-12 students and teachers, undergraduates, and graduate students. Since 1995, ESERC has offered inquiry-based programs to Project WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) students at a high school and undergraduate level. Activities have included projects that investigated earthquakes, high pressure mineral physics, and local geology. Through a practicum known as Project Java, undergraduate computer science students have developed interactive instructional tools for several of these activities. For K-12 teachers, a course on Long Island geology is offered each fall, which includes an examination of the role that processes in the Earth's interior have played in the geologic history of the region. ESERC has worked with Stony Brook's Department of Geosciences faculty to offer courses on natural hazards, computer modeling, and field geology to undergraduate students, and on computer programming for graduate students. Each summer, a four-week residential college-level environmental geology course is offered to rising tenth graders from the Brentwood, New York schools in partnership with Stony Brook's Department of Technology and Society. During the academic year, a college-level Earth science course is offered to tenth graders from Sayville, New York. In both programs, students conduct research projects as one of their primary responsibilities. In collaboration with the Museum of Long Island Natural Sciences on the Stony Brook campus, two programs have been developed that enable visiting K-12 school classes to investigate earthquakes and phenomena that operate in the Earth's deep interior. From 1997 to 1999, the weekly activity-based Science Enrichment for the Early Years (SEEY) program, focusing on common Earth materials and fundamental Earth processes, was conducted at a local pre-K school. Since 2002, ESERC has worked with the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) to organize the Skills Workshops for their Annual Meeting and with EarthScope for the development of their Education and Outreach Program Plan. Future education programs and tools developed through COMPRES partnerships will place an increased emphasis on deep Earth materials and phenomena.

Earth Science Data Analysis in the Era of Big Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, K.-S.; Clune, T. L.; Ramachandran, R.

2014-01-01

Anyone with even a cursory interest in information technology cannot help but recognize that "Big Data" is one of the most fashionable catchphrases of late. From accurate voice and facial recognition, language translation, and airfare prediction and comparison, to monitoring the real-time spread of flu, Big Data techniques have been applied to many seemingly intractable problems with spectacular successes. They appear to be a rewarding way to approach many currently unsolved problems. Few fields of research can claim a longer history with problems involving voluminous data than Earth science. The problems we are facing today with our Earth's future are more complex and carry potentially graver consequences than the examples given above. How has our climate changed? Beside natural variations, what is causing these changes? What are the processes involved and through what mechanisms are these connected? How will they impact life as we know it? In attempts to answer these questions, we have resorted to observations and numerical simulations with ever-finer resolutions, which continue to feed the "data deluge." Plausibly, many Earth scientists are wondering: How will Big Data technologies benefit Earth science research? As an example from the global water cycle, one subdomain among many in Earth science, how would these technologies accelerate the analysis of decades of global precipitation to ascertain the changes in its characteristics, to validate these changes in predictive climate models, and to infer the implications of these changes to ecosystems, economies, and public health? Earth science researchers need a viable way to harness the power of Big Data technologies to analyze large volumes and varieties of data with velocity and veracity. Beyond providing speedy data analysis capabilities, Big Data technologies can also play a crucial, albeit indirect, role in boosting scientific productivity by facilitating effective collaboration within an analysis environment. To illustrate the effects of combining a Big Data technology with an effective means of collaboration, we relate the (fictitious) experience of an early-career Earth science researcher a few years beyond the present, interlaced and contrasted with reminiscences of its recent past (i.e., the present).

Mars for Earthlings: An Analog Approach to Mars in Undergraduate Education

PubMed Central

Kahmann-Robinson, Julia

2014-01-01

Abstract Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover images. Two years of MFE class evaluation data suggest that science literacy and general interest in Mars geology and astrobiology topics increased after participation in the MFE curriculum. Students also used newly developed skills to create a Mars mission team presentation. The MFE curriculum, learning modules, and resources are available online at http://serc.carleton.edu/marsforearthlings/index.html. Key Words: Mars—Geology—Planetary science—Astrobiology—NASA education. Astrobiology 14, 42–49. PMID:24359289

Building Scalable Knowledge Graphs for Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, R.; Maskey, M.; Gatlin, P. N.; Zhang, J.; Duan, X.; Bugbee, K.; Christopher, S. A.; Miller, J. J.

2017-12-01

Estimates indicate that the world's information will grow by 800% in the next five years. In any given field, a single researcher or a team of researchers cannot keep up with this rate of knowledge expansion without the help of cognitive systems. Cognitive computing, defined as the use of information technology to augment human cognition, can help tackle large systemic problems. Knowledge graphs, one of the foundational components of cognitive systems, link key entities in a specific domain with other entities via relationships. Researchers could mine these graphs to make probabilistic recommendations and to infer new knowledge. At this point, however, there is a dearth of tools to generate scalable Knowledge graphs using existing corpus of scientific literature for Earth science research. Our project is currently developing an end-to-end automated methodology for incrementally constructing Knowledge graphs for Earth Science. Semantic Entity Recognition (SER) is one of the key steps in this methodology. SER for Earth Science uses external resources (including metadata catalogs and controlled vocabulary) as references to guide entity extraction and recognition (i.e., labeling) from unstructured text, in order to build a large training set to seed the subsequent auto-learning component in our algorithm. Results from several SER experiments will be presented as well as lessons learned.

Communicating Earth Science Through Music: The Use of Environmental Sound in Science Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenner, C.

2017-12-01

The need for increased public understanding and appreciation of Earth science has taken on growing importance over the last several decades. Human society faces critical environmental challenges, both near-term and future, in areas such as climate change, resource allocation, geohazard threat and the environmental degradation of ecosystems. Science outreach is an essential component to engaging both policymakers and the public in the importance of managing these challenges. However, despite considerable efforts on the part of scientists and outreach experts, many citizens feel that scientific research and methods are both difficult to understand and remote from their everyday experience. As perhaps the most accessible of all art forms, music can provide a pathway through which the public can connect to Earth processes. The Earth is not silent: environmental sound can be sampled and folded into musical compositions, either with or without the additional sounds of conventional or electronic instruments. These compositions can be used in conjunction with other forms of outreach (e.g., as soundtracks for documentary videos or museum installations), or simply stand alone as testament to the beauty of geology and nature. As proof of concept, this presentation will consist of a musical composition that includes sounds from various field recordings of wind, swamps, ice and water (including recordings from the inside of glaciers).

Going beyond the NASA Earthdata website: Reaching out to new audiences via social media and webinars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagwell, R.; Wong, M. M.; Brennan, J.; Murphy, K. J.; Behnke, J.

2014-12-01

This poster will introduce and explore the various social media efforts and monthly webinar series recently established by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) project. EOSDIS is a key core capability in NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program. It provides end-to-end capabilities for managing NASA's Earth science data from various sources - satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. Some of the capabilities include twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), Science Computing Facilities (SCFs), a data discovery and service access client (Reverb), dataset directory (Global Change Master Directory - GCMD), near real-time data (Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS - LANCE), Worldview (an imagery visualization interface), Global Imagery Browse Services, the Earthdata Code Collaborative, and a host of other discipline specific data discovery, data access, data subsetting and visualization tools and services. We have embarked on these efforts to reach out to new audiences and potential new users and to engage our diverse end user communities world-wide. One of the key objectives is to increase awareness of the breadth of Earth science data information, services, and tools that are publicly available while also highlighting how these data and technologies enable scientific research.

International Research Results and Accomplishments From the International Space Station - A New Compilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruttley, Tara; Robinson, Julie A.; Tate-Brown, Judy; Perkins, Nekisha; Cohen, Luchino; Marcil, Isabelle; Heppener, Marc; Hatton, Jason; Tasaki, Kazuyuki; Umemura, Sayaka;

Overview of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDonald, Kenneth

2004-01-01

For over the last 15 years, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) has devoted a tremendous effort to design and build the Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS) to acquire, process, archive and distribute the data of the EOS series of satellites and other ESE missions and field programs. The development of EOSDIS began with an early prototype to support NASA data from heritage missions and progressed through a formal development process to today's system that supports the data from multiple missions including Landsat 7, Terra, Aqua, SORCE and ICESat. The system is deployed at multiple Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) and its current holdings are approximately 4.5 petabytes. The current set of unique users requesting EOS data and information products exceeds 2 million. While EOSDIS has been the centerpiece of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems, other initiatives have augmented the services of EOSDIS and have impacted its evolution and the future directions of data systems within the ESE. ESDIS had an active prototyping effort and has continued to be involved in the activities of the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO). In response to concerns from the science community that EOSDIS was too large and monolithic, the ESE initiated the Earth Science Information Partners (ESP) Federation Experiment that funded a series of projects to develop specialized products and services to support Earth science research and applications. Last year, the enterprise made 41 awards to successful proposals to the Research, Education and Applications Solutions Network (REASON) Cooperative Agreement Notice to continue and extend the ESP activity. The ESE has also sponsored a formulation activity called the Strategy for the Evolution of ESE Data Systems (SEEDS) to develop approaches and decision support processes for the management of the collection of data system and service providers of the enterprise. Throughout the development of its earth science data systems, NASA has had an active collaboration with a number of interagency and international partners. One of the mechanisms that has been extremely helpful in initiating and promoting this collaboration has been NASA's participation in the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and its Working Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS). The CEOS members, working together, have implemented an International Directory Network that enables users to locate collections of earth science data held by the international community and an International Catalog System to search and order specific data products. CEOS WGISS has also promoted the international interest in the Open GIS Consortium s specifications that further advance the access and use of geospatial data and the interoperation of GTS components. These are just a few highlights of the benefits that member agencies gain from CEOS participation.

Impacts and Viability of Open Source Software on Earth Science Metadata Clearing House and Service Registry Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilone, D.; Cechini, M. F.; Mitchell, A.

2011-12-01

Earth Science applications typically deal with large amounts of data and high throughput rates, if not also high transaction rates. While Open Source is frequently used for smaller scientific applications, large scale, highly available systems frequently fall back to "enterprise" class solutions like Oracle RAC or commercial grade JEE Application Servers. NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) provides end-to-end capabilities for managing NASA's Earth science data from multiple sources - satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. A core capability of EOSDIS, the Earth Observing System (EOS) Clearinghouse (ECHO), is a highly available search and order clearinghouse of over 100 million pieces of science data that has evolved from its early R&D days to a fully operational system. Over the course of this maturity ECHO has largely transitioned from commercial frameworks, databases, and operating systems to Open Source solutions...and in some cases, back. In this talk we discuss the progression of our technological solutions and our lessons learned in the areas of: ? High performance, large scale searching solutions ? GeoSpatial search capabilities and dealing with multiple coordinate systems ? Search and storage of variable format source (science) data ? Highly available deployment solutions ? Scalable (elastic) solutions to visual searching and image handling Throughout the evolution of the ECHO system we have had to evaluate solutions with respect to performance, cost, developer productivity, reliability, and maintainability in the context of supporting global science users. Open Source solutions have played a significant role in our architecture and development but several critical commercial components remain (or have been reinserted) to meet our operational demands.

The Satellite Data Thematic Core Service within the EPOS Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manunta, Michele; Casu, Francesco; Zinno, Ivana; De Luca, Claudio; Buonanno, Sabatino; Zeni, Giovanni; Wright, Tim; Hooper, Andy; Diament, Michel; Ostanciaux, Emilie; Mandea, Mioara; Walter, Thomas; Maccaferri, Francesco; Fernandez, Josè; Stramondo, Salvatore; Bignami, Christian; Bally, Philippe; Pinto, Salvatore; Marin, Alessandro; Cuomo, Antonio

2017-04-01

EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is a long-term plan to facilitate the integrated use of data, data products, software and services, available from distributed Research Infrastructures (RI), for solid Earth science in Europe. Indeed, EPOS integrates a large number of existing European RIs belonging to several fields of the Earth science, from seismology to geodesy, near fault and volcanic observatories as well as anthropogenic hazards. The EPOS vision is that the integration of the existing national and trans-national research infrastructures will increase access and use of the multidisciplinary data recorded by the solid Earth monitoring networks, acquired in laboratory experiments and/or produced by computational simulations. The establishment of EPOS will foster the interoperability of products and services in the Earth science field to a worldwide community of users. Accordingly, the EPOS aim is to integrate the diverse and advanced European Research Infrastructures for solid Earth science, and build on new e-science opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex solid-Earth System. One of the EPOS Thematic Core Services (TCS), referred to as Satellite Data, aims at developing, implementing and deploying advanced satellite data products and services, mainly based on Copernicus data (namely Sentinel acquisitions), for the Earth science community. This work intends to present the technological enhancements, fostered by EPOS, to deploy effective satellite services in a harmonized and integrated way. In particular, the Satellite Data TCS will deploy five services, EPOSAR, GDM, COMET, 3D-Def and MOD, which are mainly based on the exploitation of SAR data acquired by the Sentinel-1 constellation and designed to provide information on Earth surface displacements. In particular, the planned services will provide both advanced DInSAR products (deformation maps, velocity maps, deformation time series) and value-added measurements (source model, 3D displacement maps, seismic hazard maps). Moreover, the services will release both on-demand and systematic products. The latter will be generated and made available to the users on a continuous basis, by processing each Sentinel-1 data once acquired, over a defined number of areas of interest; while the former will allow users to select data, areas, and time period to carry out their own analyses via an on-line platform. The satellite components will be integrated within the EPOS infrastructure through a common and harmonized interface that will allow users to search, process and share remote sensing images and results. This gateway to the satellite services will be represented by the ESA- Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP), a new cloud-based platform for the satellite Earth Observations designed to support the scientific community in the understanding of high impact natural disasters. Satellite Data TCS will use GEP as the common interface toward the main EPOS portal to provide EPOS users not only with data products but also with relevant processing and visualisation software, thus allowing users to gather and process on a cloud-computing infrastructure large datasets without any need to download them locally.

Integration of Research Into Science-outreach (IRIS): A Video and Web-based Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clay, P. L.; O'Driscoll, B.

2013-12-01

The development of the IRIS (Integration of Research Into Science-outreach) initiative is aimed at using field- and laboratory- based videos and blog entries to enable a sustained outreach relationship between university researchers and local classrooms. IRIS seeks to communicate complex, cutting-edge scientific research in the Earth and Planetary sciences to school-aged children in a simple and interesting manner, in the hope of ameliorating the overall decline of children entering into science and engineering fields in future generations. The primary method of delivery IRIS utilizes is the media of film, ';webinars' and blog entries. Filmed sequences of laboratory work, field work, science demos and mini webinars on current and relevant material in the Earth and Planetary sciences are ';subscribed' to by local schools. Selected sequences are delivered in 20-30 minute film segments with accompanying written material. The level at which the subject matter is currently geared is towards secondary level school-aged children, with the purpose of inspiring and encouraging curiosity, learning and development in scientific research. The video broadcasts are supplemented by a hands-on visit 1-2 times per year by a group of scientists participating in the filmed sequences to the subscribing class, with the objective of engaging and establishing a natural rapport between the class and the scientists that they see in the broadcasts. This transgresses boundaries that traditional 'one off' outreach platforms often aren't able to achieve. The initial results of the IRIS outreach initiative including successes, problems encountered and classroom feedback will be reported.

Universities Earth System Scientists Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, John E.

1995-01-01

This document constitutes the final technical report for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Grant NAGW-3172. This grant was instituted to provide for the conduct of research under the Universities Space Research Association's (USRA's) Universities Earth System Scientist Program (UESSP) for the Office of Mission to Planet Earth (OMTPE) at NASA Headquarters. USRA was tasked with the following requirements in support of the Universities Earth System Scientists Programs: (1) Bring to OMTPE fundamental scientific and technical expertise not currently resident at NASA Headquarters covering the broad spectrum of Earth science disciplines; (2) Conduct basic research in order to help establish the state of the science and technological readiness, related to NASA issues and requirements, for the following, near-term, scientific uncertainties, and data/information needs in the areas of global climate change, clouds and radiative balance, sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and the processes that control them, solid earth, oceans, polar ice sheets, land-surface hydrology, ecological dynamics, biological diversity, and sustainable development; (3) Evaluate the scientific state-of-the-field in key selected areas and to assist in the definition of new research thrusts for missions, including those that would incorporate the long-term strategy of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). This will, in part, be accomplished by study and evaluation of the basic science needs of the community as they are used to drive the development and maintenance of a global-scale observing system, the focused research studies, and the implementation of an integrated program of modeling, prediction, and assessment; and (4) Produce specific recommendations and alternative strategies for OMTPE that can serve as a basis for interagency and national and international policy on issues related to Earth sciences.

Interdisciplinary Navigation Unit for Mathematics and Earth Science Using Geospatial Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smaglik, S. M.; Harris, V.

2006-12-01

Central Wyoming College (CWC) is located northeast of the Wind River Mountains. Although many people find recreation in the wilderness and remote areas surrounding the area, people still lose their lives because they become lost or disoriented. Creating an interdisciplinary field-based curriculum unit within mathematics (MATH 1000) and earth science (GEOL 1070) courses for non-science and education majors, provides students an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and quantitative literacy. It also provides some necessary skills for survival and an understanding of landscape formation and wilderness navigation using geoscience. A brief history of navigation, including the importance of finding latitude and longitude, and the fairly recent implementation of the Global Positioning System, precedes activities in which students learn to use a basic compass. In addition to learning how to adjust for magnetic declination they read topographic maps, specifically USGS quadrangles, and learn how to use the scale in the legend to verify calculations using the Pythagorean Theorem. Students learn how to estimate distance and time required for traveling a pre- determined distance while using dimensional analysis to convert from the English system to metric. They learn how to read and measure latitude and longitude, as well as universal transverse Mercator projection measurements (UTM's), to find their position. The basic mathematical skills are assessed through hands-on activities such as finding their location on a map using a compass, a GPS unit, and Google Earth, and using a combination of maps, compasses, and GPS units to navigate through a course. Our goal is to provide life-saving information to students while incorporating necessary core curriculum from both mathematics and earth science classes. We work to create field-based activities, as well as assessments, to insure that students who complete the course are prepared to safely enjoy the outdoors and are prepared for future courses requiring mathematical problem-solving and/or lab science as a prerequisite.

Sustainability Science Education in Africa: Negotiating Indigenous Ways of Living with Nature in the Third Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glasson, George E.; Mhango, Ndalapa; Phiri, Absalom; Lanier, Marilyn

2010-01-01

In response to global climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the immense human impact on the carrying capacity of the earth systems, attention has been given to sustainable development worldwide. In this paper, we explore the emerging field of sustainability science within the context of the socio-cultural milieu of Malawi, a sub-Saharan…

SeaWiFS Technical Report Series. Volume 42; Satellite Primary Productivity Data and Algorithm Development: A Science Plan for Mission to Planet Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falkowski, Paul G.; Behrenfeld, Michael J.; Esaias, Wayne E.; Balch, William; Campbell, Janet W.; Iverson, Richard L.; Kiefer, Dale A.; Morel, Andre; Yoder, James A.; Hooker, Stanford B. (Editor);

Development of the AuScope Australian Earth Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawling, T.

2017-12-01

Advances in monitoring technology and significant investment in new national research initiatives, will provide significant new opportunities for delivery of novel geoscience data streams from across the Australian continent over the next decade. The AuScope Australian Earth Observing System (AEOS) is linking field and laboratory infrastructure across Australia to form a national sensor array focusing on the Solid Earth. As such AuScope is working with these programs to deploy observational infrastructure, including MT, passive seismic, and GNSS networks across the entire Australian Continent. Where possible the observational grid will be co-located with strategic basement drilling in areas of shallow cover and tied with national reflection seismic and sampling transects. This integrated suite of distributed earth observation and imaging sensors will provide unprecedented imaging fidelity of our crust, across all length and time scales, to fundamental and applied researchers in the earth, environmental and geospatial sciences. The AEOS will the Earth Science community's Square Kilometer Array (SKA) - a distributed telescope that looks INTO the earth rather than away from it - a 10 million SKA. The AEOS is strongly aligned with other community strategic initiatives including the UNCOVER research program as well as other National Collaborative Research Infrastructure programs such as the Terrestrial Environmental Research Network (TERN) and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) providing an interdisciplinary collaboration platform across the earth and environmental sciences. There is also very close alignment between AuScope and similar international programs such as EPOS, the USArray and EarthCube - potential collaborative linkages we are currently in the process of pursuing more fomally. The AuScope AEOS Infrastructure System is ultimately designed to enable the progressive construction, refinement and ongoing enrichment of a live, "FAIR" four-dimensional Earth Model for the Australian Continent and its immediate environs.

Introduction to Geostatistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitanidis, P. K.

1997-05-01

Introduction to Geostatistics presents practical techniques for engineers and earth scientists who routinely encounter interpolation and estimation problems when analyzing data from field observations. Requiring no background in statistics, and with a unique approach that synthesizes classic and geostatistical methods, this book offers linear estimation methods for practitioners and advanced students. Well illustrated with exercises and worked examples, Introduction to Geostatistics is designed for graduate-level courses in earth sciences and environmental engineering.

Joint Interdisciplinary Earth Science Information Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kafatos, Menas

2004-01-01

The report spans the three year period beginning in June of 2001 and ending June of 2004. Joint Interdisciplinary Earth Science Information Center's (JIESIC) primary purpose has been to carry out research in support of the Global Change Data Center and other Earth science laboratories at Goddard involved in Earth science, remote sensing and applications data and information services. The purpose is to extend the usage of NASA Earth Observing System data, microwave data and other Earth observing data. JIESIC projects fall within the following categories: research and development; STW and WW prototyping; science data, information products and services; and science algorithm support. JIESIC facilitates extending the utility of NASA's Earth System Enterprise (ESE) data, information products and services to better meet the science data and information needs of a number of science and applications user communities, including domain users such as discipline Earth scientists, interdisciplinary Earth scientists, Earth science applications users and educators.

Deepening perspective: A new look at the old world. [satellites and the earth sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The development space satellites is examined with particular reference to their contributions to scientific research. The accomplishments in the fields of geodesy and the magnetosphere are reviewed in some detail.

The Effects of Earth Science Programs on Student Knowledge and Interest in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, A.

2016-12-01

Ariana Wilson, Chris Skinner, Chris Poulsen Abstract For many years, academic programs have been in place for the instruction of young students in the earth sciences before they undergo formal training in high school or college. However, there has been little formal assessment of the impacts of these programs on student knowledge of the earth sciences and their interest in continuing with earth science. On August 6th-12th 2016 I will attend the University of Michigan's annual Earth Camp, where I will 1) ascertain high school students' knowledge of earth science-specifically atmospheric structure and wind patterns- before and after Earth Camp, 2) record their opinions about earth science before and after Earth Camp, and 3) record how the students feel about how the camp was run and what could be improved. I will accomplish these things through the use of surveys asking the students questions about these subjects. I expect my results will show that earth science programs like Earth Camp deepen students' knowledge of and interest in earth science and encourage them to continue their study of earth science in the future. I hope these results will give guidance on how to conduct future learning programs and how to recruit more students to become earth scientists in the future.

Earthworks: Educating Teachers in Earth System Sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spetzler, H.; Weaver, A.; Buhr, S.

2000-01-01

Earthworks is a national community of teachers and scientists. Initiated in 1998 with funding from NASA, our summer workshops in the Rocky Mountains each year provide unique opportunities for teachers to design and conduct field research projects, working closely with scientists. Teachers then develop plans for classroom implementation during the school year, sharing their ideas and experiences with other community members through e-mail and a listserv. Scientists, from graduate students to expert senior researchers, share their knowledge of field methods in environmental science, and learn how to better communicate and teach about their research.

Searching for Life with Rovers: Exploration Methods & Science Results from the 2004 Field Campaign of the "Life in the Atacama" Project and Applications to Future Mars Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabrol, N. A.a; Wettergreen, D. S.; Whittaker, R.; Grin, E. A.; Moersch, J.; Diaz, G. Chong; Cockell, C.; Coppin, P.; Dohm, J. M.; Fisher, G.

2005-01-01

The Life In The Atacama (LITA) project develops and field tests a long-range, solarpowered, automated rover platform (Zo ) and a science payload assembled to search for microbial life in the Atacama desert. Life is barely detectable over most of the driest desert on Earth. Its unique geological, climatic, and biological evolution have created a unique training site for designing and testing exploration strategies and life detection methods for the robotic search for life on Mars.

Summary of Global Ozone Measurements Collected from Field Campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilera, J.; Salazar, V.

2013-12-01

The goal of the NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory data services is to advance science through delivering high-quality project data and meta data in ways that are as transparent, secure, and easily accessible as possible. By using EOL's existing infrastructure and applying data mining techniques, we explored global ozone measurements collected during EOL supported airborne field campaigns. This study highlights ozone concentrations addressing a diverse set of science objectives, and how these timed measurements contribute to the understanding of the state of the atmosphere and evolution of the different measuring techniques.

Advance the Earth Science Education in China by Using New Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, R.; Wang, X.; Sun, L.

2013-12-01

With the development of Chinese economy, science and technology, as well as the increasing demand of the persons with knowledge and experience in earth science and geological exploration, the higher education of earth science has been boosted in recent years. There are 2,000 to 3,000 students studying earth science every year and many of them will take part in scientific research and engineering technology work around the world after graduation, which increased the demand of educators, both in quantity and quality. However, the fact is that there is a huge gap between the demand and the current number of educators due to the explosion of students, which makes the reform of traditional education methods inevitable. There is great significance in doing research on the teaching methods catering to a large number of students. Some research contents and result based on the reform of education methods has been conducted. We integrate the teaching contents with the cutting-edge research projects and stress significance of earth science, which will greatly enhance the student's enthusiasm of it. Moreover. New technology will be applied to solve the problem that every teacher are responsible for 100~150 students in one courses. For instance, building the Internet platform where teachers and the students can discuss the courses contents, read the latest scientific articles. With the numerical simulation technology, the internal structure of the Earth, geological phenomena, characteristics of ore body, geophysical and hydrological fields, etc. can be simulated and the experiments and teaching practice can be demonstrated via video technology. It can also be used to design algorithm statistics and assessment and monitor teaching effect. Students are separated into small groups to take research training with their personal tutor at the beginning of the first semester, which will increase the opportunities for students to communicate with educators and solve the problem that the students are not able to receive sufficient guide from the educators. All these reforms above have been proved with good achievements.

NAGT: Partnering to Expand and Improve the Teaching of Earth Sciences at all Levels of Instruction while Increasing Earth Literacy to the General Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbstrith, K. G.

2016-12-01

Now more than ever, we need an Earth literate public and a workforce that can develop and be engaged in viable solutions to current and future environmental and resource challenges. The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) is a member driven organization dedicated to fostering improvement in the teaching of the Earth Sciences at all levels of formal and informal instruction, to emphasizing the cultural significance of the Earth sciences and to disseminating knowledge in this field to the general public. NAGT offers a number of ways to partner and collaborate including our sponsored sessions, events and programs; two publications; workshop programming; three topical focused divisions; educational advocacy; and website offerings hosted through the Science Education Resource Center (SERC). A growing number of associations, institutions, projects, and individual educators are strengthening their professional networks by partnering with NAGT. Locating and connecting members of the Earth education community with shared values and interest is an important part of collaborating and NAGT's topical divisions assist community members who wish to work on the topics of 2-year college faculty, geoscience education research, and teacher preparation. The NAGT website and the linked websites of its collaborating partners provides a peer reviewed venue for educators to showcase their pedagogy and to learn best practices of others. The annual Earth Educators' Rendezvous is an opportunity to network face-to-face with the Earth education community, strengthening our relationships while working with those who share our interests and challenges while also learning from those who have divergent experiences. NAGT is a non-profit organization that advocates for the advancement of the geosciences and supports the work of Earth educators and geoscience education researchers. For more information about NAGT, visit our website at www.nagt.org

Astrophysical science with a spaceborne photometric telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Granados, Arno F. (Editor); Borucki, William J. (Editor)

1994-01-01

The FRESIP Project (FRequency of Earth-Sized Inner Planets) is currently under study at NASA Ames Research Center. The goal of FRESIP is the measurement of the frequency of Earth-sized extra-solar planets in inner orbits via the photometric signature of a transit event. This will be accomplished with a spaceborne telescope/photometer capable of photometric precision of two parts in 100,000 at a magnitude of m(sub v) = 12.5. To achieve the maximum scientific value from the FRESIP mission, an astrophysical science workshop was held at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, November 11-12, 1993. Workshop participants were invited as experts in their field of astrophysical research and discussed the astrophysical science that can be achieved within the context of the FRESIP mission.

NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Ben (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor); Blasso, L. G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990s.

Development and Evaluation of the Habitat Demonstration Unit Medical Operations Workstation and Opportunities for Future Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Robert L., Jr.

2012-01-01

As NASA develops missions to leave Earth orbit and explore distant destinations (Mars, Moon, Asteroids) it is necessary to rethink human spaceflight paradigms in the life sciences. Standards developed for low earth orbit human spaceflight may not be fully applicable and in-space research may be required to develop new standards. Preventative and emergency medical care may require new capabilities never before used in space. Due to spacecraft volume limitations, this work area may also be shared with various animal and plant life science research. This paper explores the prototype Medical Operations Workstation within the NASA Habitat Demonstration Unit and discusses some of the lessons learned from field analogue missions involving the workstation. Keywords: Exploration, medical, health, crew, injury emergency, biology, animal, plant, science, preventative, emergency.

Field Trip to the Moon. Educator's Guide. EG-2007-09-120-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2007

2007-01-01

The Field Trip to the Moon program uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces students to careers in science and engineering. The program components include a DVD and classroom investigations. The compelling DVD (not included here) provides essential information about Earth and the Moon. The hands-on…

A Guide to Field Studies for the Coastal Environment. Project CAPE Teaching Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Wells J.

Twenty-five coastal field study investigations, comprising this supplement to a junior high school earth science curriculum, are designed to help students obtain a fuller understanding of: (1) their coastal environment, (2) some of the problems which confront it, (3) the interrelationships between the land and the surrounding bodies of water, and…

Enabling Remote Access to Fieldwork: Gaining Insight into the Pedagogic Effectiveness of "Direct" and "Remote" Field Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Alison; Collins, Trevor; Maskall, John; Lea, John; Lunt, Paul; Davies, Sarah

2012-01-01

This study considers the pedagogical effectiveness of remote access to fieldwork locations. Forty-one students from across the GEES disciplines (geography, earth and environmental sciences) undertook a fieldwork exercise, supported by two lecturers. Twenty students accessed the field site directly and the remainder accessed the site remotely using…

Opportunity Science Using the Juno Magnetometer Investigation Star Trackers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joergensen, J. L.; Connerney, J. E.; Bang, A. M.; Denver, T.; Oliversen, R. J.; Benn, M.; Lawton, P.

2013-12-01

The magnetometer experiment onboard Juno is equipped with four non-magnetic star tracker camera heads, two of which reside on each of the magnetometer sensor optical benches. These are located 10 and 12 m from the spacecraft body at the end of one of the three solar panel wings. The star tracker, collectively referred to as the Advanced Stellar Compass (ASC), provides high accuracy attitude information for the magnetometer sensors throughout science operations. The star tracker camera heads are pointed +/- 13 deg off the spin vector, in the anti-sun direction, imaging a 13 x 20 deg field of view every ¼ second as Juno rotates at 1 or 2 rpm. The ASC is a fully autonomous star tracker, producing a time series of attitude quaternions for each camera head, utilizing a suite of internal support functions. These include imaging capabilities, autonomous object tracking, automatic dark-sky monitoring, and related capabilities; these internal functions may be accessed via telecommand. During Juno's cruise phase, this capability can be tapped to provide unique science and engineering data available along the Juno trajectory. We present a few examples of the JUNO ASC opportunity science here. As the Juno spacecraft approached the Earth-Moon system for the close encounter with the Earth on October 9, 2013, one of the ASC camera heads obtained imagery of the Earth-Moon system while the other three remained in full science (attitude determination) operation. This enabled the first movie of the Earth and Moon obtained by a spacecraft flying past the Earth in gravity assist. We also use the many artificial satellites in orbit about the Earth as calibration targets for the autonomous asteroid detection system inherent to the ASC autonomous star tracker. We shall also profile the zodiacal dust disk, using the interstellar image data, and present the outlook for small asteroid body detection and distribution being performed during Juno's passage from Earth flyby to Jovian orbit insertion.

TravelingGeologist: an online platform for dissemination of earth science to the masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, C. J.; Hoiland, C. W.; Gunderson, K. L.

2016-12-01

To more effectively inspire the next generation of scientists, the earth science community's public outreach efforts must adapt to the changing technological and informational ecosystems in which young people interact online (e.g. blogs, social media, viral marketing, web-based education, etc.). Although there are currently a number of successful individual and institutional efforts to reach potential students through web-based outlets, many of these efforts fail to connect primary researchers directly to a lay audience, relying instead on intermediaries that tend to dilute the recruiting impact of "producer-to-consumer" interactions. Few, if any of these efforts appear to have reached a critical mass of contributing authors and subscribed followers; and there are few available detailed metrics on growth trajectories, impact, or lay reach. We offer data from the TravelingGeologist as a case study in successful direct-to-consumer science outreach and recruitment. The TravelingGeologist is a non-profit, web-based platform on which earth scientists share their experiences in the field with the expressed purpose of attracting and inspiring a new generation of scientists. The TravelingGeologist website is supplemented by various social media platforms that market the content on the main site. Because TravelingGeologist accepts contributions from a variety of earth scientists, it also provides an arena whereon research summaries and vignettes can be shared with the large lay- and expert audience. This gives contributing authors an additional opportunity to demonstrate to government institutions that fund their research projects that they are engaging in efforts to communicate their results to the wider public. Beyond the ability to inspire new students and communicate science to the general public, it is our intent that TravelingGeologist will foster communication and promote collaboration within the earth science community. We have demonstrated that through well-designed web-based media in a wide array of social media markets, earth scientists can disseminate their research to the public and inspire the next generation of earth scientists.

Teaching programming and modelling skills to first-year earth & environmental science undergraduates: outcomes and lessons learned from a pilot project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, J. A.; Brewer, C.; O'Brien, G.

2017-12-01

Computing and programming are rapidly becoming necessary skills for earth and environmental scientists. Scientists in both academia and industry must be able to manipulate increasingly large datasets, create plots and 3-D visualisations of observations, and interpret outputs from complex numerical models, among other tasks. However, these skills are rarely taught as a compulsory part of undergraduate earth science curricula. In 2016, the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of Wollongong began a pilot program to integrate introductory programming and modelling skills into the required first-year core curriculum for all undergraduates majoring in earth and environmental science fields. Using Python, a popular teaching language also widely used by professionals, a set of guided exercises were developed. These exercises use interactive Jupyter Notebooks to introduce students to programming fundamentals and simple modelling problems relevant to the earth system, such as carbon cycling and population growth. The exercises are paired with peer review activities to expose students to the multitude of "correct" ways to solve computing problems. In the last weeks of the semester, students work in groups to creatively adapt their new-found skills to selected problems in earth system science. In this presentation, I will report on outcomes from delivering the new curriculum to the first two cohorts of 120-150 students, including details of the implementation and the impacts on both student aptitude and attitudes towards computing. While the first cohort clearly developed competency, survey results suggested a drop in student confidence over the course of the semester. To address this confidence gap for the second cohort, the in-class activities are now being supplemented with low-stakes open-book review quizzes that provide further practice with no time pressure. Research into the effectiveness of these review quizzes is ongoing and preliminary findings will be discussed, along with lessons learned in the process and plans for the future.

The Concept Currency of K-12 Science Textbooks Relative to Earth Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janke, Delmar Lester

This study was undertaken to determine the degree of agreement between science textbooks and scholars in earth science relative to earth science concepts to be included in the K-12 science curriculum. The study consisted of two phases: (1) the identification of a sample of earth science concepts rated by earth scientists as important for inclusion…

Earth From Space: "Beautiful Earth's" Integration of Media Arts, Earth Science, and Native Wisdom in Informal Learning Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casasanto, V.; Hallowell, R.; Williams, K.; Rock, J.; Markus, T.

2015-12-01

"Beautiful Earth: Experiencing and Learning Science in an Engaging Way" was a 3-year project funded by NASA's Competitive Opportunities in Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science. An outgrowth of Kenji Williams' BELLA GAIA performance, Beautiful Earth fostered a new approach to teaching by combining live music, data visualizations and Earth science with indigenous perspectives, and hands-on workshops for K-12 students at 5 science centers. Inspired by the "Overview Effect," described by many astronauts who were awestruck by seeing the Earth from space and their realization of the profound interconnectedness of Earth's life systems, Beautiful Earth leveraged the power of multimedia performance to serve as a springboard to engage K-12 students in hands-on Earth science and Native wisdom workshops. Results will be presented regarding student perceptions of Earth science, environmental issues, and indigenous ways of knowing from 3 years of evaluation data.

Ensuring Credibility of NASA's Earth Science Data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiden, M. E.; Ramapriyan, H. K.; Mitchell, A. E.; Berrick, S. W.; Walter, J.; Murphy, K. J.

2013-12-01

The summary description of the Fall 2013 AGU session on 'Data Curation, Credibility, Preservation Implementation, and Data Rescue to Enable Multi-Source Science' identifies four attributes needed to ensure credibility in Earth science data records. NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program has been working on all four of these attributes: transparency, completeness, permanence, and ease of access and use, by focusing on them and upon improving our practices of them, over many years. As far as transparency or openness, NASA was in the forefront of free and open sharing of data and associated information for Earth observations. The US data policy requires such openness, but allows for the recoup of the marginal cost of distribution of government data and information - but making the data available with no such charge greatly increases their usage in scientific studies and the resultant analyses hasten our collective understanding of the Earth system. NASA's currently available Earth observations comprise primarily those obtained from satellite-borne instruments, suborbital campaigns, and field investigations. These data are complex and must be accompanied by rich metadata and documentation to be understandable. To enable completeness, NASA utilizes standards for data format, metadata content, and required documentation for any data that are ingested into our distributed Earth Observing System Data and Information System, or EOSDIS. NASA is moving to a new metadata paradigm, primarily to enable a fuller description of data quality and fit-for-purpose attributes. This paradigm offers structured approaches for storing quality measures in metadata that include elements such as Positional Accuracy, Lineage and Cloud Cover. NASA exercises validation processes for the Earth Science Data Systems Program to ensure users of EOSDIS have a predictable level of confidence in data as well as assessing the data viability for usage and application. The Earth Science Data Systems Program has been improving its data management practices for over twenty years to assure permanence of data utility through reliable preservation of bits, readability, understandability, usability and reproducibility of results. While NASA has focused on the Earth System Science research community as the primary data user community, broad interest in the data due to climate change and how it is affecting people everywhere (e.g. sea level rise) by environmental managers, public policymakers and citizen scientists has led the Program to respond with new tools and ways to improve ease of access and use of the data. NASA's standard Earth observation data will soon be buttressed with the long tail of federally-funded research data created or analyzed by grantees, in response to John Holdren's OSTP Memorandum to federal departments and agencies entitled 'Increasing Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research'. We fully expect that NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program will be able to work with our grantees to comply early, and flexibly improve the openness of this source of scientific data to a best practice for NASA and the grantees

In Interactive, Web-Based Approach to Metadata Authoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollack, Janine; Wharton, Stephen W. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

NASA's Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) serves a growing number of users by assisting the scientific community in the discovery of and linkage to Earth science data sets and related services. The GCMD holds over 8000 data set descriptions in Directory Interchange Format (DIF) and 200 data service descriptions in Service Entry Resource Format (SERF), encompassing the disciplines of geology, hydrology, oceanography, meteorology, and ecology. Data descriptions also contain geographic coverage information, thus allowing researchers to discover data pertaining to a particular geographic location, as well as subject of interest. The GCMD strives to be the preeminent data locator for world-wide directory level metadata. In this vein, scientists and data providers must have access to intuitive and efficient metadata authoring tools. Existing GCMD tools are not currently attracting. widespread usage. With usage being the prime indicator of utility, it has become apparent that current tools must be improved. As a result, the GCMD has released a new suite of web-based authoring tools that enable a user to create new data and service entries, as well as modify existing data entries. With these tools, a more interactive approach to metadata authoring is taken, as they feature a visual "checklist" of data/service fields that automatically update when a field is completed. In this way, the user can quickly gauge which of the required and optional fields have not been populated. With the release of these tools, the Earth science community will be further assisted in efficiently creating quality data and services metadata. Keywords: metadata, Earth science, metadata authoring tools

An Integrative Approach to Improving an Introductory Weather & Climate Course and Developing an Allied NASA Earth & Space Science Certificate Program for Pre-service Secondary Teachers (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrow, C. A.; Martin-Hansen, L.; Diem, J.; Elliott, W.

2009-12-01

An Atlanta-based partnership made up of leaders in science, education, and Georgia’s state-wide STEM Education Initiative are creating an enduring legacy of climate science education for pre-service and in-service teachers in Georgia as well as for underrepresented high school students who participate in an "Early College" program with Georgia State University (GSU). The core elements of our NASA-funded program are to infuse NASA global climate change resources and best pedagogical practice into a popular 4-credit lecture/lab course called “Introduction to Weather & Climate” (GEOG 1112) at GSU, and to establish a sustainable academic program for pre-service teachers in the College of Education called the NASA Earth & Space Science (ESS) Teacher Certificate. The NASA ESS Certificate will require candidates to accomplish the following as part of (or in addition to) standard degree and licensure requirements: 1. successfully complete a graduate section of “Introduction to Weather and Climate” (GEOG 7112), which requires lesson planning related to course content and engagement with GSU's new CO2 monitoring station whose research-quality data will provide unique hands-on opportunities for Metro Atlanta students and teachers; 2) complete an additional advanced course in climate change (GEOG 6784) plus elective hours in physical science disciplines (e.g. astronomy and physics); 3) serve as a lab teaching assistant for GEOG 1112 and a coach for a cadre of Carver Early College students who are taking the course; 4) make at least one of two teaching practica at a Georgia-based NASA Explorer School; and 5) participate or co-present in a week-long, residential, field-based, Summer Institute in Earth & Space Science intended to increase the interest, knowledge, and ability of in-service secondary science educators to fulfill climate-related standards in Earth Science and Earth Systems Science. We will evaluate, document, and disseminate (to the University System of Georgia and beyond) our model for the NASA-enhancement of an introductory science course as a focal point for teacher preparation and professional development.

Astronomy as the Leader of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Sciences (Introductory talk)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martirosyan, R. M.; Mickaelian, A. M.

2015-07-01

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary sciences over the last few decades have become the major booster of science development. The most important discoveries occur just at the intersection of sciences and in collaboration of several fields. There appeared such intermediate fields as mathematical physics, physical chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, geophysics, etc. In astronomy, astrophysics has long been the main field, and in present archaeoastronomy, astrochemistry, astrobiology, astroinformatics (which is tightly related to virtual observatories) are developing. On the other hand, in recent years many science areas surfeit of research on Earth, more and more use data coming from the Space and are being developed just due to them. It is possible that in the near future, various science areas create Space departments or simply develop their research in close collaboration with astronomers. Interesting discoveries have been made in studies of astronomical topics in various areas of culture; such topics are widely used in folklore, other genres of literature, painting, and architecture. Astronomy has also a leading role in scientific tourism, scientific journalism and in general, dissemination of popular science or public outreach.

Astronomy as the Leader of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Farmanyan, S. V.

2016-12-01

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary sciences over the last few decades have become the major booster of science development. The most important discoveries occur just at the intersection of sciences and in collaboration of several fields. There appeared such intermediate fields as mathematical physics, physical chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, geophysics, etc. In astronomy, astrophysics has long been the main field, and in present archaeoastronomy, astrochemistry, astrobiology, astroinformatics (which is tightly related to virtual observatories) are developing. On the other hand, in recent years many science areas surfeit of research on Earth, more and more use data coming from the Space and are being developed just due to them. It is possible that in the near future, various science areas create Space departments or simply develop their research in close collaboration with astronomers. Interesting discoveries have been made in studies of astronomical topics in various areas of culture; such topics are widely used in folklore, other genres of literature, painting, and architecture. Astronomy has also a leading role in scientific tourism, scientific journalism and in general, dissemination of popular science or public outreach.

Auroral Phenomenology and Magnetospheric Processes: Earth and Other Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2013-07-01

The dancing glow of the aurorae, the long tendrils of light that seem to reach up into space, has mesmerized scientists for centuries. More than a beautiful display, the aurorae tell us about the Earth—about its atmosphere, its magnetic field, and its relationship with the Sun. As technology developed, researchers looking beyond Earth's borders discovered an array of auroral processes on planets throughout the solar system. In the AGU monograph Auroral Phenomenology and Magnetospheric Processes: Earth and Other Planets, editors Andreas Keiling, Eric Donovan, Fran Bagenal, and Tomas Karlsson explore the many open questions that permeate the science of auroral physics and the relatively recent field of extraterrestrial aurorae. In this interview, Eos talks to Karlsson about extraterrestrial aurorae, Alfvén waves, and the sounds of the northern lights.

Atmospheric Research 2011 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

The 2011 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of Atmospheric Research. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report.

The mobile GeoBus outreach project: hands-on Earth and Mars activities for secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Ruth; Pike, Charlotte; Roper, Kathryn

2015-04-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary schools by providing teaching resources that are not readily available to educators, to inspire young learners by incorporating new science research outcomes in teaching activities, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Just under 35,000 pupils have been involved in practical hands-on Earth science learning activities since the project began in 2012, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The resources that GeoBus brings to schools include all the materials and equipment needed to run 50 - 80 minute workshops, and half- or whole-day Enterprise Challenges and field excursions. Workshops are aimed at a class of up to 30 pupils and topics include minerals, rocks, fossils, geological time, natural resources, climate change, volcanoes, earthquakes, and geological mapping. As with all GeoBus activities, the inclusion of equipment and technology otherwise unavailable to schools substantially increases the engagement of pupils in workshops. Field excursions are increasingly popular, as many teachers have little or no field trainng and feel unable to lead this type of activity. The excursions comprise half or full day sessions for up to 30 pupils and are tailored to cover the local geology or geomorphology. Enterprise Challenge are half or full day sessions for up to 100 pupils. Topics include "Journey to Mars", "Scotland's Rocks", "Drilling for Oil", and "Renewable Energy". Both of the energy Enterprise Challenges were designed to incorporates ideas and datasets from Maersk Oil Ltd, Centrica Upstream Research and Shell. Pupils are assigned roles (geologists, geophysicists and engineers) and work in teams on the datasets provided. Journey to Mars involves pupils learning about remote sensing techniques, the technology that the Mars Science Laboratory carries, and use NASA data to explore how we search for signs of water and life on Mars. These challenges develop geological and research skills, team working, spatial (3D) and mathematical skills, and provide insight on career opportunities in Earth and space sciences. In order to keep all GeoBus materials as current and engaging as possible, university academics from different disciplines, students and industry professionals are all involved in developing its resources.

Diversity of Approaches to Structuring University-Based Earth System Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aron, J.; Ruzek, M.; Johnson, D. R.

2004-12-01

Over the past quarter century, the "Earth system science" paradigm has emerged among the interdisciplinary science community, emphasizing interactions among components hitherto considered within separate disciplines: atmosphere (air); hydrosphere (water); biosphere (life); lithosphere (land); anthroposphere (human dimension); and exosphere (solar system and beyond). How should the next generation of Earth system scientists learn to contribute to this interdisciplinary endeavor? There is no one simple answer. The Earth System Science Education program, funded by NASA, has addressed this question by supporting faculty at U.S. universities who develop new courses, curricula and degree programs in their institutional contexts. This report demonstrates the diversity of approaches to structuring university-based Earth system science education, focusing on the 18 current grantees of the Earth System Science Education Program for the 21st Century (ESSE21). One of the most fundamental characteristics is the departmental structure for teaching Earth system science. The "home" departments of the Earth system science faculty range from Earth sciences and physics to agronomy and social work. A brand-new institution created an interdisciplinary Institute for Earth Systems Science and Policy without traditional "parent" departments. Some institutions create new degree programs as majors or as minors while others work within existing degree programs to add or revise courses. A university may also offer multiple strands, such as a degree in the Science of the Earth System and a degree in the Human Dimensions of the Earth System. Defining a career path is extremely important to students considering Earth system science programs and a major institutional challenge for all programs in Earth system science education. How will graduate programs assess prospective students? How will universities and government agencies assess prospective faculty and scientists? How will government agencies allocate funds to interdisciplinary Earth system science and technology? Finally, how should the Earth system science education community evolve?

Focusing the EarthScope for a Broader Audience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B. R.

2011-12-01

One of the most challenging milestones of scientific research is often the translation of a technical result into a clear "teachable moment" that is accessible (and interesting!) to a broader audience. The success of this milestone can largely be measured by its effectiveness to inspire interest and enthusiasm in the non-scientist. Moreover, as 4D multimedia now dominates most aspects of our social environment, science "teaching" now also requires intervention of visualization technology and animation to portray research results in an inviting and stimulating manner. In response to these needs, a primary objective of the EarthScope Education and Outreach program is to transform technical science into teachable products for a technologically thriving generation. Following the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)'s lead in developing interactive Earth science kiosk multimedia (bundled in a free product called Active Earth), a major focus of this EarthScope CAREER project is aimed at the construction and installation of customized EarthScope-themed touch screen kiosks in local communities. These kiosks are helping to educate a broader audience about EarthScope's unique instrumentation and observations using interactive animations, games, and virtual field trips. An additional focus of this CAREER project is aimed at the development of several Earthquakes in Action teaching modules for grades 6-12, which have been successfully tested and implemented in both teacher-prep courses and an annual high school summer geosciences camp at the University of Texas at El Paso. These activities are beginning to shape a new pathway for how teachers teach and students learn about planet Earth and its fantastic EarthScope - one click (and touch) at a time.

Research-based Curricula in the Context of 21st Century Data Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, P. A.

2017-12-01

When the Informatics revolution began again a little more than 10 years ago (longer for bio-informatics) geosciences (or Earth and Space Sciences) was paying attention via international attention from the Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) and related endeavours (IPY, IYPE, IHY). The research agenda was in the spotlight, or moreso what Earth and Space Science informatics, cast in emergent escience or cyber-infrastructures, could benefit from was the main focus of attention and funding. At the time almost all "Xinformatics" efforts were novel in their discipline or traditionally defined. However, a broader research and education agenda was clearly needed. At the same time, a much more cross-disciplinary field; data science emerged. In this presentation, we relate the development, delivery and assessment of research oriented informatics, data science and their specializations into geoscience education in generak and as undertaken at RPI over the last nine years. We conclude with a longitudinal view of the impacts on career paths in the 21st century

Earth Science Europe "Is Earth Science Europe an interesting and useful construct?"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludden, John

2015-04-01

In 2014 we managed to have a group of earth scientists from across the spectrum: from academic, survey, industry and government, pull together to create the first output for Earth Science Europe http://www.bgs.ac.uk/earthScienceEurope/downloads/EarthScienceEuropeBrochure.pdf In this document we stated that Earth scientists need a united, authoritative voice to enhance the status and impact of Earth science across Europe. The feeling was that there were many diverse infrastructure and research initiatives spanning the terrestrial and oceanic realms and science ranged from historical geology to active dynamics on Earth, and that a level of coordination and mutual knowledge sharing was necessary. In addition to a better understanding of the Earth in general, we thought there was a need to have Earth Science Europe develop a strategic research capacity in geohazards, georesources and environmental earth sciences, through a roadmap addressing fundamental and societal challenges. This would involve a robust research infrastructure to deliver strategic goals, enabling inspirational research and promoting solutions to societal challenges. In this talk I will propose some next steps and discuss what this "authoritative voice" could look like and ask the question - "is Earth Science Europe and interesting and useful concept?"

Experiments using Semantic Web technologies to connect IUGONET, ESPAS and GFZ ISDC data portals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritschel, Bernd; Borchert, Friederike; Kneitschel, Gregor; Neher, Günther; Schildbach, Susanne; Iyemori, Toshihiko; Koyama, Yukinobu; Yatagai, Akiyo; Hori, Tomoaki; Hapgood, Mike; Belehaki, Anna; Galkin, Ivan; King, Todd

2016-11-01

E-science on the Web plays an important role and offers the most advanced technology for the integration of data systems. It also makes available data for the research of more and more complex aspects of the system earth and beyond. The great number of e-science projects founded by the European Union (EU), university-driven Japanese efforts in the field of data services and institutional anchored developments for the enhancement of a sustainable data management in Germany are proof of the relevance and acceptance of e-science or cyberspace-based applications as a significant tool for successful scientific work. The collaboration activities related to near-earth space science data systems and first results in the field of information science between the EU-funded project ESPAS, the Japanese IUGONET project and the GFZ ISDC-based research and development activities are the focus of this paper. The main objective of the collaboration is the use of a Semantic Web approach for the mashup of the project related and so far inoperable data systems. Both the development and use of mapped and/or merged geo and space science controlled vocabularies and the connection of entities in ontology-based domain data model are addressed. The developed controlled vocabularies for the description of geo and space science data and related context information as well as the domain ontologies itself with their domain and cross-domain relationships will be published in Linked Open Data.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Inseparability of science history and discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herndon, J. M.

2010-04-01

Science is very much a logical progression through time. Progressing along a logical path of discovery is rather like following a path through the wilderness. Occasionally the path splits, presenting a choice; the correct logical interpretation leads to further progress, the wrong choice leads to confusion. By considering deeply the relevant science history, one might begin to recognize past faltering in the logical progression of observations and ideas and, perhaps then, to discover new, more precise understanding. The following specific examples of science faltering are described from a historical perspective: (1) Composition of the Earth's inner core; (2) Giant planet internal energy production; (3) Physical impossibility of Earth-core convection and Earth-mantle convection, and; (4) Thermonuclear ignition of stars. For each example, a revised logical progression is described, leading, respectively, to: (1) Understanding the endo-Earth's composition; (2) The concept of nuclear georeactor origin of geo- and planetary magnetic fields; (3) The invalidation and replacement of plate tectonics; and, (4) Understanding the basis for the observed distribution of luminous stars in galaxies. These revised logical progressions clearly show the inseparability of science history and discovery. A different and more fundamental approach to making scientific discoveries than the frequently discussed variants of the scientific method is this: An individual ponders and through tedious efforts arranges seemingly unrelated observations into a logical sequence in the mind so that causal relationships become evident and new understanding emerges, showing the path for new observations, for new experiments, for new theoretical considerations, and for new discoveries. Science history is rich in "seemingly unrelated observations" just waiting to be logically and causally related to reveal new discoveries.

TXESS Revolution: Utilizing TERC's EarthLabs Cryosphere Module to Support Professional Development of Texas Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odell, M.; Ellins, K. K.; Polito, E. J.; Castillo Comer, C. A.; Stocks, E.; Manganella, K.; Ledley, T. S.

2010-12-01

TERC’s EarthLabs project provides rigorous and engaging Earth and environmental science labs. Four existing modules illustrate sequences for learning science concepts through data analysis activities and hands-on experiments. A fifth module, developed with NSF, comprises a series of linked inquiry based activities focused on the cryosphere to help students understand concepts around change over time on multiple and embedded time scales. Teachers recruited from the NSF-OEDG-sponsored Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution teacher professional development program conducted a pedagogical review of the Cryosphere EarthLabs module and provided feedback on how well the materials matched high school needs in Texas and were aligned with state and national standards. Five TXESS Revolution teachers field tested the materials in their classrooms and then trained other TXESS Revolution teachers on their implementation during spring and summer 2010. Here we report on the results of PD delivery during the summer 2010 TXESS Revolution summer institute as determined by (1) a set of evaluation instruments that included a pre-post concept map activity to assess changes in workshop teachers’ understanding of the concepts presented, a pre-post test content knowledge test, and a pre-post survey of teachers’ comfort in teaching the Texas Earth and Space Science standards addressed by the module; (2) teacher reflections; and (3) focus group responses. The findings reveal that the teachers liked the module activities and felt they could use them to teach Environmental and Earth Science. They appreciated that the sequence of activities contributed to a deeper understanding and observed that the variety of methods used to present the information accommodates different learning styles. Information about the cryosphere was new to all the teachers. The content knowledge tests reveal that although teachers made appreciable gains, their understanding of cryosphere, how it changes over time, and it’s role in Earth’s climate system remains weak. Our results clearly reflect the challenges of addressing the complexity of climate science and critical need for climate literacy education.

The HSCaRS Summer Enrichment Program; Research Opportunities for Minority and Women Undergraduates in Global Change Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, Jr., Maurice G.; Perkey, Donald J.; Coleman, T. L.

1997-01-01

The primary objective of the HSCaRS Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is to make significant contributions to the NASA Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) and the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) Center for Hydrology, Soil Climatology and Remote Sensing (HSCaRS) research missions by providing undergraduate student research internships with an emphasis on minority and women students. Additional objectives are to encourage more minority and women students to pursue advanced degrees in Earth system and global change science and to increase the participation of minority institutions in the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Also, the SEP strives to make students in the traditional science disciplines more aware of the opportunities in Earth System Science. In designing the SEP, it was acknowledged that HSCaRS was a new research effort and Center. Consequently, students were not expected to immediately recognize the Center as one would older, more established research laboratories with national reputations, such as Los Alamos, Battelle, National Consortium for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), etc. Yet we still wanted to compete nationally for the best students. Therefore, we designed the program with a competitive financial package that includes a stipend of $400 per week, round-trip transportation from home to the summer research site, and free campus housing and meal plans provided by Alabama A&M University. Students also received a modest living allowance of approximately $25 per week. The internship program was 10 weeks in residence at Alabama A&M University or IGCRE, and gave students the opportunity to select from six general research areas: micro-meteorology, soil data analysis, soil moisture modeling, instrumentation, geographic information systems, and computer science. Student participants also enrolled in an introductory global change science course as part of the summer program (a copy of the course outline is in the appendix). The program included participation in a field program for approximately two weeks. All students were required to participate in the field program as a learning experience, regardless of the relationship of the field program to their majors or particular research project.

Spaceborne observations of a changing Earth - Contribution from ESÁ s operating and approved satellite missions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannessen, J. A.

2009-04-01

The overall vision for ESÁs Earth Observation activities is to play a central role in developing the global capability to understand planet Earth, predict changes, and mitigate negative effects of global change on its populations. Since Earth observation from space first became possible more than forty years ago, it has become central to monitoring and understanding how the dynamics of the Earth System work. The greatest progress has been in meteorology, where space-based observations have become indispensable, but it is now also progressively penetrating many of the fields making up Earth sciences. Exploiting Earth observation from space presents major multidisciplinary challenges to the researches working in the Earth sciences, to the technologists who build the state-of-the-art sensors, and to the scientists interpreting measurements made of processes occurring on or within the Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. The scientific community has shown considerable imagination in rising to these challenges, and in exploiting the latest technological developments to measure from space the complex processes and interactions that occur in the Earth System. In parallel, there has been significant progress in developing computer models that represent the many processes that make up the Earth System, and the interactions and feedback between them. Success in developing this holistic view is inextricably linked to the data provided by Earth Observation systems. Satellites provide the fundamental, consistent, regular and global measurements needed to drive, parameterise, test and improve those Earth System models. These developments, together with changes in society's awareness of the need for information on a changing world, have repetitively supported the decisions on how ESA can best focus its resources, and those of the European community that it serves, in order to address critical issues in Earth System science. Moreover, it is a fact that many operational, managerial and regulatory activities (i.e. weather forecasting, deforestation, flooding, etc.) essential to the safe exploitation of global resources, conservation of sustainable ecosystems, and the compliance with numerous international treaties and conventions, depend absolutely on continuity of satellite missions to maximise socio-economic and environmental benefits. This presentation will highlight some of the multidisciplinary Earth science achievements and operational applications using ESA satellite missions. It will also address some of the key scientific challenges and need for operational monitoring services in the years to come. It capitalizes on the knowledge and awareness outlined in "The Changing Earth - New scientific challenges for ESÁs Living Planet Programme" issued in 2006 together with updated views and approved plans expressed during ESÁs Earth Sciences Advisory Committee (ESAC) meetings and agreed at the recent User Consultation meeting in January 2009.

Honors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-05-01

Among the new members elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in May are five AGU members: Richard Edwards, George and Orpha Gibson Chair of Earth Systems Sciences and Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; T. Mark Harrison, director, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, and professor of geology, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles; David Sandwell, professor of geophysics, Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (president of the AGU Geodesy section); Benjamin Santer, physicist and atmospheric scientist, Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.; and Steven Wofsy, Abbott Lawrence Rotch Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Four AGU members are among the 2011 prizewinners announced by the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society on 19 May. The prizes will be presented at the joint meeting of DPS and the European Planetary Science Congress in October. William Ward of the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Tex., is the recipient of the Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for outstanding contributions to the field of planetary science. DPS indicated that Ward originally proposed and evaluated “many dynamical processes that are now cornerstones of current theories of how planets form and evolve” and that his “visionary ideas form the foundation for a significant portion of current work in planetary formation and dynamics.”

University Students Join NASA on Trip to Hawaiian Volcano

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-06

Ready to roll The five student journalists and two faculty members are ready for a day in the field. NASA/GSFC/Andrea Jones In June, five student journalists from Stony Brook University packed their hiking boots and hydration packs and joined a NASA-funded science team for 10 days on the lava fields of Kilauea, an active Hawaiian volcano. Kilauea’s lava fields are an ideal place to test equipment designed for use on Earth’s moon or Mars, because volcanic activity shaped so much of those terrains. The trip was part of an interdisciplinary program called RIS4E – short for Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration – which is designed to prepare for future exploration of the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. To read reports from the RIS4E journalism students about their experiences in Hawaii, visit ReportingRIS4E.com NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

University Students Join NASA on Trip to Hawaiian Volcano

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-06

Prepared Everyone carried a respirator into the field, in case the plume from the volcano blew their way. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Andrea Jones In June, five student journalists from Stony Brook University packed their hiking boots and hydration packs and joined a NASA-funded science team for 10 days on the lava fields of Kilauea, an active Hawaiian volcano. Kilauea’s lava fields are an ideal place to test equipment designed for use on Earth’s moon or Mars, because volcanic activity shaped so much of those terrains. The trip was part of an interdisciplinary program called RIS4E – short for Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration – which is designed to prepare for future exploration of the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. To read reports from the RIS4E journalism students about their experiences in Hawaii, visit ReportingRIS4E.com NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

A review of exoplanetary biosignatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grenfell, John Lee

2017-11-01

We review the field of exoplanetary biosignatures with a main focus upon atmospheric gas-phase species. Due to the paucity of data in Earth-like planetary atmospheres a common approach is to extrapolate knowledge from the Solar System and Early Earth to Earth-like exoplanets. We therefore review the main processes (e.g. atmospheric photochemistry and transport) affecting the most commonly-considered species (e.g. O2, O3, N2O, CH4 etc.) in the context of the modern Earth, Early Earth, the Solar System and Earth-like exoplanets. We consider thereby known abiotic sources for these species in the Solar System and beyond. We also discuss detectability issues related to atmospheric biosignature spectra such as band strength and uniqueness. Finally, we summarize current space agency roadmaps related to biosignature science in an exoplanet context.

NEEMO 15: Evaluation of Human Exploration Systems for Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, Steven P.; Gernhardt, Michael L.

2011-01-01

The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 15 mission was focused on near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) exploration techniques evaluation. It began with a University of Delaware autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) systematically mapping the coral reef for hundreds of meters surrounding the Aquarius habitat. This activity is akin to the type of "far field survey" approach that may be used by a robotic precursor in advance of a human mission to a NEA. Data from the far-field survey were then examined by the NEEMO science team and follow-up exploration traverses were planned, which used Deepworker single-person submersibles. Science traverses at NEEMO 15 were planned according to a prioritized list of scientific objectives developed by the science team based on review and discussion of previous related marine science research including previous marine science saturation missions conducted at the Aquarius habitat. AUV data was used to select several areas of scientific interest. The Deepworker science traverses were then executed at these areas of interest during 4 days of the NEEMO 15 mission and provided higher resolution data such as coral species distribution and mortality. These traverses are analogous to the "near field survey" approach that is expected to be performed by a multi mission space exploration vehicle (MMSEV) during a human mission to a NEA before conducting extravehicular activities (EVA)s. In addition to the science objectives that were pursued, the NEEMO 15 science traverses provided an opportunity to test newly developed software and techniques. Sample collection and instrument deployment on the NEA surface by EVA crew would follow the "near field survey" in a human NEA mission. Sample collection was not necessary for the purposes of the NEEMO science objectives; however, the engineering and operations objectives during NEEMO 15 were to evaluate different combinations of vehicles, crewmembers, tools, and equipment that could be used to perform these tasks on a NEA. Specifically, the productivity and acceptability of simulated NEA exploration activities were systematically quantified and compared when operating with different combinations of crew sizes and exploration systems including MMSEVs, EVA jet packs, and EVA translation devices.

Providing Elementary Teachers in South Texas with Professional Development to Improve Earth Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrego, H.; Ellins, K. K.

2011-12-01

Through three years of participation in the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, an NSF-sponsored teacher professional development program, my knowledge of earth science, new pedagogical approaches, and confidence has improved dramatically. I have also received instructional materials and learned how to access high quality online resources and use a variety of web-based tools. In this session, I will share my experiences and report on how I used my own learning to help both teachers and students to become more earth science literate individuals. Earth Science test scores at the elementary level throughout South Texas are consistently low in comparison to other regions in the state. The majority of the teachers lack the content-knowledge, confidence, or experience to teach Earth Sciences. My TXESS Revolution experience helped me to understand the needs of these teachers and to identify teaching resources that would be useful to them. Particularly noteworthy are TERC's EarthLabs: Earth System Science and GLOBE activities. Although these Earthlab investigations are designed for high schools students, I demonstrated how they could be adapted for elementary students. As a result, I have provided professional development in the Earth Sciences to about 300 South Texas elementary teachers. TXESS Revolution has also equipped me to empower the students I teach. My students this past year presented their challenge Legacy Cycle Project to the community. The TXESS Revolution teamed up with the Texas Water Development Board to deliver training on the implementation of a new online challenged-based curriculum called the Water Exploration Legacy Cycles. This training gave me the tools to guide my students learning through authentic scientific research. To carry out their challenge, students researched an area of interest, read literature, consulted with experts in the field, consider different prospective, and presented their final products via PowerPoint, poster, public announcement, and pamphlet to the community. From great farming soil for organic gardens, to healthy recipes for diabetes and obesity health problems, our community benefited from the authentic scientific research these students presented. The results and knowledge gain by these 5th grade students at Quest Academy was impressive and top-rated by the community. In addition to providing professional development to teachers, I was asked to write the 5th grade science curriculum for IDEA Public School. I used my training in Earth Science by Design, offered by TXESS Revolution in partnership with TERC to accomplish the task. Teachers at Quest Academy followed this framework closely. I believe it is partially responsible for our district receiving an Exemplary rating by Texas Education Agency for two consecutive years. Only one more districts in South Texas was awarded the Exemplary rating. As a result of being part of TXESS Revolution, I am more confident in my teaching practice and I have been recently offered a part-time lecturer job at UT-Pan American teaching an undergraduate course in science for elementary teachers. I have made a commitment to continue to empower both teachers I train and students I teach.

The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) on the SMILE Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembay, S.; Branduardi-Raymont, G.; Drumm, P.; Escoubet, C. P.; Genov, G.; Gow, J.; Hall, D.; Holland, A.; Hudec, R.; Mas-Hesse, J. M.; Kennedy, T.; Kuntz, K. D.; Nakamura, R.; Ostgaard, N.; Ottensamer, R.; Raab, W.; Read, A.; Rebuffat, D.; Romstedt, J.; Schyns, E.; Sibeck, D. G.; Srp, A.; Steller, M.; Sun, T.; Sykes, J. M.; Thornhill, J.; Walsh, B.; Walton, D.; Wang, C.; Wei, F.; Wielders, A.; Whittaker, I. C.

2016-12-01

SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is a space mission dedicated to study the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetic field. SMILE will investigate the dynamic response of the Earth's magnetosphere to the impact of the solar wind in a unique manner, never attempted before: it will combine soft X-ray imaging of the Earth's magnetic boundaries and magnetospheric cusps with simultaneous UV imaging of the Northern aurora, while simultaneously providing context measurements via an in situ plasma and magnetometer instrument package. SMILE is a joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) collaborative mission due for launch in 2021. This talk will describe the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) on SMILE. The SXI is designed for good detection sensitivity of the soft X-rays (0.2 - 2.0 keV) produced in the Earth's exosphere by the solar wind charge exchange process. This process is the mechanism by which it is possible to globally image the Earth's dayside magnetosheath, magnetopause boundary, bowshock and cusps. The wide field of view of the instrument (27° x 16°) is achieved by the use of a micropore optic (MPO) with a Lobster-eye focusing geometry. The detector consists of two large format CCDs (each 8.1 cm x 6.8 cm sensitive area) providing high quantum efficiency and medium energy resolution for soft X-rays. The instrument design will be presented along with simulation results indicating the instrument sensitivity and science return.

Pathfinder in flight over Hawaii

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-08-28

Pathfinder, NASA's solar-powered, remotely-piloted aircraft is shown while it was conducting a series of science flights to highlight the aircraft's science capabilities while collecting imagery of forest and coastal zone ecosystems on Kauai, Hawaii. The flights also tested two new scientific instruments, a high spectral resolution Digital Array Scanned Interferometer (DASI) and a high spatial resolution Airborne Real-Time Imaging System (ARTIS). The remote sensor payloads were designed by NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, to support NASA's Mission to Planet Earth science programs.

Pathfinder over runway in Hawaii

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-08-28

Pathfinder, NASA's solar-powered, remotely-piloted aircraft is shown while it was conducting a series of science flights to highlight the aircraft's science capabilities while collecting imagery of forest and coastal zone ecosystems on Kauai, Hawaii. The flights also tested two new scientific instruments, a high-spectral-resolution Digital Array Scanned Interferometer (DASI) and a high-spatial-resolution Airborne Real-Time Imaging System (ARTIS). The remote sensor payloads were designed by NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, to support NASA's Mission to Planet Earth science programs.

NASA Ames and Future of Space Exploration, Science, and Aeronautics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Jacob

2015-01-01

Pushing the frontiers of aeronautics and space exploration presents multiple challenges. NASA Ames Research Center is at the forefront of tackling these issues, conducting cutting edge research in the fields of air traffic management, entry systems, advanced information technology, intelligent human and robotic systems, astrobiology, aeronautics, space, earth and life sciences and small satellites. Knowledge gained from this research helps ensure the success of NASA's missions, leading us closer to a world that was only imagined as science fiction just decades ago.

Collaboration Portals for NASA's Airborne Field Campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conover, H.; Kulkarni, A.; Garrett, M.; Goodman, M.; Petersen, W. A.; Drewry, M.; Hardin, D. M.; He, M.

2011-12-01

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), in collaboration with the Global Hydrology Resource Center, a NASA Earth Science Data Center, has provided information management for a number of NASA Airborne Field campaigns, both hurricane science investigations and satellite instrument validation. Effective field campaign management requires communication and coordination tools, including utilities for personnel to upload and share flight plans, weather forecasts, a variety of mission reports, preliminary science data, and personal photos. Beginning with the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) hurricane field campaign in 2010, we have provided these capabilities via a Drupal-based collaboration portal. This portal was reused and modified for the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E), part of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission ground validation program. An end goal of these development efforts is the creation of a Drupal profile for field campaign management. This presentation will discuss experiences with Drupal in developing and using these collaboration portals. Topics will include Drupal modules used, advantages and disadvantages of working with Drupal in this context, and how the science teams used the portals in comparison with other communication and collaboration tools.

Collaboration Portals for NASA's Airborne Field Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conover, Helen; Kulkami, Ajinkya; Garrett, Michele; Goodman, Michael; Peterson, Walter Arthur; Drewry, Marilyn; Hardin, Danny M.; He, Matt

2011-01-01

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), in collaboration with the Global Hydrology Resource Center, a NASA Earth Science Data Center, has provided information management for a number of NASA Airborne Field campaigns, both hurricane science investigations and satellite instrument validation. Effective field campaign management requires communication and coordination tools, including utilities for personnel to upload and share flight plans, weather forecasts, a variety of mission reports, preliminary science data, and personal photos. Beginning with the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) hurricane field campaign in 2010, we have provided these capabilities via a Drupal-based collaboration portal. This portal was reused and modified for the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E), part of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission ground validation program. An end goal of these development efforts is the creation of a Drupal profile for field campaign management. This presentation will discuss experiences with Drupal in developing and using these collaboration portals. Topics will include Drupal modules used, advantages and disadvantages of working with Drupal in this context, and how the science teams used the portals in comparison with other communication and collaboration tools.

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carman, Stephen L.; Cooper, John E.; Miller, James; Harrison, Edwin F.; Barkstrom, Bruce R.

1992-01-01

The CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) experiment will play a major role in NASA's multi-platform Earth Observing System (EOS) program to observe and study the global climate. The CERES instruments will provide EOS scientists with a consistent data base of accurately known fields of radiation and of clouds. CERES will investigate the important question of cloud forcing and its influence on the radiative energy flow through the Earth's atmosphere. The CERES instrument is an improved version of the ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) broadband scanning radiometer flown by NASA from 1984 through 1989. This paper describes the science of CERES, presents an overview of the instrument preliminary design, and outlines the issues related to spacecraft pointing and attitude control.

Toward understanding early Earth evolution: Prescription for approach from terrestrial noble gas and light element records in lunar soils

PubMed Central

Ozima, Minoru; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Podosek, Frank A.; Miura, Yayoi N.

2008-01-01

Because of the almost total lack of geological record on the Earth's surface before 4 billion years ago, the history of the Earth during this period is still enigmatic. Here we describe a practical approach to tackle the formidable problems caused by this lack. We propose that examinations of lunar soils for light elements such as He, N, O, Ne, and Ar would shed a new light on this dark age in the Earth's history and resolve three of the most fundamental questions in earth science: the onset time of the geomagnetic field, the appearance of an oxygen atmosphere, and the secular variation of an Earth–Moon dynamical system. PMID:19001263

Earth Science Education in Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullatif, Osman M.; Farwa, Abdalla G.

1999-05-01

This paper describes Earth Science Education in Sudan, with particular emphasis on the University of Khartoum. The first geological department in Sudan was founded in 1958 in the University of Khartoum. In the 1980s, six more geological departments have been added in the newer universities. The types of courses offered include Diploma, B.Sc. (General), B.Sc. (Honours), M.Sc. and Ph.D. The Geology programmes are strongly supported by field work training and mapping. Final-year students follow specialised training in one of the following topics: hydrogeology, geophysics, economic geology, sedimentology and engineering geology. A graduation report, written in the final year, represents 30-40% of the total marks. The final assessment and grading are decided with the help of internal and external examiners. Entry into the Geology programmes is based on merit and performance. The number of students who graduate with Honours and become geologists is between 20% to 40% of the initial intake at the beginning of the second year. Employment opportunities are limited and are found mainly in the Government's geological offices, the universities and research centres, and private companies. The Department of Geology at the University of Khartoum has long-standing internal and external links with outside partners. This has been manifested in the training of staff members, the donation of teaching materials and laboratory facilities. The chief problems currently facing Earth Science Education in Sudan are underfunding, poor equipment, laboratory facilities and logistics. Other problems include a shortage of staff, absence of research, lack of supervision and emigration of staff members. Urgent measures are needed to assess and evaluate the status of Earth Science Education in terms of objectives, needs and difficulties encountered. Earth Science Education is expected to contribute significantly to the exploitation of mineral resources and socio-economic development in the Sudan.

Looking Back at 25 Years With NASA's EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behnke, J.; Kittel, D.

2017-12-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of the NASA Earth observation program since the 1990's. The data collected by NASA's remote sensing instruments represent a significant public investment in research. EOSDIS provides free and open access to this data to a worldwide public research community. EOSDIS manages a wide range of Earth science discipline data that include cryosphere, land cover change, polar processes, field campaigns, ocean surface, digital elevation, atmosphere dynamics and composition, and inter-disciplinary research, among many others. From the very beginning, EOSDIS was conceived as a system built on partnerships between NASA Centers, US agencies and academia. As originally conceived, the EOSDIS comprised of organizations to process and disseminate remote sensing and in situ data and provide services to a wide variety of users. These organizations are known as the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). Because of their active role in NASA mission science and with the science community, the DAACs represent a distinct departure from the run-of-the-mill data center. The purpose of this paper is to highlight this distinction and to describe the experiences, strategies, and lessons learned from the operation of the DAACs. Today, there are 12 DAACs geographically distributed across the US that serve over 3 million users and distributed over 1.5 billion Earth science data products. Managed by NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project at Goddard Space Flight Center, the DAACs each support different Earth science disciplines allowing for the customized support to user communities. The ESDIS Project provides the infrastructure support for the entire EOSDIS system, which has grown to 23 petabytes. The DAACs have improved performance as they have grown over the years, while costs are tightly controlled. We have several recommendations about curation, level of service, automation and return on investment resulting from our 25 years of practice managing the DAACs. By sharing new ideas and innovation in science data management, EOSDIS has been able to evolve to meet demand. However, there are many challenges in the future.

The U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff Science Campus—Providing expertise on planetary science, ecology, water resources, geologic processes, and human interactions with the Earth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Robert J.; Vaughan, R. Greg; McDougall, Kristin; Wojtowicz, Todd; Thenkenbail, Prasad

2017-06-29

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Flagstaff Science Campus is focused on interdisciplinary study of the Earth and solar system, and has the scientific expertise to detect early environmental changes and provide strategies to minimize possible adverse effects on humanity. The Flagstaff Science Campus (FSC) is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is situated in the northern part of the State, home to a wide variety of landscapes and natural resources, including (1) young volcanoes in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, (2) the seven ecological life zones of the San Francisco Peaks, (3) the extensive geologic record of the Colorado Plateau and Grand Canyon, (4) the Colorado River and its perennial, ephemeral, and intermittent tributaries, and (5) a multitude of canyons, mountains, arroyos, and plains. More than 200 scientists, technicians, and support staff provide research, monitoring, and technical advancements in planetary geology and mapping, biology and ecology, Earth-based geology, hydrology, and changing climate and landscapes. Scientists at the FSC work in collaboration with multiple State, Federal, Tribal, municipal, and academic partners to address regional, national, and global environmental issues, and provide scientific outreach to the general public.

Field Guide to Soils. Earth Science Curriculum Project Pamphlet Series PS-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foth, Henry; Jacobs, Hyde S.

Discussed are the importance of soil to plant and animal life, the evolution of a soil profile, and the major kinds of soil in the United States. On a suggested field trip, students examine different kinds of soil profiles; they also measure soil acidity and water-holding capacity. Suggestions for further study are provided along with references…

Integrating iPad Technology in Earth Science K-12 Outreach Courses: Field and Classroom Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Davin J.; Witus, Alexandra E.

2013-01-01

Incorporating technology into courses is becoming a common practice in universities. However, in the geosciences, it is difficult to find technology that can easily be transferred between classroom- and field-based settings. The iPad is ideally suited to bridge this gap. Here, we fully integrate the iPad as an educational tool into two…

Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Services in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, J.; Han, X.; Zhou, Y.; Yue, P.; Wang, X.; Lu, J.; Jiang, W.; Li, J.; Tang, H.; Wang, F.; Li, X.; Fan, J.

2018-04-01

The Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Service(DIMERS) project was kicked off in 2017 in China, with the purpose to improve timely responsive service of the institutions involved in the management of natural disasters and man-made emergency situations with the timely and high-quality products derived from Space-based, Air-based and the in-situ Earth observation. The project team brought together a group of top universities and research institutions in the field of Earth observations as well as the operational institute in typical disaster services at national level. The project will bridge the scientific research and the response services of massive catastrophe in order to improve the emergency response capability of China and provide scientific and technological support for the implementation of the national emergency response strategy. In response to the call for proposal of "Earth Observation and Navigation" of 2017 National Key R&D Program of China, Professor Wu Jianjun, the deputy chairman of Faculty of Geographical Science of Beijing Normal University, submitted the Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Service (DIMERS) project, jointly with the experts and scholars from Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, China Institute of Earthquake Forecasting of China Earthquake Administration and China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Science. After two round evaluations, the proposal was funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

Enhancements and Evolution of the Real Time Mission Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Michael; Blakeslee, Richard; Hardin, Danny; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn

2008-01-01

The Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decision-making for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery, radar, surface and airborne instrument data sets, model output parameters, lightning location observations, aircraft navigation data, soundings, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual globe application. RTMM has proven extremely valuable for optimizing individual Earth science airborne field experiments. Flight planners, mission scientists, instrument scientists and program managers alike appreciate the contributions that RTMM makes to their flight projects. We have received numerous plaudits from a wide variety of scientists who used RTMM during recent field campaigns including the 2006 NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA), 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4), 2008 Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) missions, the 2007-2008 NOAA-NASA Aerosonde Hurricane flights and the 2008 Soil Moisture Active-Passive Validation Experiment (SMAP-VEX). Improving and evolving RTMM is a continuous process. RTMM recently integrated the Waypoint Planning Tool, a Java-based application that enables aircraft mission scientists to easily develop a pre-mission flight plan through an interactive point-and-click interface. Individual flight legs are automatically calculated for altitude, latitude, longitude, flight leg distance, cumulative distance, flight leg time, cumulative time, and satellite overpass intersections. The resultant flight plan is then generated in KML and quickly posted to the Google Earth-based RTMM for interested scientists to view the planned flight track and then compare it to the actual real time flight progress. A description of the system architecture, components, and applications along with reviews and animations of RTMM during the field campaigns, plus planned enhancements and future opportunities will be presented.

Overview of NASA FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) Science and Exploration Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heldmann, Jennifer L.; Lim, Darlene S. S.; Hughes, S.; Kobs, S.; Garry, B.; Osinski, G. R.; Hodges, K.; Kobayashi, L.; Colaprete, A.

2015-01-01

NASA's FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) project is focused on a science and exploration field-based research program to generate strategic knowledge in preparation for human and robotic exploration of other planetary bodies including our moon, Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos, and near-Earth asteroids. Scientific study focuses on planetary volcanism (e.g., the formation of volcanoes, evolution of magma chambers and the formation of multiple lava flow types, as well as the evolution and entrapment of volatile chemicals) and impact cratering (impact rock modification, cratering mechanics, and the chronologic record). FINESSE conducts multiple terrestrial field campaigns (Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho for volcanics, and West Clearwater Impact Structure in Canada for impact studies) to study such features as analogs relevant to our moon, Phobos, Deimos, and asteroids. Here we present the science and exploration results from two deployments to Idaho (2014, 2015) and our first deployment to Canada (2014). FINESSE was selected as a research team by NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). SSERVI is a joint effort by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD).

From the field to the classroom: Connecting climate research to classroom lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinker, R.; Steiner, S. M.; Coleman, L.

2015-12-01

Improving scientific literacy is a goal in the United States. Scientists from the United States are often expected to present research findings in ways that are meaningful and accessible to the general public, including K-12 students. PolarTREC - Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program funded by the National Science Foundation, partners teachers with scientists in the Arctic and Antarctica. Teachers communicate the research to general audiences on a regular basis. After the field experience, they then create classroom-ready lessons to relay the science exploration into science curriculum. In this presentation, secondary level educators, will share their experiences with being part of field research teams in the Arctic and Antarctica, and their strategies for bringing current science research into the classroom and aligning lessons with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Topics include an overview on using polar science to teach about climate change, application of field research techniques to improve students' understanding of scientific investigation methodology, phenology observations, soil porosity and permeability, litter decomposition, effect of sunlight on release of carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost, and understanding early life on Earth by studying stromatolites in Antarctica.

It's Time to Stand up for Earth Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Dane L.

2012-01-01

This commentary paper focuses upon the loss of respect for Earth Sciences on the part of many school districts across the United States. Too many Earth Science teachers are uncertified to teach Earth Science, or hold certificates to teach the subject merely because they took a test. The Earth Sciences have faced this problem for many years…

The Worldwide Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) Stations (WIPSS) Network in support of Space-Weather Science and Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisi, M. M.; Gonzalez-Esparza, A.; Jackson, B. V.; Aguilar-Rodriguez, E.; Tokumaru, M.; Chashei, I. V.; Tyul'bashev, S. A.; Manoharan, P. K.; Fallows, R. A.; Chang, O.; Mejia-Ambriz, J. C.; Yu, H. S.; Fujiki, K.; Shishov, V.

2016-12-01

The phenomenon of space weather - analogous to terrestrial weather which describes the changing low-altitude atmospheric conditions on Earth - is essentially a description of the changes in the plasma environment at and near the Earth. Some key parameters for space-weather purposes driving space weather at the Earth include velocity, density, magnetic field, high-energy particles, and radiation coming into and within the near-Earth space environment. Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) can be used to provide a global measure of velocity and density as well as indications of changes in the plasma and magnetic-field rotations along each observational line of sight. If the observations are formally inverted into a three-dimensional (3-D) tomographic reconstruction (such as using the University of California, San Diego - UCSD - kinematic model and reconstruction technique), then source-surface magnetic fields can also be propagated out to the Earth (and beyond) as well as in-situ data also being incorporated into the reconstruction. Currently, this has been done using IPS data only from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental (ISEE) and has been scientifically since the 1990s, and in a forecast mode since around 2000. There is now a defined IPS Common Data Format (IPSCDFv1.0) which is being implemented by the majority of the IPS community (this also feeds into the tomography). The Worldwide IPS Stations (WIPSS) Network aims to bring together, using IPSCDFv1.0, the worldwide real-time capable IPS observatories with well-developed and tested analyses techniques being unified across all single-site systems (such as MEXART, Pushchino, and Ooty) and cross-calibrated to the multi-site ISEE system (as well as learning from the scientific-based systems such as EISCAT, LOFAR, and the MWA), into the UCSD 3-D tomography to improve the accuracy, spatial and temporal data coverage, and both the spatial and temporal resolution for improved space-weather science and forecast capabilities.

The Worldwide Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) Stations (WIPSS) Network in support of Space-Weather Science and Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisi, Mario Mark; Americo Gonzalez-Esparza, J.; Jackson, Bernard; Aguilar-Rodriguez, Ernesto; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Chashei, Igor; Tyul'bashev, Sergey; Manoharan, Periasamy; Fallows, Richard; Chang, Oyuki; Yu, Hsiu-Shan; Fujiki, Ken'ichi; Shishov, Vladimir; Barnes, David

2017-04-01

The phenomenon of space weather - analogous to terrestrial weather which describes the changing low-altitude atmospheric conditions on Earth - is essentially a description of the changes in the plasma environment at and near the Earth. Some key parameters for space-weather purposes driving space weather at the Earth include velocity, density, magnetic field, high-energy particles, and radiation coming into and within the near-Earth space environment. Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) can be used to provide a global measure of velocity and density as well as indications of changes in the plasma and magnetic-field rotations along each observational line of sight. If the observations are formally inverted into a three-dimensional (3-D) tomographic reconstruction (such as using the University of California, San Diego - UCSD - kinematic model and reconstruction technique), then source-surface magnetic fields can also be propagated out to the Earth (and beyond) as well as in-situ data also being incorporated into the reconstruction. Currently, this has been done using IPS data only from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental (ISEE) and has been scientifically since the 1990s, and in a forecast mode since around 2000. There is now a defined (and updated) IPS Common Data Format (IPSCDFv1.1) which is being implemented by the majority of the IPS community (this also feeds into the UCSD tomography). The Worldwide IPS Stations (WIPSS) Network aims to bring together, using IPSCDFv1.1, the worldwide real-time capable IPS observatories with well-developed and tested analyses techniques being unified across all single-site systems (such as MEXART, Pushchino, and Ooty) and cross-calibrated to the multi-site ISEE system (as well as learning from the scientific-based systems such as EISCAT, LOFAR, and the MWA), into the UCSD 3-D tomography to improve the accuracy, spatial and temporal data coverage, and both the spatial and temporal resolution for improved space-weather science and forecast capabilities.

The ongoing educational anomaly of earth science placement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Messina, P.; Speranza, P.; Metzger, E.P.; Stoffer, P.

2003-01-01

The geosciences have traditionally been viewed with less "aCademic prTstige" than other science curricula. Among the results of this perception are depressed K-16 enrollments, Earth Science assignments to lower-performing students, and relegation of these classes to sometimes under-qualified educators, all of which serve to confirm the widely-held misconceptions. An Earth Systems course developed at San Jos??e State University demonstrates the difficulty of a standard high school Earth science curriculum, while recognizing the deficiencies in pre-college Earth science education. Restructuring pre-college science curricula so that Earth Science is placed as a capstone course would greatly improve student understanding of the geosciences, while development of Earth systems courses that infuse real-world and hands-on learning at the college level is critical to bridging the information gap for those with no prior exposure to the Earth sciences. Well-crafted workshops for pre-service and inservice teachers of Earth Science can heIp to reverse the trends and unfortunate "sTatus" in geoscience education.

School-Based Multidisciplinary Teacher Team-Building Combining On-Line Professional Development (ESSEA) and Field-Based Environmental Monitoring (GLOBE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, R.

2003-12-01

The multidisciplinary nature of Earth system science provides a strong foundation for integrated science teaching at the K-12 level. In a Minneapolis-St. Paul based project, urban middle school teaching teams composed of language arts and math specialists as well as physical, Earth, and biological science teachers participate in the NASA Earth system science course (ESSEA) and in the international GLOBE environmental monitoring project. For students, the goal is to integrate science throughout the curriculum as well as involve classes from different subjects in a high-interest school science project. For teachers, the project provides greatly-needed classroom support and teacher team building, as well as professional development. The on-line course provides continuity and communication between the different team members. Face-to-face meetings with the instructors on site are conducted every 4 weeks. The problem-based learning approach to environmental issues developed in the ESSEA course lends itself to application to local environmental issues. New ESSEA modules developed for the project highlight environmental problems associated with flooding, introduced species, and eutrofication of lakes and rivers located near the participating schools. In addition, ESSEA participants are certified as GLOBE teachers, and assist their students in monitoring water quality. The synergistic partnership of ESSEA and GLOBE provides an attractive package upon which long-term school-based environmental monitoring projects can be based.

Planetary science. Low-altitude magnetic field measurements by MESSENGER reveal Mercury's ancient crustal field.

PubMed

Johnson, Catherine L; Phillips, Roger J; Purucker, Michael E; Anderson, Brian J; Byrne, Paul K; Denevi, Brett W; Feinberg, Joshua M; Hauck, Steven A; Head, James W; Korth, Haje; James, Peter B; Mazarico, Erwan; Neumann, Gregory A; Philpott, Lydia C; Siegler, Matthew A; Tsyganenko, Nikolai A; Solomon, Sean C

2015-05-22

Magnetized rocks can record the history of the magnetic field of a planet, a key constraint for understanding its evolution. From orbital vector magnetic field measurements of Mercury taken by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft at altitudes below 150 kilometers, we have detected remanent magnetization in Mercury's crust. We infer a lower bound on the average age of magnetization of 3.7 to 3.9 billion years. Our findings indicate that a global magnetic field driven by dynamo processes in the fluid outer core operated early in Mercury's history. Ancient field strengths that range from those similar to Mercury's present dipole field to Earth-like values are consistent with the magnetic field observations and with the low iron content of Mercury's crust inferred from MESSENGER elemental composition data. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

GOCE Precise Science Orbits for the Entire Mission and their Use for Gravity Field Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jäggi, Adrian; Bock, Heike; Meyer, Ulrich; Weigelt, Matthias

The Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), ESA's first Earth Explorer Core Mission, was launched on March 17, 2009 into a sun-synchronous dusk-dawn orbit and re-entered into the Earth's atmosphere on November 11, 2013. It was equipped with a three-axis gravity gradiometer for high-resolution recovery of the Earth's gravity field, as well as with a 12-channel, dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for precise orbit determination (POD), instrument time-tagging, and the determination of the long wavelength part of the Earth’s gravity field. A precise science orbit (PSO) product was provided during the entire mission by the GOCE High-level Processing Facility (HPF) from the GPS high-low Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (hl-SST) data. We present the reduced-dynamic and kinematic PSO results for the entire mission period. Orbit comparisons and validations with independent Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) measurements demonstrate the high quality of both orbit products being close to 2 cm 1-D RMS, but also reveal a correlation between solar activity, GPS data availability, and the quality of the orbits. We use the 1-sec kinematic positions of the GOCE PSO product for gravity field determination and present GPS-only solutions covering the entire mission period. The generated gravity field solutions reveal severe systematic errors centered along the geomagnetic equator, which may be traced back to the GPS carrier phase observations used for the kinematic orbit determination. The nature of the systematic errors is further investigated and reprocessed orbits free of systematic errors along the geomagnetic equator are derived. Eventually, the potential of recovering time variable signals from GOCE kinematic positions is assessed.

The Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution: A Model for the Delivery of Earth Science Professional Development to Minority-Serving Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellins, K. K.; Snow, E.; Olson, H. C.; Stocks, E.; Willis, M.; Olson, J.; Odell, M. R.

2013-01-01

The Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution was a 5-y teacher professional development project that aimed to increase teachers' content knowledge in Earth science and preparing them to teach a 12th-grade capstone Earth and Space Science course, which is new to the Texas curriculum. The National Science Foundation-supported project was…

75 FR 81315 - Earth Sciences Proposal Review Panel; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Earth Sciences Proposal Review Panel; Notice of Meeting In accordance... announces the following meeting. Name: Proposal Review Panel in Earth Sciences (1569). Date and Time... Kelz, Program Director, Instrumentation & Facilities Program, Division of Earth Sciences, Room 785...

Earth system science: A program for global change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The Earth System Sciences Committee (ESSC) was appointed to consider directions for the NASA Earth-sciences program, with the following charge: review the science of the Earth as a system of interacting components; recommend an implementation strategy for Earth studies; and define the role of NASA in such a program. The challenge to the Earth system science is to develop the capability to predict those changes that will occur in the next decade to century, both naturally and in response to human activity. Sustained, long-term measurements of global variables; fundamental descriptions of the Earth and its history; research foci and process studies; development of Earth system models; an information system for Earth system science; coordination of Federal agencies; and international cooperation are examined.

Approaches for Improving Earth System Science Education in Middle Schools and High Schools in the United States (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, P. E.

2009-12-01

Earth system science is an often neglected subject in the US science curriculum. The state of Kansas State Department of Education, for example, has provided teachers with a curriculum guide for incorporating earth system science as an ancillary topic within the subjects of physics, chemistry, and the biological sciences. While this does provide a means to have earth system science within the curriculum, it relegates earth system science topics to a secondary status. In practice, earth system science topics are considered optional or only taught if there is time within an already an overly crowded curriculum. Given the importance of developing an educated citizenry that is capable of understanding, coping, and deciding how to live in a world where climate change is a reality requires a deeper understanding of earth system science. The de-emphasis of earth system science in favor of other science disciplines makes it imperative to seek opportunities to provide teachers, whose primary subject is not earth system science, with professional development opportunities to develop content knowledge understanding of earth system science, and pedagogical content knowledge (i.e. effective strategies for teaching earth system science). This is a noble goal, but there is no single method. At Fort Hays State University we have developed multiple strategies from face-to-face workshops, on-line coursework, and academic year virtual and face-to-face consultations with in-service and pre-service teachers. A review of the techniques and measures of effectiveness (based on teacher and student performance), and strengths and limitations of each method will be presented as an aid to other institutions and programs seeking to improve the teaching and learning of earth system science in their region.

Science Writer-At-Sea: A New InterRidge Education Outreach Project Joining Scientists and Future Journalists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusek, K. M.; Freitag, K.; Devey, C.

2005-12-01

The Science Writer-at-Sea program is one small step in a marathon need for improved coverage of science and environmental issues. It targets two significant links in the Earth science communication pipeline: marine scientists and journalists; and attempts to reconnect people with the Earth by boosting their understanding of Earth science and its relevance to society. How it works: Journalism graduate students are invited to participate in oceanographic expeditions affiliated with InterRidge, an international organization dedicated to promoting ocean ridge research. InterRidge's outreach coordinator and science writer prepares each student for the expedition experience using materials she developed based on years of at-sea reporting. The students work side-by-side with the science writer and the scientists to research and write innovative journalistic stories for a general audience that are featured on a uniquely designed multimedia website that includes videos and images. The science, journalism and public communities benefit from this cost-effective program: science research is effectively showcased, scientists benefit from interactions with journalists, science outreach objectives are accomplished; student journalists enjoy a unique hands-on, `boot camp' experience; and the website enhances public understanding of `real' Earth science reported `on scene at sea.' InterRidge completed its first pilot test of the program in August 2005 aboard a Norwegian research cruise. A student writer entering the science journalism program at Columbia University participated. The results exceeded expectations. The team discovered the world's northernmost vent fields on the cruise, which expanded the original scope of the website to include a section specifically designed for the international press. The student was inspired by the cruise, amazed at how much she learned, and said she entered graduate school with much more confidence than she had prior to the program. The site, translated into German, and is being showcased in a museum in Germany. Given the great response from a diverse suite of reviewers, the team is now pursuing long term funding; additional partners in the science, education and journalism communities; and partnerships with marine science and education magazines.

Goldilocks and the Three Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fillingim, M. O.; Brain, D. A.; Peticolas, L. M.; Yan, D.; Fricke, K.

2010-12-01

Just after their formation, the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars are though to have been very similar. Why are they so different today? We are developing a series of presentations that investigates the differences in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars, and how these differences arose. These presentations are a combination of planetary images displayed on engaging spherical displays and visual demonstrations. We recently tested and evaluated our first presentation on the Lawrence Hall of Science's six-foot diameter Science on a Sphere. We will briefly summarize this presentation and the evaluation results. The target audience for this initial presentation is elementary school age children. Future presentations will target middle school and high school age students focusing on planetary magnetic fields and the role they play in atmospheric evolution. Our future plans include transferring these presentations onto a portable, table top spherical display system to take into classrooms. Finally, we are also building rigid, three-dimensional wire models of the magnetic fields and Venus, Earth, and Mars for use in the traveling presentations. We will tie the development and debut of these presentations to appropriate topics throughout the Year of the Solar System.

The NASA Decadal Survey Aerosol, Cloud, Ecosystems Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClain, Charles R.; Bontempi, Paula; Maring, Hal

2011-01-01

In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences delivered a Decadal Survey (Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond) for NASA, NOAA, and USGS, which is a prioritization of future satellite Earth observations. The recommendations included 15 missions (13 for NASA, two for NOAA), which were prioritized into three groups or tiers. One of the second tier missions is the Aerosol, Cloud, (ocean) Ecosystems (ACE) mission, which focuses on climate forcing, cloud and aerosol properties and interactions, and ocean ecology, carbon cycle science, and fluxes. The baseline instruments recommended for ACE are a cloud radar, an aerosol/cloud lidar, an aerosol/cloud polarimeter, and an ocean radiometer. The instrumental heritage for these measurements are derived from the Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Glory, SeaWiFS and Aqua (MODIS) missions. In 2008, NASA HQ, lead by Hal Maring and Paula Bontempi, organized an interdisciplinary science working group to help formulate the ACE mission by refining the science objectives and approaches, identifying measurement (satellite and field) and mission (e.g., orbit, data processing) requirements, technology requirements, and mission costs. Originally, the disciplines included the cloud, aerosol, and ocean biogeochemistry communities. Subsequently, an ocean-aerosol interaction science working group was formed to ensure the mission addresses the broadest range of science questions possible given the baseline measurements, The ACE mission is a unique opportunity for ocean scientists to work closely with the aerosol and cloud communities. The science working groups are collaborating on science objectives and are defining joint field studies and modeling activities. The presentation will outline the present status of the ACE mission, the science questions each discipline has defined, the measurement requirements identified to date, the current ACE schedule, and future opportunities for broader community participation.

The ICTJA-CSIC Science Week 2016: an open door to Earth Sciences for secondary education students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortes-Picas, Jordi; Diaz, Jordi; Fernandez-Turiel, Jose-Luis; Garcia-Castellanos, Daniel; Geyer, Adelina; Jurado, Maria-Jose; Montoya, Encarni; Rejas Alejos, Marta; Sánchez-Pastor, Pilar; Valverde-Perez, Angel

2017-04-01

The Science Week is one of the main scientific outreach events every year in Spain. The Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera of CSIC (ICTJA-CSIC) participates in it since many years ago, opening its doors and proposing several activities in which it is shown what kind of multidisciplinary research is being developed at the Institute and in Geosciences. The activities,developed as workshops, are designed and conducted by scientific and technical personnel of the centre, who participates in the Science Week voluntarily. The activities proposed by the ICTJA-CSIC staff are designed for a target audience composed by secondary school students (12-18 years). The ICTJA-CSIC joined Science Week 2016 in the framework of the activity entitled "What we investigate in Earth Sciences?". The aim is to show to the society what is being investigated in the ICTJA-CSIC. In addition, it is intended, with the contact and interaction between the public and the institute researchers, to increase the interest in scientific activity and, if possible, to generate new vocations in the field of the Earth Sciences among secondary school pupils. We show in this communication the experience of the Science Week 2016 at the ICTJA-CSIC, carried out with the effort and commitment of the of the Institute's personnel with the outreach of Earth Sciences research. Between November 14th and 19th 2016, more than 100 students from four secondary schools from Barcelona area visited the Institute and took part in the Science Week. A total of six interactive workshops were prepared showing different features of seismology, geophysical borehole logging, analog and digital modelling, paleoecology, volcanology and geochemistry. As a novelty, this year a new workshop based on an augmented reality sandbox was offered to show and to simulate the processes of creation and evolution of the topographic relief. In addition, within the workshop dedicated to geophysical borehole logging, six exact replicates of sediment cores from outstanding expeditions of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and the International Ocean Discovery Program IODP (IODP) were shown to the visitors. We acknowledge the collaboration of ODP and IODP programs and the FECYT in the development of the Science Week 2016 at ICTJA-CSIC.

A crisis in the NASA space and earth sciences programme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanzerotti, Louis, J.; Rosendhal, Jeffrey D.; Black, David C.; Baker, D. James; Banks, Peter M.; Bretherton, Francis; Brown, Robert A.; Burke, Kevin C.; Burns, Joseph A.; Canizares, Claude R.

1987-01-01

Problems in the space and earth science programs are examined. Changes in the research environment and requirements for the space and earth sciences, for example from small Explorer missions to multispacecraft missions, have been observed. The need to expand the computational capabilities for space and earth sciences is discussed. The effects of fluctuations in funding, program delays, the limited number of space flights, and the development of the Space Station on research in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics, planetary exploration, solar and space physics, and earth science are analyzed. The recommendations of the Space and Earth Science Advisory Committee on the development and maintenance of effective space and earth sciences programs are described.

Sun-Earth Days- "Have a Solar Blast"- Educational Outreach on a National Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortfield, P.; Lewis, E. M.; Cline, T.; Thieman, J. R.

2001-05-01

Sun-Earth Days was an Educational Outreach on a Massive Scale. This was NASA's first-ever "Sun-Earth Days," April 27-28, 2001, developed to share information and excitement about our star and its electric connection to Earth. For the year 2001, NASA's Sun-Earth Connection missions and The Astronomical League partnered to sponsor this educational and entertaining event in the context of National Astronomy Day and Week. As part of NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum's Sun-Earth Day events, a webcast was hosted by EPO team at Stanford SOLAR Center in collaboration with Astronomy Day and Project Astro. Prior to the webcast NASA Centers and the Educator Resource Centers conducted training workshops to aid 4000 teachers in their participation in the interactive webcast. The webcast involved 35,000 students from across the country and allowed students an opportunity to present results from a variety of solar activities and interact with fellow students. NASA Scientists were on hand to field questions, and had the opportunity to tell viewers why they chose their exciting careers. Webcasts are a great way to reach and interact with a large audience of educators and students who wish to incorporate the science of the Sun into their curriculum. Sun-Earth Days was on the Web, with a single website of information, featuring excellent classroom activities and ideas, selections of the best background reading on the science, links to our many spacecraft and science missions, and some pointers to raw science data and imagery on the web. Sun-Earth Days kits were assembled and packaged through NASA's CORE, a distribution facility in Ohio and mailed to each of the NASA Centers and 25 Educator Resource Centers who participated in a training workshop for educators. Over 4000 educators attended workshops through the NASA network to learn about the Sun. " An Event Near You", portion of the website, listed the events within the USA that linked scientists with educators and created a wide network for learning about the Sun across the USA. Numerous publications announced the event and Discovery Science Channel supported NASA's Sun-Earth Days with two special programs, SAVAGE SUN and THE SUN. There have been many lessons learned during the development and initiation of Sun-Earth Days, as a national event. The most rewarding and exciting outcome was the demand for materials and the positive response for the event, leading to the determination to continue as an annual event. The results will be featured and plans announced for the second annual event, which features the Sun and the science from Sun-Earth Connection missions, in anticipation of others joining us for 2002 to make use of this medium for their education and outreach efforts

Using a robotics competition to teach about and stimulate enthusiasm for Earth science and other STEM topics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fike, Hildee; Barnhart, Paul; Brevik, Corinne E.; Brevik, Eric C.; Burgess, Cynthia; Chen, Jundong; Egli, Shawna; Harris, Billy; Johanson, Paul J.; Johnson, Naomi; Moe, Marie; Olsen, Reba

2016-04-01

One of the major challenges in recruiting students to careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields is to stimulate enthusiasm about these fields in our youth. BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics is a national program in the USA that attempts to recruit junior and senior high school students (ages 13-18) into STEM careers by showing youth how exciting these careers can be by using robotics competitions. The competitions have several aspects, including robot design, software engineering, marketing, public outreach, research into the subject area of the year's tasks, and a set of tasks to be physically performed by the robots that each team builds. The tasks to be performed change every year; therefore, even teams that compete over multiple years must build a new robot each year designed to perform the particular tasks charged to them. Dickinson State University is the home to Blue Hawk BEST, one of the hubs that host the first round of competition for teams hoping to move on to regional, and potentially, national level competition. The tasks for 2015 revolved around a mining theme. The robots needed to be able to replace the filter in an air filtration system, fix broken pipes, mine simulated aggregate, coal, magnetite, bauxite, chalcopyrite, and spodumene, and move core samples. Points were awarded for successful progress toward each task based on the difficulty of the task and the market value of the commodities. While several STEM fields are covered in various aspects of the competition, the 2015 competition includes Earth science in that the students are required to research the history and science of the commodities being mined and learn about ways the commodities are important to their lives and the economy of their particular region. Several awards are handed out to the top performing teams in various categories, including spirit and sportsmanship awards. As teams compete for these awards a raucous environment is created during the competition, with team members who are not actively competing at any given moment enthusiastically supporting their team members who are competing. However, it also generates a sense of community among the competing teams, and it is common to see members from one team assisting another team that is having problems with their robot, even though the two teams are also in direct competition with one another. The end result is an overall experience that is great fun for the competing students, but one in which they also learn about a wide range of STEM fields. In 2015, that education included an important aspect of the Earth sciences. Using similar techniques for general teaching of some Earth science topics may have promise both in terms of student learning and student enthusiasm for the subject material.

Impacts of an Inquiry Teaching Method on Earth Science Students' Learning Outcomes and Attitudes at the Secondary School Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mao, Song-Ling; Chang, Chun-Yen

This paper summarizes two companion studies that were designed to investigate the impacts of an inquiry teaching method on Earth science students' achievement and attitudes towards Earth science in secondary schools. Subjects were 557 students (9th grade) enrolled in 14 Earth science classes. Two Earth science units, including topics of astronomy…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.

Enhancements to the science data processing pipeline of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission, collectively known as NEOWISE, resulted in the detection of >158,000 minor planets in four infrared wavelengths during the fully cryogenic portion of the mission. Following the depletion of its cryogen, NASA's Planetary Science Directorate funded a four-month extension to complete the survey of the inner edge of the Main Asteroid Belt and to detect and discover near-Earth objects (NEOs). This extended survey phase, known as the NEOWISE Post-Cryogenic Survey, resulted in the detection of {approx}6500 large Main Belt asteroids and 86 NEOs in its 3.4more » and 4.6 {mu}m channels. During the Post-Cryogenic Survey, NEOWISE discovered and detected a number of asteroids co-orbital with the Earth and Mars, including the first known Earth Trojan. We present preliminary thermal fits for these and other NEOs detected during the 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-Cryogenic Surveys.« less

Geoinformatics in the public service: building a cyberinfrastructure across the geological surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allison, M. Lee; Gundersen, Linda C.; Richard, Stephen M.; Keller, G. Randy; Baru, Chaitanya

2011-01-01

Advanced information technology infrastructure is increasingly being employed in the Earth sciences to provide researchers with efficient access to massive central databases and to integrate diversely formatted information from a variety of sources. These geoinformatics initiatives enable manipulation, modeling and visualization of data in a consistent way, and are helping to develop integrated Earth models at various scales, and from the near surface to the deep interior. This book uses a series of case studies to demonstrate computer and database use across the geosciences. Chapters are thematically grouped into sections that cover data collection and management; modeling and community computational codes; visualization and data representation; knowledge management and data integration; and web services and scientific workflows. Geoinformatics is a fascinating and accessible introduction to this emerging field for readers across the solid Earth sciences and an invaluable reference for researchers interested in initiating new cyberinfrastructure projects of their own.

Echoes from the Field: An Ethnographic Investigation of Outdoor Science Field Trips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxerman, Jonathan Zvi

As popular as field trips are, one might think they have been well-studied. Nonetheless, field trips have not been heavily studied, and little research has mapped what actually transpires during field trips. Accordingly, to address this research gap, I asked two related research questions. The first question is a descriptive one: What happens on field trips? The second question is explanatory: What field trip events are memorable and why? I employed design research and ethnographic methodologies to study learning in naturally occurring contexts. I collaborated with middle-school science teachers to design and implement more than a dozen field trips. The field trips were nested in particular biology and earth sciences focal units. Students were tasked with making scientific observations in the field and then analyzing this data during classroom activities. Audio and video recording devices captured what happened during the field trips, classroom activities and discussions, and the interviews. I conducted comparative microanalysis of videotaped interactions. I observed dozens of events during the field trips that reverberated across time and place. I characterize the features of these events and the objects that drew interest. Then, I trace the residue across contexts. This study suggests that field trips could be more than one-off experiences and have the potential to be resources to seed and enrich learning and to augment interest in the practice of science.

Seeing Earth Through the Eyes of an Astronaut

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, Melissa

2014-01-01

The Human Exploration Science Office within the ARES Directorate has undertaken a new class of handheld camera photographic observations of the Earth as seen from the International Space Station (ISS). For years, astronauts have attempted to describe their experience in space and how they see the Earth roll by below their spacecraft. Thousands of crew photographs have documented natural features as diverse as the dramatic clay colors of the African coastline, the deep blues of the Earth's oceans, or the swirling Aurora Borealis of Australia in the upper atmosphere. Dramatic recent improvements in handheld digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera capabilities are now allowing a new field of crew photography: night time-lapse imagery.

Why Earth Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Michael J.

2004-01-01

This article briefly describes Earth science. The study of Earth science provides the foundation for an understanding of the Earth, its processes, its resources, and its environment. Earth science is the study of the planet in its entirety, how its lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere work together as systems and how they affect…

Strategy for earth explorers in global earth sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The goal of the current NASA Earth System Science initiative is to obtain a comprehensive scientific understanding of the Earth as an integrated, dynamic system. The centerpiece of the Earth System Science initiative will be a set of instruments carried on polar orbiting platforms under the Earth Observing System program. An Earth Explorer program can open new vistas in the earth sciences, encourage innovation, and solve critical scientific problems. Specific missions must be rigorously shaped by the demands and opportunities of high quality science and must complement the Earth Observing System and the Mission to Planet Earth. The committee believes that the proposed Earth Explorer program provides a substantial opportunity for progress in the earth sciences, both through independent missions and through missions designed to complement the large scale platforms and international research programs that represent important national commitments. The strategy presented is intended to help ensure the success of the Earth Explorer program as a vital stimulant to the study of the planet.

Near-Earth Magnetic Field Effects of Large-Scale Magnetospheric Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lühr, Hermann; Xiong, Chao; Olsen, Nils; Le, Guan

2017-03-01

Magnetospheric currents play an important role in the electrodynamics of near-Earth space. This has been the topic of many space science studies. Here we focus on the magnetic fields they cause close to Earth. Their contribution to the geomagnetic field is the second largest after the core field. Significant progress in interpreting the magnetic fields from the different sources has been achieved thanks to magnetic satellite missions like Ørsted, CHAMP and now Swarm. Of particular interest for this article is a proper representation of the magnetospheric ring current effect. Uncertainties in modelling its effect still produce the largest residuals between observations and present-day geomagnetic field models. A lot of progress has been achieved so far, but there are still open issues like the characteristics of the partial ring current. Other currents discussed are those flowing in the magnetospheric tail. Also their magnetic contribution at LEO orbits is non-negligible. Treating them as an independent source is a more recent development, which has cured some of the problems in geomagnetic field modelling. Unfortunately there is no index available for characterising the tail current intensity. Here we propose an approach that may help to properly quantify the magnetic contribution from the tail current for geomagnetic field modelling. Some open questions that require further investigation are mentioned at the end.

Near-Earth Magnetic Field Effects of Large-Scale Magnetospheric Currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luehr, Hermann; Xiong, Chao; Olsen, Nils; Le, Guan

2016-01-01

Magnetospheric currents play an important role in the electrodynamics of near- Earth space. This has been the topic of many space science studies. Here we focus on the magnetic fields they cause close to Earth. Their contribution to the geomagnetic field is the second largest after the core field. Significant progress in interpreting the magnetic fields from the different sources has been achieved thanks to magnetic satellite missions like Ørsted, CHAMP and now Swarm. Of particular interest for this article is a proper representation of the magnetospheric ring current effect. Uncertainties in modelling its effect still produce the largest residuals between observations and present-day geomagnetic field models. A lot of progress has been achieved so far, but there are still open issues like the characteristics of the partial ring current. Other currents discussed are those flowing in the magnetospheric tail. Also their magnetic contribution at LEO orbits is non-negligible. Treating them as an independent source is a more recent development, which has cured some of the problems in geomagnetic field modelling. Unfortunately there is no index available for characterizing the tail current intensity. Here we propose an approach that may help to properly quantify the magnetic contribution from the tail current for geomagnetic field modelling. Some open questions that require further investigation are mentioned at the end.

Highlights and impacts of the International Year of Planet Earth in Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szarka, László; Ádám, József; Brezsnyánszky, Károly; Haas, János; Kakas, Kristóf; Koppán, András.

2010-05-01

IYPE activities of various geo-science associations, universities, research institutes and private companies in Hungary (www.foldev.hu) have been successfully coordinated by the Hungarian National Committee, which was established by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the UNESCO- and the IUGS National Committees. The National Launch Event (April 17, 2008) was followed with a four-days long "Earth Science Fair" at the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest. The IYPE was even briefly reviewed in the Hungarian Parliament. The Science Festival, organized annually by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in 2008 had a special IYPE-inspired slogan: "Science for the Habitable Earth", where lectures were held about the modern content of the Greek Classical Elements ("earth", "water", "air" and "fire", that is energy) and about the Humanity. In 2008/2009 numerous publications (including the Hungarian version of the IYPE booklet series, under the title GEO-FIFIKA, the Természet Világa special issue in February 2009, the IYPE number of Földrajzi Közlemények (Geographical Communications), and the "Geological Map of Hungary for Tourists" were produced. Throughout the country, symposia (e.g. HUNGEO 2008, ELGI 100, MÁFI 140, Geotourism Symposium in October 2009), several contests (Hungarian Television "Delta", Élet és Tudomány on the occasion of the UN year, and the annual contests starting in 2007 at Miskolc University), film shows (e.g., the movie "Another Planet") and other performances (e.g. End of the Ice Age in Hungarian Natural History Museum) were organized, with modest but increasing media coverage. The worldwide premier of the Planet Earth TV took place in Hungary, on the occasion of the IAGA 11th Scientific Assembly (August 23-30, 2009, www.iaga2009sopron.hu). One of our conferences ("Earth and Heaven - Geology and Theology") pointed out that there should be no conflict between science and religion, either in the fields of Earth's history or evolution. Science (and only science) is able to give reliable knowledge how Nature works, and the investigation of the "ultimate Why" (i.e. the "Primordial Cause") should be left to religions and philosophy. At the same time, there are antagonistic conflicts between science and pseudo-science, and also between religions and pseudo-religions. Among the scientific programmes the activity of Geological Institute of Hungary in the OneGeology initiative should be at first mentioned. In 2007/2008, among the main environmental challenges, it was exclusively the so-called "global warming" in the focal point of public interest in Hungary. By now, the importance of soil, groundwater and energy have been also recognized, largely (or at least partly) due to IYPE. This is perhaps the largest result of the IYPE in Hungary.

77 FR 55863 - NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Applied Sciences Advisory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-11

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (12-072)] NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Applied Sciences Advisory Group Meeting AGENCY: National Aeronautics... the Applied Science Advisory Group. This Subcommittee reports to the Earth Science Subcommittee...

Common Earth Science Misconceptions in Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Chris

2012-01-01

A survey of the Earth science content of science textbooks found a wide range of misconceptions. These are discussed in this article with reference to the published literature on Earth science misconceptions. Most misconceptions occurred in the "sedimentary rocks and processes" and "Earth's structure and plate tectonics"…

Earth Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-07-24

A Delta II rocket carrying the Geomagnetic Tail Lab (GEOTAIL) spacecraft lifts off at Launch Complex 17, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) into a cloud-dappled sky. This liftoff marks the first Delta launch under the medium expendable launch vehicle services contract between NASA and McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. The GEOTAIL mission, a joint US/Japanese project, is the first in a series of five satellites to study the interactions between the Sun, the Earth's magnetic field, and the Van Allen radiation belts.

Strategies for Building a Reliable, Diverse Pipeline of Earth Data Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, R.; Robinson, E.

2015-12-01

The grand challenges facing the geosciences are increasingly data-driven and require large-scale collaboration. Today's geoscience community is primarily self-taught or peer-taught as neither data science nor collaborative skills are traditionally part of the geoscience curriculum. This is not a sustainable model. By increasing understanding of the role of data science and collaboration in the geosciences, and Earth and space science informatics, an increased number of students pursuing STEM degrees may choose careers in these fields. Efforts to build a reliable pipeline of future Earth data scientists must incorporate the following: (1) improved communication: covering not only what data science is, but what a data scientist working in the geosciences does and the impact their work has; (2) effective identification and promotion of the skills and knowledge needed, including possible academic and career paths, the availability and types of jobs in the geosciences, and how to develop the necessary skills for these careers; (3) the employment of recruitment and engagement strategies that result in a diverse data science workforce, especially the recruitment and inclusion of underrepresented minority students; and (4) changing organizational cultures to better retain and advance women and other minority groups in data science. In this presentation we'll discuss strategies to increase the number of women and underrepresented minority students pursuing careers in data science, with an emphasis on effective strategies for recruiting and mentoring these groups, as well as challenges faced and lessons learned.

Research Data Alliance: Understanding Big Data Analytics Applications in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, Morris; Ramachandran, Rahul; Baumann, Peter

2014-05-01

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) enables data to be shared across barriers through focused working groups and interest groups, formed of experts from around the world - from academia, industry and government. Its Big Data Analytics (BDA) interest groups seeks to develop community based recommendations on feasible data analytics approaches to address scientific community needs of utilizing large quantities of data. BDA seeks to analyze different scientific domain applications (e.g. earth science use cases) and their potential use of various big data analytics techniques. These techniques reach from hardware deployment models up to various different algorithms (e.g. machine learning algorithms such as support vector machines for classification). A systematic classification of feasible combinations of analysis algorithms, analytical tools, data and resource characteristics and scientific queries will be covered in these recommendations. This contribution will outline initial parts of such a classification and recommendations in the specific context of the field of Earth Sciences. Given lessons learned and experiences are based on a survey of use cases and also providing insights in a few use cases in detail.

Research Data Alliance: Understanding Big Data Analytics Applications in Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riedel, Morris; Ramachandran, Rahul; Baumann, Peter

2014-01-01

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) enables data to be shared across barriers through focused working groups and interest groups, formed of experts from around the world - from academia, industry and government. Its Big Data Analytics (BDA) interest groups seeks to develop community based recommendations on feasible data analytics approaches to address scientific community needs of utilizing large quantities of data. BDA seeks to analyze different scientific domain applications (e.g. earth science use cases) and their potential use of various big data analytics techniques. These techniques reach from hardware deployment models up to various different algorithms (e.g. machine learning algorithms such as support vector machines for classification). A systematic classification of feasible combinations of analysis algorithms, analytical tools, data and resource characteristics and scientific queries will be covered in these recommendations. This contribution will outline initial parts of such a classification and recommendations in the specific context of the field of Earth Sciences. Given lessons learned and experiences are based on a survey of use cases and also providing insights in a few use cases in detail.

Managing Science Operations during Planetary Surface Operations at Long Light Delay-Time Targets: The 2011 Desert RATS Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, D. B.

2012-01-01

Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) is a multi-year series of hardware and operations tests carried out annually in the high desert of Arizona in the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Conducted since 1997, these activities are designed to exercise planetary surface hardware and operations in conditions where multi-day tests are achievable. Desert RATS 2011 Science Operations Test simulated the management of crewed science operations at targets that were beyond the light delay time experienced during Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and lunar surface missions, such as a mission to a Near-Earth Object (NEO) or the martian surface. Operations at targets at these distances are likely to be the norm as humans move out of the Earth-Moon system. Operating at these distances places significant challenges on mission operations, as the imposed light-delay time makes normal, two-way conversations extremely inefficient. Consequently, the operations approach for space missions that has been exercised during the first half-century of human space operations is no longer viable, and new approaches must be devised.

ERESE Professional Development in Science Education: A collaboration of scientists, teachers, and information technologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staudigel, H.; Helly, M.; Massel Symons, C.; Koppers, A.; Helly, J.; Miller, S.

2005-12-01

The Enduring Resources in Earth Science Education (ERESE) project promotes inquiry based teaching of plate tectonics through professional development and distribution of digital library objects in the National Science Digital Library network. The overall ERESE goal is to bridge the gap between the scientists and educators, and our experience has shown that much can be gained by establishing a close collaboration between all parties involved in earth science education, from high school student to teacher -educator, and scientist. These collaborations yield substantial gains in terms of effective educational approaches, contents selection, and to produce an authentic class room research experience. ERESE professional development workshops promote a model of inquiry-based teaching that keeps the educator as far in the background as possible, while empowering the student to carry out a maximally independent inquiry. Key components in this process are: (1) use of a well selected provocative phenomenon to promote student's curiosity and to start the inquiry process, (2) care in the student guidance towards selection and formulation of a researchable question, (3) the involvement of teachers and scientists, in a close collaboration (4) teaching resource development with a strong feed-back from professional development workshops and classroom practice, (5) integration of science inquiry resources on all expert levels providing an environment that allows continuous access to science information from the most basic to the full scale science level. We expanded ERESE resource development into a volcanology field class on Hawaii to produce a website and digital library contents including field reports, exercises and images and field data. We further expanded our resource development through the participation of three high school students in a three-week seagoing expedition to the Samoan Archipelago. The high school seniors maintained a live expedition website and they participated in all science activities. Their work impacted ERESE by the development of digital resources, and introducing peer - mentoring into the inquiry process.

Laboratory for Atmospheres: 2006 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Richard W.

2007-01-01

The 2006 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, are highlighted in this report.

Laboratory for Atmospheres 2009 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cote, Charles E.

2010-01-01

The 2009 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report.

Laboratory for Atmospheres 2005 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

The 2005 Technical highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report.

Laboratory for Atmospheres 2007 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Richard W.

2008-01-01

The 2007 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report.

Laboratory for Atmospheres 2010 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2011-01-01

The 2010 Technical Highlights describes the efforts of all members of the Laboratory for Atmospheres. Their dedication to advancing Earth Science through conducting research, developing and running models, designing instruments, managing projects, running field campaigns, and numerous other activities, is highlighted in this report.

HIGHLIGHTS AND IMPACTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET EARTH IN HUNGARY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szarka, L.; Adam, J.; Brezsnyanszky, K.

2009-12-01

International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) activities of various geo-science associations, universities, research institutes and private companies in Hungary have been successfully coordinated by the Hungarian National Committee, which was established by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the UNESCO- and the IUGS National Committees. The National Launch Event (April 17, 2008) was followed with a four-days long “Earth Science Fair” at the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest. The IYPE was even briefly reviewed in the Hungarian Parliament. The Science Festival, organized annually by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in 2008 had a special IYPE-inspired slogan: “Science for the Habitable Earth”, where lectures were held about the modern content of the Greek Classical Elements (“earth”, “water”, “air” and “fire”, that is energy) and about the Humanity. In 2008/2009 numerous publications (including the Hungarian version of the IYPE booklet series, under the title GEO-FIFIKA, and the “Geological Map of Hungary for tourists” were produced. Throughout the country, symposia, contests, film shows (e.g., the movie “Another Planet”) and other performances were organized, with increasing media coverage. The worldwide premier of the Planet Earth TV took place in Hungary, on the occasion of the IAGA 11th Scientific Assembly (August 23-30, 2009). One of our conferences (“Earth and Heaven - Geology and Theology”) pointed out that there should be no conflict between science and religion, either in the fields of Earth’s history or evolution. Science (and only science) is able to give reliable knowledge how Nature works, and the investigation of the “ultimate Why” (i.e. the “Primordial Cause”) should be left to religions. At the same time, there are antagonistic conflicts between science and pseudo-science, and also between religions and pseudo-religions. Among the scientific programmes the activity of Geological Institute of Hungary in the OneGeology initiative should be at first mentioned. In 2007/2008, among the main environmental challenges, it was exclusively the so-called “global warming” in the focal point of public interest in Hungary. By now, the importance of soil, groundwater and energy have been also recognized, largely (or at least partly) due to IYPE. This is perhaps the largest result of the IYPE in Hungary.

Bridging the gap with a duel-credit Earth Science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

College-bound high school students rarely have any exposure to the Earth Sciences. Earth Science may be offered to Middle School students. What is offered in High School, however, is usually a watered-down course offered to the weakest students. Meanwhile, our best and brightest students are steered towards biology, chemistry, and physics, what most schools consider the "real sciences". As a direct result, our population is not literate in the Earth Sciences and few students choose to study the Earth Science in college. One way to counteract this trend is to offer a rigorous capstone Earth Science course to High School Juniors and Seniors. Offering a course does not guarantee enrollment, however. Top science students are too busy taking Advanced Placement courses to consider a non-AP course. For that reason, the best way to lure top students into studying Earth Science is to create a duel-credit course, for which students receive both high school and college credit. A collaboration between high school teachers and college professors can result in a quality Earth Science course that bridges the huge gap that now exists between middle school science and college Earth Science. Harvard-Westlake School has successfully offered a duel-credit course with UCLA, and has created a model that can be used by other schools.

An Analysis of Misconceptions in Science Textbooks: Earth science in England and Wales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Chris John Henry

2010-03-01

Surveys of the earth science content of all secondary (high school) science textbooks and related publications used in England and Wales have revealed high levels of error/misconception. The 29 science textbooks or textbook series surveyed (51 texts in all) showed poor coverage of National Curriculum earth science and contained a mean level of one earth science error/misconception per page. Science syllabuses and examinations surveyed also showed errors/misconceptions. More than 500 instances of misconception were identified through the surveys. These were analysed for frequency, indicating that those areas of the earth science curriculum most prone to misconception are sedimentary processes/rocks, earthquakes/Earth's structure, and plate tectonics. For the 15 most frequent misconceptions, examples of quotes from the textbooks are given, together with the scientific consensus view, a discussion, and an example of a misconception of similar significance in another area of science. The misconceptions identified in the surveys are compared with those described in the literature. This indicates that the misconceptions found in college students and pre-service/practising science teachers are often also found in published materials, and therefore are likely to reinforce the misconceptions in teachers and their students. The analysis may also reflect the prevalence earth science misconceptions in the UK secondary (high school) science-teaching population. The analysis and discussion provide the opportunity for writers of secondary science materials to improve their work on earth science and to provide a platform for improved teaching and learning of earth science in the future.

Managing Sustainable Data Infrastructures: The Gestalt of EOSDIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behnke, J.; Lindsay, F. E.; Lowe, D. R.; Mitchell, A. E.; Lynnes, C.

2016-12-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of the NASA Earth observation program since the 1990's. The data collected by NASA's remote sensing instruments represent a significant public investment in research. EOSDIS provides free and open access to this data to a worldwide public research community. From the very beginning, EOSDIS was conceived as a system built on partnerships between NASA Centers, US agencies and academia. EOSDIS manages a wide range of Earth science discipline data that include cryosphere, land cover change, polar processes, field campaigns, ocean surface, digital elevation, atmosphere dynamics and composition, and inter-disciplinary research, among many others. Over the years, EOSDIS has evolved to support increasingly complex and diverse NASA Earth Science data collections. EOSDIS epitomizes a System of Systems, whose many varied and distributed parts are integrated into a single, highly functional organized science data system. A distributed architecture was adopted to ensure discipline-specific support for the science data, while also leveraging standards and establishing policies and tools to enable interdisciplinary research, and analysis across multiple scientific instruments. The EOSDIS is composed of system elements such as geographically distributed archive centers used to manage the stewardship of data. The infrastructure consists of underlying capabilities/connections that enable the primary system elements to function together. For example, one key infrastructure component is the common metadata repository, which enables discovery of all data within the EOSDIS system. . EOSDIS employs processes and standards to ensure partners can work together effectively, and provide coherent services to users. While the separation into domain-specific science archives helps to manage the wide variety of missions and datasets, the common services and practices serve to knit the overall system together into a coherent whole, with sharing of data, metadata, information and software making EOSDIS more than the simple sum of its parts. This paper will describe those parts and how the whole system works together to deliver Earth science data to millions of users.

75 FR 60484 - NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Applied Sciences Advisory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-30

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice: (10-115)] NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Applied Sciences Advisory Group Meeting AGENCY: National Aeronautics...) announces a meeting of the Applied Science Advisory Group. This Subcommittee reports to the Earth Science...

Research and Teaching. Journey to the End of the Earth: Academic and Professional Benefits for Students Participating in a Field-Based Research Program in Antarctica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Claudia Venessa; Robertson, William H.; Lougheed, Vanessa; Tweedie, Craig; Velasco, Aaron

2013-01-01

With the need to increase minority representation in the polar sciences, a team of researchers from a southwestern United States public university developed an innovative field research experience entitled the International Polar Year-Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM). Supported by a National Science…

NASA's Earth Science Flight Program Meets the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ianson, Eric E.

2016-01-01

NASA's Earth science flight program is a dynamic undertaking that consists of a large fleet of operating satellites, an array of satellite and instrument projects in various stages of development, a robust airborne science program, and a massive data archiving and distribution system. Each element of the flight program is complex and present unique challenges. NASA builds upon its successes and learns from its setbacks to manage this evolving portfolio to meet NASA's Earth science objectives. NASA fleet of 16 operating missions provide a wide range of scientific measurements made from dedicated Earth science satellites and from instruments mounted to the International Space Station. For operational missions, the program must address issues such as an aging satellites operating well beyond their prime mission, constellation flying, and collision avoidance with other spacecraft and orbital debris. Projects in development are divided into two broad categories: systematic missions and pathfinders. The Earth Systematic Missions (ESM) include a broad range of multi-disciplinary Earth-observing research satellite missions aimed at understanding the Earth system and its response to natural and human-induced forces and changes. Understanding these forces will help determine how to predict future changes, and how to mitigate or adapt to these changes. The Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program provides frequent, regular, competitively selected Earth science research opportunities that accommodate new and emerging scientific priorities and measurement capabilities. This results in a series of relatively low-cost, small-sized investigations and missions. Principal investigators whose scientific objectives support a variety of studies lead these missions, including studies of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, polar ice regions, or solid Earth. This portfolio of missions and investigations provides opportunity for investment in innovative Earth science that enhances NASA's capability for better understanding the current state of the Earth system. ESM and ESSP projects often involve partnerships with other US agencies and/or international organizations. This adds to the complexity of mission development, but allows for a greater scientific return on NASA's investments. The Earth Science Airborne Science Program provides manned and unmanned aircraft systems that further science and advance the use of satellite data. NASA uses these assets worldwide in campaigns to investigate extreme weather events, observe Earth system processes, obtain data for Earth science modeling activities, and calibrate instruments flying aboard Earth science spacecraft. The Airborne Science Program has six dedicated aircraft and access to many other platforms. The Earth Science Multi-Mission Operations program acquires, preserves, and distributes observational data from operating spacecraft to support Earth Science research focus areas. The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), which has been in operations since 1994, primarily accomplishes this. EOSDIS acquires, processes, archives, and distributes Earth Science data and information products. The archiving of NASA Earth Science information happens at eight Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) and four disciplinary data centers located across the United States. The DAACs specialize by topic area, and make their data available to researchers around the world. The DAACs currently house over 9 petabytes of data, growing at a rate of 6.4 terabytes per day. NASA's current Earth Science portfolio is responsive to the National Research Council (NRC) 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey and well as the 2010 NASA Response to President Obama's Climate Plan. As the program evolves into the future it will leverage the lessons learned from the current missions in operations and development, and plan for adjustments to future objectives in response to the anticipated 2017 NRC Decadal Survey.

Charting a Course to Earth System Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karsten, J. L.; Koch, L.; Ridky, R.; Wei, M.; Ladue, N.

2008-12-01

Public literacy of fundamental ideas in Earth System Science (ESS) is immensely important, both because of its relevance to the daily lives of individual citizens and the role played by informed policy decisions related to water, energy, climate change, and hazards in securing our Nation's well-being and prosperity. The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) argued that topics which comprise ESS also have tremendous value in providing context and meaning for the teaching of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics concepts and their applications, thereby serving the goals of the America COMPETES Act. Yet, as documented in the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, the U.S. continues to lag significantly behind other developed nations in science literacy. A major obstacle to improving public ESS literacy, specifically, and strengthening science literacy, in general, is the fact that fewer than 30% of students in U.S. high schools take any courses related to ESS. Often, these courses are taught by teachers with limited preparation in this content area. A new grass-roots movement within the geoscience research and education communities, fueled by interagency collaboration, is seeking to overcome these obstacles and steer a new course for ESS education in the Nation. The Earth System Science Literacy Initiative (ESSLI) builds on recent efforts within portions of the geosciences community to reach consensus on what defines scientific literacy within their fields. Individual literacy frameworks now exist for the ocean, atmospheric science, Earth science, and climate topic areas, and others are under development. The essential principles and fundamental concepts articulated in these frameworks provide consistent core messages that can be delivered and reinforced not only through formal education channels, but also through informal education activities and the media, thereby avoiding the inherent obstacles of the formal education setting. Efforts underway to (1) integrate the individual literacy documents into a coherent, scientifically accurate ESS literacy framework that reflects the interactive complexity of Earth systems and (2) establish a new strategic plan for reforming ESS education in the U.S., in order to achieve such ESS literacy, will be described.

University Students Join NASA on Trip to Hawaiian Volcano

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-06

March across pahoehoe The team hikes across Kilauea’s lava fields to reach designated test sites. Several types of lava make up the fields, primarily smooth pahoehoe, which can harden into a ropy, shelly or slabby (pictured here) texture. Some of the most dangerous lava to walk on is a’a – unstable piles of jagged rock. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jasmine Blennau In June, five student journalists from Stony Brook University packed their hiking boots and hydration packs and joined a NASA-funded science team for 10 days on the lava fields of Kilauea, an active Hawaiian volcano. Kilauea’s lava fields are an ideal place to test equipment designed for use on Earth’s moon or Mars, because volcanic activity shaped so much of those terrains. The trip was part of an interdisciplinary program called RIS4E – short for Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration – which is designed to prepare for future exploration of the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. To read reports from the RIS4E journalism students about their experiences in Hawaii, visit ReportingRIS4E.com NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

The Contribution of GGOS to Understanding Dynamic Earth Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Richard

2017-04-01

Geodesy is the science of the Earth's shape, size, gravity and rotation, including their evolution in time. Geodetic observations play a major role in the solid Earth sciences because they are fundamental for the understanding and modeling of Earth system processes. Changes in the Earth's shape, its gravitational field, and its rotation are caused by external forces acting on the Earth system and internal processes involving mass transfer and exchange of angular and linear momentum. Thus, variations in these geodetic quantities of the Earth reflect and constrain mechanical and thermo-dynamic processes in the Earth system. Mitigating the impact on human life and property of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, debris flows, landslides, land subsidence, sea level change, tsunamis, floods, storm surges, hurricanes and extreme weather is an important scientific task to which geodetic observations make fundamental contributions. Geodetic observations can be used to monitor the pre-eruptive deformation of volcanoes and the pre-seismic deformation of earthquake fault zones, aiding in the issuance of volcanic eruption and earthquake warnings. They can also be used to rapidly estimate earthquake fault motion, aiding in the modeling of tsunami genesis and the issuance of tsunami warnings. Geodetic observations are also used in other areas of the Earth sciences, not just the solid Earth sciences. For example, geodesy contributes to atmospheric science by supporting both observation and prediction of the weather by geo-referencing meteorological observing data and by globally tracking change in stratospheric mass and lower tropospheric water vapor fields. Geodetic measurements of refraction profiles derived from satellite occultation data are routinely assimilated into numerical weather prediction models. Geodesy contributes to hydrologic studies by providing a unique global reference system for measurements of: sub-seasonal, seasonal and secular movements of continental and basin-scale water masses; loading and unloading of the land surface due to seasonal changes of groundwater; measurement of water level of major lakes and rivers by satellite altimetry; and improved digital terrain models as basis for flux modeling of surface water and flood modeling. Geodesy is crucial for cryospheric studies because of its ability to measure the motions of ice masses and changes in their volumes. Ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice are intricately linked to the Earth's climate system. They store a record of past climate; they strongly affect surface energy budget, global water cycle, and sea-level change; and they are sensitive indicators of climate change. Geodesy is at the heart of all present-day ocean studies. Geodetic observations uniquely produce accurate, quantitative, and integrated observations of gravity, ocean circulation, sea surface height, ocean bottom pressure, and mass exchanges among the ocean, cryosphere, and land. Geodetic observations have made fundamental contributions to monitoring and understanding physical ocean processes. In particular, geodesy is the basic technique used to determine an accurate geoid model, allowing for the determination of absolute surface geostrophic currents, which are necessary to quantify heat transport of the ocean. Geodesy also provides the absolute reference for tide gauge measurements, allowing those measurements to be merged with satellite altimetric measurements to provide a coherent worldwide monitoring system for sea level change. In this presentation, selected examples of the contribution of geodetic observations to understanding the dynamic Earth system will be presented.

Touching the Earth: the Role of Art in Scientific Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cashman, K. V.; Stibbon, E.; Harris, R.

2015-12-01

Historically, geologists have used drawing as a tool not only to record observations but also to engage with the landscape and the materials from which it is constructed. Although geology students are still taught to keep field notebooks, the emphasis on drawing has given way to training in digital tools such as photography and GIS. Has this change altered our perception of our environment, and, thereby, affected the ways that we pursue scientific questions? We address this question through conversations - in the laboratory, studio and field - between artists and scientists that show that we (1) engage with the landscape both rationally and emotionally, (2) are attracted to earth materials because of their form, color, physical qualities and origin/history, (3) overcome technical challenges to realize an end result from an initial idea, (4) struggle to achieve a balance between critical faculties and creative insight, and (5) must communicate ideas, often before they are fully formed, to potential funders. Importantly, we find that the act of rendering (in 2D or 3D), and the ways in which the trace of the hand on paper (or manipulation of clay) engages a part of the brain that is not used in computer-based activities. At the same time, a geological understanding of earth materials enhances their metaphorical applications in the arts. Taken together, these conversations lead us to suggest that more cross-disciplinary training - training scientists in art and artists in science - would not only allow us to explore common themes from different perspectives, but could also create new ways of doing both art and science. Here we provide some examples, such as (1) the importance of drawing for moving from looking to seeing (observation to understanding), (2) ways of engaging perceptions through experimentation, (3) how to reveal the hidden by combining microscopic and macroscopic views of earth materials, and (4) using art as both a language and an interpretive tool. Viewed pragmatically, these examples address the scientific challenge of sketching conceptual ideas in a way that is convincing to both ourselves and to others. More broadly, we explore what may have been lost to earth science by eliminating formal training in drawing, and what might be gained by re-introducing the arts into the earth science curriculum.

Assessing Gains in Science Teaching Self-Efficacy after Completing an Inquiry-Based Earth Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Kyle

2017-01-01

Preservice elementary teachers are often required to take an Earth Science content course as part of their teacher education program but typically enter the course with little knowledge of key Earth Science concepts and are uncertain in their ability to teach science. This study investigated whether completing an inquiry-based Earth Science course…

The Communication Strategy of NASA's Earth Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmon, R.; Ward, K.; Riebeek, H.; Allen, J.; Przyborski, P.; Scott, M.; Carlowicz, M. J.

2010-12-01

Climate change is a complex, multi-disciplinary subject. Accurately conveying this complexity to general audiences, while still communicating the basic facts, is challenging. Our approach is to combine climate change information with a wide range of Earth system science topics, illustrated by satellite imagery and data visualizations. NASA's Earth Observatory web site (earthobservatory.nasa.gov) uses the broad range of NASA's remote sensing technologies, data, and research to communicate climate change science. We serve two primary audiences: the "attentive public" --people interested in and willing to seek out information about science, technology, and the environment--and media. We cover the breadth of Earth science, with information about climate change integrated with stories about weather, geology, oceanography, and solar flares. Current event-driven imagery is used as a hook to draw readers. We then supply links to supplemental information, either about current research or the scientific basics. We use analogies, carefully explain jargon or acronyms, and build narratives which both attract readers and make information easier to remember. These narratives are accompanied by primers on topics like energy balance or the water cycle. Text is carefully integrated with illustrations and state-of-the-art data visualizations. Other site features include a growing list of climate questions and answers, addressing common misconceptions about global warming and climate change. Maps of global environmental parameters like temperature, rainfall, and vegetation show seasonal change and long-term trends. Blogs from researchers in the field provide a look at the day-to-day process of science. For the media, public domain imagery is supplied at full resolution and links are provided to primary sources.

Geophysics education on the Internet: Course production and assessment of our MOOC, "Deep Earth Science"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuda, Y.; Tazawa, K.; Sugie, K.; Sakuraba, H.; Hideki, M.; Tagawa, S.; Cross, S. J.

2016-12-01

Recently, massive open online courses (MOOC or MOOCs) have gained wide-spread attention as a new educational platform delivered via the internet. Many leading institutions all over the world have provided many fascinating MOOC courses in various fields. Students enrolled in MOOCs study their interested topic in a course not only by watching video lectures, reading texts, and answering questions, but also by utilizing interactive online tools such as discussion boards, Q&A sessions and peer assessments. MOOC is also gaining popularity as a way to do outreach activity and diffuse research results. Tokyo Institute of Technology provided its 1st MOOC, "Introduction to Deep Earth Science Part1" on edX, which is one of the largest MOOC providers. This four-week-long course was designed for 1st year college students and with two learning goals in this course; 1) to introduce students to the fascinating knowledge of solid Earth, 2) to provide an opportunity to use scientific thinking as well as to show how interesting and exciting science can be. This course contained materials such as 1) structure of inside of the Earth 2) internal temperature of the earth and how it is estimated and 3) chemical compositions and dynamics inside the earth. After the end of the provision of Part1, this course was re-made as "Introduction to Deep Earth Science"(so to speak, Part2) on the basis of opinions obtained from students who have attended our course and student teaching assistants (TA) who have run and produced this course. In this presentation, we will explain our MOOC making model, which is a team based course creation effort between the course instructor, Tokyo Tech Online Education Development Office (OEDO) staff and TA students. Moreover, we will share details and feedback of Part1 received from some of the 5000 enrolled students from 150 counties and regions, and report the implementation of Part2 in the light of challenges resulted from Part1.

Alignment of Learning Goals, Assessments and Curricula in an Earth Sciences Program to Prepare the Geoscience Workforce for the 21st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mogk, D. W.; Schmitt, J.

2013-12-01

The Dept. of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, recently completed a comprehensive revision of its undergraduate curriculum to meet challenges and opportunities in training the next generation geoscience workforce. The department has 280 undergraduate majors in degree options that include: geology, geography (physical and human), snow science, paleontology and GIS/planning. We used a 'backward design' approach by first considering the profile of a student leaving our program: what should they know and be able to do, in anticipation of professional development for traditional (exploration, environmental, regulatory agencies) and non-traditional (planning, policy, law, business, teaching) jobs or for further training in graduate school. We adopted an Earth system approach to be better aligned with contemporary approaches to Earth science and to demonstrate the connections between sub-disciplines across the curriculum. Learning sequences were designed according to Bloom's Taxonomy to develop higher level thinking skills (starting from observations and progressing to descriptions, interpretations, applications, integration of multiple lines of evidence, synthetic and analytical thinking and evaluation). Central themes are reinforced in multiple classes: history and evolution of the Earth system, composition and architecture of Earth, surface of Earth and the 'critical zone' and human dimensions. The cornerstones of the curriculum are strong background in cognate sciences, geologic 'habits of mind', an emphasis on geologic processes and field instruction. Ancillary learning goals include development of quantitative, communication, and interpersonal skills; use of Earth data and modeling; systems thinking; research and research-like experiences; and applications to societal issues. The first year course of study includes a slate of courses to explore the Earth system, primarily to engage and recruit students to the major. Second year studies are foundational for all majors: a year of GIS (as the most important transferable job skill), Earth Materials, Earth History, and Weather and Climate. In the third year, students focus on degree option requirements; for geology 'core' courses for the major include Mineralogy, Geomorphology, Sed/Strat, Structural Geology and the fourth year courses provide a wide range of free electives for enrichment (Tectonics, Volcanology, Ig and Met Petrology...). Our goal is to produce students who can: Understand geologic context, apply concepts and skills; Ask the next question; Know where to look for information; Formulate a plan to address the problem; Become critical producers and consumers of data; Integrate multiple lines of evidence; Communicate results (write a report, make a map, develop a GIS); and Be life-long learners.

The "Earth Physics" Workshops Offered by the Earth Science Education Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Stephen

2012-01-01

Earth science has a part to play in broadening students' learning experience in physics. The Earth Science Education Unit presents a range of (free) workshops to teachers and trainee teachers, suggesting how Earth-based science activities, which show how we understand and use the planet we live on, can easily be slotted into normal science…

EOS Aqua: Mission Status at the Earth Science Constellation (ESC) Mission Operations Working Group (MOWG) Meeting at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guit, Bill

2017-01-01

This presentation at the Earth Science Constellation Mission Operations Working Group meeting at KSC in December 2017 to discuss EOS (Earth Observing System) Aqua Earth Science Constellation status. Reviewed and approved by Eric Moyer, ESMO (Earth Science Mission Operations) Deputy Project Manager.

Integrating and Visualizing Tropical Cyclone Data Using the Real Time Mission Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, H. Michael; Blakeslee, Richard; Conover, Helen; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn

2009-01-01

The Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decision-making for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery, radar, surface and airborne instrument data sets, model output parameters, lightning location observations, aircraft navigation data, soundings, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual globe application. RTMM is extremely valuable for optimizing individual Earth science airborne field experiments. Flight planners, scientists, and managers appreciate the contributions that RTMM makes to their flight projects. A broad spectrum of interdisciplinary scientists used RTMM during field campaigns including the hurricane-focused 2006 NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA), 2007 NOAA-NASA Aerosonde Hurricane Noel flight, 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4), plus a soil moisture (SMAP-VEX) and two arctic research experiments (ARCTAS) in 2008. Improving and evolving RTMM is a continuous process. RTMM recently integrated the Waypoint Planning Tool, a Java-based application that enables aircraft mission scientists to easily develop a pre-mission flight plan through an interactive point-and-click interface. Individual flight legs are automatically calculated "on the fly". The resultant flight plan is then immediately posted to the Google Earth-based RTMM for interested scientists to view the planned flight track and subsequently compare it to the actual real time flight progress. We are planning additional capabilities to RTMM including collaborations with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the joint development of a Tropical Cyclone Integrated Data Exchange and Analysis System (TC IDEAS) which will serve as a web portal for access to tropical cyclone data, visualizations and model output.

Earth Science: Then and Now

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orgren, James R.

1969-01-01

Reviews history of earth science in secondary schools. From early nineteenth century to the present, earth science (and its antecedents, geology, physical geography, and astronomy) has had an erratic history for several reasons, but particularly because of lack of earth science teacher-training programs. (BR)

Undergraduate students' earth science learning: relationships among conceptions, approaches, and learning self-efficacy in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Kuan-Ming; Lee, Min-Hsien; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Chang, Chun-Yen

2016-06-01

In the area of science education research, studies have attempted to investigate conceptions of learning, approaches to learning, and self-efficacy, mainly focusing on science in general or on specific subjects such as biology, physics, and chemistry. However, few empirical studies have probed students' earth science learning. This study aimed to explore the relationships among undergraduates' conceptions of, approaches to, and self-efficacy for learning earth science by adopting the structural equation modeling technique. A total of 268 Taiwanese undergraduates (144 females) participated in this study. Three instruments were modified to assess the students' conceptions of, approaches to, and self-efficacy for learning earth science. The results indicated that students' conceptions of learning made a significant contribution to their approaches to learning, which were consequently correlated with their learning self-efficacy. More specifically, students with stronger agreement that learning earth science involves applying the knowledge and skills learned to unknown problems were prone to possess higher confidence in learning earth science. Moreover, students viewing earth science learning as understanding earth science knowledge were more likely to adopt meaningful strategies to learn earth science, and hence expressed a higher sense of self-efficacy. Based on the results, practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Significant accomplishments in science and technology, Goddard Space Flight Center, 1974. [proceedings - NASA programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Topics covered are: (1) earth resources (climatology, oceanography, soils, strip mines), and (2) astronomy (magnetic fields and atmospheres of the planets and the sun; galactic and interstellar gas; cosmic and X-ray radiation). Photographs of satellite observations are included.

Living on an Active Earth: Perspectives on Earthquake Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay, Thorne

2004-02-01

The annualized long-term loss due to earthquakes in the United States is now estimated at $4.4 billion per year. A repeat of the 1923 Kanto earthquake, near Tokyo, could cause direct losses of $2-3 trillion. With such grim numbers, which are guaranteed to make you take its work seriously, the NRC Committee on the Science of Earthquakes begins its overview of the emerging multidisciplinary field of earthquake science. An up-to-date and forward-looking survey of scientific investigation of earthquake phenomena and engineering response to associated hazards is presented at a suitable level for a general educated audience. Perspectives from the fields of seismology, geodesy, neo-tectonics, paleo-seismology, rock mechanics, earthquake engineering, and computer modeling of complex dynamic systems are integrated into a balanced definition of earthquake science that has never before been adequately articulated.

Examining the Features of Earth Science Logical Reasoning and Authentic Scientific Inquiry Demonstrated in a High School Earth Science Curriculum: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Do-Yong; Park, Mira

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inquiry features demonstrated in the inquiry tasks of a high school Earth Science curriculum. One of the most widely used curricula, Holt Earth Science, was chosen for this case study to examine how Earth Science logical reasoning and authentic scientific inquiry were related to one another and how…

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000): Overview of the Dry Season Field Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swap, R. J.; Annegarn, H. J.; Suttles, J. T.; Haywood, J.; Helmlinger, M. C.; Hely, C.; Hobbs, P. V.; Holben, B. N.; Ji, J.; King, M. D.

2002-01-01

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) is an international project investigating the earth atmosphere -human system in southern Africa. The programme was conducted over a two year period from March 1999 to March 2001. The dry season field campaign (August-September 2000) was the most intensive activity involved over 200 scientist from eighteen countries. The main objectives were to characterize and quantify biogenic, pyrogenic and anthropogenic aerosol and trace gas emissions and their transport and transformations in the atmosphere and to validate NASA's Earth Observing System's Satellite Terra within a scientific context. Five aircraft-- two South African Weather Service Aeorcommanders, the University of Washington's CV-880, the U.K. Meteorological Office's C-130, and NASA's ER-2 --with different altitude capabilities, participated in the campaign. Additional airborne sampling of southern African air masses, that had moved downwind of the subcontinent, was conducted by the CSIRO over Australia. Multiple Observations were made in various geographical sections under different synoptic conditions. Airborne missions were designed to optimize the value of synchronous over-flights of the Terra Satellite platform, above regional ground validation and science targets. Numerous smaller scale ground validation activities took place throughout the subcontinent during the campaign period.

Hyperfine fields of Fe in Nd2Fe14BandSm2Fe17N3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akai, Hisazumi; Ogura, Masako

2015-03-01

High saturation magnetization of rare-earth magnets originates from Fe and the strong magnetic anisotropy stems from f-states of rare-earth elements such as Nd and Sm. Therefore the hyperfine fields of both Fe and rare-earth provide us with important pieces of information: Fe NMR enable us to detect site dependence of the local magnetic moment and magnetic anisotropy (Fe sites also contribute to the magnetic anisotropy) while rare-earth NQR directly give the information of electric field gradients (EFG) that are related to the shape of the f-electron cloud as well as the EFG produced by ligands. In this study we focus on the hyperfine fields of materials used as permanent magnets, Nd2Fe14BandSm2Fe17N3 from theoretical points of view. The detailed electronic structure together with the hyperfine interactions are discussed on the basis of the first-principles calculation. In particular, the relations between the observed hyperfine fields and the magnetic properties are studies in detail. The effects of doping of those materials by other elements such as Dy and the effects of N adding in Sm2Fe17N3 will be discussed. This work was supported by Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials Project, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

Earth Science Informatics Comes of Age

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jodha, Siri; Khalsa, S.; Ramachandran, Rahul

2014-01-01

The volume and complexity of Earth science data have steadily increased, placing ever-greater demands on researchers, software developers and data managers tasked with handling such data. Additional demands arise from requirements being levied by funding agencies and governments to better manage, preserve and provide open access to data. Fortunately, over the past 10-15 years significant advances in information technology, such as increased processing power, advanced programming languages, more sophisticated and practical standards, and near-ubiquitous internet access have made the jobs of those acquiring, processing, distributing and archiving data easier. These advances have also led to an increasing number of individuals entering the field of informatics as it applies to Geoscience and Remote Sensing. Informatics is the science and technology of applying computers and computational methods to the systematic analysis, management, interchange, and representation of data, information, and knowledge. Informatics also encompasses the use of computers and computational methods to support decisionmaking and other applications for societal benefits.

AGU honors 79 geophysicists during 2011 awards cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes, Beth

2012-02-01

At the 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU honored 79 esteemed geophysicists for their landmark achievements and transformational discoveries, highlighting those who have pioneered new frontiers of scientific knowledge with dedication, commitment, and leadership. Sixty individuals widely recognized as experts in their fields of research were honored as the 2011 class of AGU Fellows. These scientists, who share a lifelong commitment to understanding how the world works and are dedicated to making it a better place, were nominated by their colleagues for spurring major paradigm shifts and innovating breakthrough discoveries in Earth and space sciences. Six Union awardees received recognition for their vision and leadership, for furthering education in the Earth and space sciences, and for outstanding and sustained achievements in science journalism. In addition, AGU presented its inaugural Climate Communication Prize, for outstanding contributions to scientific literacy and public awareness about the urgent problem of climate change.

Baseball caps of the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians in the flight deck

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-10-25

STS073-E-5135 (26 Oct. 1995) --- Baseball caps from the two 1995 World Series representative franchises float near the cabin windows of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia, with the Earth in the background. The American League champion Cleveland Indians and their National League counterpart Atlanta Braves were engaged in a scheduled best-of-seven World Series throughout the first portion of the scheduled 16-day mission in space. Off-duty crewmembers came out of a rest period to set up the scene in tribute to the October classic. The crew will continue working in shifts around the clock on a diverse assortment of United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) experiments located in the science module. Fields of study include fluid physics, materials science, biotechnology, combustion science and commercial space processing technologies. The frame was exposed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC).

Proceedings of the NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackwell, Kim; Blasso, Len (Editor); Lipscomb, Ann (Editor)

1991-01-01

The proceedings of the National Space Science Data Center Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications held July 23 through 25, 1991 at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center are presented. The program includes a keynote address, invited technical papers, and selected technical presentations to provide a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.

Mission design for NISAR repeat-pass Interferometric SAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez-Salazar, Oscar; Hatch, Sara; Rocca, Jennifer; Rosen, Paul; Shaffer, Scott; Shen, Yuhsyen; Sweetser, Theodore; Xaypraseuth, Peter

2014-10-01

The proposed spaceborne NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission would use the repeat-pass interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to measure the changing shape of Earth's surface at the centimeter scale in support of investigations in solid Earth and cryospheric sciences. Repeat-pass InSAR relies on multiple SAR observations acquired from nearly identical positions of the spacecraft as seen from the ground. Consequently, there are tight constraints on the repeatability of the orbit, and given the narrow field of view of the radar antenna beam, on the repeatability of the beam pointing. The quality and accuracy of the InSAR data depend on highly precise control of both orbital position and observatory pointing throughout the science observation life of the mission. This paper describes preliminary NISAR requirements and rationale for orbit repeatability and attitude control in order to meet science requirements. A preliminary error budget allocation and an implementation approach to meet these allocations are also discussed.

The PACES Summer Science Trek: A Pre-College Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Michelle B.

1997-01-01

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) received five-year funding to form the Pan American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES) in July 1995. PACES has as its goals to conduct research contributing to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth and to develop skilled scientists and engineers. PACES seeks to gain a more comprehensive understanding of geological, ecological and environmental processes and changes taking place in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico region. The PACES center has collaborative ties with two NASA field center (Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The original proposal contained no provision for outreach programs. However, at a meeting in the fall of 1995, Dan Goldin, NASA Administrator, issued the challenge that in order to accomplish NASA's goals to educate more of the citizenry in science and engineering, the Centers should take a broader perspective aimed at younger children.

Swarm: ESA's Magnetic Field Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plank, G.; Floberghagen, R.; Menard, Y.; Haagmans, R.

2012-12-01

Swarm is the fifth Earth Explorer mission in ESA's Living Planet Programme, and is scheduled for launch in fall 2012. The objective of the Swarm mission is to provide the best-ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution using a constellation of three identical satellites. The mission shall deliver data that allow access to new insights into the Earth system by improved scientific understanding of the Earth's interior and near-Earth electromagnetic environment. After launch and triple satellite release at an initial altitude of about 490 km, a pair of the satellites will fly side-by-side with slowly decaying altitude, while the third satellite will be lifted to 530 km to complete the Swarm constellation. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide the observations required to separate and model various sources of the geomagnetic field and near-Earth current systems. The mission science goals are to provide a unique view into Earth's core dynamics, mantle conductivity, crustal magnetisation, ionospheric and magnetospheric current systems and upper atmosphere dynamics - ranging from understanding the geodynamo to contributing to space weather. The scientific objectives and results from recent scientific studies will be presented. In addition the current status of the project, which is presently in the final stage of the development phase, will be addressed. A consortium of European scientific institutes is developing a distributed processing system to produce geophysical (Level 2) data products for the Swarm user community. The setup of the Swarm ground segment and the contents of the data products will be addressed. In case the Swarm satellites are already in orbit, a summary of the on-going mission operations activities will be given.

Earth Science Information Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1991-01-01

An ESIC? An Earth Science Information Center. Don't spell it. Say it. ESIC. It rhymes with seasick. You can find information in an information center, of course, and you'll find earth science information in an ESIC. That means information about the land that is the Earth, the land that is below the Earth, and in some instances, the space surrounding the Earth. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates a network of Earth Science Information Centers that sell earth science products and data. There are more than 75 ESIC's. Some are operated by the USGS, but most are in other State or Federal agencies. Each ESIC responds to requests for information received by telephone, letter, or personal visit. Your personal visit.

Beautiful Earth: Inspiring Native American students in Earth Science through Music, Art and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casasanto, V.; Rock, J.; Hallowell, R.; Williams, K.; Angell, D.; Beautiful Earth

2011-12-01

The Beautiful Earth program, awarded by NASA's Competitive Opportunities in Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), is a live multi-media performance at partner science centers linked with hands-on workshops featuring Earth scientists and Native American experts. It aims to inspire, engage and educate diverse students in Earth science through an experience of viewing the Earth from space as one interconnected whole, as seen through the eyes of astronauts. The informal education program is an outgrowth of Kenji Williams' BELLA GAIA Living Atlas Experience (www.bellagaia.com) performed across the globe since 2008 and following the successful Earth Day education events in 2009 and 2010 with NASA's DLN (Digital Learning Network) http://tinyurl.com/2ckg2rh. Beautiful Earth takes a new approach to teaching, by combining live music and data visualizations, Earth Science with indigenous perspectives of the Earth, and hands-on interactive workshops. The program will utilize the emotionally inspiring multi-media show as a springboard to inspire participants to learn more about Earth systems and science. Native Earth Ways (NEW) will be the first module in a series of three "Beautiful Earth" experiences, that will launch the national tour at a presentation in October 2011 at the MOST science museum in collaboration with the Onandaga Nation School in Syracuse, New York. The NEW Module will include Native American experts to explain how they study and conserve the Earth in their own unique ways along with hands-on activities to convey the science which was seen in the show. In this first pilot run of the module, 110 K-12 students with faculty and family members of the Onandaga Nations School will take part. The goal of the program is to introduce Native American students to Earth Sciences and STEM careers, and encourage them to study these sciences and become responsible stewards of the Earth. The second workshop presented to participants will be the Spaceship Earth Scientist (SES) Module, featuring an Earth Scientist expert discussing the science seen in the presentation. Hands-on activities such as sea ice melting simulations will be held with participants. Results from these first pilot education experiences will be presented at the 2011 AGU.

Using the earth system for integrating the science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Victor J.

Content and process instruction from the earth sciences has gone unrepresented in the world's science curricula, especially at the secondary level. As a result there is a serious deficiency in public understanding of the planet on which we all live. This lack includes national and international leaders in politics, business, and science. The earth system science effort now engaging the research talent of the earth sciences provides a firm foundation from the sciences for inclusion of earth systems content into the evolving integrated science curricula of this country and others. Implementing integrated science curricula, especially at the secondary level where potential leaders often have their only exposure to science, can help to address these problems. The earth system provides a conceptual theme as opposed to a disciplinary theme for organizing such integrated curricula, absent from prior efforts. The end of the cold war era is resulting in a reexamination of science and the influence it has had on our planet and society. In the future, science and the curricula that teach about science must seriously address the environmental and social problems left in the wake of over 100 years of preparation for military and economic war. The earth systems education effort provides one such approach to the modernization of science curricula. Earth science educators should assume leadership in helping to establish such curricula in this country and around the world.

Integrating Earth System Science Data Into Tribal College and University Curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilgner, P. J.; Perkey, D. J.

2007-12-01

Universities Space Research Association and Sinte Gleska University (SGU) have teamed with eight Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to participate in a NASA Earth Science funded project, TRibal Earth Science and Technology Education (TRESTE) project which focuses on TCU faculty teaching undergraduate Earth science courses to non-science and science students, with particular attention to TCU faculty teaching K-12 pre- and in- service teachers. The eight partner TCUs are: Blackfeet Community College (BCC), Browning, MT, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Cloquet, MN, Fort Berthold Community College, New Town, ND, Little Priest Tribal College, Winnebago, NE, Oglala Lakota College, Pine Ridge, SD, Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates, ND, Turtle Mountain Community College, Belcourt, ND, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC), Bismarck, ND. The goal of this 3-year project is to promote the use of NASA Earth science data and products in the classroom thereby enabling faculty to inspire undergraduate students to careers in Earth system science, the physical sciences, and related fields of science and engineering. To accomplish this goal we are targeting three areas: (1) course content - enhance the utilization of Earth system science and physical science concepts, (2) teaching methodology - develop problem-based learning (PBL) methods, and (3) tools and technology - increase the utilization of GIS and remote sensing in the classroom. We also have enlisted ESRI, NativeView and the USGS as collaborators. To date we have held an introductory "needs" workshop at the USGS EROS Data Center and two annual workshops, one at UTTC and the second at BCC. During these annual workshops we have divided our time among the three areas. We have modeled the workshops using the PBL or Case Study approach by starting with a story or current event. Topics for the annual workshops have been Drought and Forest and Grassland Fires. These topics led us into the solar radiation budget, surface energy budgets, climate and climate change, impacts, etc. GIS and remote sensing training has focused on importing, converting and displaying data sets related to drought and fires. The Integrated Science courses at SGU, designed primarily for pre-service elementary teachers, have incorporated physical science concepts and teaching approaches presented at the TRESTE annual workshops. The content of the courses follows the PBL teaching approach and is organized around a relevant, local problem such as prairie dog control and prairie management. Concepts from Earth, life and physical sciences are included in the course design. The fall course is introduced using recent news articles on legislation to control prairie dogs. After expressing their ideas based solely on experience and emotion, students determine what knowledge they will need to write an informed opinion on the issue. One of the instructional units for the course includes instruction and practice in interpreting satellite images of the local reservation to determine impact of prairie dog towns on vegetation. Students also conduct soil studies in the disturbed areas and nearby undisturbed areas. Data is gathered on soil chemistry, soil temperatures, and surface temperatures, measured with an infrared sensor provided by the TRESTE grant. Additional topics covered in the course that contain information from the annual workshops, include prairie fires, climate and climate change, and effects of the drought on local bodies of water.

Exploring Secondary Science Teachers' Perceptions on the Goals of Earth Science Education in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chun-Yen; Chang, Yueh-Hsia; Yang, Fang-Ying

2009-01-01

The educational reform movement since the 1990s has led the secondary earth science curriculum in Taiwan into a stage of reshaping. The present study investigated secondary earth science teachers' perceptions on the Goals of Earth Science Education (GESE). The GESE should express the statements of philosophy and purpose toward which educators…

Earth Science: It's All about the Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Chris

2013-01-01

Readers of the draft new English primary science curriculum (DfE, 2012) might be concerned to see that there is much more detail on the Earth science content than previously in the United Kingdom. In this article, Chris King, a professor of Earth Science Education at Keele University and Director of the Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU),…

Utilizing Remote Sensing Data to Ascertain Soil Moisture Applications and Air Quality Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leptoukh, Gregory; Kempler, Steve; Teng, William; Friedl, Lawrence; Lynnes, Chris

2009-01-01

Recognizing the significance of NASA remote sensing Earth science data in monitoring and better understanding our planet's natural environment, NASA Earth Applied Sciences has implemented the 'Decision Support Through Earth Science Research Results' program. Several applications support systems through collaborations with benefiting organizations have been implemented. The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has participated in this program on two projects (one complete, one ongoing), and has had opportune ad hoc collaborations utilizing NASA Earth science data. GES DISC's understanding of Earth science missions and resulting data and information enables the GES DISC to identify challenges that come with bringing science data to research applications. In this presentation we describe applications research projects utilizing NASA Earth science data and a variety of resulting GES DISC applications support system project experiences. In addition, defining metrics that really evaluate success will be exemplified.

Aeronautics and space report of the President

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This report describes the activities and accomplishments of all agencies of the United States in the fields of aeronautics and space science during FY 1994. Activity summaries are presented for the following areas: space launch activities, space science, space flight and space technology, space communications, aeronuatics, and studies of the planet Earth. Several appendices providing data on U.S. launch activities, the Federal budget for space and aeronautics, remote sensing capabilities, and space policy are included.

Preparing Graduate Students for Solar System Science and Exploration Careers: Internships and Field Training Courses led by the Lunar and Planetary Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaner, A. J.; Kring, D. A.

2015-12-01

To be competitive in 21st century science and exploration careers, graduate students in planetary science and related disciplines need mentorship and need to develop skills not always available at their home university, including fieldwork, mission planning, and communicating with others in the scientific and engineering communities in the U.S. and internationally. Programs offered by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) address these needs through summer internships and field training programs. From 2008-2012, LPI hosted the Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program. This special summer intern program evaluated possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions to the lunar surface. By the end of the 2012 program, a series of scientifically-rich landing sites emerged, some of which had never been considered before. Beginning in 2015 and building on the success of the lunar exploration program, a new Exploration Science Summer Intern Program is being implemented with a broader scope that includes both the Moon and near-Earth asteroids. Like its predecessor, the Exploration Science Summer Intern Program offers graduate students a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. The program's activities may involve assessments and traverse plans for a particular destination or a more general assessment of a class of possible exploration targets. Details of the results of these programs will be discussed. Since 2010 graduate students have participated in field training and research programs at Barringer (Meteor) Crater and the Sudbury Impact Structure. Skills developed during these programs prepare students for their own thesis studies in impact-cratered terrains, whether they are on the Earth, the Moon, Mars, or other solar system planetary surface. Future field excursions will take place at these sites as well as the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field. Skills developed during the Zuni-Bandera training will prepare students for their own thesis studies of volcanic provinces on any solar system planetary surface where basaltic volcanism has occurred. Further details of these field trainings will also be discussed.

Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

2014-12-01

With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their own learning and shows promise of raising parents, teachers, administrators and other k-12 students awareness of educational opportunities in the geosciences, confidence in the ability of underserved rural students to reach their educational goals and supporting them through the critical middle and high school years towards a geoscience career.

Resources and References for Earth Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Charles A.; Wall, Janet E.

1976-01-01

Listed are resources and references for earth science teachers including doctoral research, new textbooks, and professional literature in astronomy, space science, earth science, geology, meteorology, and oceanography. (SL)

Progress and Setbacks in K-12 Earth and Space Science Education During the Past Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E.; Hoffman, M.; Stevermer, A.; Barstow, D.

2005-12-01

Since publication of the National Science Education Standards in 1996, key Earth and space science concepts have been incorporated into the science education standards in virtually every state. However, the degree to which Earth and space science standards have been implemented in actual classroom curriculum and state science assessments varies greatly from state to state. In a similar vein, the No Child Left Behind legislation calls for a highly qualified teacher in every classroom: in Idaho over 96 percent of high school teachers are certified to teach Earth science, while in Illinois, less than 42 percent of teachers are certified. Furthermore, in some states, like New York, approximately 20 percent of high school students will take introductory Earth science each year, while in other states, like Texas, less than 1 percent of high school students will take introductory Earth science each year. Why do we have this high degree of variability with respect to the teaching and learning of Earth science across the United States? The answer is complex, as there are many institutional, attitudinal, budgetary, and policy factors affecting the teaching of Earth and space sciences. This presentation will summarize data on the current status of Earth and space science education in the United States, discuss where progress has been made and where setbacks have occurred during the past decade, and provide some suggestions and ideas for improving access to high quality Earth and space science education courses, curricula, assessments, and teachers at the state and local level.

Towards Improved Satellite-In Situ Oceanographic Data Interoperability and Associated Value Added Services at the Podaac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsontos, V. M.; Huang, T.; Holt, B.

2015-12-01

The earth science enterprise increasingly relies on the integration and synthesis of multivariate datasets from diverse observational platforms. NASA's ocean salinity missions, that include Aquarius/SAC-D and the SPURS (Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study) field campaign, illustrate the value of integrated observations in support of studies on ocean circulation, the water cycle, and climate. However, the inherent heterogeneity of resulting data and the disparate, distributed systems that serve them complicates their effective utilization for both earth science research and applications. Key technical interoperability challenges include adherence to metadata and data format standards that are particularly acute for in-situ data and the lack of a unified metadata model facilitating archival and integration of both satellite and oceanographic field datasets. Here we report on efforts at the PO.DAAC, NASA's physical oceanographic data center, to extend our data management and distribution support capabilities for field campaign datasets such as those from SPURS. We also discuss value-added services, based on the integration of satellite and in-situ datasets, which are under development with a particular focus on DOMS. The distributed oceanographic matchup service (DOMS) implements a portable technical infrastructure and associated web services that will be broadly accessible via the PO.DAAC for the dynamic collocation of satellite and in-situ data, hosted by distributed data providers, in support of mission cal/val, science and operational applications.

University Students Join NASA on Trip to Hawaiian Volcano

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Briefing Hiking a lava field demands good preparation. Here, the team leaders brief the crew, scientists and student journalists on the route they’ll take down a scarp to the site of Kilauea’s December 1974 eruption. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Lora Bleacher In June, five student journalists from Stony Brook University packed their hiking boots and hydration packs and joined a NASA-funded science team for 10 days on the lava fields of Kilauea, an active Hawaiian volcano. Kilauea’s lava fields are an ideal place to test equipment designed for use on Earth’s moon or Mars, because volcanic activity shaped so much of those terrains. The trip was part of an interdisciplinary program called RIS4E – short for Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration – which is designed to prepare for future exploration of the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. To read reports from the RIS4E journalism students about their experiences in Hawaii, visit ReportingRIS4E.com NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Use of Hawaii Analog Sites for Lunar Science and In-Situ Resource Utilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, G. B.; Larson, W. E.; Picard, M.; Hamilton, J. C.

2011-10-01

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and lunar science share similar objectives with respect to analyzing and characterizing the physical, mineral, and volatile materials and resources at sites of robotic and human exploration. To help mature and stress instruments, technologies, and hardware and to evaluate operations and procedures, space agencies have utilized demonstrations at analog sites on Earth before use in future missions. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the German Space Agency (DLR) have utilized an analog site on the slope of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii to test ISRU and lunar science hardware and operations in two previously held analog field tests. NASA and CSA are currently planning on a 3rd analog field test to be held in June, 2012 in Hawaii that will expand upon the successes from the previous two field tests.

Use of Hawaii Analog Sites for Lunar Science and In-Situ Resource Utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, G. B.; Larson, W. E.; Picard, M.; Hamilton, J. C.

2011-01-01

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and lunar science share similar objectives with respect to analyzing and characterizing the physical, mineral, and volatile materials and resources at sites of robotic and human exploration. To help mature and stress instruments, technologies, and hardware and to evaluate operations and procedures, space agencies have utilized demonstrations at analog sites on Earth before use in future missions. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the German Space Agency (DLR) have utilized an analog site on the slope of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii to test ISRU and lunar science hardware and operations in two previously held analog field tests. NASA and CSA are currently planning on a 3rd analog field test to be held in June, 2012 in Hawaii that will expand upon the successes from the previous two field tests.

Introducing Hands-on, Experiential Learning Experiences in an Urban Environmental Science Program at a Minority Serving Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duzgoren-Aydin, N. S.; Freile, D.

2013-12-01

STEM education at New Jersey City University increasingly focuses on experiential, student-centered learning. The Department of Geoscience/Geography plays a significant role in developing and implementing a new Urban Environmental Science Program. The program aims at graduating highly skilled, demographically diverse students (14 % African-American and 18% Hispanic) to be employed in high-growth Earth and Environmental Science career paths, both at a technical (e.g. B.S.) as well as an educational (K-12 grade) (e.g. B.A) level. The core program, including the Earth and Environmental Science curricula is guided by partners (e.g. USDA-NRCS). The program is highly interdisciplinary and 'hands-on', focusing upon the high-tech practical skills and knowledge demanded of science professionals in the 21st century. The focus of the curriculum is on improving environmental quality in northern NJ, centering upon our urban community in Jersey City and Hudson County. Our Department is moving towards a more earth system science approach to learning. Most of our courses (e.g., Earth Surface Processes, Sedimentology/Stratigraphy, Earth Materials, Essential Methods, Historical Geology) have hands-on laboratory and/or field components. Although some of our other courses do not have formal laboratory components, research modules of many such courses (Geochemistry, Urban Environmental Issues and Policy and Environmental Geology) involve strong field or laboratory studies. The department has a wide range of analytical and laboratory capacities including a portable XRF, bench-top XRD and ICP-MS. In spring 2013, Dr. Duzgoren-Aydin was awarded $277K in Higher Education Equipment Leasing Fund monies from the University in order to establish an Environmental Teaching and Research Laboratory. The addition of these funds will make it possible for the department to increase its instrumentation capacity by adding a mercury analyzer, Ion Chromatography and C-N-S analyzer, as well as updating several laboratory facilities. Furthermore, authors have applied to the NSF-TUES grant program to purchase a particle size analyzer. Currently, the grant is pending. We have defined 4 curricular goals to enhance student learning by providing hands-on, inquiry-based learning and research experiences. 1- Develop technical/analytical knowledge and skills by using advanced analytical instrumentation; 2- Improve quantitative reasoning skills to assess the quality of data; 3- Have comprehensive educational training to improve problem solving skills; and 4- use their quantitative reasoning (Goal # 2) and problem solving skills (Goal #3) to evaluate real-world geological and environmental problems. We also give special emphasis to expected measurable outcomes for individual courses. An external evaluator will assess the effectiveness of integrating advance instrumentation into the Earth and Environmental Science curricula. We will work closely with the evaluator to ensure successful implementation of the learning objectives. Examples from the impacted courses will be presented.

Being outside learning about science is amazing: A mixed methods study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weibel, Michelle L.

This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to examine teachers' environmental attitudes and concerns about an outdoor educational field trip. Converging both quantitative data (Environmental Attitudes Scale and teacher demographics) and qualitative data (Open-Ended Statements of Concern and interviews) facilitated interpretation. Research has shown that adults' attitudes toward the environment strongly influence children's attitudes regarding the environment. Science teachers' attitudes toward nature and attitudes toward children's field experiences influence the number and types of field trips teachers take. Measuring teacher attitudes is a way to assess teacher beliefs. The one day outdoor field trip had significant outcomes for teachers. Quantitative results showed that practicing teachers' environmental attitudes changed following the Forever Earth outdoor field trip intervention. Teacher demographics showed no significance. Interviews provided a more in-depth understanding of teachers' perspectives relating to the field trip and environmental education. Four major themes emerged from the interviews: 1) environmental attitudes, 2) field trip program, 3) integrating environmental education, and 4) concerns. Teachers' major concern, addressed prior to the field trip through the Open-Ended Statements of Concern, was focused on students (i.e., behavior, safety, content knowledge) and was alleviated following the field trip. Interpretation of the results from integrating the quantitative and qualitative results shows that teachers' personal and professional attitudes toward the environment influence their decision to integrate environmental education in classroom instruction. Since the Forever Earth field trip had a positive influence on teachers' environmental attitudes, further research is suggested to observe if teachers integrate environmental education in the classroom to reach the overall goal of increasing environmental literacy.

Educating the Public about Deep-Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cronin, V. S.

2010-12-01

The nature of Earth’s interior is an active frontier of scientific research. Much of our current understanding of sub-crustal Earth is based on knowledge acquired in the last 2-3 decades, made possible by public funding and by dense seismic arrays, satellite remote sensing, increases in computer power that enable use of enhanced numerical techniques, improved theoretical and experimental knowledge of high PT mineral physics and chemistry, and a vigorous scientific community that has been trained to take advantage of these opportunities. An essential component of science is effective communication; therefore, providing for public education about science is a responsibility of the research community. Current public understanding of Earth’s interior is meager at best. In pre-college texts and in non-technical mass media, Earth's interior is typically visualized as an onion or baseball of concentric different-colored shells along whose upper surface "crustal" plates move like packages on conveyor belts of convecting mantle. Or the crust is thought to float on a molten mantle, as in the 19th century ideas of William Lowthian Green. Misconceptions about Earth that are brought to the undergraduate classroom must be confronted frankly and replaced by current understanding based on good science. Persistent ignorance has consequences. What do we want the public to know? First, the public should understand that knowledge of Earth's interior is important, not irrelevant. The public should know that deep-Earth processes result in Earth's dynamic magnetic field. Deep-Earth processes affect how radiation from the Sun reaches Earth, consequently affecting the atmosphere, the oceans, and the viability of life on Earth. The composition and differentiated structure of Earth's interior is a result of the early accretionary history of Earth and the Earth-Moon system. The public should also know that lithospheric tectonics, with all of its consequences (dynamic topography, volcanoes, earthquakes, resource concentrations, oceans, atmospheric composition and flow, possibly even life), is made possible by the specific characteristics of Earth's interior. Accepting that knowledge of Earth’s interior is important, the next task is to let the public know what we have learned about the deep Earth, and how we have developed that scientific knowledge. How do we incorporate uncertainty in this work? How do we test hypotheses? What are the current open questions about the deep Earth that we seek to address through ongoing or future scientific research? The cognitive distance between research experts and the public must be bridged -- an interpretive task that requires substantial expertise and collaboration. Reaching the ultimate audience (the general public) requires the education and active involvement of K-12+ teachers, education boards, textbook publishers and mass-media producers. Information must be packaged to suit each intended audience, at the appropriate cognitive level. The effectiveness of the education-and-outreach element of any research enterprise largely determines whether the processes and results of science are transferred successfully to the public consciousness.

Petascale Kinetic Simulations in Space Sciences: New Simulations and Data Discovery Techniques and Physics Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimabadi, Homa

2012-03-01

Recent advances in simulation technology and hardware are enabling breakthrough science where many longstanding problems can now be addressed for the first time. In this talk, we focus on kinetic simulations of the Earth's magnetosphere and magnetic reconnection process which is the key mechanism that breaks the protective shield of the Earth's dipole field, allowing the solar wind to enter the Earth's magnetosphere. This leads to the so-called space weather where storms on the Sun can affect space-borne and ground-based technological systems on Earth. The talk will consist of three parts: (a) overview of a new multi-scale simulation technique where each computational grid is updated based on its own unique timestep, (b) Presentation of a new approach to data analysis that we refer to as Physics Mining which entails combining data mining and computer vision algorithms with scientific visualization to extract physics from the resulting massive data sets. (c) Presentation of several recent discoveries in studies of space plasmas including the role of vortex formation and resulting turbulence in magnetized plasmas.

The Race To Understand A Changing Planet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, Piers J.

2012-01-01

The Earth's climate is changing rapidly. In some respects, the rate of change is outpacing the predictions of only a few years ago. The challenge to Earth Science is to put forward credible projections of possible future climates so that the public and policy makers can make science-based decisions about energy development strategies. Models, observations and experiments all play strong roles in improving knowledge and increasing confidence in our predictions. The models have progressed from simple, coarse-resolution descriptions of atmospheric dynamics and physics only twenty years ago, to full-up Earth System models (ESMs) that include complete descriptions of the oceans and cryosphere. It has been convincingly argued that such complexity - the construction of realistic "toy" Earth's - is necessary to address the complex processes involved in climate change, including not only the physical atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere, but also the carbon cycle - both its natural and anthropogenic components - and the biosphere. Observations, particularly satellite observations, have more or less kept pace with the demands of the modelers, being able to observe progressively more and different facets of the Earth system, but the global satellite fleet is in need of an overhaul very soon. Lastly, field experiments and process studies confront the models with facts and allow us to develop more sophisticated and accurate satellite data algorithms. The challenges facing our relatively small Earth and planetary science communities are considerable and the stakes are significant. The stakeholders, now numbering 7 billion but soon to be 10 billion, will be relying on our results and capabilitie's to guide them into the future.

The race to understand a changing planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellers, P. J.

2012-12-01

The Earth's climate is changing rapidly. In some respects, the rate of change is outpacing the predictions of only a few years ago. The challenge to Earth Science is to put forward credible projections of possible future climates so that the public and policy makers can make science-based decisions about energy development strategies. Models, observations and experiments all play strong roles in improving knowledge and increasing confidence in our predictions. The models have progressed from simple, coarse-resolution descriptions of atmospheric dynamics and physics only twenty years ago, to full-up Earth System models (ESMs) that include complete descriptions of the oceans and cryosphere. It has been convincingly argued that such complexity - the construction of realistic "toy" Earths - is necessary to address the complex processes involved in climate change, including not only the physical atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere, but also the carbon cycle - both its natural and anthropogenic components - and the biosphere. Observations, particularly satellite observations, have more or less kept pace with the demands of the modelers, being able to observe progressively more and different facets of the Earth system, but the global satellite fleet is in need of an overhaul very soon. Lastly, field experiments and process studies confront the models with facts and allow us to develop more sophisticated and accurate satellite data algorithms. The challenges facing our relatively small Earth and planetary science communities are considerable and the stakes are significant. The stakeholders, now numbering 7 billion but soon to be 10 billion, will be relying on our results and capabilities to guide them into the future.

Understanding our Changing Planet: NASA's Earth Science Enterprise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forehand, Lon; Griner, Charlotte (Editor); Greenstone, Renny (Editor)

1999-01-01

NASA has been studying the Earth and its changing environment by observing the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, and snow and their influence on climate and weather since the agency's creation. This study has lead to a new approach to understanding the interaction of the Earth's systems, Earth System Science. The Earth Science Enterprise, NASA's comprehensive program for Earth System Science, uses satellites and other tools to intensively study the Earth. The Earth Science Enterprise has three main components: (1) a series of Earth-observing satellites, (2) an advanced data system and (3) teams of scientist who study the data. Key areas of study include: (1) clouds, (2) water and energy cycles, (3) oceans, (4) chemistry of the atmosphere, (5) land surface, water and ecosystems processes; (6) glaciers and polar ice sheets, and (7) the solid earth.

Astrosociological Implications of Astrobiology (Revisited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pass, Jim

2010-01-01

Supporters of astrobiology continue to organize the field around formalized associations and organizations under the guise of the so-called ``hard'' sciences (e.g., biology and the related physical/natural sciences). The so-called ``soft'' sciences-including sociology and the other social sciences, the behavioral sciences, and the humanities-remain largely separated from this dynamically growing field. However, as argued in this paper, space exploration involving the search for extraterrestrial life should be viewed as consisting of two interrelated parts (i.e., two sides of the same coin): astrobiology and astrosociology. Together, these two fields broadly combine the two major branches of science as they relate to the relationship between human life and alien life, as appropriate. Moreover, with a formalized system of collaboration, these two complimentary fields would also focus on the implications of their research to human beings as well as their cultures and social structures. By placing the astrosociological implications of astrobiology at a high enough priority, scientists interested in the search for alien life can augment their focus to include the social, cultural, and behavioral implications that were always associated with their work (yet previously overlooked or understated, and too often misunderstood). Recognition of the astrosociological implications expands our perception about alien life by creating a new emphasis on their ramifications to human life on Earth.

Meeting the Challenges for Gender Diversity in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, R. E.; Cane, M. A.; Kastens, K. A.; Miller, R. B.; Mutter, J. C.; Pfirman, S. L.

2003-12-01

Women are now routinely chief scientists on major cruises, lead field parties to all continents, and have risen to leadership positions in professional organizations, academic departments and government agencies including major funding agencies. They teach at all levels, advise research students, make research discoveries and receive honors in recognition of their achievements. Despite these advances, women continue to be under-represented in the earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences. As of 1997 women received only 29% of the doctorates in the earth, atmospheric, and oceanographic sciences and accounted for only 13% of employed Ph.D.s in these fields. Women's salaries also lag: the median annual salary for all Ph.D. geoscientists was \\60,000; for women the figure is \\47,000. Solving the problem of gender imbalance in the geosciences requires understanding of the particular obstacles women face in our field. The problem of under-representation of women requires that earth science departments, universities and research centers, funding agencies, and professional organizations like AGU take constructive action to recognize the root causes of the evident imbalance, and enact corrective policies. We have identified opportunities and challenges for each of these groups. A systematic study of the flux of women at Columbia University enabled a targeted strategy towards improving gender diversity based on the observed trends. The challenge for academic institutions is to document the flux of scientists and develop an appropriate strategy to balance the geoscience demographics. Based on the MIT study, an additional challenge faces universities and research centers. To enhance gender diversity these institutions need to develop transparency in promotion processes and open distribution of institutional resources. The challenge for granting agencies is to implement policies that ease the burden of extensive fieldwork on parents. Many fields of science require long work hours but the geosciences are unique in their requirement of extended fieldwork in remote locations, which raises issues for parents, and may be one reason geosciences lags behind other science disciplines in gender diversity. AGU and AGI have both conducted comprehensive and important studies on the status of women in science at all levels. Conducting flux studies and identifying the decision points in the advancement of scientists will provide fundamental data for designing successful programs to enhance diversity in the geosciences. Professional organizations such as AGU and the Geological Society of America should develop projects to monitor the career patterns of scientists, both men and women, beyond graduate school and the first job.

Digital Curation of Earth Science Samples Starts in the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, K. A.; Hsu, L.; Song, L.; Carter, M. R.

2014-12-01

Collection of physical samples in the field is an essential part of research in the Earth Sciences. Samples provide a basis for progress across many disciplines, from the study of global climate change now and over the Earth's history, to present and past biogeochemical cycles, to magmatic processes and mantle dynamics. The types of samples, methods of collection, and scope and scale of sampling campaigns are highly diverse, ranging from large-scale programs to drill rock and sediment cores on land, in lakes, and in the ocean, to environmental observation networks with continuous sampling, to single investigator or small team expeditions to remote areas around the globe or trips to local outcrops. Cyberinfrastructure for sample-related fieldwork needs to cater to the different needs of these diverse sampling activities, aligning with specific workflows, regional constraints such as connectivity or climate, and processing of samples. In general, digital tools should assist with capture and management of metadata about the sampling process (location, time, method) and the sample itself (type, dimension, context, images, etc.), management of the physical objects (e.g., sample labels with QR codes), and the seamless transfer of sample metadata to data systems and software relevant to the post-sampling data acquisition, data processing, and sample curation. In order to optimize CI capabilities for samples, tools and workflows need to adopt community-based standards and best practices for sample metadata, classification, identification and registration. This presentation will provide an overview and updates of several ongoing efforts that are relevant to the development of standards for digital sample management: the ODM2 project that has generated an information model for spatially-discrete, feature-based earth observations resulting from in-situ sensors and environmental samples, aligned with OGC's Observation & Measurements model (Horsburgh et al, AGU FM 2014); implementation of the IGSN (International Geo Sample Number) as a globally unique sample identifier via a distributed system of allocating agents and a central registry; and the EarthCube Research Coordination Network iSamplES (Internet of Samples in the Earth Sciences) that aims to improve sharing and curation of samples through the use of CI.

Valid and Reliable Science Content Assessments for Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tretter, Thomas R.; Brown, Sherri L.; Bush, William S.; Saderholm, Jon C.; Holmes, Vicki-Lynn

2013-03-01

Science teachers' content knowledge is an important influence on student learning, highlighting an ongoing need for programs, and assessments of those programs, designed to support teacher learning of science. Valid and reliable assessments of teacher science knowledge are needed for direct measurement of this crucial variable. This paper describes multiple sources of validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.8) evidence for physical, life, and earth/space science assessments—part of the Diagnostic Teacher Assessments of Mathematics and Science (DTAMS) project. Validity was strengthened by systematic synthesis of relevant documents, extensive use of external reviewers, and field tests with 900 teachers during assessment development process. Subsequent results from 4,400 teachers, analyzed with Rasch IRT modeling techniques, offer construct and concurrent validity evidence.

Factors Affecting Student Success with a Google Earth-Based Earth Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Lisa M.; Almquist, Heather; Estrada, Jen; Crews, Jeff

2016-01-01

This study investigated to what extent the implementation of a Google Earth (GE)-based earth science curriculum increased students' understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, scientific reasoning abilities, and science identity. Nine science classrooms participated in the study. In eight of the classrooms, pre- and post-assessments…

Advancing the fundamental sciences: proceedings of the Forest Service National Earth Sciences Conference, San Diego, CA, 18-22 October 2004.

Treesearch

Michael J. Furniss; Catherine F. Clifton; Kathryn L. Ronnenberg

2007-01-01

This conference was attended by nearly 450 Forest Service earth scientists representing hydrology, soil science, geology, and air. In addition to active members of the earth science professions, many retired scientists also attended and participated. These 60 peer-reviewed papers represent a wide spectrum of earth science investigation, experience, research, and...

Photography of Coral Reefs from ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Julie A.

2009-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the uses of photography from the International Space Station (ISS) in studying Earth's coral reefs. The photographs include reefs in various oceans . The photographs have uses for science in assisting NASA mapping initiatives, distribution worldwide through ReefBase, and by biologist in the field.

Apollo-Soyuz test project. Volume 1: Astronomy, earth atmosphere and gravity field, life sciences, and materials processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The joint U.S.-USSR experiments and the U.S. conducted unilateral experiments performed during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project are described. Scientific concepts and experiment design and operation are discussed along with scientific results of postflight analysis.

GHRC Innovations Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

NASA GHRC One of NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers Access Data Dataset List (HyDRO) View a Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA Earthdata Search Earthdata is NASA's and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment was a NASA Earth science field experiment in

Communications Corner: Tune in News and Science with Your Shortwave Receiver.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, David A.

1991-01-01

Information on how a shortwave radio can be used to make empirical observations about solar activity and the Earth's geomagnetic field is provided. How to interpret transmissions of shortwave propagation information, weather conditions, and highly accurate time signals from shortwave stations is discussed. (KR)

ScienceCast 90: Record-Setting Asteroid Flyby

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-28

On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth closer than many man-made satellites. Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, astronomers have never seen an object so big come so close to our planet.

Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, collected reprints 1978 - 1979, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skillman, W. C.; Kreins, E. R.

1981-01-01

Information about the Earth hydrosphere, obtained in the field and from aircraft and satellite imagery is reported. Particular emphasis is given to the use of microwave sensors in the study of soil moisture, sea ice, snow cover and atmospheric parameters associated with watersheds.

Contributions to Public Understanding of Science by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (I): Programs and Workshops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passow, M. J.; Turrin, M.; Kenna, T. C.; Newton, R.; Buckley, B.

2009-12-01

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (LDEO) continues its long history of contributions to public understanding of Science through “live” and web-based programs that provide teachers, students, and the other access to new discoveries and updates on key issues. We highlight current activities in paired posters. Part 1 focuses on events held at the Palisades, NY, campus. "Earth2Class (E2C)" is a unique program integrating science content with increased understanding about classroom learning and technology. Monthly workshops allow K-14 participants to combine talks by researchers about cutting-edge investigations with acquisition of background knowledge and classroom-ready applications. E2C has sponsored 100 workshops by more than 60 LDEO scientists for hundreds of teachers. A vast array of resources on includes archived versions of workshops, comprehensive sets of curriculum units, and professional development opportunities. It has been well received by both workshop participants and others who have only accessed the web site. "Hudson River Snapshot Day" celebrates the Hudson River Estuary and educates participants on the uniqueness of our nearby estuary as part of the annual National Estuaries Week. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudson Basin River Watch coordinate the event. LDEO scientists help coordinate annual data collection by school classes to create a day-in-the-life picture all along the river. LDEO researchers also participate in "River Summer," bringing together participants from a variety of perspectives to look at the Hudson River and foster better understanding of how the same features can appear very differently to artists, writers, political scientists, economists, or scientists. These perspectives aid in recognizing the Hudson’s unique characteristics and history by identifying cross-disciplinary relationships and fostering new connections. LDEO’s Secondary School Field Research Program engages high school teachers and students as science interns. They work with scientists in a 6-week summer program collaborated with the Harlem Childrens' Society and the Columbia Summer Research Program. Participants collect samples of water, soil, air, plants and animals in local wetlands, forests and urban environments. They receive training at LDEO in basic laboratory skills as they measure many of their own samples. Through The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem, students earn Field Science course credits. The Field Research Program also works with teachers to bring inquiry-based, hands-on field and laboratory science into the classroom during the school year. In addition, teachers and students from many other schools in the NYC region have cooperated with LDEO scientists on projects sponsored through NSF-funded Research Experiences, academic year internships, and other formats. The Public Lectures series began in 1999 in celebration of Lamont’s 50th anniversary. Annually since then, selected Lamont researchers give presentations on their current research. LDEO’s efforts to inspire and educate new generations continue to expand each year.

EOS Reference Handbook 1999: A Guide to NASA's Earth Science Enterprise and the Earth Observing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, M. D. (Editor); Greenstone, R. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The content of this handbook includes Earth Science Enterprise; The Earth Observing System; EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS); Data and Information Policy; Pathfinder Data Sets; Earth Science Information Partners and the Working Prototype-Federation; EOS Data Quality: Calibration and Validation; Education Programs; International Cooperation; Interagency Coordination; Mission Elements; EOS Instruments; EOS Interdisciplinary Science Investigations; and Points-of-Contact.

Geographical education in Russia: state-of-the-art and new perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalov, Sergey R.

2010-05-01

Up-today education systems of different countries face new perspectives in globalizing World. The Russian higher education framework was basically incompatible with the process of making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable throughout the World (so called Bologna process for Europe). So did Earth Sciences education framework. Today the key question in the further development of Earth sciences in Russia is the interaction with European education system. At the crossroads it is challenging to analyze the history and state-of-the-art. We considered the question on the example of one of the largest centers of the Earth Sciences education in Russia - Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University, which is moreover regarded to be one of the largest scientific and educational centers of geography in the World. There are 1200 students and 180 PhD students studying on the Faculty. The Faculty consists of 15 departments, 8 research laboratories and 4 field stations, where 850 employees work. Tuition of geography was established at Lomonosov Moscow State University since the day of its foundation. The significance of geographical studies at the University, which originally comprised the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Medicine, was already mentioned in the draft plan of its establishment (1755), which said that «anyone wishing to attend professors' lectures at the University has to learn foreign languages and first scientific basis beforehand". For this purpose two «gymnasiums» consisting of four schools were es-tablished at the University. Geography was included into the curriculum of the «first scientific basis school» and the «school of the distinguished European languages» - German and French. Today Geography in Russia is regarded to be one of the base sciences that are devoted to the problem of society and environment and their interactions. Geography was gone far from the descriptive field of science and in recent years combined key aspects of Earth Sciences. A new structure of geographical science and education has developed under the influence of modern trends in Geosciences. There are fifteen specialized departments on the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The structure of the Faculty of Geography comprises 3 main profiles: the Environmental Geography, Human Geography and Hydrometeorology. Research and education of the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University is fundamental and application-oriented in nature. To find solutions for society's present and future demands is the main task of the research and education which is trend to become research-oriented. Eight multidisciplinary primary research laboratories contribute to the research-oriented education. Modern global processes and terms such as sustainability, assessing risk and reducing disaster in environmental hazards, global and regional changes of environment and climate posed new perspectives in the geographical education. Integrative trends were in progress and that could be characterized by the following: - Development of new integrative branch of geography (so called "geoecology") as a response to increasing anthropogenic impact on environment; - Development of supplementary education (GIS, habitation ecology, landscape design etc); - Interdisciplinary features of such branches as environmental impact assessment and audit; - Scientific basis of sustainable development and nature management. Both with organizational issues (i.e. perfection of student practices, field studies and modernization of field stations; creation of training courses for foreign students; strengthening special training programmes in schools and development of distance learning) this integrative trends determine further development of the Geographical education in Russia. All of them greatly depend on the integration processes between Russia and Europe. Firm place of the Geography in the European Earth Sciences system provides both demand for the society and key role in future of science.

Emphasizing Spectrum Management for Sustainable Development Research and Applications in Disaster Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrose, Stephen; Habib, Shahid

2007-01-01

NASA's spaceborne Earth and Heliospheric Observatories and airborne sensors provide a plethora of measurements. These measurements are used in science research to understand the climatology of our home planet and the solar fluxes and cycle of the only star in our solar system 'Sun' which is critical driver for the retention of life on Earth. Specifically, these measurements help us to understand the water and energy cycle, the carbon cycle, weather and climate, atmospheric chemistry, solar variability, and solid Earth and interior to feed into sophisticated mathematical models to analyze and predict the Earth's behavior as an integrated system. The main thrust of this research is on improving the prediction capability in the areas of weather, long term climate and solid Earth processes, and further help the humanity and future generations in terms of societal benefits in managing natural disasters, sustainability issues and many more. This work is further linked with our contributions in the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) Specifically, the data and knowledge resulting from the Earth observing systems and analytical models of the Earth can be made available for assimilation into decision support systems to serve society for disaster management. Through partnerships with national and international agencies and organizations, NASA's Science Mission Directorate's, Applied Sciences Program contributes to benchmarking practical uses of observations and predictions from Earth science remote sensing systems research. The objective is to establish innovative solutions using Earth observations and science information to provide decision support that can be adapted in applications of national and international priority. We along with the international community will continue this critical field of investigation by using our existing and future sensors from space, airborne and insitue environment. In our quest to expanding our knowledge, there will be a need for deploying additional sensors to obtain high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution measurements. These sensors operate in multiple spectral band ranging from UV, visible, infrared, microwave and radio frequency ranges. Of a particular concern is the microwave frequency bands which play a key role in land, ocean, moisture sensing. This is because of a growing commercial demand in the area of high speed broadband communication all over the world, the electronic manufacturers are looking into high frequency microwave spectral bands. This may present a risk to the remote sensing sensors because of additional sources of noise that can impair the highly sensitive passive remote sensing instruments.

NASA's Earth Observing Data and Information System - Near-Term Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behnke, Jeanne; Mitchell, Andrew; Ramapriyan, Hampapuram

2018-01-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of the NASA Earth observation program since the 1990's. EOSDIS manages data covering a wide range of Earth science disciplines including cryosphere, land cover change, polar processes, field campaigns, ocean surface, digital elevation, atmosphere dynamics and composition, and inter-disciplinary research, and many others. One of the key components of EOSDIS is a set of twelve discipline-based Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) distributed across the United States. Managed by NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project at Goddard Space Flight Center, these DAACs serve over 3 million users globally. The ESDIS Project provides the infrastructure support for EOSDIS, which includes other components such as the Science Investigator-led Processing systems (SIPS), common metadata and metrics management systems, specialized network systems, standards management, and centralized support for use of commercial cloud capabilities. Given the long-term requirements, and the rapid pace of information technology and changing expectations of the user community, EOSDIS has evolved continually over the past three decades. However, many challenges remain. Challenges addressed in this paper include: growing volume and variety, achieving consistency across a diverse set of data producers, managing information about a large number of datasets, migration to a cloud computing environment, optimizing data discovery and access, incorporating user feedback from a diverse community, keeping metadata updated as data collections grow and age, and ensuring that all the content needed for understanding datasets by future users is identified and preserved.

A Tale of Two Hemispheres: Field Studies of Aerosols and Marine Stratocumulus Clouds (451st Brookhaven Lecture)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Yin-Nan

2009-05-13

By reflecting sunlight, clouds may be mitigating the warming effect of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. To discuss the roll that aerosol particles play in the cooling mechanism of clouds, Chemist Yin-Nan Lee of the Atmospheric Sciences Division of the Environmental Sciences Department will discuss “A Tale of Two Hemispheres: Field Studies of Aerosols and Marine Stratocumulus Clouds” during the 451st Brookhaven Lecture, beginning 4 p.m. on Wednesday 13 May in Berkner Hall. During his lecture, Dr. Lee will discuss his findings from collaborative studies of stratocumulus clouds over the coastal waters of California and Chile.

GEOScan: A GEOScience Facility From Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyrud, L. P.; Fentzke, J. T.; Anderson, B. J.; Bishop, R. L.; Bust, G. S.; Cahoy, K.; Erlandson, R. E.; Fish, C. S.; Gunter, B. C.; Hall, F. G.; Hilker, T.; Lorentz, S. R.; Mazur, J. E.; Murphy, S. D.; Mustard, J. F.; O'Brien, P. P.; Slagowski, S.; Trenberth, K. E.; Wiscombe, W. J.

2012-12-01

GEOScan is a proposed globally networked orbiting facility that will provide revolutionary, massively dense global geosciences observations. Major scientific research projects are typically conducted using two approaches: community facilities, or investigator led focused missions. GEOScan is a new concept in space science, blending the PI mission and community facility models: it is PI-led, but it carries sensors that are the result of a grass-roots competition, and, uniquely, it preserves open slots for sensors which are purposely not yet decided. The goal is threefold: first, to select sensors that maximize science value for the greatest number of scientific disciplines, second, to target science questions that cannot be answered without simultaneous global space-based measurements, and third to reap the cost advantages of scale manufacturing for space instrumentation. The relatively small size, mass, and power requirements of the GEOScan sensor suite would make it an ideal hosted payload aboard a global constellation of communication satellites, such as Iridium NEXT's 66-satellite constellation or as hosted small-sat payload. Each GEOScan sensor suite consists of 6 instruments: a Radiometer to measure Earth's total outgoing radiation; a GPS Compact Total Electron Content Sensor to image Earth's plasma environment and gravity field; a MicroCam Multispectral Imager to provide the first uniform, instantaneous image of Earth and measure global cloud cover, vegetation, land use, and bright aurora; a Radiation Belt Mapping System (dosimeter) to measure energetic electron and proton distributions; a Compact Earth Observing Spectrometer to measure aerosol-atmospheric composition and vegetation; and MEMS Accelerometers to deduce non-conservative forces aiding gravity and neutral drag studies. These instruments, employed in a constellation, can provide major breakthroughs in Earth and Geospace science, as well as offering a low-cost technology demonstration for operational weather, climate, and land-imaging.

Using Teleducation and Field Experiences to further the Understanding of Coastal Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, S. A.; Szuba, T. A.; Shugart, H.

2007-05-01

This project is an outreach and education program with a partner in the K-12 schools at Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It endeavors to build a community knowledgeable of the importance the ocean plays daily in our lives, and our own impact on the ocean. It is an program built in stages that: 1) Establish high speed live interactive classes (teleducation) linkages with the Eastern Shore High Schools with earth science teachers enabling them to remotely participate in University of Virginia classes in Oceanography (designed on a faculty development basis or acquire NSTA certification in Earth Science Education, as well as participation by seniors in the Accomack Schools; 2) Establish field experiences for teachers and selected students that involve travel to both the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research (VCR/LTER) Center, UVA to observe first- hand the science programs at those locations and participate in cutting edge coastal marine research efforts. These experiences improve student understanding of the ocean-atmosphere biogeophysical system and encourage students to explore the sciences as a field of study and possible vocation. Advanced high school students and science teachers from Accomack County Public Schools participated in an experience involving field and laboratory methods employed in a NSF-sponsored study of the coupled natural-human dynamics on the Eastern Shore of Virginia over the past 500 years (NSF-Biocomplexity). Students and teachers worked with researchers of the VCR facility in Oyster, VA, collected sediment cores from Chesapeake Bay tributaries, and traveled to the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at UVA, in Charlottesville, VA to prepare and analyze samples for isotopic and palynological information. In a first of its kind connectivity, in June/July, 2006, using high speed internet connections, a summer class in Oceanography was live, interactively broadcast (teleducation) from UVA to Arcadia High School on the Eastern Shore, allowing teachers in the Accomack School district to receive university credit without leaving their home classrooms 250 miles from UVA.

GeoBus: bringing experiential Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pike, C. J.; Robinson, R. A. J.; Roper, K. A.

2014-12-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Over 30,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by December 2014, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning in Scotland and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. Three potentially unsurprising observations hold true for all the schools that GeoBus visits: young learners like to experiment and use unfamiliar equipment to make measurements, the element of competition stimulates learners to ask questions and maintain focus and enthusiasum, and role playing is an effective way to get learners to participate in group projects and to communicate with each other. Examples of our workshops and experiential learning activities for a range of ages will be presented along with feedback from teachers and young learners.

Multi-Instrument Tools and Services to Access NASA Earth Science Data from the GSFC Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steve; Leptoukh, Greg; Lynnes, Chris

2010-01-01

The presentation purpose is to describe multi-instrument tools and services that facilitate access and usability of NASA Earth science data at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NASA's Earth observing system includes 14 satellites. Topics include EOSDIS facilities and system architecture, and overview of GSFC Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) mission, Mirador data search, Giovanni, multi-instrument data exploration, Google Earth[TM], data merging, and applications.

Near-Earth space hazards and their detection (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 27 March 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2013-08-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), titled "Near-Earth space hazards and their detection", was held on 27 March 2013 at the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS. The agenda posted on the website of the Physical Sciences Division, RAS, http://www.gpad.ac.ru, included the following reports: (1) Emel'yanenko V V, Shustov B M (Institute of Astronomy, RAS, Moscow) "The Chelyabinsk event and the asteroid-comet hazard"; (2) Chugai N N (Institute of Astronomy, RAS, Moscow) "A physical model of the Chelyabinsk event"; (3) Lipunov V M (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow) "MASTER global network of optical monitoring"; (4) Beskin G M (Special Astrophysical Observatory, RAS, Arkhyz, Karachai-Cirkassian Republic) "Wide-field optical monitoring systems with subsecond time resolution for the detection and study of cosmic threats". The expanded papers written on the base of oral reports 1 and 4 are given below. • The Chelyabinsk event and the asteroid-comet hazard, V V Emel'yanenko, B M Shustov Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 8, Pages 833-836 • Wide-field subsecond temporal resolution optical monitoring systems for the detection and study of cosmic hazards, G M Beskin, S V Karpov, V L Plokhotnichenko, S F Bondar, A V Perkov, E A Ivanov, E V Katkova, V V Sasyuk, A Shearer Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 8, Pages 836-842

Aerokats and Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bland, G.; Miles, T.; Nagchaudhuri, A.; Henry, A.; Coronado, P.; Smith, S.; Bydlowski, D.; Gaines, J.; Hartman, C.

2015-12-01

Two novel tools are being developed for team-based environmental and science observations suitable for use in Middle School through Undergraduate settings. Partnerships with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are critical for this work, and the concepts and practices are aimed at providing affordable and easy-to-field hardware to the classroom. The Advanced Earth Research Observation Kites and Atmospheric and Terrestrial Sensors (AEROKATS) system brings affordable and easy-to-field remote sensing and in-situ measurements within reach for local-scale Earth observations and data gathering. Using commercial kites, a wide variety of sensors, and a new NASA technology, AEROKATS offers a quick-to-learn method to gather airborne remote sensing and in-situ data for classroom analysis. The Remotely Operated Vehicle for Education and Research (ROVER) project introduces team building for mission operations and research, using modern technologies for exploring aquatic environments. ROVER projects use hobby-type radio control hardware and common in-water instrumentation, to highlight the numerous roles and responsibilities needed in real-world research missions, such as technology, operations, and science disciplines. NASA GSFC's partnerships have enabled the fielding of several AEROKATS and ROVER prototypes, and results suggest application of these methods is feasible and engaging.

From the Classroom to the Field: Intervention Training to Address Sexual Harassment in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin-Spiotta, E.; Barnes, R.; Berhe, A. A.; Hastings, M. G.; Mattheis, A.; Schneider, B.; Williams, B. M.

2017-12-01

Here I report on collaborative efforts by the Earth Science Women's Network, the Association for Women Geoscientists and the American Geophysical Union to empower the earth and space science community to stop and prevent sexual harassment (SH) as part of a new NSF ADVANCE Partnership award. We aim to develop strategies of bystander intervention and to enhance ethics training of current and future geoscientists. We focus on geoscientists because it is one of the least diverse of the STEM fields. Little data on how sexual harassment affects women with intersectional identities in the geosciences leads to a lack of awareness of the unique challenges faced by minority women and a lack of appropriate institutional response. The geosciences have an additional challenge: research and training at off-campus field sites where access to support networks and clear guidelines for conduct are weakened or absent. The outcomes of our project are: (1) Broader recognition of how SH affects different populations; (2) Development and dissemination of mechanisms for heads, chairs, faculty and future geoscientists to identify, prevent and stop harassment; and (3) Adoption of codes of conduct by geoscientists.

An Active Vision Approach to Understanding and Improving Visual Training in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronov, J.; Tarduno, J. A.; Jacobs, R. A.; Pelz, J. B.; Rosen, M. R.

2009-12-01

Experience in the field is a fundamental aspect of geologic training, and its effectiveness is largely unchallenged because of anecdotal evidence of its success among expert geologists. However, there have been only a few quantitative studies based on large data collection efforts to investigate how Earth Scientists learn in the field. In a recent collaboration between Earth scientists, Cognitive scientists and experts in Imaging science at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology, we are investigating such a study. Within Cognitive Science, one school of thought, referred to as the Active Vision approach, emphasizes that visual perception is an active process requiring us to move our eyes to acquire new information about our environment. The Active Vision approach indicates the perceptual skills which experts possess and which novices will need to acquire to achieve expert performance. We describe data collection efforts using portable eye-trackers to assess how novice and expert geologists acquire visual knowledge in the field. We also discuss our efforts to collect images for use in a semi-immersive classroom environment, useful for further testing of novices and experts using eye-tracking technologies.

Beyond Kepler: Direct Imaging of Exoplanets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belikov, Ruslan

2018-01-01

The exoplanets field has been revolutionizing astronomy over the past 20+ years and shows no signs of stopping. The next big wave of exoplanet science may come from direct imaging of exoplanets. Several (non-habitable) exoplanets have already been imaged from the ground and NASA is planning an instrument for its 2020s flagship mission (WFIRST) to directly image large exoplanets. One of the key goals of the field is the detection and characterization of "Earth 2.0", i.e. a rocky planet with an atmosphere capable of supporting life. This appears possible with several potential instruments in the late 2020s such as WFIRST with a starshade, Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) from the ground, or one of NASA possible flagship missions in the 2030s (HabEx or LUVOIR). Also, if an Earth-like planet exists around Alpha Centauri (A or B), it may be possible to directly image it in the next approx. 5 years with a small space mission such as the Alpha Centauri Exoplanet Satellite (ACESat). I will describe the current challenges and opportunities in this exciting field, as well as the work we are doing at the Exoplanet Technologies group to enable this exciting science.

Revolutionizing Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century: Report and Recommendations from a 50-State Analysis of Earth Science Education Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Martos; Barstow, Daniel

2007-01-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned TERC to complete a review of science education standards for all 50 states. The study analyzed K-12 Earth science standards to determine how well each state addresses key Earth-science content, concepts and skills. This report reveals that few states have thoroughly integrated…

76 FR 21073 - NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-14

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2010-10-26

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2012-05-09

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2012-09-20

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2013-08-22

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2013-03-26

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2011-08-10

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2010-07-19

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2012-02-28

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Towards a well-connected, global, interdisciplinary research community for rational decision making in the Anthropocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauser, Florian

2016-04-01

The Young Earth System Scientists community YESS (yess-community.org) is a global network of Earth System Science early career researchers focussing on interdisciplinarity. One of the central goals of our early career network is to communicate to the world that Earth System Science has accepted the central challenge of creating tangible products for the benefit of society. A coordinated and truly global approach to Earth System Science is our best attempt to focus our understanding of the complex interplay of Earth's processes into tools for future societies, i.e., for humanity to move away from being a sorcerer's apprentice and to become a rational actor. We believe that starting with the next generation of Earth system scientists to work on that unified approach and creating an environment that allows ambitious, forward-thinking, interdisciplinary science to blossom will be our best way forward into a mature Anthropocene. In 2015 YESS started a process to come up with a definition of the Frontiers of Earth System Science research from an early career perspective, together with the research arms of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). During this process it became apparent that there are a few major aspects that cannot be put into the forefront often enough: one, the reality of capacity building; societies can only have robust decision-making if their decision makers can be advised not only by global assessment processes like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) but also by local experts. The reality of a globalised science community is often only true for a few scientists at the very top from a selected number of countries. Two, the integration and balance of both user-driven and fundamental research is key to make science one pillar of a global, mature Anthropocene. This includes a better way to communicate science to end users and a more comprehensive homogenisation of weather and climate research agendas. Three, a complete overview of the scales of predictability and control of the Earth system has to be developed and maintained as a basis of societal decision making. Four, the interdisciplinary research that is required for better understanding the Anthropocene requires global research coordination across fields that is currently not necessarily reflected in standing research organisation structures. Five, the necessity of better integration of science into societal decision processes. The 2015 Conference of the Parties 21 in Paris has shown what is possible on a global, aggregated policy level - but the next years will have to show which societal actors can be thought of as rational and deliberate. This point addresses the issue that science alone is not the rational actor we need in the future, but can only advise those actors. In this session we want to outline those arguments with examples and discuss the influence of a global research funding structure that often reflects what we did in the past more, than what we want to do in the future. This discussion includes an example of the concept of science based target setting, a methodology developed to transfer scientific information into guidelines for companies.

Center for Space and Earth Science

Science.gov Websites

Search Site submit Los Alamos National LaboratoryCenter for Space and Earth Science Part of the Partnerships NSEC » CSES Center for Space and Earth Science High quality, cutting-edge science in the areas of astrophysics, space physics, solid planetary geoscience, and Earth systems Contact Director Reiner Friedel (505

Planning NGSS-Based Instruction: Where Do You Start?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colson, Mary; Colson, Russ

2016-01-01

Mary Colson is an eighth-grade Earth science teacher at Horizon Middle School, and Russ Colson is a professor of geology and Earth science education in the Department of Anthropology and Earth Science at Minnesota State University Moorhead, both in Moorhead, Minnesota. Since her first year in teaching eighth grade Earth science, in 1986,…

International Research Results and Accomplishments From the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruttley, Tara M.; Robinson, Julie A.; Tate-Brown, Judy; Perkins, Nekisha; Cohen, Luchino; Marcil, Isabelle; Heppener, Marc; Hatton, Jason; Tasaki, Kazuyuki; Umemura, Sayaka;

Petroleum Science and Technology Institute with the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, H. C.; Olson, J. E.; Bryant, S. L.; Lake, L. W.; Bommer, P.; Torres-Verdin, C.; Jablonowski, C.; Willis, M.

2009-12-01

The TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a professional development program for 8th- thru 12th-grade Earth Science teachers, presented a one-week Petroleum Science and Technology Institute at The University of Texas at Austin campus. The summer program was a joint effort between the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. The goal of the institute was to focus on the STEM components involved in the petroleum industry and to introduce teachers to the larger energy resources theme. The institute kicked off with a welcoming event and tour of a green, energy-efficient home (LEED Platinum certified) owned by one of the petroleum engineering faculty. Tours of the home included an introduction to rainwater harvesting, solar energy, sustainable building materials and other topics on energy efficiency. Classroom topics included drilling technology (including a simulator lab and an overview of the history of the technology), energy use and petroleum geology, well-logging technology and interpretation, reservoir engineering and volumetrics (including numerous labs combining chemistry and physics), risk assessment and economics, carbon capture and storage (CO2 sequestration technology) and hydraulic fracturing. A mid-week field trip included visiting the Ocean Star offshore platform in Galveston, the Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Science and Schlumberger (to view 3-D visualization technology) in Houston. Teachers remarked that they really appreciated the focused nature of the institute and especially found the increased use of mathematics both a tool for professional growth, as well as a challenge for them to use more math in their science classes. STEM integration was an important feature of the summer institute, and teachers found the integration of science (earth sciences, geophysics), technology, engineering (petroleum, chemical and reservoir) and mathematics particularly valuable. Pre-conception surveys and post-tests indicate a significant gain in these teachers' knowledge of petroleum science and technology. In particular, teachers noted that a large area of new knowledge was gained in the area of carbon capture and storage technology.

Communicating The Need For Earth Literacy Across The Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbstrith, K. G.

2015-12-01

California needs 11 trillion gallons of water to relieve the current drought, according to NASA, and there is 1.5 million tons of debris floating across the Pacific Ocean, a side effect of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. These are merely two examples of the types of massive, global issues that students in high school and college will face in the coming years and decades. With an eye towards preparing students to learn the necessary skills to solve these problems head on, The InTeGrate (Interdisciplinary Teaching about Earth for a Sustainable Future) project is developing a new breed of teaching materials that can be utilized in general education courses, teacher preparation courses, core courses within geoscience majors, and courses designed for other majors including environmental studies, social science, engineering, and other sciences. To interest faculty, educators, and students, we must communicate the need for Earth literacy not just to the general public, but also to other educators across disciplinary fields. To this end, the InTeGrate project is utilizing both macro and micro level communication strategies with key stakeholders, partnering organizations, targeted professional development, a variety of social media platforms, and educators across fields and institutional types. This combination allows us to capitalize on personal interactions while linking them into a communication network that can scale.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels completely extended.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels partially extended.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this video clip is an animated illustration of the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit.

Sally Ride EarthKAM: 15 Years of STEM Education and Outreach from Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finley, T.; Griffin, R.; Klug, T.; Harbour, S.; Au, B.; Graves, S. J.

2016-12-01

Sally Ride EarthKAM @ Space Camp is a digital camera payload on board the International Space Station (ISS) that allows students from around the globe to request photos of the Earth from space. Since its launch to the ISS in 2001, approximately 110,000 images have been requested by students from over 90 countries. EarthKAM provides the ultimate platform for STEM engagement in both formal and informal educational settings, as it is currently the only earth observation science payload on station completely controlled by students. Images are requested and accessed through a web portal and can be used by educators in a multitude of ways to promote interest in geosciences, math, physics, and numerous other fields. EarthKAM is currently operated out of the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama and is incorporated into many Space Camp programs. Space Camp hosts nearly 25,000 students and 500 educators each year, vastly improving EarthKAM exposure. Future concepts currently in development include the ability to collect new data products such as night-time and near-infrared imagery, additional science curricula in the form of focused lesson plans and image applications, and a redesigned graphical user interface for requesting photos. The EarthKAM project, a NASA educational outreach program, is currently managed by the US Space and Rocket Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

Three-dimensional presentation of the earth and planets in classrooms and science centers with a spherical screen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, A.; Tsugawa, T.; Odagi, Y.; Nishi, N.; Miyazaki, S.; Ichikawa, H.

2012-12-01

Educational programs have been developed for the earth and planetary science using a three-dimensional presentation system of the Earth and planets with a spherical screen. They have been used in classrooms of universities, high schools, elementary schools, and science centers. Two-dimensional map is a standard tool to present the data of the Earth and planets. However the distortion of the shape is inevitable especially for the map of wide areas. Three-dimensional presentation of the Earth, such as globes, is an only way to avoid this distortion. There are several projects to present the earth and planetary science results in three-dimension digitally, such as Science on a sphere (SOS) by NOAA, and Geo-cosmos by the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan. These projects are relatively large-scale in instruments and cost, and difficult to use in classrooms and small-scale science centers. Therefore we developed a portable, scalable and affordable system of the three-dimensional presentation of the Earth and planets, Dagik Earth. This system uses a spherical screen and a PC projector. Several educational programs have been developed using Dagik Earth under collaboration of the researchers of the earth and planetary science and science education, school teachers, and curators of science centers, and used in schools and museums in Japan, Taiwan and other countries. It helps learners to achieve the proper cognition of the shape and size of the phenomena on the Earth and planets. Current status and future development of the project will be introduced in the presentation.

Assessing Teachers' Comprehension of What Matters in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penuel, W. R.; Kreikemeier, P.; Venezky, D.; Blank, J. G.; Davatzes, A.; Davatzes, N.

2006-12-01

Curricular standards developed for individual U.S. States tell teachers what they should teach. Most sets of standards are too numerous to be taught in a single year, forcing teachers to make decisions about what to emphasize in their curriculum. Ideally, such decisions would be based on what matters most in Earth science, namely, the big ideas that anchor scientific inquiry in the field. A measure of teachers' ability to associate curriculum standards with fundamental concepts in Earth science would help K-12 program and curriculum developers to bridge gaps in teachers' knowledge in order to help teachers make better decisions about what is most important to teach and communicate big ideas to students. This paper presents preliminary results of an attempt to create and validate a measure of teachers' comprehension of what matters in three sub-disciplines of Earth science. This measure was created as part of an experimental study of teacher professional development in Earth science. It is a task that requires teachers to take their state's curriculum standards and identify which standards are necessary or supplemental to developing students' understanding of fundamental concepts in the target sub-disciplines. To develop the task, a team of assessment experts and educational researchers asked a panel of four Earth scientists to identify key concepts embedded within middle school standards for the state of Florida. The Earth science panel reached a consensus on which standards needed to be taught in order to develop understanding of those concepts; this was used as a basis for comparison with teacher responses. Preliminary analysis of the responses of 44 teachers who participated in a pilot validation study identified differences between teachers' and scientists' maps of standards to big ideas in the sub-disciplines. On average, teachers identified just under one-third of the connections seen by expert Earth scientists between the concepts and their state standards. Teachers with higher levels of agreement also had a higher percentage of standards identified that were "off-grade," meaning that they saw connections to standards that they were not themselves required to teach but that nonetheless were relevant to developing student understanding of a particular concept. This result is consistent with the premise that to make good decisions about what to teach, teachers need to be able to identify relevant standards from other grade levels that are connected to the big ideas of a discipline (Shulman, 1986, Educ. Res. 15:4-14).

Lessons from NASA Applied Sciences Program: Success Factors in Applying Earth Science in Decision Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, L. A.; Cox, L.

2008-12-01

The NASA Applied Sciences Program collaborates with organizations to discover and demonstrate applications of NASA Earth science research and technology to decision making. The desired outcome is for public and private organizations to use NASA Earth science products in innovative applications for sustained, operational uses to enhance their decisions. In addition, the program facilitates the end-user feedback to Earth science to improve products and demands for research. The Program thus serves as a bridge between Earth science research and technology and the applied organizations and end-users with management, policy, and business responsibilities. Since 2002, the Applied Sciences Program has sponsored over 115 applications-oriented projects to apply Earth observations and model products to decision making activities. Projects have spanned numerous topics - agriculture, air quality, water resources, disasters, public health, aviation, etc. The projects have involved government agencies, private companies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and foreign entities in multiple types of teaming arrangements. The paper will examine this set of applications projects and present specific examples of successful use of Earth science in decision making. The paper will discuss scientific, organizational, and management factors that contribute to or impede the integration of the Earth science research in policy and management. The paper will also present new methods the Applied Sciences Program plans to implement to improve linkages between science and end users.

Dynamics of a Global Zoonotic Research Network Over 33 Years (1980-2012).

PubMed

Hossain, Liaquat; Karimi, Faezeh; Wigand, Rolf T

2015-10-01

The increasing rate of outbreaks in humans of zoonotic diseases requires detailed examination of the education, research, and practice of animal health and its connection to human health. This study investigated the collaboration network of different fields engaged in conducting zoonotic research from a transdisciplinary perspective. Examination of the dynamics of this network for a 33-year period from 1980 to 2012 is presented through the development of a large scientometric database from Scopus. In our analyses we compared several properties of these networks, including density, clustering coefficient, giant component, and centrality measures over time. We also elicited patterns in different fields of study collaborating with various other fields for zoonotic research. We discovered that the strongest collaborations across disciplines are formed among the fields of medicine; biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology; immunology and microbiology; veterinary; agricultural and biological sciences; and social sciences. Furthermore, the affiliation network is growing overall in terms of collaborative research among different fields of study such that more than two-thirds of all possible collaboration links among disciplines have already been formed. Our findings indicate that zoonotic research scientists in different fields (human or animal health, social science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering) have been actively collaborating with each other over the past 11 years.

Research and technology, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Selected research and technology activities at Ames Research Center, including the Moffett Field site and the Dryden Flight Research Facility, are summarized. These accomplishments exemplify the Center's varied and highly productive research efforts for 1990. The activities addressed are under the directories of: (1) aerospace systems which contains aircraft technology, full-scale aerodynamics research, information sciences, aerospace human factors research, and flight systems and simulation research divisions; (2) Dryden flight research facility which contains research engineering division; (3) aerophysics which contains aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, and thermosciences divisions; and (4) space research which contains advanced life support, space projects, earth system science, life science, and space science divisions, and search for extraterrestrial intelligence and space life sciences payloads offices.

NASA Enterprise Architecture and Its Use in Transition of Research Results to Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frisbie, T. E.; Hall, C. M.

2006-12-01

Enterprise architecture describes the design of the components of an enterprise, their relationships and how they support the objectives of that enterprise. NASA Stennis Space Center leads several projects involving enterprise architecture tools used to gather information on research assets within NASA's Earth Science Division. In the near future, enterprise architecture tools will link and display the relevant requirements, parameters, observatories, models, decision systems, and benefit/impact information relationships and map to the Federal Enterprise Architecture Reference Models. Components configured within the enterprise architecture serving the NASA Applied Sciences Program include the Earth Science Components Knowledge Base, the Systems Components database, and the Earth Science Architecture Tool. The Earth Science Components Knowledge Base systematically catalogues NASA missions, sensors, models, data products, model products, and network partners appropriate for consideration in NASA Earth Science applications projects. The Systems Components database is a centralized information warehouse of NASA's Earth Science research assets and a critical first link in the implementation of enterprise architecture. The Earth Science Architecture Tool is used to analyze potential NASA candidate systems that may be beneficial to decision-making capabilities of other Federal agencies. Use of the current configuration of NASA enterprise architecture (the Earth Science Components Knowledge Base, the Systems Components database, and the Earth Science Architecture Tool) has far exceeded its original intent and has tremendous potential for the transition of research results to operational entities.

Interplanetary space science data base and access/display tool on the NSSDC heliospheric CD-ROM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papitashvili, N. E.; King, J. H.

1995-01-01

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has accumulated a rich archive of heliospheric, magnetospheric, and ionospheric data, as well as data from most other NASA-involved science disciplines. To facilitate access to and use of these data, NSSDC has begun to put selected data onto CD-ROM's. This paper describes one such CD-ROM, and the access and display software developed at NSSDC to support its use. The data on the CD-ROM consist primarily of hourly solar wind magnetic field and plasma data from many near-Earth spacecraft (OMNI) and deep space spacecraft (Voyagers, Pioneers, Helios, Pioneer Venus Orbiter). In addition, 5-minute resolution IMP-8 and ISEE-3 magnetic field and plasma data are also included. Data are stored in both ASCII and CDF formats.

Honors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-10-01

Sean C. Solomon, director of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, has been selected as one of 10 recipients of the National Medal of Science, the White House announced on 3 October. The medal is considered the highest U.S. honor for achievement and leadership in advancing the field of science. Solomon served as AGU president from 1996 to 1998 and currently is the principal investigator of NASA's MESSENGER mission to Mercury. He will receive the medal at a White House ceremony later this year.

Expanding the Role of an Earth Science Data System: The GHRC Innovations Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conover, H.; Ramachandran, R.; Smith, T.; Kulkarni, A.; Maskey, M.; He, M.; Keiser, K.; Graves, S. J.

2013-12-01

The Global Hydrology Resource Center is a NASA Earth Science Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), managed in partnership by the Earth Science Department at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Information Technology and Systems Center. Established in 1991, the GHRC processes, archives and distributes global lightning data from space, airborne and ground based observations from hurricane science field campaigns and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) ground validation experiments, and satellite passive microwave products. GHRC's close association with the University provides a path for technology infusion from the research center into the data center. The ITSC has a long history of designing and operating science data and information systems. In addition to the GHRC and related data management projects, the ITSC also conducts multidisciplinary research in many facets of information technology. The coupling of ITSC research with the operational GHRC Data Center has enabled the development of new technologies that directly impact the ability of researchers worldwide to apply Earth science data to their specific domains of interest. The GHRC Innovations Lab will provide a showcase for emerging geoinformatics technologies resulting from NASA-sponsored research at the ITSC. Research products to be deployed in the Innovations Lab include: * Data Albums - curated collections of information related to a specific science topic or event with links to relevant data files from different sources. * Data Prospecting - combines automated data mining techniques with user interaction to provide for quick exploration of large volumes of data. * Provenance Browser - provides for graphical exploration of data lineage and related contextual information. In the Innovations Lab, these technologies can be targeted to GHRC data sets, and tuned to address GHRC user interests. As technologies are tested and matured in the Innovations Lab, the most promising will be selected for incorporation into the GHRC's online tool suite.

Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten through 12th Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Energy Information Administration (DOE), Washington, DC.

This resource guide provides students, educators, and other information users with a list of generally available free or low-cost energy-related educational materials. The 163 organizations listed are each related to the subject fields of coal, electricity, energy efficiency/energy conservation, the environment, geosciences/earth sciences, natural…

Incorporating Earth Science into Other High School Science Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, C. L. B.; Holzer, M.; Colson, M.; Courtier, A. M. B.; Jacobs, B. E.

2016-12-01

As states begin to review their standards, some adopt or adapt the NGSS and others write their own, many basing these on the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Both the NGSS and the Frameworks have an increased emphasis on Earth Science but many high school teachers are being asked to teach these standards in traditional Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses. At the Earth Educators Rendezvous, teachers, scientists, and science education researchers worked together to find the interconnections between the sciences using the NGSS and identified ways to reference the role of Earth Sciences in the other sciences during lectures, activities and laboratory assignments. Weaving Earth and Space sciences into the other curricular areas, the teams developed relevant problems for students to solve by focusing on using current issues, media stories, and community issues. These and other lessons and units of study will be presented along with other resources used by teachers to ensure students are gaining exposure and a deeper understanding of Earth and Space Science concepts.

NASA Earth Science Update with Information Science Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halem, Milton

2000-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of NASA earth science updates with information science technology. Details are given on NASA/Earth Science Enterprise (ESE)/Goddard Space Flight Center strategic plans, ESE missions and flight programs, roles of information science, ESE goals related to the Minority University-Space Interdisciplinary Network, and future plans.

77 FR 70482 - Notice of Establishment of a NASA Federal Advisory Committee; Applied Sciences Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-26

... Analysis Group (ASAG) as a task group under the auspices of the Earth Science Subcommittee of the NASA... and prioritizing the Earth Science Division's Applied Sciences Program activities and has served as a... recommendations to the Director, Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, on...

Chandra Looks Back At The Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-12-01

In an unusual observation, a team of scientists has scanned the northern polar region of Earth with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The results show that the aurora borealis, or "northern lights," also dance in X-ray light, creating changing bright arcs of X-ray energy above the Earth's surface. While other satellite observations had previously detected high-energy X-rays from the Earth auroras, the latest Chandra observations reveal low-energy X-rays generated during auroral activity for the first time. The researchers, led by Dr. Ron Elsner of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., used Chandra to observe the Earth 10 times over a four-month period in 2004. The images were created from approximately 20-minute scans during which Chandra was aimed at a fixed point in the sky and the Earth's motion carried the auroral regions through Chandra's field of view. From the ground, the aurora are well known to change dramatically over time and this is the case in X-ray light as well. The X-rays in this sample of the Chandra observations, which have been superimposed on a simulated image of the Earth, are seen here at four different epochs. Illlustration of Earth's Magnetosphere and Auroras Illlustration of Earth's Magnetosphere and Auroras Auroras are produced by solar storms that eject clouds of energetic charged particles. These particles are deflected when they encounter the Earth�s magnetic field, but in the process large electric voltages are created. Electrons trapped in the Earth�s magnetic field are accelerated by these voltages and spiral along the magnetic field into the polar regions. There they collide with atoms high in the atmosphere and emit X-rays. Chandra has also observed dramatic auroral activity on Jupiter. Dr. Anil Bhardwaj of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Trivandrum, India, is the lead author on a paper describing these results in the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. Dr. Bhardwaj was a co-investigator on this project and worked with Dr. Elsner at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center while this research was conducted. The research team also includes Randy Gladstone (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas); Nikolai Østgaard (University of Bergen, Norway); Hunter Waite and Tariq Majeed (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor); Thomas Cravens (University of Kansas, Lawrence); Shen-Wu Chang (University of Alabama, Huntsville); and, Albert E. Metzger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, Mass. Additional information and images are available at: http://chandra.harvard.edu and http://chandra.nasa.gov For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

Perceived Barriers and Strategies to Effective Online Earth and Space Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pottinger, James E.

With the continual growth and demand of online courses, higher education institutions are attempting to meet the needs of today's learners by modifying and developing new student centered services and programs. As a result, faculty members are being forced into teaching online, including Earth and Space science faculty. Online Earth and Space science courses are different than typical online courses in that they need to incorporate an inquiry-based component to ensure students fully understand the course concepts and science principles in the Earth and Space sciences. Studies have addressed the barriers in other inquiry-based online science courses, including biology, physics, and chemistry. This holistic, multiple-case qualitative study investigated perceived barriers and strategies to effective online Earth and Space science instruction through in-depth interviews with six experienced post-secondary online science instructors. Data from this study was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach and revealed four common themes when teaching online Earth and Space science. A positive perception and philosophy of online teaching is essential, the instructor-student interaction is dynamic, course structure and design modification will occur, and online lab activities must make science operational and relevant. The findings in this study demonstrated that online Earth and Space science instructors need institutional support in the form of a strong faculty development program and support staff in order to be as effective as possible. From this study, instructors realize that the instructor-student relationship and course structure is paramount, especially when teaching online science with labs. A final understanding from this study was that online Earth and Space science lab activities must incorporate the use and application of scientific skills and knowledge. Recommendations for future research include (a) qualitative research conducted in specific areas within the Earth and Space sciences to determine if similar conclusions may be reached, (b) conduct a quantitative study looking at the available online technologies and their effectiveness in each area, and (c) utilize students that took online Earth and Space science classes and compare their perception of effectiveness to the instructor's perception of effectiveness in the online Earth and Space science classroom.

Spheres of Earth: An Introduction to Making Observations of Earth Using an Earth System's Science Approach. Student Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Paige Valderrama; Baker, Marshalyn (Editor); Graff, Trevor (Editor); Lindgren, Charlie (Editor); Mailhot, Michele (Editor); McCollum, Tim (Editor); Runco, Susan (Editor); Stefanov, William (Editor); Willis, Kim (Editor)

2010-01-01

Scientists from the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory (ISAL) at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) work with astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) who take images of Earth. Astronaut photographs, sometimes referred to as Crew Earth Observations, are taken using hand-held digital cameras onboard the ISS. These digital images allow scientists to study our Earth from the unique perspective of space. Astronauts have taken images of Earth since the 1960s. There is a database of over 900,000 astronaut photographs available at http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov . Images are requested by ISAL scientists at JSC and astronauts in space personally frame and acquire them from the Destiny Laboratory or other windows in the ISS. By having astronauts take images, they can specifically frame them according to a given request and need. For example, they can choose to use different lenses to vary the amount of area (field of view) an image will cover. Images can be taken at different times of the day which allows different lighting conditions to bring out or highlight certain features. The viewing angle at which an image is acquired can also be varied to show the same area from different perspectives. Pointing the camera straight down gives you a nadir shot. Pointing the camera at an angle to get a view across an area would be considered an oblique shot. Being able to change these variables makes astronaut photographs a unique and useful data set. Astronaut photographs are taken from the ISS from altitudes of 300 - 400 km (185 to 250 miles). One of the current cameras being used, the Nikon D3X digital camera, can take images using a 50, 100, 250, 400 or 800mm lens. These different lenses allow for a wider or narrower field of view. The higher the focal length (800mm for example) the narrower the field of view (less area will be covered). Higher focal lengths also show greater detail of the area on the surface being imaged. Scientists from the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory (ISAL) at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) work with astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) who take images of Earth. Astronaut photographs, sometimes referred to as Crew Earth Observations, are taken using hand-held digital cameras onboard the ISS. These digital images allow scientists to study our Earth from the unique perspective of space. Astronauts have taken images of Earth since the 1960s. There is a database of over 900,000 astronaut photographs available at http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov . Images are requested by ISAL scientists at JSC and astronauts in space personally frame and acquire them from the Destiny Laboratory or other windows in the ISS. By having astronauts take images, they can specifically frame them according to a given request and need. For example, they can choose to use different lenses to vary the amount of area (field of view) an image will cover. Images can be taken at different times of the day which allows different lighting conditions to bring out or highlight certain features. The viewing angle at which an image is acquired can also be varied to show the same area from different perspectives. Pointing the camera straight down gives you a nadir shot. Pointing the camera at an angle to get a view across an area would be considered an oblique shot. Being able to change these variables makes astronaut photographs a unique and useful data set. Astronaut photographs are taken from the ISS from altitudes of 300 - 400 km (approx.185 to 250 miles). One of the current cameras being used, the Nikon D3X digital camera, can take images using a 50, 100, 250, 400 or 800mm lens. These different lenses allow for a wider or narrower field of view. The higher the focal length (800mm for example) the narrower the field of view (less area will be covered). Higher focal lengths also show greater detail of the area on the surface being imaged. There are four major systems or spheres of Earth. They are: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphe, and Litho/Geosphere.

A Roadmap for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science for the Next Two Decades and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennicutt, M. C., II

2015-12-01

Abstract: Antarctic and Southern Ocean science is vital to understanding natural variability, the processes that govern global change and the role of humans in the Earth and climate system. The potential for new knowledge to be gained from future Antarctic science is substantial. Therefore, the international Antarctic community came together to 'scan the horizon' to identify the highest priority scientific questions that researchers should aspire to answer in the next two decades and beyond. Wide consultation was a fundamental principle for the development of a collective, international view of the most important future directions in Antarctic science. From the many possibilities, the horizon scan identified 80 key scientific questions through structured debate, discussion, revision and voting. Questions were clustered into seven topics: i) Antarctic atmosphere and global connections, ii) Southern Ocean and sea ice in a warming world, iii) ice sheet and sea level, iv) the dynamic Earth, v) life on the precipice, vi) near-Earth space and beyond, and vii) human presence in Antarctica. Answering the questions identified by the horizon scan will require innovative experimental designs, novel applications of technology, invention of next-generation field and laboratory approaches, and expanded observing systems and networks. Unbiased, non-contaminating procedures will be required to retrieve the requisite air, biota, sediment, rock, ice and water samples. Sustained year-round access to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean will be essential to increase winter-time measurements. Improved models are needed that represent Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the Earth System, and provide predictions at spatial and temporal resolutions useful for decision making. A co-ordinated portfolio of cross-disciplinary science, based on new models of international collaboration, will be essential as no scientist, programme or nation can realize these aspirations alone.

Stewardship of NASA's Earth Science Data and Ensuring Long-Term Active Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramapriyan, H.; Behnke, J.

2016-12-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been in operation since 1994. EOSDIS manages data from pre-EOS missions dating back to 1960s, EOS missions that started in 1997, and missions from the post-EOS era. Its data holdings come from many different sources - satellite and airborne instruments, in situ measures, field experiments, science investigations, etc. Since the beginning of the EOS Program, NASA has followed an open data policy, with non-discriminatory access to data with no period of exclusive access. NASA has well-established processes for assigning and/or accepting datasets into one of 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) that are parts of EOSDIS. EOSDIS has been evolving through several information technology cycles, adapting to hardware and software changes in the commercial sector. NASA is responsible for maintaining Earth science data as long as users are interested in using them for research and applications, which is well beyond the life of the data gathering missions. For science data to remain useful over long periods of time, steps must be taken to preserve: 1. Data bits with no corruption, 2. Discoverability and access, 3. Readability, 4. Understandability, 5. Usability and 6. Reproducibility of results. NASA's Earth Science data and Information System (ESDIS) Project, along with the 12 EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), has made significant progress in each of these areas over the last decade, and continues to evolve its active archive capabilities. Particular attention is being paid in recent years to ensure that the datasets are "published" in an easily accessible and citable manner through a unified metadata model, a common metadata repository (CMR), a coherent view through the earthdata.gov website, and assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) with well-designed landing/product information pages.

Teaching and Learning about the Earth. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyonyong

This ERIC Digest investigates the earth and space science guidelines of the National Science Education Standards. These guidelines are frequently referred to as the earth system and include components such as plate tectonics, the water cycle, and the carbon cycle. This Digest describes the development of earth systems science and earth systems…

The Electronic Encyclopedia of Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benthien, M.; Marquis, J.; Jordan, T.

2003-12-01

The Electronic Encyclopedia of Earthquakes is a collaborative project of the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), the Consortia of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) and the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). This digital library organizes earthquake information online as a partner with the NSF-funded National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Digital Library (NSDL) and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). When complete, information and resources for over 500 Earth science and engineering topics will be included, with connections to curricular materials useful for teaching Earth Science, engineering, physics and mathematics. Although conceived primarily as an educational resource, the Encyclopedia is also a valuable portal to anyone seeking up-to-date earthquake information and authoritative technical sources. "E3" is a unique collaboration among earthquake scientists and engineers to articulate and document a common knowledge base with a shared terminology and conceptual framework. It is a platform for cross-training scientists and engineers in these complementary fields and will provide a basis for sustained communication and resource-building between major education and outreach activities. For example, the E3 collaborating organizations have leadership roles in the two largest earthquake engineering and earth science projects ever sponsored by NSF: the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (CUREE) and the EarthScope Project (IRIS and SCEC). The E3 vocabulary and definitions are also being connected to a formal ontology under development by the SCEC/ITR project for knowledge management within the SCEC Collaboratory. The E3 development system is now fully operational, 165 entries are in the pipeline, and the development teams are capable of producing 20 new, fully reviewed encyclopedia entries each month. Over the next two years teams will complete 450 entries, which will populate the E3 collection to a level that fully spans earthquake science and engineering. Scientists, engineers, and educators who have suggestions for content to be included in the Encyclopedia can visit www.earthquake.info now to complete the "Suggest a Web Page" form.

Advances in the NASA Earth Science Division Applied Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, L.; Bonniksen, C. K.; Escobar, V. M.

2016-12-01

The NASA Earth Science Division's Applied Science Program advances the understanding of and ability to used remote sensing data in support of socio-economic needs. The integration of socio-economic considerations in to NASA Earth Science projects has advanced significantly. The large variety of acquisition methods used has required innovative implementation options. The integration of application themes and the implementation of application science activities in flight project is continuing to evolve. The creation of the recently released Earth Science Division, Directive on Project Applications Program and the addition of an application science requirement in the recent EVM-2 solicitation document NASA's current intent. Continuing improvement in the Earth Science Applications Science Program are expected in the areas of thematic integration, Project Applications Program tailoring for Class D missions and transfer of knowledge between scientists and projects.

NASA's Earth Science Data Systems - Lessons Learned and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.

2010-01-01

In order to meet the increasing demand for Earth Science data, NASA has significantly improved the Earth Science Data Systems over the last two decades. This improvement is reviewed in this slide presentation. Many Earth Science disciplines have been able to access the data that is held in the Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS) at the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) that forms the core of the data system.

Looking into the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussett, Alan E.; Aftab Khan, M.; Button, Illustrated By Sue

2000-12-01

Looking Into the Earth comprehensively describes the principles and applications of both `global' and `exploration' geophysics on all scales. It forms an introduction to geophysics suitable for those who do not necessarily intend to become professional geophysicists, including geologists, civil engineers, environmental scientists, and field archaeologists. The book is organised into two parts: Part 1 describes the geophysical methods, while Part 2 illustrates their use in a number of extended case histories. Mathematical and physical principles are introduced at an elementary level, and then developed as necessary. Student questions and exercises are included at the end of each chapter. The book is aimed primarily at introductory and intermediate university students taking courses in geology, earth science, environmental science, and engineering. It will also form an excellent introductory textbook in geophysics departments, and will help practising geologists, archaeologists and engineers understand what geophysics can offer their work. Accessible to students with little background in maths and physics Covers both global and applied geophysics Well illustrated and contains many student exercises and case studies Written by experienced teachers of geophysics