- News>
- Space
NASA to find out water effect on climate
Viewed from space, some of the earth`s most pronounced features are the blue of the vast oceans, the white swirls of moisture-laden clouds and bright swaths of ice covering the poles. Much of what the planet is stems from its water, and NASA is about to launch a satellite to study the many ways that water affects the climate and how that relationship may be changing.
Scientists said the $952 million program, planned to last six years, should also help in understanding biological systems dependent upon water, like plankton in oceans and vegetation on land. In addition, they said, the data should help improve long-term weather and climate forecasting, and should help in understanding the workings of severe storms. For example, temperature changes on sea surfaces can signal widespread weather shifts like El Niqo.
“The Aqua satellite will tell us about water in all of its forms,” said Claire Parkinson, a sea ice expert and Aqua project scientist, who is in charge of the program. “This comprehensive approach enables scientists to study the interactions among key elements of the earth system so as to better understand our planet.”
Bureau Report