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. The Aqua satellite is a large spacecraft with sensors designed to follow the cycle of the earth’s water in its many forms to determine whether it is being affected by climate change. Six types of instruments aboard Aqua are to scan through the atmosphere down to the surface, gathering the most detailed data ever on water vapor in clouds, ice crystals in the air, evaporation, water in the oceans, icebergs and other sea ice, as well as glaciers and snow pack on land.

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