NASA scientists will present their findings, during
\nseveral press conferences, at the annual fall conference of
\nthe American Geophysical Union (AGU) Dec. 6-10, 2002. The
\nmeeting is one of the largest annual scientific conferences,
\nattracting thousands of scientists from a variety of
\ndisciplines. The conference is in the Moscone Center, 747
\nHoward Street, Room 112, San Francisco.<\/p>\n
\n
\nKey Conference Sessions <\/p>\n
\nThe topics of the press conferences and the four conference
\nsessions listed below are some of the most noteworthy of
\nhundreds of NASA-funded research findings being presented
\nduring individual sessions. All times are Pacific Standard
\nTime.<\/p>\n
\nMysteries of the Martian Rivers: A special session
\nhighlighting new research on Mars, Friday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m.
\nin Exhibit Hall C. Scientists from NASA and the University of
\nColorado say the bombardment of Mars by comets and asteroids
\ncaused cycles of rain. The rain cycles led to global
\nflooding, the formation of Mars’ river valleys and other
\nwater-sculpted features, more than 3.8 billion years ago.
\nNASA scientists will be available for interviews in the AGU
\npressroom immediately following the session, from 4 to 5 p.m.
\nFor more information, see:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/amesnews.arc.nasa.gov\/releases\/2002\/02_126AR.html<\/p>\n
\nLaser Technology Helps Measure Pollution From New York City
\nBuses: Atmospheric scientists used laser technology, while
\nriding in traffic behind New York City transit buses, to find
\nout how much and what type of pollution different types of
\nbuses emitted in their exhausts. The surprising findings may
\nhelp other cities determine what kinds of buses to purchase
\nfor their transit systems. The study found conventional
\ndiesel buses are comparatively fuel-efficient, but produce
\nnitrogen oxide pollutants that can contribute to
\nphotochemical smog, as well as large amounts of fine soot and
\nsulfate particles. The authors will present their poster,
\ntitled “Gas Phase Emission Ratios From In-Use Diesel and CNG
\nCurbside Passenger Buses in New York City,” on Friday, Dec.
\n6. For more information see: <\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.gsfc.nasa.gov\/topstory\/2002\/1206laser.html<\/p>\n
\nTracing the Sun-Earth Connection Into the Upper Atmosphere:
\nFor the first time, a solar storm has been monitored by more
\nthan 90 satellites, 790 ground-based radars, GPS receivers,
\nand recently launched satellites. For six days in April, the
\nEarth was subjected to a series of violent solar eruptions
\ncalled coronal mass ejections or CMEs. CMEs, sending matter
\nfrom the Sun toward the Earth at speeds of more than five
\nmillion miles per hour, create shock waves ahead of them. As
\nthese solar particles sweep into the Earth’s magnetosphere,
\nthey trigger auroral displays and disruptions in radio
\ncommunications. Following the solar events, dramatic changes
\nin the Earth’s atmosphere were observed by new satellite
\nsystems previously unavailable. This session, on Monday, Dec.
\n9, at 10 a.m., draws together scientists from many
\ndisciplines to explore this phenomenon. For more information
\nsee:
\nhttp:\/\/sec.gsfc.nasa.gov\/<\/p>\n
Press Conference Highlights<\/p>\n
\nFriday, Dec. 6, 12:15 p.m.
\nNASA Traces Asian Air Pollution Over The Pacific
\nScientists expect the current rapid industrialization of Asia
\nto be a major driver of global changes in the makeup of the
\natmosphere. NASA-funded researchers say the makeup of air
\noriginating in Asia largely confirms current estimates of
\nAsian emissions, except for unexpectedly large amounts of
\ncarbon monoxide and black carbon (soot) air pollution. The
\n2001 Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific
\nairborne field experiment provided an opportunity for
\nscientists to study the composition and chemical evolution of
\nair as it moves away from Asia and across the Pacific Ocean.
\nFor more information see:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www-gte.larc.nasa.gov<\/p>\n
\nSaturday, Dec. 7, 8 a.m.
\nBlowing in the Winds: New Applications for Scatterometer
\nResearch
\nThis press conference looks at the significant contributions
\nQuikScat data is making to global weather forecasting and
\nvarious Earth research investigations. Among the findings to
\nbe presented are some surprising effects that typhoons have
\non creation of new marine life and how scatterometer data is
\nbeing applied in new ways, such as regional flood detection
\nand monitoring the growing season in northern forests. See:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/missions\/current\/quikscat.html<\/p>\n
\nSaturday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m.
\nNew Insights Into Gravity from the GRACE Mission
\nThe first image released from the joint NASA-German Aerospace
\nCenter Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)
\ngraphically illustrates the sensitivity of the mission’s twin
\nspacecraft to changes in Earth’s gravity. Color gradations in
\nthe image measure changes in the distance between the GRACE
\nspacecraft as they orbit overhead approximately 220
\nkilometers (137 miles) apart. Such variations are caused as
\nthe spacecraft fly over Earth’s uneven gravity field, for
\nexample, when GRACE travels over mountain ranges or undersea
\ntrenches. Earth’s largest spatial features have been removed
\nfrom this image so such smaller features can be highlighted.
\nGRACE’s extremely sensitive microwave-ranging instrumentation
\nis capable of measuring variations at the micron, or
\nmillionth of a meter, level. For more information see:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.csr.utexas.edu\/grace<\/p>\n
\nSunday, Dec. 8, 2 p.m.
\nNASA’S Mars Odyssey Reveals More About Ice and Dust
\nUpdated information from NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft,
\nhighlighting water ice distribution on the planet and color
\nimages of the surface, are the most extensive and
\nilluminating of the mission so far. By mid-October, the
\nfrozen carbon dioxide that seasonally caps Mars’ North Pole
\nhad evaporated sufficiently to give Odyssey’s scientists
\ntheir first chance to look for ice in that region. For more
\ninformation see:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/mars.jpl.nasa.gov\/odyssey\/<\/p>\n
Monday, Dec. 9, 9 a.m.
\nInteriors of the Outer-Planet Satellites
\nThis is the latest in a seven-year-long string of surprises
\nfrom NASA’s Galileo spacecraft about the moons of Jupiter.
\nDr. John Anderson, an astronomer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion
\nLaboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will present findings about the
\ndensity of the small inner moon Amalthea, as determined from
\nGalileo’s close flyby of that moon in November. Density gives
\nimportant clues about the composition of a body. For more
\ninformation see:<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/galileo.jpl.nasa.gov\/<\/p>\n
\nMonday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m.
\nMars Exploration Rover: Returning to the Martian Surface
\nNASA’s twin Mars Exploration Rovers will head for the
\nmysterious Red Planet in just over one year. “The twin rovers
\nwill be able to travel the distance of several football
\nfields during their missions. They will carry sophisticated
\ninstruments that effectively make them robotic geologists,
\nacting as the eyes and hands of the science team on Earth,”
\nsaid Dr. Mark Adler, mission manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion
\nLaboratory. “We are busy building and testing the two rovers
\nand the spacecraft that will land them safely on Mars,” he
\nsaid. For more information see:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/mars.jpl.nasa.gov\/missions\/future\/2003.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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