1 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:29,550 [Music] 2 00:01:34,569 --> 00:01:32,210 hello I'm Samson Rainey with NASA's 3 00:01:37,510 --> 00:01:34,579 earth science news team and welcome to 4 00:01:39,429 --> 00:01:37,520 hangar 703 and NASA's Armstrong Flight 5 00:01:40,419 --> 00:01:39,439 Research Center in sunny Palmdale 6 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:40,429 California 7 00:01:44,949 --> 00:01:42,530 you know in its time NASA has 8 00:01:46,510 --> 00:01:44,959 accomplished really big things such as 9 00:01:49,899 --> 00:01:46,520 sending humans to the moon 10 00:01:51,819 --> 00:01:49,909 putting Rovers on Mars and see looking 11 00:01:54,029 --> 00:01:51,829 out into the deep recesses of the 12 00:01:57,130 --> 00:01:54,039 universe well this is another big 13 00:01:59,020 --> 00:01:57,140 accomplishment that hits really close to 14 00:02:01,240 --> 00:01:59,030 home and that's NASA's fleet of Earth 15 00:02:03,550 --> 00:02:01,250 orbiting satellites for decades 16 00:02:05,979 --> 00:02:03,560 scientists have used these satellites as 17 00:02:08,889 --> 00:02:05,989 their eyes to observe how our planet is 18 00:02:13,050 --> 00:02:08,899 changing from weather and climate across 19 00:02:15,670 --> 00:02:13,060 the globe to fires or oceans forests 20 00:02:18,339 --> 00:02:15,680 agriculture even the air that we breathe 21 00:02:20,619 --> 00:02:18,349 but sometimes we need to take a closer 22 00:02:22,599 --> 00:02:20,629 look to get a better understanding of 23 00:02:24,610 --> 00:02:22,609 how our planets working and that is the 24 00:02:27,550 --> 00:02:24,620 purpose of NASA's earth science field 25 00:02:30,069 --> 00:02:27,560 campaigns under NASA support scientists 26 00:02:32,379 --> 00:02:30,079 get up close and personal with their 27 00:02:34,390 --> 00:02:32,389 subject matter making observations and 28 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:34,400 gathering measurements in order to 29 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:36,170 unlock new understanding of how our 30 00:02:40,539 --> 00:02:38,690 world works today we are giving you a 31 00:02:42,759 --> 00:02:40,549 taste of five new or airborne campaigns 32 00:02:45,580 --> 00:02:42,769 headed into the field this year with 33 00:02:47,830 --> 00:02:45,590 NASA aircraft in tow competitively 34 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:47,840 selected these multi-year funded 35 00:02:51,819 --> 00:02:49,760 campaigns called earth ventures 36 00:02:53,170 --> 00:02:51,829 suborbital missions were chosen for 37 00:02:54,729 --> 00:02:53,180 their potential to not only better 38 00:02:57,099 --> 00:02:54,739 understand the current state of our 39 00:02:59,349 --> 00:02:57,109 world but also to predict change and 40 00:03:00,970 --> 00:02:59,359 this year's class is all American that's 41 00:03:03,580 --> 00:03:00,980 right all the campaigns are based out of 42 00:03:05,289 --> 00:03:03,590 the continental United States so without 43 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:05,299 further ado let's preview those five 44 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:08,090 campaigns starting from the west coast 45 00:03:13,780 --> 00:03:11,450 out of NASA Ames in Silicon Valley the 46 00:03:16,509 --> 00:03:13,790 sub meso scale ocean dynamics experiment 47 00:03:18,550 --> 00:03:16,519 or s mode is deploying airplanes a ship 48 00:03:20,650 --> 00:03:18,560 and a fleet of autonomous platforms 200 49 00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:20,660 miles off the coast of San Francisco so 50 00:03:23,589 --> 00:03:22,190 study how swirling currents of water 51 00:03:25,150 --> 00:03:23,599 called eddies play a role in the 52 00:03:28,330 --> 00:03:25,160 exchange of heat between ocean and 53 00:03:30,159 --> 00:03:28,340 atmosphere from Salina Kansas dynamics 54 00:03:33,009 --> 00:03:30,169 and chemistry of the summer stratosphere 55 00:03:35,110 --> 00:03:33,019 or D cards will fly high with NASA's er2 56 00:03:36,819 --> 00:03:35,120 aircraft to investigate how strong 57 00:03:39,340 --> 00:03:36,829 summertime storms that punch into the 58 00:03:40,449 --> 00:03:39,350 stratosphere changes chemistry including 59 00:03:42,819 --> 00:03:40,459 ozone 60 00:03:45,190 --> 00:03:42,829 flying out of New Orleans and NASA's 61 00:03:47,349 --> 00:03:45,200 Johnson Space Center NASA aircraft will 62 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:47,359 join researchers on boat for the Delta X 63 00:03:51,369 --> 00:03:49,609 mission to observe the interactions 64 00:03:53,470 --> 00:03:51,379 between water and sediment in the 65 00:03:55,270 --> 00:03:53,480 Mississippi River Delta to get a better 66 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:55,280 handle on why some parts of the Delta 67 00:03:59,199 --> 00:03:57,650 are disappearing and others are not from 68 00:04:03,250 --> 00:03:59,209 Langley's Research Center in Hampton 69 00:04:05,140 --> 00:04:03,260 Virginia NASA aircraft with the aerosol 70 00:04:07,030 --> 00:04:05,150 cloud meteorology interactions over the 71 00:04:09,009 --> 00:04:07,040 western Atlantic experiment were 72 00:04:10,959 --> 00:04:09,019 activated while maneuver in and around 73 00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:10,969 clouds to identify how tiny particles 74 00:04:15,159 --> 00:04:13,040 called aerosols interact with them and 75 00:04:16,990 --> 00:04:15,169 influenced weathering climate and lastly 76 00:04:18,969 --> 00:04:17,000 as part of the investigation of micro 77 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:18,979 physics and precipitation for Atlantic 78 00:04:24,129 --> 00:04:21,530 coast threatening snow storms or impacts 79 00:04:25,719 --> 00:04:24,139 aircraft based out of Lance's Wallops 80 00:04:28,089 --> 00:04:25,729 Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern 81 00:04:30,460 --> 00:04:28,099 Shore will fly head-on into snow storms 82 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:30,470 to investigate how the most intense 83 00:04:34,779 --> 00:04:32,750 snowfall is formed in order to improve 84 00:04:39,879 --> 00:04:34,789 observations from space and ultimately 85 00:04:42,610 --> 00:04:39,889 improve weather forecasts and with 86 00:04:45,010 --> 00:04:42,620 winter upon us across much of the 87 00:04:46,830 --> 00:04:45,020 country we think that impacts is 88 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:46,840 probably the best place to start and 89 00:04:53,439 --> 00:04:49,970 welcoming on to the stage is Lynn 90 00:04:55,180 --> 00:04:53,449 McMurray who is the lead scientist for 91 00:04:56,439 --> 00:04:55,190 impact she's also an atmospheric 92 00:04:58,420 --> 00:04:56,449 scientist of the University of 93 00:05:01,390 --> 00:04:58,430 Washington thanks for joining us then 94 00:05:03,370 --> 00:05:01,400 it's great to be here so we're looking 95 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:03,380 at unraveling the mysteries of these 96 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:06,530 bands of snow in clouds could you tell 97 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:08,210 us a little bit more about that and how 98 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:10,130 you're going about it sure I'd be happy 99 00:05:15,850 --> 00:05:13,370 to so as you know snowstorms are fairly 100 00:05:17,790 --> 00:05:15,860 large and the cloud systems with them 101 00:05:20,110 --> 00:05:17,800 spanned hundreds and hundreds of miles 102 00:05:22,749 --> 00:05:20,120 but what's really interesting is the 103 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:22,759 snowfall within these large areas of 104 00:05:28,810 --> 00:05:25,370 clouds are not evenly distributed 105 00:05:31,570 --> 00:05:28,820 they are often organized in narrow bands 106 00:05:33,310 --> 00:05:31,580 of snow high snowfall amounts and this 107 00:05:36,249 --> 00:05:33,320 is what we're trying to investigate is 108 00:05:38,950 --> 00:05:36,259 the processes that contribute to this 109 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:38,960 banded structure and how it varies from 110 00:05:43,180 --> 00:05:41,090 Storm to storm some storms don't have 111 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:43,190 the bands and others do have a lot of 112 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:46,250 them and we are studying this on 113 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:49,310 multiple scales from the larger scale 114 00:05:53,410 --> 00:05:52,130 down to the micro physical scale the 115 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:53,420 scale of the snow 116 00:05:58,840 --> 00:05:56,330 Krystal's themselves and they very lots 117 00:06:01,660 --> 00:05:58,850 they vary in shape and size and amount 118 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:01,670 and the snow crystals are one of the key 119 00:06:07,030 --> 00:06:04,910 features that we are studying in in the 120 00:06:08,590 --> 00:06:07,040 impacts well and my understanding is 121 00:06:11,110 --> 00:06:08,600 you're the first champion up this year 122 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:11,120 so you're heading out next week I am 123 00:06:15,820 --> 00:06:13,730 heading out next week yes we are the 124 00:06:18,610 --> 00:06:15,830 first campaign to start actually in two 125 00:06:20,890 --> 00:06:18,620 days I leave for Wallops we are going to 126 00:06:24,910 --> 00:06:20,900 be flying an aircraft that you will be 127 00:06:26,620 --> 00:06:24,920 seeing later on today the ER - it's 128 00:06:29,140 --> 00:06:26,630 already equipped with all the 129 00:06:32,350 --> 00:06:29,150 instruments that I need for my campaign 130 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:32,360 the r2 is going to be flying high above 131 00:06:38,530 --> 00:06:35,450 the snowstorms themselves at altitude 132 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:38,540 about 68,000 feet or 20 kilometers 133 00:06:43,180 --> 00:06:40,970 it'll be equipped with remote sensing 134 00:06:45,460 --> 00:06:43,190 instruments that are the same as what we 135 00:06:48,310 --> 00:06:45,470 have on satellites both radars and 136 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:48,320 what's called radiometers and below that 137 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:51,050 in coordination with the ER - we will 138 00:06:56,740 --> 00:06:54,290 fly what's called the p3 aircraft and it 139 00:06:59,290 --> 00:06:56,750 gets lucky it gets to fly in the snow 140 00:07:01,000 --> 00:06:59,300 clouds themselves it kind of bumpy 141 00:07:03,580 --> 00:07:01,010 sometimes because it's very turbulent 142 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:03,590 but they have acquitted it's it's 143 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:05,770 equipped with instruments that measure 144 00:07:12,250 --> 00:07:09,770 the snow crystals that I talked about 145 00:07:14,830 --> 00:07:12,260 and also the environment in which the 146 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:14,840 snow crystals form so the environmental 147 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:17,930 conditions and we'll also do what's 148 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:20,570 called a dropsonde and measure the probe 149 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:25,250 temperature V and the wind so the point 150 00:07:28,690 --> 00:07:26,690 of the two aircraft again so that you 151 00:07:30,130 --> 00:07:28,700 need one that's going through the the 152 00:07:33,730 --> 00:07:30,140 snow bands and the other one will be 153 00:07:35,860 --> 00:07:33,740 above the snow right so we need the 154 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:35,870 coordination to help us to understand 155 00:07:43,210 --> 00:07:39,830 how one measures from space so the er-2 156 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:43,220 is simulating the satellite and so we 157 00:07:46,780 --> 00:07:44,810 take measurements just like a satellite 158 00:07:48,790 --> 00:07:46,790 would but then we measure inside the 159 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:48,800 snow bands themselves so we can relate 160 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:51,290 what's going on in the clouds to what is 161 00:07:55,900 --> 00:07:54,050 being seen above by the satellite cool 162 00:07:57,550 --> 00:07:55,910 well I think that anyone who's lived 163 00:08:00,640 --> 00:07:57,560 through a snowy winter can appreciate 164 00:08:03,190 --> 00:08:00,650 any effort to improve our snow forecast 165 00:08:04,750 --> 00:08:03,200 well I'll let you in your own words why 166 00:08:06,940 --> 00:08:04,760 is this such important it's so important 167 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:06,950 well I'm kind of on those be 168 00:08:10,750 --> 00:08:08,450 who would think snowstorms are beautiful 169 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:10,760 sand they are the snow is a beautiful 170 00:08:15,220 --> 00:08:13,130 thing to see and that sees trees covered 171 00:08:17,340 --> 00:08:15,230 with snow but we all know it's also 172 00:08:20,380 --> 00:08:17,350 hazardous especially hazardous for 173 00:08:22,140 --> 00:08:20,390 transportation and public safety so it's 174 00:08:24,610 --> 00:08:22,150 very important to be able to forecast 175 00:08:26,830 --> 00:08:24,620 the amounts of snowfall and that's 176 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:26,840 what's really variable in these storms 177 00:08:30,700 --> 00:08:28,730 we can't do that very well we need to 178 00:08:33,370 --> 00:08:30,710 improve that and then measurements we 179 00:08:35,620 --> 00:08:33,380 make and impacts will help us improve 180 00:08:37,990 --> 00:08:35,630 those forecasts it'll also help us 181 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:38,000 improve how we measure from space so 182 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:40,490 that we can monitor storms all around 183 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:42,050 the world especially places that don't 184 00:08:46,270 --> 00:08:44,570 have information and real quickly and so 185 00:08:47,740 --> 00:08:46,280 what's the motivating factor for you man 186 00:08:49,630 --> 00:08:47,750 you have your snow earrings if there's 187 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:49,640 snow socks you're a big fan of the 188 00:08:55,450 --> 00:08:52,370 weather I see I am totally a big fan of 189 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:55,460 Heather Ivan I've been watching the 190 00:08:59,770 --> 00:08:56,930 weather ever since I was really little I 191 00:09:02,380 --> 00:08:59,780 do a lot of activities and in order to 192 00:09:05,020 --> 00:09:02,390 know when and where to ride your bike or 193 00:09:07,390 --> 00:09:05,030 go hiking I need to do that and so it's 194 00:09:09,850 --> 00:09:07,400 really exciting scientists and be able 195 00:09:12,220 --> 00:09:09,860 to study these snow storms and learn the 196 00:09:13,870 --> 00:09:12,230 details of the inside the storms well 197 00:09:15,670 --> 00:09:13,880 thanks so much for joining us Lyn it's 198 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:15,680 been a pleasure to be here thank you so 199 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:17,510 much of course so we caught up with my 200 00:09:21,790 --> 00:09:20,330 colleague Chelsea BRT who actually went 201 00:09:23,380 --> 00:09:21,800 to visit your teammates there as they 202 00:09:25,690 --> 00:09:23,390 prep for this flight happening next week 203 00:09:27,220 --> 00:09:25,700 and she's gonna show us what it's like 204 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:27,230 to find one of these NASA science 205 00:09:33,550 --> 00:09:32,450 aircraft Chelsea thanks Sampson we're 206 00:09:36,130 --> 00:09:33,560 here at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility 207 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:36,140 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia home to 208 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:37,970 the p3 beef the aircraft that you see 209 00:09:42,070 --> 00:09:40,250 here behind me this research aircraft as 210 00:09:43,780 --> 00:09:42,080 well as NASA's er2 are gonna be 211 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:43,790 collecting data from the skies as early 212 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:45,770 as next week let's go meet up with 213 00:09:49,660 --> 00:09:47,510 deputy principal investigator for the 214 00:09:50,980 --> 00:09:49,670 impacts mission dr. John York's who's 215 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:50,990 going to tell us a little bit more about 216 00:09:58,420 --> 00:09:56,210 the instruments onboard let's go okay so 217 00:09:59,770 --> 00:09:58,430 we're here inside the p3 aircraft 218 00:10:02,110 --> 00:09:59,780 I'm here with dr. John York's how you 219 00:10:04,330 --> 00:10:02,120 doing today good hi Lynn and everyone at 220 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:04,340 NASA Armstrong so this research aircraft 221 00:10:07,660 --> 00:10:06,050 is totally outfitted with a bunch of 222 00:10:10,990 --> 00:10:07,670 scientific gear what do we have onboard 223 00:10:13,090 --> 00:10:11,000 today so impacts uses cloud probes on 224 00:10:15,970 --> 00:10:13,100 the wings of the p3 and these cloud 225 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:15,980 probes take high-resolution images of 226 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:18,770 ice and snow particles and we then use 227 00:10:21,910 --> 00:10:20,390 those images to determine the size 228 00:10:24,730 --> 00:10:21,920 shape and other properties of the 229 00:10:28,030 --> 00:10:24,740 particles that data is then transmitted 230 00:10:30,670 --> 00:10:28,040 inside the airplane to computers where 231 00:10:33,819 --> 00:10:30,680 scientists sit and monitor the data and 232 00:10:37,509 --> 00:10:33,829 the instruments another important 233 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:37,519 instrument if we follow us is the drop 234 00:10:44,710 --> 00:10:40,550 song now the drop sound is a 12 inch 235 00:10:47,199 --> 00:10:44,720 tube kind of similar to the tube in a 236 00:10:50,079 --> 00:10:47,209 paper towel roll and it has sensors 237 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:50,089 inside and a small parachute at the top 238 00:10:55,900 --> 00:10:52,670 and we have an instrument back here if 239 00:10:58,569 --> 00:10:55,910 you follow us that actually acts a lot 240 00:11:01,420 --> 00:10:58,579 like a t-shirt cannon and we'll shoot 241 00:11:04,660 --> 00:11:01,430 these drops ons out into the atmosphere 242 00:11:06,699 --> 00:11:04,670 where they fall through the sky about 25 243 00:11:10,660 --> 00:11:06,709 miles an hour and measure temperature 244 00:11:13,180 --> 00:11:10,670 humidity and wind speed and all this 245 00:11:16,569 --> 00:11:13,190 data is important for determining the 246 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:16,579 structure of snow bands so it seems to 247 00:11:20,110 --> 00:11:17,930 me like snowstorms are pretty difficult 248 00:11:21,970 --> 00:11:20,120 to predict how will this data from the 249 00:11:23,860 --> 00:11:21,980 impacts measure and help us understand 250 00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:23,870 them more so we're gonna combine the 251 00:11:29,230 --> 00:11:27,110 data from both the er-2 and the p3 and 252 00:11:33,970 --> 00:11:29,240 when we combine all that data we'll be 253 00:11:36,990 --> 00:11:33,980 able to improve the measurements from 254 00:11:40,449 --> 00:11:37,000 space of precipitation and also the 255 00:11:43,329 --> 00:11:40,459 model predictions of snowfall very cool 256 00:11:45,370 --> 00:11:43,339 thank you so it seems like our science 257 00:11:47,319 --> 00:11:45,380 teams are ready our instrument teams are 258 00:11:49,150 --> 00:11:47,329 ready there's one more person we have to 259 00:11:51,790 --> 00:11:49,160 talk to before we get this mission off 260 00:11:53,439 --> 00:11:51,800 the ground and that is our NASA pilot so 261 00:11:55,150 --> 00:11:53,449 joining us here today is an SAP eyelet 262 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:55,160 John Baker ah John thanks for being with 263 00:11:59,199 --> 00:11:57,410 us so what is it going to be like flying 264 00:12:00,670 --> 00:11:59,209 through these snowstorms well it 265 00:12:01,509 --> 00:12:00,680 shouldn't be too different than driving 266 00:12:03,819 --> 00:12:01,519 through a snowstorm 267 00:12:06,460 --> 00:12:03,829 now generally pilots like to avoid 268 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:06,470 things like turbulence convective 269 00:12:09,939 --> 00:12:08,570 activity in icing and the winter storm 270 00:12:11,889 --> 00:12:09,949 is we won't have the convective activity 271 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:11,899 typically see in the summer storm so we 272 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:13,250 don't usually have to worry about the 273 00:12:17,319 --> 00:12:14,930 lightning and hail like we would in the 274 00:12:18,730 --> 00:12:17,329 summer but there will be turbulence 275 00:12:21,130 --> 00:12:18,740 there will be winds and there will be 276 00:12:22,449 --> 00:12:21,140 icing conditions the good news is the p3 277 00:12:25,329 --> 00:12:22,459 aircraft that will be flying is very 278 00:12:27,790 --> 00:12:25,339 very robust any icing and de-icing 279 00:12:30,010 --> 00:12:27,800 systems our engines our wings and our 280 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:30,020 empanadas will be protected so we should 281 00:12:33,060 --> 00:12:31,910 be pretty good in most cases it just 282 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:33,070 keep an eye out and 283 00:12:37,710 --> 00:12:35,130 make sure we stay out of the worst areas 284 00:12:39,569 --> 00:12:37,720 so it seems like flying conditions while 285 00:12:41,430 --> 00:12:39,579 difficult may be okay for the pilots 286 00:12:43,860 --> 00:12:41,440 what about the passengers on board how 287 00:12:45,210 --> 00:12:43,870 will it feel taking this flight compared 288 00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:45,220 to a commercial flight that folks at 289 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:46,510 home may have taken during the holidays 290 00:12:49,829 --> 00:12:48,310 it shouldn't be too different there 291 00:12:51,420 --> 00:12:49,839 might be some areas that were asked to 292 00:12:53,189 --> 00:12:51,430 fly in that are a little more turbulent 293 00:12:55,050 --> 00:12:53,199 than they would experience in a regular 294 00:12:56,699 --> 00:12:55,060 flight but overall it should be in 295 00:12:58,019 --> 00:12:56,709 pretty good shape just a good seat belt 296 00:12:59,430 --> 00:12:58,029 and not walking around when they 297 00:13:03,030 --> 00:12:59,440 shouldn't be in they should be okay 298 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:03,040 sounds good so I have to ask I'm curious 299 00:13:08,430 --> 00:13:06,310 this is the coolest job in the world how 300 00:13:11,189 --> 00:13:08,440 does one become a NASA pilot it is a 301 00:13:12,750 --> 00:13:11,199 pretty cool job in general most people 302 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:12,760 get their backgrounds from the military 303 00:13:16,019 --> 00:13:14,290 and that's because we fly a lot of 304 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:16,029 different aircrafts here here Wallops 305 00:13:20,639 --> 00:13:18,970 and some of the other centers and and we 306 00:13:22,590 --> 00:13:20,649 flying conditions that most people avoid 307 00:13:24,030 --> 00:13:22,600 so they're looking for people that have 308 00:13:26,819 --> 00:13:24,040 a lot of experience and can kind of 309 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:26,829 handle a wide range of flight conditions 310 00:13:30,540 --> 00:13:28,510 and you're usually going to find that in 311 00:13:32,430 --> 00:13:30,550 the military great well thank you for 312 00:13:34,199 --> 00:13:32,440 joining us here today from all of us 313 00:13:36,389 --> 00:13:34,209 here at Wallops happy flying and best of 314 00:13:40,230 --> 00:13:36,399 luck during your mission Sampson back to 315 00:13:41,490 --> 00:13:40,240 you great thanks so much Chelsea so 316 00:13:43,439 --> 00:13:41,500 we're moving on from East Coast 317 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:43,449 snowstorms to intense 318 00:13:47,879 --> 00:13:45,370 summertime storms that breach the 319 00:13:50,460 --> 00:13:47,889 stratosphere in the Midwest joining us 320 00:13:53,370 --> 00:13:50,470 right now is Ken Bowman atmospheric 321 00:13:55,860 --> 00:13:53,380 scientists at Texas A&M who's also lead 322 00:13:57,509 --> 00:13:55,870 scientists for D cots or dynamics and 323 00:13:59,910 --> 00:13:57,519 chemistry of the summer stratosphere 324 00:14:01,949 --> 00:13:59,920 can't thanks so much for joining us good 325 00:14:03,090 --> 00:14:01,959 morning Sampson it's great to be here so 326 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:03,100 I think it's interesting that most 327 00:14:06,780 --> 00:14:04,569 people find it surprising that while 328 00:14:08,850 --> 00:14:06,790 most of our weather actually happens in 329 00:14:10,650 --> 00:14:08,860 the troposphere every now and then with 330 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:10,660 these really strong storms that kind of 331 00:14:14,370 --> 00:14:13,060 reach the stratosphere and we're not 332 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:14,380 quite sure what's going on there do you 333 00:14:20,220 --> 00:14:16,930 want to talk about the background on 334 00:14:22,410 --> 00:14:20,230 that and I plan on investigating sure so 335 00:14:24,090 --> 00:14:22,420 as you said most of the Earth's weather 336 00:14:25,379 --> 00:14:24,100 happens in the lowest layer in the 337 00:14:28,410 --> 00:14:25,389 atmosphere which is called the 338 00:14:31,259 --> 00:14:28,420 troposphere and above that is the 339 00:14:34,079 --> 00:14:31,269 stratosphere which is very stable and 340 00:14:37,170 --> 00:14:34,089 very dry and it also contains the 341 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:37,180 Earth's ozone layer which protects the 342 00:14:40,770 --> 00:14:39,970 earth from dangerous solar radiation 343 00:14:43,530 --> 00:14:40,780 from the Sun 344 00:14:46,470 --> 00:14:43,540 but some storms are actually intense 345 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:46,480 enough that they overshoot the the top 346 00:14:51,690 --> 00:14:48,250 of the troposphere into the lower 347 00:14:54,930 --> 00:14:51,700 stratosphere and they carry water and 348 00:14:58,740 --> 00:14:54,940 pollutants and particles and things into 349 00:15:00,750 --> 00:14:58,750 the into the stratosphere so I'm 350 00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:00,760 guessing you need specialized aircraft 351 00:15:05,940 --> 00:15:03,760 to get that high of regen yes so just 352 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:05,950 like impacts we're going to be using the 353 00:15:11,850 --> 00:15:08,770 NASA a are too high altitude research 354 00:15:13,740 --> 00:15:11,860 aircraft it's it's really a unique 355 00:15:15,470 --> 00:15:13,750 platform for making the kind of 356 00:15:18,270 --> 00:15:15,480 measurements that we need to do and 357 00:15:20,990 --> 00:15:18,280 unlike impacts which is using remote 358 00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:21,000 sensing instruments for our project 359 00:15:26,220 --> 00:15:24,400 we'll the er-2 will be carrying 12 360 00:15:29,910 --> 00:15:26,230 different instruments to measure 361 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:29,920 atmospheric gases and particles and 362 00:15:36,420 --> 00:15:33,910 meteorological parameters and our the 363 00:15:39,030 --> 00:15:36,430 plan of the project is to fly the 364 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:39,040 aircraft through the outflow from these 365 00:15:45,150 --> 00:15:42,010 storms in the lower stratosphere the big 366 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:45,160 question is why why is this a pressing 367 00:15:50,370 --> 00:15:48,850 science question so the stratosphere is 368 00:15:52,770 --> 00:15:50,380 actually quite important for the Earth's 369 00:15:55,910 --> 00:15:52,780 climate and of course it contains the 370 00:15:57,900 --> 00:15:55,920 ozone layer which is vulnerable to 371 00:16:00,120 --> 00:15:57,910 students when they get up into the 372 00:16:03,030 --> 00:16:00,130 stratosphere so we're going to be 373 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:03,040 studying the summertime stratosphere 374 00:16:08,850 --> 00:16:04,690 there are a lot of things we don't know 375 00:16:10,860 --> 00:16:08,860 about the the composition and the 376 00:16:13,950 --> 00:16:10,870 radiation and the dynamics of the lower 377 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:13,960 stratosphere and the main goal is to 378 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:16,170 make sure we understand how the 379 00:16:22,350 --> 00:16:19,510 stratosphere works now so that as the 380 00:16:24,450 --> 00:16:22,360 climate changes and the composition of 381 00:16:27,329 --> 00:16:24,460 the atmosphere continues to change we'll 382 00:16:29,460 --> 00:16:27,339 be able to predict and better understand 383 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:29,470 how the stratosphere might change in the 384 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:32,890 future and so basically I know that a 385 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:35,170 lot of campaigns scientists have some 386 00:16:39,870 --> 00:16:36,970 sort of idea of what we expect to find 387 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:39,880 is this a case where it's a real 388 00:16:43,290 --> 00:16:41,530 discovery mission you're not sure 389 00:16:45,030 --> 00:16:43,300 exactly what's gonna happen you're just 390 00:16:47,070 --> 00:16:45,040 this is very novel results coming 391 00:16:49,230 --> 00:16:47,080 forward yeah this is the first mission 392 00:16:50,820 --> 00:16:49,240 that's really been designed specifically 393 00:16:53,130 --> 00:16:50,830 to look at these overshooting 394 00:16:53,580 --> 00:16:53,140 thunderstorms and what they put into the 395 00:16:56,580 --> 00:16:53,590 lower 396 00:16:59,070 --> 00:16:56,590 stratosphere so we've seen glimpses of 397 00:17:00,570 --> 00:16:59,080 this on previous missions that happen to 398 00:17:03,570 --> 00:17:00,580 fly through the outflow from these 399 00:17:06,210 --> 00:17:03,580 storms but we expect to be targeting 400 00:17:09,510 --> 00:17:06,220 these on almost a daily basis as they 401 00:17:11,550 --> 00:17:09,520 they happen over the central us well so 402 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:11,560 Ken what you personally to this size and 403 00:17:14,340 --> 00:17:12,610 you could have picked anywhere in the 404 00:17:17,610 --> 00:17:14,350 atoms for the study but your focus on 405 00:17:19,260 --> 00:17:17,620 this area why is that so we're doing a 406 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:19,270 lot of different things indeed cots 407 00:17:24,420 --> 00:17:21,850 ranging from chemistry to aerosol 408 00:17:27,330 --> 00:17:24,430 physics to small scale dynamics to 409 00:17:29,430 --> 00:17:27,340 global scale dynamics but my personal 410 00:17:32,940 --> 00:17:29,440 interest in the project is really an 411 00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:32,950 atmospheric transport and mixing and so 412 00:17:37,530 --> 00:17:35,710 if you've ever stirred cream into a 413 00:17:39,510 --> 00:17:37,540 coffee cup and you've looked at the the 414 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:39,520 beautiful patterns that you get as it 415 00:17:43,890 --> 00:17:42,250 mixes into the coffee the same thing 416 00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:43,900 actually happens in the atmosphere but 417 00:17:48,300 --> 00:17:45,910 at scales that are a million times 418 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:48,310 larger so these storms inject material 419 00:17:52,380 --> 00:17:50,410 and and I'm really interested in how 420 00:17:54,420 --> 00:17:52,390 that gets mixed and distributed all the 421 00:17:56,340 --> 00:17:54,430 way around the globe cool well that 422 00:17:58,680 --> 00:17:56,350 sounds very interesting as well well 423 00:18:01,140 --> 00:17:58,690 thank you so much Ken sure thanks I'm 424 00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:01,150 pretty lucky today because joining us in 425 00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:04,150 the hangar is one of her NASA pilots 426 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:07,270 Dean Gucci Neely who's going to give us 427 00:18:11,340 --> 00:18:09,370 some insights into what it's like to fly 428 00:18:14,930 --> 00:18:11,350 in that rarefied space on the year or 429 00:18:16,980 --> 00:18:14,940 two Dean take it away good morning 430 00:18:18,900 --> 00:18:16,990 thanks everybody for coming out today 431 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:18,910 and as you just heard from a few of the 432 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:21,310 principal investigators and the science 433 00:18:26,610 --> 00:18:23,050 teams on some of the campaign's that we 434 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:26,620 have coming up at NASA the aircraft you 435 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:29,050 see behind me is the er-2 and that 436 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:31,510 becomes the instrument of choice as far 437 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:33,490 as a platform they can Terry carry a 438 00:18:37,290 --> 00:18:35,530 large package of instruments from 439 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:37,300 multiple teams that want to look down 440 00:18:43,260 --> 00:18:40,090 through the atmosphere from the top down 441 00:18:44,460 --> 00:18:43,270 it's still the highest man air-breathing 442 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:44,470 aircraft in the world 443 00:18:48,930 --> 00:18:46,570 there's five of us at NASA that fly this 444 00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:48,940 aircraft behind me and what we're going 445 00:18:54,210 --> 00:18:51,550 to do to support this is take this up in 446 00:18:56,070 --> 00:18:54,220 a single-seat cockpit wearing this 447 00:18:58,380 --> 00:18:56,080 uniform as you see which I'll explain a 448 00:19:00,750 --> 00:18:58,390 little bit more why in a minute but the 449 00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:00,760 idea is that we can take the package of 450 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:02,230 instruments that are actually installed 451 00:19:06,790 --> 00:19:04,330 on the aircraft behind me up above 452 00:19:08,650 --> 00:19:06,800 nearly all of yours atmosphere 453 00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:08,660 and look all the way down through it 454 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:10,310 studying what you just heard about with 455 00:19:14,140 --> 00:19:12,410 the D cuts and impact science campaigns 456 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:14,150 that we'll be looking forward to 457 00:19:19,810 --> 00:19:16,130 executing this in the coming months this 458 00:19:22,390 --> 00:19:19,820 year in that environment this is a 459 00:19:25,630 --> 00:19:22,400 inherently unstable aircraft small 460 00:19:27,250 --> 00:19:25,640 cockpit but we fly up so high that 461 00:19:29,290 --> 00:19:27,260 there's not enough pressure in the air 462 00:19:32,410 --> 00:19:29,300 to keep all the liquids in our body 463 00:19:35,620 --> 00:19:32,420 together if we lose cabin pressurization 464 00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:35,630 then all the liquids would boil so hence 465 00:19:40,150 --> 00:19:37,820 the pilot has to wear this full pressure 466 00:19:41,620 --> 00:19:40,160 suit so wearing a space suit up in that 467 00:19:44,530 --> 00:19:41,630 environment has its own set of 468 00:19:46,870 --> 00:19:44,540 challenges as well but it's actually why 469 00:19:48,970 --> 00:19:46,880 the NASA pilots enjoy it because we love 470 00:19:51,340 --> 00:19:48,980 a challenge we love to learn we love to 471 00:19:53,260 --> 00:19:51,350 explore a few of the things about the 472 00:19:55,990 --> 00:19:53,270 spacesuit itself that I'm wearing right 473 00:19:59,740 --> 00:19:56,000 now I'm dressed as if I'm ready to climb 474 00:20:02,950 --> 00:19:59,750 right into the aircraft the as we start 475 00:20:04,900 --> 00:20:02,960 to suit up into this the first things 476 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:04,910 that the a pilot will notice typically 477 00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:07,010 is that you start to lose all of it they 478 00:20:11,020 --> 00:20:08,870 take all your senses away so you lose 479 00:20:13,570 --> 00:20:11,030 the sense of feel you can't really feel 480 00:20:15,670 --> 00:20:13,580 anything with the big gloves on here 481 00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:15,680 as soon as I close this faceplate in a 482 00:20:20,620 --> 00:20:17,510 minute then I'm completely pressurized 483 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:20,630 inside I can't I have limited visibility 484 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:22,610 I can't smell anything I can't hear 485 00:20:26,860 --> 00:20:24,770 anybody around me talking and that 486 00:20:28,540 --> 00:20:26,870 becomes a challenge for some people but 487 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:28,550 we're well trained and experienced in 488 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:31,250 this and to the NASA pilots we 489 00:20:35,740 --> 00:20:32,930 absolutely love it this is just like 490 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:35,750 another set of pajamas to me and so what 491 00:20:39,730 --> 00:20:37,130 I'll show you in a minute is what this 492 00:20:42,070 --> 00:20:39,740 looks like as we inflate the suit apply 493 00:20:44,020 --> 00:20:42,080 the pressure into it which keeps 494 00:20:47,130 --> 00:20:44,030 everything in my body together in a high 495 00:20:50,380 --> 00:20:47,140 altitude low pressure environment and 496 00:20:52,630 --> 00:20:50,390 that's the challenge that we have trying 497 00:20:54,940 --> 00:20:52,640 to be in this environment be pumped up 498 00:20:57,070 --> 00:20:54,950 in a spacesuit and flying an unstable 499 00:20:58,750 --> 00:20:57,080 aircraft at the same time where we've 500 00:21:01,060 --> 00:20:58,760 got to put these science instruments 501 00:21:03,670 --> 00:21:01,070 right over the point where the science 502 00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:03,680 teams really want to study what's going 503 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:06,110 on in the Earth's atmosphere and how it 504 00:21:11,140 --> 00:21:09,170 behaves so it's a fascinating science 505 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:11,150 project that we're into here it's an 506 00:21:15,430 --> 00:21:12,650 amazing environment to be in 507 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:15,440 up that high altitude there's nothing 508 00:21:19,740 --> 00:21:17,570 like getting up there where you can look 509 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:19,750 out over the distance and see the curve 510 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:21,970 to the earth and that dark purple to 511 00:21:25,980 --> 00:21:23,890 black sky up there that we don't see 512 00:21:29,630 --> 00:21:25,990 down here on the ground because we have 513 00:21:31,860 --> 00:21:29,640 moisture that's filtering that but 514 00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:31,870 that's an adventure and it's an amazing 515 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:33,910 privilege and we're looking forward to 516 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:35,410 supporting these science campaigns 517 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:36,970 studying the Earth's atmosphere and its 518 00:21:40,980 --> 00:21:39,730 behavior this year now what I'll show 519 00:21:43,650 --> 00:21:40,990 you now I'm going to seal up the 520 00:21:45,780 --> 00:21:43,660 faceplate and we'll turn the oxygen on 521 00:21:47,820 --> 00:21:45,790 and I'll show you what this looks like 522 00:21:56,570 --> 00:21:47,830 pressurized and then I'll hand it back 523 00:22:03,360 --> 00:21:58,800 okay just like sitting down in the 524 00:22:04,890 --> 00:22:03,370 cockpit we'll inflate the suit and then 525 00:22:23,220 --> 00:22:04,900 I've got to fight against the suit to 526 00:22:28,570 --> 00:22:26,410 okay as this inflates my mobility 527 00:22:30,670 --> 00:22:28,580 becomes very limited here and I have to 528 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:30,680 fight against it so look down at 529 00:22:36,010 --> 00:22:33,170 different parts of the cockpit I've got 530 00:22:38,050 --> 00:22:36,020 to pull the faceplate around so this is 531 00:22:39,910 --> 00:22:38,060 the challenge I described but we love it 532 00:22:41,530 --> 00:22:39,920 it's a great environment to be in and 533 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:41,540 it's an awesome privilege to be involved 534 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:43,690 in this study of the Earth's atmosphere 535 00:22:50,740 --> 00:22:48,530 Sampson back to you well that's quite 536 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:50,750 the demo Dean don't get too comfortable 537 00:22:56,710 --> 00:22:54,410 over there so we are headed from the top 538 00:22:59,590 --> 00:22:56,720 of the atmosphere back down to the ocean 539 00:23:02,140 --> 00:22:59,600 because with me now is Tom Farrar 540 00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:02,150 physical oceanographer with Woods Hole 541 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:04,760 Oceanographic Institution and also lead 542 00:23:09,780 --> 00:23:06,650 scientists for some meso scale ocean 543 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:09,790 dynamics experiment or s mode I don't 544 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:11,450 high Simpson 545 00:23:15,250 --> 00:23:13,370 so swirling currents in the ocean called 546 00:23:16,990 --> 00:23:15,260 Eddie's and their role in heat transport 547 00:23:18,690 --> 00:23:17,000 can tell us a little bit more about that 548 00:23:22,390 --> 00:23:18,700 and how you're planning on studying it 549 00:23:24,550 --> 00:23:22,400 yes well the the world's oceans are 550 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:24,560 about a thousand times wider than they 551 00:23:29,310 --> 00:23:27,110 are deep and so if you were to zoom out 552 00:23:32,470 --> 00:23:29,320 and look at the earth from outer space 553 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:32,480 the oceans are like a thin sheet of 554 00:23:37,470 --> 00:23:35,090 water covering the earth almost like a 555 00:23:41,260 --> 00:23:37,480 sheet of paper draped over the earth and 556 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:41,270 because of this the flow in the oceans 557 00:23:47,590 --> 00:23:43,970 is primarily horizontal at the largest 558 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:47,600 scales but the oceans are turbulent and 559 00:23:54,910 --> 00:23:50,570 they're full of Eddie's at all possible 560 00:23:58,330 --> 00:23:54,920 scales from the largest scale the scale 561 00:24:00,280 --> 00:23:58,340 of the ocean gyres down to Eddie's just 562 00:24:03,820 --> 00:24:00,290 that would fit on the tip of your finger 563 00:24:06,550 --> 00:24:03,830 and something interesting happens as we 564 00:24:09,580 --> 00:24:06,560 move from those largest scales down 565 00:24:12,010 --> 00:24:09,590 towards smaller scales when the width of 566 00:24:13,870 --> 00:24:12,020 the Eddie's is similar to the depth of 567 00:24:17,770 --> 00:24:13,880 the Eddie's you can have significant 568 00:24:19,630 --> 00:24:17,780 vertical motions and this can be 569 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:19,640 important for the transport of things 570 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:22,370 like heat and nutrients and we think 571 00:24:26,260 --> 00:24:24,170 this is important too 572 00:24:29,580 --> 00:24:26,270 heat exchange between the ocean and 573 00:24:31,770 --> 00:24:29,590 atmosphere and to life in the ocean 574 00:24:33,420 --> 00:24:31,780 so from what I gather when you head out 575 00:24:35,610 --> 00:24:33,430 there in April this is gonna be a huge 576 00:24:38,070 --> 00:24:35,620 production do you want to describe some 577 00:24:40,710 --> 00:24:38,080 of the moving parts involved yes there 578 00:24:43,980 --> 00:24:40,720 is a lot going on in s mode we'll have 579 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:43,990 three different aircraft making 580 00:24:49,340 --> 00:24:47,170 measurements from different altitudes we 581 00:24:54,270 --> 00:24:49,350 need to measure a lot of things like the 582 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:54,280 ocean currents ocean chlorophyll ocean 583 00:24:59,580 --> 00:24:57,730 temperature and heat exchange between 584 00:25:02,880 --> 00:24:59,590 the ocean and atmosphere so we'll have 585 00:25:06,540 --> 00:25:02,890 three aircraft at NASA Gulfstream 586 00:25:10,290 --> 00:25:06,550 aircraft at high altitudes at NASA King 587 00:25:13,070 --> 00:25:10,300 Air b200 at intermediate altitudes and a 588 00:25:19,020 --> 00:25:13,080 Twin Otter aircraft at low altitudes and 589 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:19,030 we'll also have a research vessel an 590 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:21,010 oceanographic research vessel and a 591 00:25:26,820 --> 00:25:24,850 bunch of robotic ocean vehicles so a lot 592 00:25:29,490 --> 00:25:26,830 of effort going on here what's the big 593 00:25:32,670 --> 00:25:29,500 path why is such a big effort to put 594 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:32,680 this experiment into action well the 595 00:25:40,860 --> 00:25:35,650 oceans can hold a huge amount of heat if 596 00:25:44,130 --> 00:25:40,870 you took just the upper meter of of the 597 00:25:47,610 --> 00:25:44,140 oceans and cooled that one meter of 598 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:47,620 water by one degree and put that heat in 599 00:25:52,890 --> 00:25:50,050 the atmosphere it would be enough heat 600 00:25:54,570 --> 00:25:52,900 to heat the whole planetary atmosphere 601 00:25:57,690 --> 00:25:54,580 by one degree 602 00:26:01,050 --> 00:25:57,700 so that heat transport to and away from 603 00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:01,060 the ocean surface is really important 604 00:26:05,970 --> 00:26:03,310 well in terms of the climate impact I 605 00:26:07,190 --> 00:26:05,980 can see that yes it'll help us move 606 00:26:10,260 --> 00:26:07,200 forward with those kind of modeling 607 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:10,270 great so yeah on a personal note why why 608 00:26:15,390 --> 00:26:12,370 interested in physical oceanography we 609 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:15,400 know people that study you know dolphins 610 00:26:19,290 --> 00:26:17,650 fishes what interests you know about the 611 00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:19,300 actual physical properties of the ocean 612 00:26:27,570 --> 00:26:24,370 well I've always enjoyed learning how 613 00:26:30,300 --> 00:26:27,580 things work and I studied physics in 614 00:26:32,550 --> 00:26:30,310 college and that was when I learned that 615 00:26:33,650 --> 00:26:32,560 there was such a thing as ocean physics 616 00:26:41,730 --> 00:26:33,660 and 617 00:26:44,580 --> 00:26:41,740 gotten to go on ocean voyages all over 618 00:26:46,799 --> 00:26:44,590 the world and to work with people from 619 00:26:49,169 --> 00:26:46,809 all over the world so it's it's been 620 00:26:49,770 --> 00:26:49,179 really a great career wow sounds like a 621 00:26:52,770 --> 00:26:49,780 lot of fun 622 00:26:55,049 --> 00:26:52,780 yeah so we can't actually go to the 623 00:26:56,610 --> 00:26:55,059 ocean right now and see those 624 00:26:58,220 --> 00:26:56,620 instruments in action but we can do the 625 00:27:01,289 --> 00:26:58,230 next best thing because our colleague 626 00:27:03,990 --> 00:27:01,299 your s mode colleague Laurent brer 627 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:04,000 brought a wave glider autonomous 628 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:06,610 platform into the hangar so do you wanna 629 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:08,290 go check it out right now yeah let's do 630 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:13,570 awesome so the wave glider is gonna be 631 00:27:22,890 --> 00:27:17,370 on the RV Oceanus right well here we go 632 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:22,900 yes the research vessel Oceanus will go 633 00:27:27,450 --> 00:27:25,450 from newport oregon to the region 634 00:27:29,669 --> 00:27:27,460 offshore of san francisco and it will 635 00:27:31,919 --> 00:27:29,679 take about two days for the ship to get 636 00:27:34,230 --> 00:27:31,929 there Wow and his Laurent who's actually 637 00:27:37,110 --> 00:27:34,240 gonna be in the RV Oh Shi anis am i 638 00:27:39,630 --> 00:27:37,120 correct we're in awesome and so you are 639 00:27:40,950 --> 00:27:39,640 kind of manning these wave gliders right 640 00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:40,960 so there's several of them and you'll be 641 00:27:45,870 --> 00:27:43,510 kind of they'll be under your care yeah 642 00:27:50,430 --> 00:27:45,880 so we'll be dragging them around trying 643 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:50,440 to keep them together and making 644 00:27:53,940 --> 00:27:52,330 measurement at the same time so yeah it 645 00:27:55,860 --> 00:27:53,950 looks like a very large surfboard 646 00:27:57,870 --> 00:27:55,870 without a lot of complex parts and I 647 00:27:59,250 --> 00:27:57,880 imagine it cruising on the surface of 648 00:28:00,780 --> 00:27:59,260 the Pacific Ocean do you want to point 649 00:28:03,030 --> 00:28:00,790 out some of the measurements is making 650 00:28:06,150 --> 00:28:03,040 yeah sure so we're gonna make 651 00:28:09,810 --> 00:28:06,160 measurement both in the air and in the 652 00:28:11,820 --> 00:28:09,820 water so for example this sensor is a 653 00:28:15,210 --> 00:28:11,830 weather station so it's gonna measure 654 00:28:18,570 --> 00:28:15,220 the wind speed wind direction hair 655 00:28:23,970 --> 00:28:18,580 temperature humidity atmospheric 656 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:23,980 pressure rain another cool instrument is 657 00:28:31,289 --> 00:28:27,010 this really sonic animator which gonna 658 00:28:35,250 --> 00:28:31,299 measure the fine structure of the of the 659 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:35,260 air flow above the waves in the air we 660 00:28:42,419 --> 00:28:39,010 also have a bunch of GPS which give us a 661 00:28:43,590 --> 00:28:42,429 position of the wave glider but also its 662 00:28:46,169 --> 00:28:43,600 motion and 663 00:28:48,330 --> 00:28:46,179 it's motion we are able to retrieve the 664 00:28:50,909 --> 00:28:48,340 main characteristic of the wave fields 665 00:28:54,060 --> 00:28:50,919 such as the wave height also carry out 666 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:54,070 of the waves and then we have an instant 667 00:29:00,539 --> 00:28:57,130 ball of instrument and then is the in 668 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:00,549 the water so this instrument allows us 669 00:29:06,659 --> 00:29:03,610 to measure the temperature the salinity 670 00:29:09,810 --> 00:29:06,669 of the water from the surface down to 671 00:29:12,570 --> 00:29:09,820 above hundred and fifty meter and along 672 00:29:15,180 --> 00:29:12,580 that we also have a current profiler 673 00:29:17,970 --> 00:29:15,190 which measures the current speed and 674 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:17,980 direction pretty much from the surface 675 00:29:23,820 --> 00:29:20,710 down to about and red meters wow that's 676 00:29:25,350 --> 00:29:23,830 a lot of capability for one platform I'm 677 00:29:27,570 --> 00:29:25,360 so I'm looking at the top and it almost 678 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:27,580 looks like solar panels I'm just picking 679 00:29:33,270 --> 00:29:29,650 the question of how this thing moves and 680 00:29:35,130 --> 00:29:33,280 I see fins I see other yes so that's one 681 00:29:39,060 --> 00:29:35,140 of the cool thing about the wave ladder 682 00:29:43,770 --> 00:29:39,070 is just use power of the energy of the 683 00:29:45,539 --> 00:29:43,780 wave as a mean of proportion so and the 684 00:29:47,490 --> 00:29:45,549 solar panel are just to charge the 685 00:29:50,820 --> 00:29:47,500 battery that we used to power the 686 00:29:54,210 --> 00:29:50,830 instrument and control and communicate 687 00:29:56,399 --> 00:29:54,220 communication unit and so to give you 688 00:29:59,310 --> 00:29:56,409 the principle of operation is really 689 00:30:04,049 --> 00:29:59,320 simple the flat here stays at the 690 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:04,059 surface and sub at the bottom equipped 691 00:30:10,850 --> 00:30:06,730 with this fin stays about eight meter 692 00:30:14,159 --> 00:30:10,860 deep and most of them moves up and down 693 00:30:18,419 --> 00:30:14,169 under the action of the waves and with 694 00:30:21,659 --> 00:30:18,429 the L of these fins this vertical motion 695 00:30:25,049 --> 00:30:21,669 is converted into horizontal motion 696 00:30:27,180 --> 00:30:25,059 leading to the proportion and so this is 697 00:30:28,799 --> 00:30:27,190 controlled by remote control back from 698 00:30:31,010 --> 00:30:28,809 the ship yes exactly 699 00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:31,020 by satellite communication so we know 700 00:30:36,690 --> 00:30:34,240 its position it studies and the cool 701 00:30:40,710 --> 00:30:36,700 thing about it is that we do some 702 00:30:44,279 --> 00:30:40,720 real-time processing of our sensors and 703 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:44,289 we send them back to shore every 15 704 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:46,330 minutes and update so we know the 705 00:30:52,580 --> 00:30:48,330 conditions they are facing and we can 706 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:52,590 just operation of Faria and also our 707 00:30:57,769 --> 00:30:56,370 trajectory based on those conditions 708 00:31:01,070 --> 00:30:57,779 wow that's pretty high-tech that's 709 00:31:03,259 --> 00:31:01,080 incredible Tom this is just one of many 710 00:31:04,970 --> 00:31:03,269 instruments that are gonna be in use on 711 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:04,980 this campaign in the ocean what is the 712 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:07,250 special niche about this wave glider 713 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:11,610 well the wave gliders and really the 714 00:31:17,659 --> 00:31:14,130 other robotic platforms that we'll have 715 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:17,669 in the ocean will be giving us a view of 716 00:31:22,879 --> 00:31:20,850 the 3d structure of the ocean and we're 717 00:31:25,549 --> 00:31:22,889 especially interested in the flow of 718 00:31:28,549 --> 00:31:25,559 water so these will give us a 3d view of 719 00:31:30,919 --> 00:31:28,559 that water and how the eddies are 720 00:31:33,230 --> 00:31:30,929 swirling and the currents are coming 721 00:31:34,850 --> 00:31:33,240 together leading to vertical motion in 722 00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:34,860 the ocean cool well that is very 723 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:36,630 interesting and we're working in 724 00:31:40,610 --> 00:31:38,250 combination with the aircraft to get 725 00:31:44,450 --> 00:31:40,620 measurements above below so it's a very 726 00:31:46,310 --> 00:31:44,460 4d look at what's going on in these 727 00:31:48,379 --> 00:31:46,320 Eddie's that's right the aircraft will 728 00:31:50,539 --> 00:31:48,389 give us a great spacial picture but 729 00:31:53,389 --> 00:31:50,549 they're seeing just the surface of the 730 00:31:55,009 --> 00:31:53,399 ocean awesome thanks so much Tom well 731 00:31:56,750 --> 00:31:55,019 good luck with the wave gliders and good 732 00:31:59,480 --> 00:31:56,760 luck with being on that ship Thank You 733 00:32:02,450 --> 00:31:59,490 Laurent and Tom good luck with the 734 00:32:04,370 --> 00:32:02,460 entire campaign thank you alright so 735 00:32:06,769 --> 00:32:04,380 next we're moving on with my colleague 736 00:32:09,230 --> 00:32:06,779 Joe Atkinson he's actually at Langley 737 00:32:11,149 --> 00:32:09,240 and he's talking with some of the team 738 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:11,159 members for our next field campaign 739 00:32:14,930 --> 00:32:12,510 we're going to talk about is called the 740 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:14,940 activate mission it's the aerosol cloud 741 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:17,130 meteorology interactions over the 742 00:32:23,299 --> 00:32:21,210 western Atlantic take it away Joe hi I'm 743 00:32:25,070 --> 00:32:23,309 Joe Atkinson and I am at the hangar here 744 00:32:27,529 --> 00:32:25,080 at NASA's Langley Research Center in 745 00:32:29,570 --> 00:32:27,539 Hampton Virginia this historic facility 746 00:32:30,830 --> 00:32:29,580 where Gemini and Apollo astronauts 747 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:30,840 trained to do rendezvous docking 748 00:32:35,330 --> 00:32:33,450 maneuvers and where we keep our fleet of 749 00:32:37,610 --> 00:32:35,340 research aircraft will be home base for 750 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:37,620 activate scientists and crew when they 751 00:32:41,330 --> 00:32:39,330 begin conducting research flights out 752 00:32:43,970 --> 00:32:41,340 over the nearby and super conveniently 753 00:32:46,879 --> 00:32:43,980 located Atlantic Ocean just next month 754 00:32:49,039 --> 00:32:46,889 I'm joined today by Luke Ziemba he is 755 00:32:52,039 --> 00:32:49,049 the instrument scientist here at Langley 756 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:52,049 for activate behind us you can see the 757 00:32:55,820 --> 00:32:54,210 Falcon and King air aircraft that they 758 00:32:58,430 --> 00:32:55,830 will be using when I look back at the 759 00:33:00,049 --> 00:32:58,440 Falcon it has all these crazy probes and 760 00:33:01,850 --> 00:33:00,059 sciency looking things sticking out of 761 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:01,860 the top of it what are we looking at 762 00:33:04,730 --> 00:33:02,190 what 763 00:33:06,110 --> 00:33:04,740 things do so for activate we're making 764 00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:06,120 lots of different measurements so we 765 00:33:09,289 --> 00:33:07,470 need lots of different probes and 766 00:33:10,940 --> 00:33:09,299 instruments in the aircraft if we look 767 00:33:12,889 --> 00:33:10,950 at the crown of the aircraft you can see 768 00:33:15,259 --> 00:33:12,899 four inlets on the left side as you're 769 00:33:17,450 --> 00:33:15,269 looking at the aircraft is a gas Inlet 770 00:33:20,060 --> 00:33:17,460 that we use to bring in air and measure 771 00:33:22,129 --> 00:33:20,070 the concentrations of Co co2 and methane 772 00:33:24,379 --> 00:33:22,139 in the atmosphere next over is an 773 00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:24,389 aerosol Inlet that we measure the 774 00:33:27,860 --> 00:33:25,710 properties of particles in the 775 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:27,870 atmosphere so the optical chemical and 776 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:29,850 micro physical properties of aerosols 777 00:33:34,789 --> 00:33:32,250 next over is what we call a CVI or 778 00:33:36,860 --> 00:33:34,799 counter flow virtual impactor and that 779 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:36,870 rejects those aerosol particles and we 780 00:33:40,340 --> 00:33:38,610 only look at droplets that enter the 781 00:33:42,019 --> 00:33:40,350 probe and then we we evaporate those 782 00:33:44,090 --> 00:33:42,029 droplets and look at their composition 783 00:33:46,369 --> 00:33:44,100 and then lastly we have a cloud water 784 00:33:48,919 --> 00:33:46,379 collector and that collects droplets 785 00:33:50,539 --> 00:33:48,929 inside the clouds brings them into the 786 00:33:52,759 --> 00:33:50,549 aircraft through tubes and then we 787 00:33:54,619 --> 00:33:52,769 collect water samples in vials that we 788 00:33:55,369 --> 00:33:54,629 take back to the laboratory and look at 789 00:33:57,740 --> 00:33:55,379 post-mission 790 00:33:59,720 --> 00:33:57,750 we have some instruments on the wings 791 00:34:01,669 --> 00:33:59,730 here as well can you tell us what those 792 00:34:03,950 --> 00:34:01,679 do the wing probes measure the cloud 793 00:34:05,509 --> 00:34:03,960 properties on the right wing we have 794 00:34:07,909 --> 00:34:05,519 what we call a cloud aerosol 795 00:34:10,129 --> 00:34:07,919 precipitation spectrometer or caps and 796 00:34:12,409 --> 00:34:10,139 that measures the size of the droplets 797 00:34:14,210 --> 00:34:12,419 and the number concentration of them on 798 00:34:16,579 --> 00:34:14,220 the left wing is a similar probe that's 799 00:34:18,169 --> 00:34:16,589 operated by DLR and that probe measures 800 00:34:19,909 --> 00:34:18,179 the number concentration and size of 801 00:34:23,149 --> 00:34:19,919 droplets but over a different range of 802 00:34:25,639 --> 00:34:23,159 particle sizes oh wow so we're getting 803 00:34:27,050 --> 00:34:25,649 on to the Falcon here and and I can see 804 00:34:28,669 --> 00:34:27,060 that it's pretty crowded and you don't 805 00:34:30,950 --> 00:34:28,679 even have everything on here yet right 806 00:34:32,540 --> 00:34:30,960 so so tell me a little bit about what 807 00:34:34,250 --> 00:34:32,550 its gonna be like that's right so we're 808 00:34:35,690 --> 00:34:34,260 currently integrating the Falcon meaning 809 00:34:37,730 --> 00:34:35,700 we were putting our instruments on we 810 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:37,740 currently have three racks on the plane 811 00:34:41,030 --> 00:34:39,510 and we're gonna have three more sitting 812 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:41,040 essentially right where we are on the 813 00:34:44,300 --> 00:34:42,690 plane now and you have to have people on 814 00:34:45,770 --> 00:34:44,310 the plane see though right so during 815 00:34:47,089 --> 00:34:45,780 flights we're gonna have two pilots up 816 00:34:48,740 --> 00:34:47,099 front but we're also gonna have to 817 00:34:50,780 --> 00:34:48,750 scientific operators that will sit in 818 00:34:52,190 --> 00:34:50,790 front of racks and monitor instruments 819 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:52,200 and keep them calibrated what does the 820 00:34:56,329 --> 00:34:54,810 Falcon do we're based out of Hampton 821 00:34:58,400 --> 00:34:56,339 based here at home but we're gonna be 822 00:35:00,200 --> 00:34:58,410 flying out over the ocean so we can do 823 00:35:02,240 --> 00:35:00,210 local flights out over the ocean or we 824 00:35:03,950 --> 00:35:02,250 can go to Bermuda and back or target 825 00:35:05,809 --> 00:35:03,960 different cloud environments our flights 826 00:35:08,510 --> 00:35:05,819 are about four hours in duration and we 827 00:35:11,540 --> 00:35:08,520 fly from about 500 feet above the water 828 00:35:12,770 --> 00:35:11,550 surface up to about 5,000 feet and we're 829 00:35:15,350 --> 00:35:12,780 porpoising between those altitudes 830 00:35:18,050 --> 00:35:15,360 constantly while you're doing that the 831 00:35:19,250 --> 00:35:18,060 there is gonna be flying too so so talk 832 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:19,260 to me a little bit about what the King 833 00:35:22,370 --> 00:35:20,490 Air is gonna be doing right so the 834 00:35:24,350 --> 00:35:22,380 uniqueness of activate is that we have 835 00:35:26,330 --> 00:35:24,360 coordinated flights between two aircraft 836 00:35:28,310 --> 00:35:26,340 so we're flying low but the King Air is 837 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:28,320 flying up at 9 kilometers looking down 838 00:35:32,210 --> 00:35:30,810 on the scene with remote sensors and 839 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:32,220 especially with the new system that we 840 00:35:36,860 --> 00:35:34,770 have drops on system you actually have a 841 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:36,870 drops on here in your hands can you kind 842 00:35:40,190 --> 00:35:38,250 of explain to us what we're looking at 843 00:35:41,870 --> 00:35:40,200 here sure the drops on has a parachute 844 00:35:43,730 --> 00:35:41,880 on one end and it has sensors on the 845 00:35:46,010 --> 00:35:43,740 other we measure temperature pressure 846 00:35:47,630 --> 00:35:46,020 relative humidity and wind direction and 847 00:35:49,430 --> 00:35:47,640 speed with the Sun we use a launcher 848 00:35:50,870 --> 00:35:49,440 from the aircraft and it drops at about 849 00:35:52,580 --> 00:35:50,880 11 meters per second and we get a 850 00:35:55,670 --> 00:35:52,590 sounding of the atmosphere as it falls 851 00:35:56,750 --> 00:35:55,680 you have two other instruments on the 852 00:35:59,330 --> 00:35:56,760 King air what are they 853 00:36:01,010 --> 00:35:59,340 research scanning polarimeter and HS RL 854 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:01,020 are high spectral resolution lidar 855 00:36:04,790 --> 00:36:02,970 onboard those two instruments in 856 00:36:06,260 --> 00:36:04,800 conjunction allow us to retrieve the 857 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:06,270 properties that were measuring on the 858 00:36:09,770 --> 00:36:07,890 Falcon aircraft we don't actually have 859 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:09,780 them to show you here but we are gonna 860 00:36:14,570 --> 00:36:12,530 take you to the lab to see the HS RL 861 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:14,580 this is our instrument and how its 862 00:36:18,350 --> 00:36:16,530 configured on the aircraft this is a 863 00:36:21,410 --> 00:36:18,360 high spectral resolution lidar so what 864 00:36:23,390 --> 00:36:21,420 we do is we send different color pulses 865 00:36:24,710 --> 00:36:23,400 of laser light out into the atmosphere 866 00:36:26,300 --> 00:36:24,720 from the bottom half of the instrument 867 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:26,310 those laser pulses go into the 868 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:28,170 atmosphere we collect that scattered 869 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:29,730 light energy from the atmosphere with 870 00:36:33,140 --> 00:36:31,770 our telescope and then direct that light 871 00:36:35,090 --> 00:36:33,150 into the various detectors in the 872 00:36:36,980 --> 00:36:35,100 instrument head at the operator station 873 00:36:38,450 --> 00:36:36,990 I can look at those various signals 874 00:36:39,950 --> 00:36:38,460 coming from all the the detectors 875 00:36:41,630 --> 00:36:39,960 getting information about the aerosols 876 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:41,640 and clouds now why that's important 877 00:36:44,810 --> 00:36:43,410 you've already heard about the detailed 878 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:44,820 measurements that the Falcon is is 879 00:36:48,650 --> 00:36:46,890 taking as they're flying down low well 880 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:48,660 we're flying up high and we're measuring 881 00:36:52,730 --> 00:36:50,850 it's a remote sense sensor so we're 882 00:36:54,770 --> 00:36:52,740 measuring from the aircraft all the way 883 00:36:56,810 --> 00:36:54,780 down to the surface and we can combine 884 00:36:58,640 --> 00:36:56,820 those measurements from both aircraft to 885 00:37:00,680 --> 00:36:58,650 really get detailed information and dig 886 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:00,690 into the science of how air Sol's and 887 00:37:04,790 --> 00:37:03,330 clouds interact alright so that was our 888 00:37:06,860 --> 00:37:04,800 behind-the-scenes look at what we're 889 00:37:08,660 --> 00:37:06,870 doing here at Langley to get ready for 890 00:37:10,550 --> 00:37:08,670 activate thank you so much Lou and 891 00:37:15,260 --> 00:37:10,560 thanks to Dave Harper back to you at 892 00:37:16,850 --> 00:37:15,270 Armstrong well thanks for the report Joe 893 00:37:18,950 --> 00:37:16,860 there's a lot going on on that aircraft 894 00:37:21,590 --> 00:37:18,960 it seems well joining me right now is 895 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:21,600 actually the lead scientist for active a 896 00:37:26,210 --> 00:37:24,930 and it's our main solution atmospheric 897 00:37:27,740 --> 00:37:26,220 scientists out of the University of 898 00:37:29,270 --> 00:37:27,750 Arizona I mean thanks for joining us 899 00:37:30,770 --> 00:37:29,280 today thank you Samson 900 00:37:32,150 --> 00:37:30,780 so it looks like your mission is in good 901 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:32,160 hands according to that video right 902 00:37:37,130 --> 00:37:33,090 correct 903 00:37:38,780 --> 00:37:37,140 so as we all know clouds are a common 904 00:37:40,580 --> 00:37:38,790 feature in the lower atmosphere and 905 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:40,590 they're not just beautiful objects to 906 00:37:44,540 --> 00:37:42,570 look at in the sky but they play a very 907 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:44,550 important role in our planets energy 908 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:47,370 balance because they're very reflective 909 00:37:52,340 --> 00:37:50,250 but we don't fully understand how clouds 910 00:37:54,860 --> 00:37:52,350 work especially how they form and how 911 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:54,870 they evolve and so we need to change 912 00:37:59,900 --> 00:37:56,610 that and it begins with understanding 913 00:38:01,790 --> 00:37:59,910 how you even make a cloud droplet so the 914 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:01,800 seeds of cloud droplets are these little 915 00:38:06,380 --> 00:38:03,930 aerosol particles things like dust or 916 00:38:08,750 --> 00:38:06,390 smoke and when we breathe we're inhaling 917 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:08,760 large amounts of particles and they vary 918 00:38:13,460 --> 00:38:10,650 widely in terms of you know what they're 919 00:38:15,170 --> 00:38:13,470 made of and their size so it turns out 920 00:38:17,660 --> 00:38:15,180 that depending on the number and amount 921 00:38:19,430 --> 00:38:17,670 of particles you have cloud droplets can 922 00:38:22,790 --> 00:38:19,440 have very different properties in terms 923 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:22,800 of their size their composition and 924 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:24,570 their lifetime and this leads to varied 925 00:38:28,370 --> 00:38:26,130 effects on weather and climate 926 00:38:30,410 --> 00:38:28,380 so to understand these complex 927 00:38:30,950 --> 00:38:30,420 interactions between particles and 928 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:30,960 clouds 929 00:38:36,380 --> 00:38:33,570 we need airborne measurements and we 930 00:38:38,630 --> 00:38:36,390 need information below inside and above 931 00:38:41,060 --> 00:38:38,640 alves all at once and it's really hard 932 00:38:43,250 --> 00:38:41,070 to do this with just one airplane so 933 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:43,260 activate embraces this approach as you 934 00:38:47,390 --> 00:38:45,930 just saw in the video to use two planes 935 00:38:49,550 --> 00:38:47,400 that will fly in a coordinated fashion 936 00:38:53,510 --> 00:38:49,560 to get all the information we need at 937 00:38:55,310 --> 00:38:53,520 once so we will do about 150 joint 938 00:38:58,070 --> 00:38:55,320 flights over the next three years over 939 00:38:59,330 --> 00:38:58,080 the western North Atlantic Ocean so I 940 00:39:01,220 --> 00:38:59,340 mean what kinds of aerosols are we 941 00:39:03,110 --> 00:39:01,230 looking at in this particular campaign 942 00:39:05,240 --> 00:39:03,120 what types of aerosols well there's a 943 00:39:07,340 --> 00:39:05,250 wide range of different pollution 944 00:39:09,050 --> 00:39:07,350 sources that impact the Western North 945 00:39:11,270 --> 00:39:09,060 Atlantic Ocean that was one of the 946 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:11,280 reasons we chose this region because we 947 00:39:16,430 --> 00:39:13,550 need a wide diversity in terms of 948 00:39:19,550 --> 00:39:16,440 emission sources and weather types so we 949 00:39:21,770 --> 00:39:19,560 have biogenic emissions from from plants 950 00:39:23,870 --> 00:39:21,780 from the ocean we have sea salt we have 951 00:39:26,300 --> 00:39:23,880 biomass burning we have dusts from 952 00:39:28,420 --> 00:39:26,310 Africa in certain times of the year and 953 00:39:31,420 --> 00:39:28,430 we have urban emissions as well of 954 00:39:34,850 --> 00:39:31,430 coming off the East Coast over the ocean 955 00:39:36,350 --> 00:39:34,860 so you know I know we've had a few 956 00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:36,360 campaigns that were looking at these 957 00:39:40,610 --> 00:39:38,910 similar processes aerosols and clouds 958 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:40,620 we've been off the coast of Africa we've 959 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:41,970 been 960 00:39:45,230 --> 00:39:43,410 in the maritime continent by the 961 00:39:46,670 --> 00:39:45,240 Philippines and so it looks like we're 962 00:39:48,740 --> 00:39:46,680 having a growing compendium of these 963 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:48,750 measurements so what's the point of 964 00:39:52,430 --> 00:39:50,130 having all these different measurements 965 00:39:55,250 --> 00:39:52,440 taking place across the world yeah so 966 00:39:57,170 --> 00:39:55,260 again the the science of aerosol cloud 967 00:39:59,660 --> 00:39:57,180 interactions what we are struggling with 968 00:40:01,940 --> 00:39:59,670 the research community is a general lack 969 00:40:04,099 --> 00:40:01,950 of statistics it there are so many 970 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:04,109 factors influencing cloud properties 971 00:40:09,220 --> 00:40:06,690 that we just need more and more and more 972 00:40:11,630 --> 00:40:09,230 data in different regions that are 973 00:40:13,670 --> 00:40:11,640 there's a different types of particles 974 00:40:16,790 --> 00:40:13,680 different types of weather and so having 975 00:40:18,530 --> 00:40:16,800 data across the world and you know 976 00:40:20,510 --> 00:40:18,540 what's very special about activate is 977 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:20,520 just the sheer amount of flights we're 978 00:40:24,859 --> 00:40:22,890 gonna do is very very large you know 979 00:40:26,450 --> 00:40:24,869 we're gonna get about 1,200 hours of 980 00:40:29,420 --> 00:40:26,460 flight data which is kind of 981 00:40:31,820 --> 00:40:29,430 unprecedented and so we need statistics 982 00:40:34,370 --> 00:40:31,830 and so combining all these campaign data 983 00:40:35,780 --> 00:40:34,380 and using activate it's it's really 984 00:40:39,109 --> 00:40:35,790 going to help the international research 985 00:40:40,490 --> 00:40:39,119 community it's incredible so how did you 986 00:40:41,870 --> 00:40:40,500 get motivated to get into this kind of 987 00:40:43,609 --> 00:40:41,880 science I mean it's not something that 988 00:40:47,390 --> 00:40:43,619 people just stumble into I'm assuming 989 00:40:50,210 --> 00:40:47,400 right so since I was a child I've always 990 00:40:52,430 --> 00:40:50,220 been fascinated inspired by airplanes so 991 00:40:54,170 --> 00:40:52,440 although I never pursued flying myself 992 00:40:56,210 --> 00:40:54,180 I've just liked looking at them and 993 00:40:57,859 --> 00:40:56,220 being on planes so that you know one of 994 00:40:59,960 --> 00:40:57,869 the best parts of this research is not 995 00:41:01,970 --> 00:40:59,970 just being on the plane but being able 996 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:01,980 to steal steer the direction of flights 997 00:41:06,260 --> 00:41:04,530 and doing impactful research and to 998 00:41:08,450 --> 00:41:06,270 sweeten it up even more for me 999 00:41:11,260 --> 00:41:08,460 my background is aerosols but my 1000 00:41:13,550 --> 00:41:11,270 professional role model my father he's a 1001 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:13,560 hydrologist who studies precipitation 1002 00:41:17,990 --> 00:41:15,690 and of course the link between aerosols 1003 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:18,000 and precip are clouds which is the 1004 00:41:21,740 --> 00:41:20,250 heartbeat of the activate mission it's 1005 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:21,750 incredible so following in your father's 1006 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:24,570 footsteps and your work in forming the 1007 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:25,770 other's work I think that's kind of 1008 00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:27,810 beautiful thank you Susie great thanks 1009 00:41:32,210 --> 00:41:29,310 so much army for joining us good luck on 1010 00:41:35,089 --> 00:41:32,220 that campaign thank you so we are from 1011 00:41:36,710 --> 00:41:35,099 small particles in the clouds to one of 1012 00:41:38,660 --> 00:41:36,720 the largest waterways in the world we're 1013 00:41:41,359 --> 00:41:38,670 moving on to the Delta X mission and 1014 00:41:43,339 --> 00:41:41,369 we're looking at water flow and sediment 1015 00:41:46,250 --> 00:41:43,349 to figure out why some parts other 1016 00:41:48,170 --> 00:41:46,260 Mississippi River Delta are disappearing 1017 00:41:51,050 --> 00:41:48,180 while others are not and joining me to 1018 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:51,060 talk about that is lead scientist Mark 1019 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:53,010 Simard from Jet Propulsion Laboratory 1020 00:41:57,630 --> 00:41:55,330 thanks for joining us mark thank you 1021 00:41:58,980 --> 00:41:57,640 so my stuck with some of the processes 1022 00:42:01,380 --> 00:41:58,990 that are at play at the Mississippi 1023 00:42:04,590 --> 00:42:01,390 River Delta and how you're looking at 1024 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:04,600 those things river deltas form along the 1025 00:42:11,340 --> 00:42:08,410 coast as the water from the river meets 1026 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:11,350 the slow-moving ocean the water from the 1027 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:13,690 river itself slows down and the 1028 00:42:19,410 --> 00:42:16,210 sediments that it transports toward the 1029 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:19,420 coast actually deposited at the mouth of 1030 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:21,130 the river and as those sediments 1031 00:42:26,060 --> 00:42:23,050 accumulate they build up soil so 1032 00:42:29,070 --> 00:42:26,070 elevation of the director ground goes up 1033 00:42:31,950 --> 00:42:29,080 so at one point there the water will be 1034 00:42:36,090 --> 00:42:31,960 sufficiently shallow to for vegetation 1035 00:42:39,420 --> 00:42:36,100 to grow so vegetation will contribute to 1036 00:42:42,300 --> 00:42:39,430 the further processing of the the 1037 00:42:44,730 --> 00:42:42,310 sediments so it will help maintain the 1038 00:42:46,740 --> 00:42:44,740 sediment in place and also potentially 1039 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:46,750 accelerate the capture of those 1040 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:49,210 sediments and not only that was the 1041 00:42:56,390 --> 00:42:51,850 there's also an ecological process in 1042 00:42:59,430 --> 00:42:56,400 which as the plants grow they produce 1043 00:43:00,930 --> 00:42:59,440 organic material which they inject in 1044 00:43:04,950 --> 00:43:00,940 the ground through the roots of course 1045 00:43:07,260 --> 00:43:04,960 and every year they just contribute just 1046 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:07,270 like the sediment to elevation of the 1047 00:43:13,110 --> 00:43:09,970 ground in the deltas so the text looks 1048 00:43:15,420 --> 00:43:13,120 at those two processes so the sediment 1049 00:43:17,630 --> 00:43:15,430 transport and deposition and the second 1050 00:43:20,820 --> 00:43:17,640 one is the ecological part which is the 1051 00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:20,830 plant organic contribution to solar 1052 00:43:24,750 --> 00:43:22,510 elevation credible and for those of you 1053 00:43:27,540 --> 00:43:24,760 guys watching NASA TV that noise is a 1054 00:43:30,630 --> 00:43:27,550 hanger in motion this is a live working 1055 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:30,640 hanger so don't mind that noise brain 1056 00:43:35,130 --> 00:43:32,650 mark so let's think let's think about 1057 00:43:36,630 --> 00:43:35,140 all the ways that we can study these 1058 00:43:37,890 --> 00:43:36,640 processes of what's going on in the 1059 00:43:42,570 --> 00:43:37,900 field when you get out there this summer 1060 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:42,580 okay so Delta X basically uses NASA 1061 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:46,570 assets set of three instruments that are 1062 00:43:55,110 --> 00:43:50,530 used to calibrate numerical models those 1063 00:43:56,850 --> 00:43:55,120 models will simulate the hydrology of 1064 00:43:59,080 --> 00:43:56,860 the system so the water circulating 1065 00:44:02,110 --> 00:43:59,090 through the channels and across 1066 00:44:03,850 --> 00:44:02,120 the marshes and it will also simulate 1067 00:44:06,460 --> 00:44:03,860 the deposition of sediments and the 1068 00:44:08,430 --> 00:44:06,470 plant growth so we use three aircrafts 1069 00:44:11,470 --> 00:44:08,440 of which two are radars 1070 00:44:15,340 --> 00:44:11,480 the radars are used to measure the 1071 00:44:17,980 --> 00:44:15,350 hydrology of the system in the channel 1072 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:17,990 network and also through other marshes 1073 00:44:22,870 --> 00:44:19,490 that we'll look at the propagation for 1074 00:44:28,180 --> 00:44:22,880 example of the tidal wave propagating 1075 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:28,190 upward inland in the Martians the we 1076 00:44:33,700 --> 00:44:31,010 have a third instrument that will look 1077 00:44:35,230 --> 00:44:33,710 at the content of sediment so the amount 1078 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:35,240 of sediment that are found in the water 1079 00:44:41,050 --> 00:44:38,330 and it will also look at plant 1080 00:44:44,470 --> 00:44:41,060 productivity and that third one is an 1081 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:44,480 imaging spectrometer Wow well you know 1082 00:44:47,950 --> 00:44:46,490 that a lot of people live around the 1083 00:44:49,180 --> 00:44:47,960 Mississippi River does you want to talk 1084 00:44:52,870 --> 00:44:49,190 about the importance of this research 1085 00:44:55,540 --> 00:44:52,880 for the region well most of the deltas 1086 00:44:58,560 --> 00:44:55,550 the larger Delta's in the world are 1087 00:45:02,920 --> 00:44:58,570 sinking under current sea level rise 1088 00:45:06,490 --> 00:45:02,930 they are threatened so they have to 1089 00:45:09,370 --> 00:45:06,500 accumulate sufficient soil and elevate 1090 00:45:12,100 --> 00:45:09,380 the ground to keep up with sea-level 1091 00:45:15,310 --> 00:45:12,110 rise in the Mississippi Delta we're 1092 00:45:17,230 --> 00:45:15,320 looking at our most ten millimeters of 1093 00:45:19,180 --> 00:45:17,240 relative sea-level rise so that includes 1094 00:45:22,780 --> 00:45:19,190 subsidence of the ground and sea level 1095 00:45:25,180 --> 00:45:22,790 rise itself so it has to accumulate a 1096 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:25,190 lot of sediment so we see on the 1097 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:28,610 monitors now the loss of land so those 1098 00:45:36,250 --> 00:45:32,330 red areas or the loss of lands in the 1099 00:45:38,530 --> 00:45:36,260 Mississippi Delta so if you take this 1100 00:45:42,190 --> 00:45:38,540 land area that has been lost in the last 1101 00:45:44,770 --> 00:45:42,200 few decades we're losing land at the 1102 00:45:48,210 --> 00:45:44,780 rate similar to one football field every 1103 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:48,220 hour so in other words better 1104 00:45:52,570 --> 00:45:50,450 understanding of what to expect in the 1105 00:45:54,820 --> 00:45:52,580 future will help inform the planning yes 1106 00:45:57,190 --> 00:45:54,830 so that that model that we're 1107 00:45:59,680 --> 00:45:57,200 calibrating once it's calibrated we can 1108 00:46:02,620 --> 00:45:59,690 use it to predict which parts of the 1109 00:46:05,350 --> 00:46:02,630 Mississippi Delta will be drowning under 1110 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:05,360 sea level rise and which ones will 1111 00:46:10,050 --> 00:46:07,850 survive so that way we can actually use 1112 00:46:12,870 --> 00:46:10,060 that model to guide and 1113 00:46:15,290 --> 00:46:12,880 support potential restoration projects 1114 00:46:17,430 --> 00:46:15,300 this seems like very fascinating work 1115 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:17,440 mark how did you get involved in this 1116 00:46:23,970 --> 00:46:21,130 kind of science so my background is 1117 00:46:29,340 --> 00:46:23,980 physics so I tend to like things that 1118 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:29,350 are complex not only is the system 1119 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:31,450 complex because of the power deity the 1120 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:34,690 constant the perpetual dance between the 1121 00:46:39,870 --> 00:46:37,330 ocean and the river which comes in and 1122 00:46:43,050 --> 00:46:39,880 out but there's also the complexity due 1123 00:46:44,910 --> 00:46:43,060 to the people right I like people and I 1124 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:44,920 think at this point science is 1125 00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:47,770 sufficiently advanced so that it can be 1126 00:46:53,490 --> 00:46:51,130 used to help people and care for the 1127 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:53,500 livelihood of those half billion people 1128 00:46:58,080 --> 00:46:55,450 that live across the world in these 1129 00:47:00,390 --> 00:46:58,090 coastal areas okay well thanks so much 1130 00:47:01,890 --> 00:47:00,400 mark I agree it's important work you 1131 00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:01,900 know one of the key instruments that is 1132 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:03,490 gonna be used for Delta X is the 1133 00:47:09,420 --> 00:47:06,250 uninhabited aerial vehicle synthetic 1134 00:47:10,950 --> 00:47:09,430 aperture radar UAV SAR and it happens to 1135 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:10,960 be right behind us 1136 00:47:16,170 --> 00:47:13,810 Dean Neely is going to reprise his role 1137 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:16,180 as NASA pilot and talk about what it's 1138 00:47:21,870 --> 00:47:18,010 like to fly these science flights 1139 00:47:24,870 --> 00:47:21,880 gucchi take it away all right welcome 1140 00:47:26,070 --> 00:47:24,880 back so today as you just heard a little 1141 00:47:28,470 --> 00:47:26,080 bit about that you have a science 1142 00:47:30,450 --> 00:47:28,480 mission looking down at the surface of 1143 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:30,460 the earth in all different parts of the 1144 00:47:35,310 --> 00:47:33,490 world the aircraft behind me is what was 1145 00:47:38,130 --> 00:47:35,320 formerly an Air Force c20 it's a 1146 00:47:40,260 --> 00:47:38,140 Gulfstream GE and if you look at the the 1147 00:47:42,390 --> 00:47:40,270 white pod over my shoulder here that's 1148 00:47:44,430 --> 00:47:42,400 at the bottom of the aircraft that is 1149 00:47:47,010 --> 00:47:44,440 the main science instrument that 1150 00:47:49,980 --> 00:47:47,020 synthetic aperture radar is what we take 1151 00:47:54,530 --> 00:47:49,990 up high in the Earth's atmosphere where 1152 00:47:57,810 --> 00:47:54,540 we can fly through a very precise path 1153 00:48:00,120 --> 00:47:57,820 repeatedly and look at slight movements 1154 00:48:04,190 --> 00:48:00,130 down on the Earth's surface whether it's 1155 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:04,200 looking at topography changes vegetation 1156 00:48:10,500 --> 00:48:06,970 earthquake fault lines any movement 1157 00:48:13,980 --> 00:48:10,510 there glacier movements volcanoes that 1158 00:48:16,500 --> 00:48:13,990 sort of thing this instrument here the 1159 00:48:18,630 --> 00:48:16,510 the radar pod underneath it has been 1160 00:48:20,940 --> 00:48:18,640 coupled to a special precision auto 1161 00:48:22,329 --> 00:48:20,950 pilot in the aircraft that NASA's 1162 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:22,339 heavily modified 1163 00:48:28,890 --> 00:48:25,729 so that the pilots can repeatedly fly 1164 00:48:32,259 --> 00:48:28,900 through a small ten-minute are 10 meter 1165 00:48:35,499 --> 00:48:32,269 - think of it as like flying through a 1166 00:48:37,539 --> 00:48:35,509 soda straw and put that radar looking at 1167 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:37,549 the exact same position repeatedly 1168 00:48:42,429 --> 00:48:39,890 whether it's a couple of days later or 1169 00:48:44,559 --> 00:48:42,439 several months or a year later and look 1170 00:48:46,929 --> 00:48:44,569 at changes on the Earth's surface and 1171 00:48:49,449 --> 00:48:46,939 that's an amazing thing to do from up in 1172 00:48:52,059 --> 00:48:49,459 the aircraft the way we operate that is 1173 00:48:55,259 --> 00:48:52,069 the pilots will hand fly on the normal 1174 00:48:57,999 --> 00:48:55,269 aircraft autopilot and maneuver into 1175 00:49:00,189 --> 00:48:58,009 using some of the symbology we have tied 1176 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:00,199 to that radar pod to get the aircraft 1177 00:49:05,679 --> 00:49:03,410 and the synthetic aperture radar right 1178 00:49:07,870 --> 00:49:05,689 where they need it and then we couple up 1179 00:49:10,150 --> 00:49:07,880 that precision autopilot and then the 1180 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:10,160 magic starts to happen there and that's 1181 00:49:14,469 --> 00:49:12,410 where the observation happens on the 1182 00:49:17,109 --> 00:49:14,479 Earth's surface looking at just my new 1183 00:49:18,969 --> 00:49:17,119 changes down to a centimeter and that's 1184 00:49:21,579 --> 00:49:18,979 how we're able to study how the behavior 1185 00:49:23,620 --> 00:49:21,589 of the earth itself is going from the 1186 00:49:26,229 --> 00:49:23,630 pilots perspective it's a great 1187 00:49:27,759 --> 00:49:26,239 opportunity to fly a beautiful business 1188 00:49:30,519 --> 00:49:27,769 jet like this in a very different 1189 00:49:32,949 --> 00:49:30,529 environment so typically what we're 1190 00:49:35,410 --> 00:49:32,959 doing up there is working as a team with 1191 00:49:37,209 --> 00:49:35,420 a radar operator in the back and a 1192 00:49:40,870 --> 00:49:37,219 mission director along with the two 1193 00:49:43,419 --> 00:49:40,880 pilots and we coordinate all the action 1194 00:49:46,419 --> 00:49:43,429 again to put the objective is to put 1195 00:49:48,669 --> 00:49:46,429 that radar right in the exact spot that 1196 00:49:51,549 --> 00:49:48,679 we had previously put it on for other 1197 00:49:54,099 --> 00:49:51,559 missions and we can compare that data it 1198 00:49:56,859 --> 00:49:54,109 takes a lot of skill it's very frantic 1199 00:49:59,529 --> 00:49:56,869 in the last few seconds as we fly into 1200 00:50:01,599 --> 00:49:59,539 the tube by hand and then couple up that 1201 00:50:03,429 --> 00:50:01,609 autopilot but it's very rewarding when 1202 00:50:05,589 --> 00:50:03,439 you get to see some of the the final 1203 00:50:07,599 --> 00:50:05,599 product and see what comes out of the 1204 00:50:12,099 --> 00:50:07,609 study as you just heard a little bit 1205 00:50:13,509 --> 00:50:12,109 about there all right it's it's a nice 1206 00:50:14,979 --> 00:50:13,519 opportunity not to have to wear a 1207 00:50:16,419 --> 00:50:14,989 spacesuit in this one as well as you can 1208 00:50:18,999 --> 00:50:16,429 see I look a little bit more comfortable 1209 00:50:21,339 --> 00:50:19,009 here and I have all my senses back and I 1210 00:50:23,559 --> 00:50:21,349 can eat and drink and that sort of thing 1211 00:50:24,969 --> 00:50:23,569 so we enjoy flying this as well as all 1212 00:50:26,289 --> 00:50:24,979 the other platforms that you're going to 1213 00:50:28,449 --> 00:50:26,299 hear about today that carry these 1214 00:50:29,609 --> 00:50:28,459 amazing science instruments as we study 1215 00:50:32,679 --> 00:50:29,619 the Earth's atmosphere 1216 00:50:35,559 --> 00:50:32,689 alright Samson back to you thanks so 1217 00:50:37,599 --> 00:50:35,569 much Buchi well there you have it folks 1218 00:50:39,789 --> 00:50:37,609 five campaigns spread out across the 1219 00:50:41,769 --> 00:50:39,799 u.s. tackling a diverse set of science 1220 00:50:44,079 --> 00:50:41,779 questions but this is only the beginning 1221 00:50:45,969 --> 00:50:44,089 we want you to keep following us as we 1222 00:50:49,420 --> 00:50:45,979 cover each of these campaigns throughout 1223 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:49,430 the year we posting blogs photos videos 1224 00:50:54,130 --> 00:50:51,890 we'll have Q&A s will be giving as much 1225 00:50:56,620 --> 00:50:54,140 of the action as we possibly can please 1226 00:50:59,229 --> 00:50:56,630 follow us on nasa.gov slash earth 1227 00:51:01,719 --> 00:50:59,239 expeditions for all the latest and also 1228 00:51:03,370 --> 00:51:01,729 follow us on social media and NASA Earth