Aquarius

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Aquarius

• Presented By Krista Griffin

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Introduction
As seen from space, Earth has been described as a
blue marble, dominated by sapphire oceans and
swirls of white clouds. Continents appear widely
spread out, covering less than one-third of the
planets surface. Earth is dominated by water in
all its forms liquid seas, vaporous clouds, and
solid ice. The relationship between these forms
is depicted as a water cycle a water molecule
in todays ocean may be found in tomorrows
cloud, then in a glacier during the next Ice Age,
and then in the ocean again as the climate warms.
The cycling of water and energy through the
atmosphere and oceans is crucial to life on
Earth. Although the relationship between the
water cycle, ocean circulation, and climate are
poorly understood.
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Satellite Aquarius
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According to NASA, Sea surface salinity (SSS) is
a critical missing parameter that scientists need
to understand the relationship and to meet
climate research goals. Starting in 2008, Aquari
us mission will measure global sea surface
salinity with unprecedented resolution.
The goals of Aquarius are to observe and model
the processes that relate salinity variations to
climatic changes in the global cycling of water
and to understand how these variations influence
the general ocean circulation.
By measuring salinity globally and synoptically
every month for three years, Aquarius will
provide a new view of the oceans role in
climate. The Aquarius investigation will address
these processes on the seasonal cycle as a basis
for understanding interannual climate variations.
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By measuring sea surface salinity over time, NASA
hopes to better understand two of its earth
science research properties 1.How is the globa
l Earth system changing? 2. How does the earth s
ystem respond to natural and human-induced
change? Sea Surface Salinity will explain h
ow global precipitation, evaporation, and the
water cycle is changing how sea surface salinity
variability is the key tracer for fresh water
input and output from the ocean associated with
precipitation, evaporation, ice melting and
runoff. how climate variations induce changes in
global ocean circulation, sea surface salinity
and sea surface temperature (which together
determines seawater density) and to regulate
ocean circulation and the formation of water
masses.
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Aquarius will provide scientists with
Produce global salinity maps on a monthly basis
Chart seasonal and year to year variations of Sea
Surface Salinity Observe and model the processes
that relate salinity variations to climate
changes in the global cycling of water and
understand how these variations influence ocean
circulation. First precise global, space-based ob
servations of Sea Surface Salinity (SSS)
Aquarius will provide an unprecedented view of
the oceans role in climate and weather
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How Aquarius Works
Aquarius is equipped with 2 sensors, a Radiometer
and a Scatterometer The radiometer is an instrume
nt that measures radiance, or the radiation
emitted by an object. The scatterometer is a micr
owave (radar) sensor that scans the surface of
the earth from an aircraft or a satellite and
reads the reflection scattering coefficient of
the return pulse to measure surface roughness and
derive wind speed and direction.
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The Reasons Behind Mission Aquarius
NASA sponsored scientists have discovered that b
y knowing the salt content of the oceans
surface, they may be able to improve the ability
to predict El Nino events. Scientists studying th
e western Pacific Ocean, find regional changes in
the saltiness of surface ocean water correspond
to changes in upper ocean heat content in the
months proceeding an EL Nino event.
Knowing the distribution of surface salinity may
help predict events.
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References

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  (NASA)
  
• www.nasa.gov
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• www.aquarius.gsfc.nasa.gov