Climate Change, Deforestation, Biomes and Ocean Currents, Plankton, Endangered Species - Earth Web Site
Click for more detail Thermohaline Change Evidence is growing that the thermohaline current may be slowed or stopped by cold fresh water inputs to the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. This could occur if global warming is sufficient to cause large scale melting of arctic sea ice and the Greenland ice sheet. Such a change in the current may be gradual (over centuries) or very rapid (over a few years). "Diatoms (a kind of phytoplankton) are estimated to "scrub" roughly as much CO2 from the atmosphere each year as all the world's rainforests. "Net primary productivity is the mass of plant material produced each year on land and in the oceans by photosynthesis using energy from sunlight. Biodiversity is the variety of life found at all levels of biological organization, ranging from individuals and populations to species, communities and ecosystems. Click for more detail Some of the sun's energy is being blocked from reaching the earth by air pollution. What are they?
Solar System
NASA Rover Opportunity's Selfie Shows Clean Machine A new self-portrait by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows gleaming solar arrays, thanks to recent help from dust-cleaning winds. › Read more Dawn in the Apollo Valley Beam Wave Guide antennas at Goldstone, known as the "Beam Waveguide Cluster." › Read more Solar System Missions Cassini-Huygens to SaturnStudying Saturn and its rings and moons.› DawnDawn, the first spacecraft ever planned to orbit two different bodies after leaving Earth, will orbit Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids in the solar system.› EpoxiThe Epoxi mission recycles the already "in flight" Deep Impact spacecraft to investigate two distinct celestial targets of opportunity.› JunoThe Juno spacecraft, currently making its way to Jupiter, will for the first time peer below Jupiter's dense cover of clouds to answer questions about the gas giant and the origins of our solar system.› VoyagerVoyager 1 and 2 flew past Jupiter and Saturn.
The scientific consensus on global warming « Later On
From the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the preeminent scientific organization in the US. Note that this article is not based on a mere count of articles, but rather looks at statements from various scientific organizations. Science 3 December 2004: Vol. 306. no. 5702, p. 1686 DOI: 10.1126/science.1103618BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER: The Scientific Consensus on Climate ChangeNaomi Oreskes*Policy-makers and the media, particularly in the United States, frequently assert that climate science is highly uncertain. Some have used this as an argument against adopting strong measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, while discussing a major U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report on the risks of climate change, then-EPA administrator Christine Whitman argued, “As [the report] went through review, there was less consensus on the science and conclusions on climate change” (1).
Stars and Galaxies
Astrophysics Missions Galaxy Evolution Explorer Uses ultraviolet wavelengths to measure the history of star formation 80 percent of the way back to the Big Bang. › Mission home page Exoplanet Updates, documents, and in-depth information about NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program. › Exoplanet web site Keck Interferometer Links two 10-meter (33-foot) telescopes, which form the world's most powerful optical telescope system. › Telescope home page Kepler Mission The Kepler Mission will search for Earth-like planets with the "transit" method. › Kepler home page Palomar Observatory A joint effort between JPL and the California Institute of Technology, the Palomar Observatory houses a collection of famous telescopes. › Palomar home page PlanetQuest web site The latest news, images, and information about NASA's search for exoplanets and another Earth. › PlanetQuest web site Voyager to the Outer Planets Voyager 1 and 2 flew past Jupiter and Saturn.
Arctic Warming is Altering Weather Patterns, Study Shows
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published April 3. Given recent news that Arctic sea ice set a record low, it's a reminder that changes in the Arctic can affect the U.S. and Europe. By showing that Arctic climate change is no longer just a problem for the polar bear, a new study may finally dispel the view that what happens in the Arctic, stays in the Arctic. The study, by Jennifer Francis of Rutgers University and Stephen Vavrus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ties rapid Arctic climate change to high-impact, extreme weather events in the U.S. and Europe. The study shows that by changing the temperature balance between the Arctic and mid-latitudes, rapid Arctic warming is altering the course of the jet stream, which steers weather systems from west to east around the hemisphere. The jet stream, the study says, is becoming “wavier,” with steeper troughs and higher ridges. The strong area of high pressure shunted the jet stream far north into Canada.
Public Tours
The Public Services Office performs NASA and JPL public services for institutions, civic and social groups, schools, special JPL guests, and the general public. We are responsible for public tours, the von Kármán Lecture Series, Open House, the JPL Speakers bureau and traveling exhibits. Want to come experience JPL? Learn more about our tour program here. Wondering when JPL's next Open House will be? Look here.
Global Warming Facts, Causes and Effects of Climate Change
Jump to Section Q: What is global warming? A: Since the Industrial Revolution, the global annual temperature has increased in total by a little more than 1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 1880—the year that accurate recordkeeping began—and 1980, it rose on average by 0.07 degrees Celsius (0.13 degrees Fahrenheit) every 10 years. Since 1981, however, the rate of increase has more than doubled: For the last 40 years, we’ve seen the global annual temperature rise by 0.18 degrees Celsius, or 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit, per decade. The result? Now climate scientists have concluded that we must limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 if we are to avoid a future in which everyday life around the world is marked by its worst, most devastating effects: the extreme droughts, wildfires, floods, tropical storms, and other disasters that we refer to collectively as climate change. Q: What causes global warming? Q: How is global warming linked to extreme weather? A: No!
Eyes on the Solar System: NASA web app lets you explore space in 3D | Geek-Cetera
Unless you’re an astronaut, or a billionaire with enough money to pay for a ride into space, you’ll probably never see what Earth looks like from above its atmosphere or see the rings of Saturn in real life (sorry to be the one to break it to you). Thankfully, NASA has created a real-time 3D browser-based experience that lets you explore the planets and their moons, asteroids, and other objects in our solar system, as well as the spacecrafts that are exploring these objects. The browser-based app, called “Eyes on the Solar System,” uses video game technology and NASA data to let you control your point of view by clicking and dragging your mouse. NASA said this is the first time the public will actually be able to see the whole solar system as well as NASA’s missions as they move together in real-time. The app actually lets you follow NASA spacecrafts thanks to NASA’s actual space mission data. NASA via PhysOrg
