The Aqua Science Mission

1
The Aqua Science Mission Claire L.
Parkinson Aqua Project Scientist EOS Flight
Operations Team Awards Ceremony Goddard Space
Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland August 23, 2002
2
The Aqua Spacecraft
(rendering by Reto Stockli, based on an earlier
version by TRW)
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Aqua Mission Basics

• Aqua is one of the major satellite missions of
  the Earth Observing System (EOS) program.
• The Aqua spacecraft carries six distinct
  instruments to measure numerous aspects of the
  Earths atmosphere, oceans, ice, land, and
  biosphere.
• The Aqua name highlights the information the
  mission will obtain about water in the Earth
  system.
• Aqua was launched on board a Delta II 7920-10L
  rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in
  California, at 255 a.m. on May 4, 2002.
• Terra, the first EOS spacecraft, was launched in
  December 1999.

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Different Depictions of the Water Cycle
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Instruments on Aqua

• Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
• Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)
• Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB)
• Moderate Resolution
  Imaging Spectro-
  radiometer (MODIS)
• Clouds and the Earths
  Radiant Energy System
  (CERES two
  instruments)
• Advanced Microwave
  Scanning Radiometer
  for EOS (AMSR-E)

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Aqua as of August 2001 at TRW, Redondo Beach,
California
Earth-viewing side
Space-viewing side
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Aquas Delta II Rocket
(photos by Bill Ingalls)
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The Launch of Aqua, May 4, 2002
(video courtesy of Vandenberg Air Force Base,
digitized by Vicky Weeks)
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Simulated Aqua Launch Sequence
(animation by Reto Stockli)
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Simulated Deployment Sequence for Aqua
(animation by Reto Stockli)
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Aquas Orbit
(animation by Jesse Allen)
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Aquas Orbit with Sample Data
Visible imagery from the Terra MODIS, May 25Aug.
29, 2001.
(animation by Jesse Allen)
13
The Aqua Science Teams

• AIRS/AMSU/HSB Science Team, led by Moustafa
  Chahine, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• AMSR-E U.S. Science Team, led by Roy Spencer,
  University of Alabama at Huntsville.
• AMSR-E Japanese Science Team, led by Akira
  Shibata, Japanese Meteorological Agency.
• CERES Science Team, led by Bruce Wielicki, NASA
  Langley Research Center.
• MODIS Science Team, led by Vincent Salomonson,
  NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

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Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
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The Aqua Sounding Suite
Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU two units)
AMSU A1
AMSU A2
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Central Goals for the AIRS/AMSU/HSB Science
Efforts

• Improved atmospheric temperature measurements.
• Improved humidity measurements.
• Improved weather forecasts.
• Improved climate under-
  standing through analysis
  of the
  AIRS/AMSU/HSB
  temperature, water, cloud,
  ozone, methane, carbon
  monoxide, and carbon
  
  dioxide information.

Failed regional forecast for January 24, 2000,
when Washington, D.C. was struck by a major
snowstorm. (Map courtesy of Brett McDonald.)
17
AMSU First Light ImagesUncalibrated data at 23.8
GHz, May 12, 2002
First data passages over the U.S. east and west
coasts, centered at 130 p.m. local time.
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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AMSU First Light ImagesCentral U.S., May 16, 2002
Channel 6 (54.4 GHz)
Nighttime pass intense thunder-storm activity in
Kansas.
Channel 4 (52.8 GHz)
Channel 3 (50.3 GHz)
Channel 1 (23.8 GHz)
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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HSB First Light Images Early Pass over the U.S.
West Coast, 115 PDT, May 15, 2002
Channel 2 (150 GHz)
Channel 5 (183 7 GHz)
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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HSB First Light Images Early Nighttime Pass over
South America, May 15, 2002
Channel 2 (150 GHz)
Ch. 3 (183 1 GHz)
Ch. 4 (183 3 GHz)
Ch. 5 (183 7 GHz)
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
21
AMSU and HSB First Light Images Early Pass over
Northern Europe, July 20, 2002
AMSU
HSB
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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HSB/AIRS Early Light ComparisonHurricane Alma,
west of Mexico, May 29, 2002
HSB 150 GHz data
AIRS Visible/Near IR data
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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Early Geophysical Product from AMSU/HSB
Preliminary Rain Rate Images for June 16, 2002
Scandinavia
South central U.S.
(images courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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AIRS First Light Infrared Imagefor a granule
centered along the west coast of S. Africa

• Area of 2500 km x 2500 km
• Color-coded brightness temperatures for the 2616
  cm-1 channel (wavelength of 3.8 ?m)
• Temperature range from about 212 K (darkest blue)
  to about 295 K (darkest red)
• Nighttime image, centered at 130 a.m. local
  time, June 13, 2002

(image courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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AIRS First Light IR Spectra
a. Brightness temperatures (in K) for all 2378
AIRS infrared channels for one footprint off the
west coast of South Africa, June 13, 2002, 130
UTC.
500 1000
1500 2000
2500 wavenumber
(cm-1) 20 10
6.7
5 4
wavelength (?m)
b. Detail showing the leftmost 128 of the 2378
channels in plot a.
(both spectra courtesy of the AIRS Science Team)
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Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS
(AMSR-E)
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AMSR-E

• Key data products rainfall, water vapor, cloud
  water, sea surface temperature, sea surface wind
  speed, sea ice concentration, sea ice
  temperature, snow depth on sea ice, snow-water
  equivalent on land, and surface soil moisture.
• Conically scanning passive-microwave radiometer.
• Twelve channels, two each (with vertical and
  horizontal polarizations) at frequencies of 6.9,
  10.7, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89 GHz.
• Spatial resolutions ranging from 5 km
  for the 89 GHz channels to 56 km for
  the 6.9 GHz channels.

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AMSR-E Goals

• Extend the records of many variables from
  previous passive-microwave instruments, with
  improved spatial resolution, and analyze the
  results.
• Add records of soil moisture and surface
  temperatures.

Sample record to be extended a 20-year
satellite record of Arctic sea ice coverage
(extended from Parkinson et al., 1999)
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AMSR-E First Light ImageGlobal Sea Surface
Temperatures for June 2-4, 2002
(image courtesy of NASDA)
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AMSR-E First Light ImageThree-Channel Composite
for June 2-4, 2002
Channels used 89 GHz V H, 23.8 GHz H.
(image courtesy of NASDA)
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Typhoon in the East China Sea July 4, 2002
AMSR-E image, 226 a.m. Japan Standard Time
(JST). Color composite using the 89 GHz V H and
23.8 GHz H channels.
Japanese GMS-5 image, 200 JST.
(images courtesy of NASDA)
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AMSR-E First Light Image

• Polarization at 89 GHz.
• North polar region.
• June 2, 2002.

(image courtesy of the AMSR-E Science Team)
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Clouds and the Earths Radiant Energy System
(CERES two copies)
Schematic view
Actual CERES instruments, undergoing inspection
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CERES

• Measurements of clouds and radiation fluxes.
• Two scanning radiometers,
  both capable of operating
  in either of two scanning
  modes.
• Three channels in each
  radiometer
• Total radiance (0.3 to over 100
  ?m)
• Shortwave radiance (0.3-5 ?m)
• Radiance in the 8-12 ?m atmospheric window.
• Spatial resolutions of 20 km at nadir.

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The Earths Radiation Budget
(adapted from Kiehl and Trenberth, 1997, by the
CERES Science Team)
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Sample Data from the Terra CERES
July 2000 average longwave flux
(on right)
(on left)
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CERES First Light ImageReflected Shortwave Flux,
June 22, 2002
Low
High
(image courtesy of the CERES Science Team)
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CERES First Light ImageEmitted Longwave Flux,
June 22, 2002
Low
High
(image courtesy of the CERES Science Team)
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CERES First Light ImagesShortwave and Longwave
Fluxes, June 22, 2002
Low
High
Low
High
(images courtesy of the CERES Science Team)
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CERES Goals

• Obtain accurate measurements of fluxes of
  outgoing radiation at the top of the atmosphere.
• Shortwave radiation
• Total radiation
• Longwave radiation
• Radiation in the 8-12 ?m atmospheric window.
• Derive improved values for the Earths radiation
  budget.
• Analyze clouds and their effects on climate,
  using CERES and MODIS data.
• Analyze the diurnal cycle of radiation fluxes,
  using the CERES data from Terra and Aqua.
• Obtain and analyze long-term climate records
  using data from the Earth Radiation Budget
  Experiment (ERBE) and the CERES on TRMM, Terra,
  and Aqua.

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Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS)
MODIS on Aqua, with the cover removed
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MODIS

• Measurements of biological and physical processes
  within the Earth/atmosphere system.
• Cross-track scanning radiometer.
• 36 spectral bands, with
  wavelengths ranging
  from 0.4 to 14.5 ?m.
• Spatial resolutions of
  250 m 1 km.
• Temporal resolutions
  of 1-2 days.

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Sample Images from the Terra MODIS, p.1
3/3/2000
Iceberg breaking off the Ross Ice Shelf,
Antarctica, 3/28/2000
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Sample Images from the Terra MODIS, p.2
Enhanced Vegetation Index, September 30 October
15, 2000
Sea Surface Temperature, May 2001 Daytime Average
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MODIS First Light ImageFires in Australia, June
24, 2002
Terra image
Aqua first light image
(images courtesy of the MODIS Science Team)
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MODIS First Light Images
The Nile River, 7/23/2002
Northwest Africa and vicinity, 7/24/2002
(images courtesy of the MODIS Science Team)
Western U.S., 6/25/2002
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MODIS First Light Ocean ImagesIndian Ocean, June
24, 2002
Chlorophyll a
Suspended solids
(images courtesy of the MODIS Ocean Group, GSFC,
RSMAS)
Daytime SST
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MODIS Combined Terra/Aqua Chlorophyll Product
for the Indian Ocean, June 25, 2002
(image courtesy of the MODIS Ocean Group, GSFC,
RSMAS)
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MODIS First Light Image of the Arctic Sea Ice and
Greenland Ice Sheet, July 13, 2002
(image courtesy of the MODIS Science Team)
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Aqua MODIS Goals

• Examine a large variety of biological and
  physical processes, through generation and
  analysis of most of the same products as from the
  Terra MODIS.
• Add a new Surface Evaporation Index.
• Generate improved SSTs, benefiting from a gain
  change made to the Aqua MODIS bands 31 and 32 in
  October 2000.
• Examine the diurnal cycle of many variables,
  using the Terra and Aqua MODIS data.

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Sample Validation Plans
A Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) for validation of
MODIS measurements
1000s of radiosonde launches for validation of
AIRS/AMSU/HSB measurements
Heavily instrumented Chesapeake Lighthouse for
validation of CERES measurements
An Airborne Earth Science Microwave Imaging
Radiometer (AESMIR) for validation of AMSR-E
measurements
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Simulated Data Collection by the Aqua Instruments
(animation by Jesse Allen)
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The EOS Afternoon Satellite Constellation
(animation by Jesse Allen)
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Aqua Brochures Available at http//aqua.nasa.gov
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Additional Products Available at
http//aqua.nasa.gov
Aqua webcasts
Aqua lithograph
Webcasts (broad-cast live, then archived) Dec.
19, 2001 from TRW Feb. 5 and 8, 2002 from
Hawaii May 2 and 4, 2002 from Vandenberg Air
Force Base, CA.
Video clips of Aqua scientists
Weather Forecasting Fact Sheet
Water Cycle Fact Sheet
Aqua Images
Aqua Science Writers Guide and Press Releases
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Aqua Summary

• Aqua is a major satellite mission of the EOS
  program, with the following key goals
• Improved understanding of the water cycle.
• Improved understanding of additional elements of
  the climate system.
• Improved weather forecasting.
• Launch occurred on May 4, 2002, and the
  spacecraft is now in its final orbit, which is at
  an altitude of 705 km and is sun-synchronous,
  crossing the equator going north at 130 p.m. and
  going south at 130 a.m.
• Six distinct
  Earth-observing
  instruments
  are
  on board, all working well.
• First light images have been generated from
  each instrument, and press releases are going
  out.
  

_UV Vis Infrared
Microwave____ ----MODIS---
- HSB ------AIRS-----
---AMSR-E---
----------CERES--------
-------- AMSU
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