Failure of Glory satellite a major loss for climate change science
As the Taurus XL rocket boosting the $424 million Glory climate change research satellite roared off the launch pad from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base just after 2am PDT on March 4, NASA scientists and engineers from the rocket's maker, Orbital Sciences Corporation, were optimistic. A similar Taurus XL rocket failed in February 2009, resulting in the loss of the $273 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory, which was designed to preform high-resolution measurements of emissions of carbon dioxide from Earth. The rocket's fairing, a nose cone designed to shield satellites as it traveled through Earth's atmosphere did not separate properly, dooming the Orbiting Carbon Observatory to a spot at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Engineers redesigned the rocket, which did several successful launches over the past two years. But the rocket failed again for Glory's launch, and now the satellite lies useless beneath the South Pacific Ocean.
Figure 1. Climate responds to changes in the sun's radiation, dust (aerosol) particles, reflectivity of the surface (albedo) due to changes in land use, and concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and halocarbons. Changes in any of these quantities are called "forcings", and can force the climate to be warmer (red bars) or cooler (blue bars.) The word "radiative" arises because these factors change the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation (heat) within Earth's atmosphere. Since 1750, the changes in radiative forcing as estimated by the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that human activities, primarily due to increases in CO2 and other heat-trapping gases, have forced the climate to a warmer state. This forcing is equivalent to 1.6 watts per square meter of extra energy arriving everywhere on Earth's surface. However, there is a large uncertainty (LOSU = Level Of Scientific Understanding) on how much particles in the atmosphere (aerosols) affect Earth's climate. The uncertainty bars for the direct effect of particles in the atmosphere (where they scatter away more sunlight) and the indirect effects (where they increase the amount of sunlight-reflecting clouds, by acting as nuclei that cloud drops can form around) are very large compared to the uncertainty bars for other forcings.
The loss of the Glory satellite is a particularly bitter blow, since the satellite was designed to study the greatest unknown in climate change science--the emissions, composition, and distribution of dust particles in the atmosphere. Particles in the atmosphere (called aerosols by scientists) come from a variety of human-caused and natural sources. Black soot from fires can act to warm the climate, particularly if these black particles fall on ice and snow. However, most particles emitted into the atmosphere reflect sunlight back into space, and thus cool the climate. As seen in Figure 1, both the direct effects of dust particles (where they scatter away more sunlight) and the indirect effects (where they increase the amount of sunlight-reflecting clouds, by acting as nuclei that cloud drops can form around) are poorly known. It was hoped that data from the Glory satellite could significantly reduce these uncertainties. There is no replacement mission for Glory scheduled, and Congress' current budget-cutting appetite makes it unlikely a replacement satellite will be funded anytime soon. A replacement mission for the failed Orbital Carbon Observatory is scheduled for February 2013, but that mission may be delayed, since is it being launched by the same type of rocket that failed in Glory's launch.
As Gavin Schmidt notes in a post over at realclimate.org on Glory's demise, working from space is hard, expensive, and risky. Rocket failures resulting in the loss of hugely expensive satellites are not uncommon, and it takes years to procure funding and build new satellites. But, there is no substitute for satellites; the global coverage and detail of data they provide cannot be matched by surface- or aircraft-based observations. We must continue to hurl them into space, or risk plotting our course blindly into the future with only a fuzzy idea of how our planet is changing.
I'll be back on Friday with an April Fool's Day post.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Upgrading to a better browser may be a better solution.
FireFox and Chrome are what the designers and IT folks here develop around.
Ciao,...
VIDEO: Is the 10 mb level telegraphing mid month April arctic attack?
By Joe Bastardi
Just for your info...i just got a brand new computer and IE was the one that was loaded not firefox nor Chrome....so what makes those an upgrade over IE if the new computers don't even have those browers. Not being sarcastic or anything but, i have not used neither of them before. So i don't really know and work only uses IE also.
simple... Most likely you run windows, and Microsoft also makes IE. the only thing IE does better then chrome or firefox is........ It uses a miniscule less power to run it...Other than that firefox and chrome are far superior browsers.
Netscape v1.0 works like a champ
To add something on topic...
From the Leesburg area: About 10 minutes of gusty winds, probably 50-60mph max, 1.0 inch of rain total over about a 2 hour period, some small limbs down. Nothing too bad here; we'll see what tomorrow brings.
The First Internet Weather Service!
Weather Underground is committed to delivering the most reliable, accurate weather information possible. Our state-of-the-art technology monitors conditions and forecasts for locations across the world, so you'll always find the weather information that you need.
In addition to providing free, real-time online weather information to millions of Web users around the world, Weather Underground is pleased to offer a variety of Newspaper Weather Services and Custom Site Weather Packages.
Company Background
In 1991, while working under the direction of Perry Samson at the University of Michigan, PhD candidate Jeff Masters wrote a menu-based telnet interface which displayed real-time weather information around the world. By 1992, the two servers his system used were rattling off their desks as "um-weather" became the most popular service on the Internet.
In 1993, Perry and Jeff recruited Jeff Ferguson and Alan Steremberg to help build a system to bring Internet weather into K-12 classrooms. Chris Schwerzler joined Alan in his work on the Mac gopher client, "Blue Skies," which won numerous awards for its interactive imagery and text information. In the interest of expanding "Blue Skies" to other platforms, Dave Brooks, author of the Windows "WS Gopher" client, developed "Blue Skies for Windows" in 1994. The growing Internet weather program was given the name Weather Underground, a reference to the 1960's radical group that also originated at the University of Michigan, which had taken its name from the lyrics to Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."
During early 1995, Netscape's prime, Alan and Chris embarked upon the "Blue Skies for Java" project to replace the aging gopher client with a sleek web interface. "Blue Skies Java" was included in Sun Microsystems' first set of Java Success Stories and led to the development of a full fledged web weather service. At the same time, Michael McDonald, a web developer, was building a comprehensive database of weather related information and tropical weather links on the web, which he later integrated into the tropical storm section of the Weather Underground site.
Incorporating on the Web
In late spring of 1995, Weather Underground, Inc. evolved as a separate commercial entity from the university. By fall, the official web site, www.wunderground.com, was released with daily forecasts and hourly conditions for 550 US cities. After announcing the new web site on the telnet service, traffic immediately soared, creating a substantial user base. During 1996 and 1997, Jeff, Alan, Chris, and Jeff transformed the site into a dynamic service where information was updated in real-time with several innovative new features. These included one of the first zip code searches, severe weather warnings and advisories, international conditions, marine weather, and detailed local forecasts. They also began developing custom weather sites for TV stations and Internet portals.
But the primary prevention is to post pics and vids which are no larger than 480x390. If that is not a choice on YT, you can customize the size.
2011: 1st Place; 60% Capable of TC / Up from 48%
2008: 2nd Place; 20% Capable of TC / Up from 13%
2007: 3rd Place; 19% Capable of TC / Down from 24%
2005: 4th Place; 17% Capable of TC / Down from 26%
2010: 5th Place; 8% Capable of TC / The same as yesturday
IE7 and below, plus IE9 (the latest, works on Win7 only) should have no problem.
IF you have IE8, got to the Tools menu and make sure Compatibility View is checked. That will prevent the stretch problem.
it is safe to say all watches and warnings have ended for the time being
Mozilla/Firefox has successfully defeated the blog stretch for about the last 5 years running. A little sad, really, that Inept Explorer hasn't yet figured it out...
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND A FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED AT BIRD OF PARADISE DRIVE AND BELLE TERRE PARKWAY.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE OFF RICHMOND DRIVE. POWER LINES WERE ALSO DOWN.
MULTIPLE TREES AND WIRES REPORTED DOWN IN THE LEHIGH WOODS SECTION OF PALM COAST.
And I thought this was a rip off when I looked at the radar before everything blew up.... This was a great storm to witness and track, finally a storm that didn't head south of Flagler.
Round 2 tomorrow!
Just bought a brand new computer with latest update of windows 7....things are still not working correct.
266. P451
Thanks for your post on this somewhat distant problem, Whilst we do hope everybody weathers your Florida storms OK some degree of concern is still needed as to the situation in Japan and 8its consequences to a large part of the world.
Your post states the possible requirement to start to cover the plant reactors with concrete dropped from helicopters and although this is at the moment feasible it may not be so for very long, due to increased radiation.
As I can see this developing, the reactor fuel if it is melting down is going into a state of ''uncontrollable heat creation'' and this will probably doubtless lead to a pressure build up and some form of an explosion, perhaps minor, perhaps devastating.
Any heavy solid encasement on the top of the reactor vessels will be ejected into the surrounding air and it will be radioactive, added to this if any concrete encasement is successful in capping the 'meltdown' the pressure will then force the radioactive leaks to emerge elsewhere.
In conclusion I would say the situation is now probably bordering on hopeless as far as simple solutions go.
By Go Onomitsu and Sachiko Sakamaki - Mar 30, 2011 1:25 PM CT
640 is too wide? Still running 800 x 600? My screen is 1600 (edit: er, no, it's 1920) x 1200, and works like a champ with Firefox. Both old and new wunderground. Never once since 2005 have I had a pic or video blow out a page, although I have heard about it lots.
480 pixels wide is ridiculous. If IE can't handle that, ditch it. If you are stuck with IE, blame IT not wunderground. It comes on Windows computers because Microsoft offers other goodies to those who install IE on their Windows boxes. Firefox is an easy download and install and is a much more sophisticated (and open) browser environment.
That's incorrect, according to M$:
Some Web sites are designed for older browsers. You may experience compatibility issues on these sites until they are updated for Internet Explorer 8 or for Internet Explorer 9.
And it does look like the problem will occur in IE9 as well, unless WU is in the Compatibility View list.
Just r. click on it, copy location, open Image button above comment box, and paste.
In 1993, Perry and Jeff recruited Jeff Ferguson and Alan Steremberg to help build a system to bring Internet weather into K-12 classrooms. Chris Schwerzler joined Alan in his work on the Mac gopher client, "Blue Skies," which won numerous awards for its interactive imagery and text information. In the interest of expanding "Blue Skies" to other platforms, Dave Brooks, author of the Windows "WS Gopher" client, developed "Blue Skies for Windows" in 1994. The growing Internet weather program was given the name Weather Underground, a reference to the 1960's radical group that also originated at the University of Michigan, which had taken its name from the lyrics to Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."
During early 1995, Netscape's prime, Alan and Chris embarked upon the "Blue Skies for Java" project to replace the aging gopher client with a sleek web interface. "Blue Skies Java" was included in Sun Microsystems' first set of Java Success Stories and led to the development of a full fledged web weather service. At the same time, Michael McDonald, a web developer, was building a comprehensive database of weather related information and tropical weather links on the web, which he later integrated into the tropical storm section of the Weather Underground site.
Incorporating on the Web
In late spring of 1995, Weather Underground, Inc. evolved as a separate commercial entity from the university. By fall, the official web site, www.wunderground.com, was released with daily forecasts and hourly conditions for 550 US cities. After announcing the new web site on the telnet service, traffic immediately soared, creating a substantial user base. During 1996 and 1997, Jeff, Alan, Chris, and Jeff transformed the site into a dynamic service where information was updated in real-time with several innovative new features. These included one of the first zip code searches, severe weather warnings and advisories, international conditions, marine weather, and detailed local forecasts. They also began developing custom weather sites for TV stations and Internet portals.
I don't want to consume more blog space on this, so I will just point out that statement is from Microsoft. There is more to the story.
Updated 2 hours 2 minutes ago
ABC News
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