Organization:
Research Title: NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT)
Funding Level (millions of dollars):
| FY94 | 17.6 |
|---|---|
| FY95 | 15.4 |
| FY96 | 10.1 |
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Component:
(a) Subcommittee: Global Change Research Subcommittee (100%)
(b) Environmental Issue: Natural variability (50%)
Global Change: exploratory research with broad focus not primarily in another
category
(50%)
(c) Research Activity: System structure and function: Observation (100%),
Organizational Component:
NASA Headquarters, Code YS
Washington, DC 20546
Point of Contact:
Miriam Baltuck
Phone: 202-358-0244
E-Mail: mbaltuck@hq.nasa.gov
Research Goals:
Wind stress is the single largest source of momentum to the upper ocean and winds
drive
ocean motions on scales ranging from surface waves to basin-wide current systems.
Winds over the ocean also modulate air-sea fluxes of heat, moisture, and
particulates,
thus
regulating the critical coupling between the atmosphere and ocean that establishes
and
maintains global and regional climate. Finally, measurements of surface wind
velocity
can
be assimilated into regional and global numerical weather models, thereby
extending
and
improving our ability to predict future weather patterns on many scales. NASCAT
will
provide the first comprehensive ocean measurements of vector winds needed to
address
these important issues.
Research Description:
NSCAT is designed to acquire high resolution, continuous, all weather
measurements
of
near surface vector winds over the ice-free global oceans. As the only instrument
capable
of acquiring measurements of wind velocity both speed and direction NSCAT data
are
critical for studies of tropospheric dynamics and air-sea momentum fluxes. NSCAT
will
measure vector winds over 79% of the global oceans each day with virtually
complete
coverage in every 2 day period. The wind velocity data from NSCAT will be used for
calculating all air-sea fluxes, for modeling upper ocean circulation, for
understanding
tropospheric dynamics, and for improving global weather predications.
Program Interfaces:
The Physical Oceanography Program of the Physical Climate Branch is an integral
part
of
Mission to Planet Earth program which is addressing climate change issues through
a
coordinated effort with other federal agencies in the US. Global Change Research
Program
(USGCRP) and internationally through bilateral and multilateral agreements with
the
space
agencies of other countries and agencies such as the U.N. World meteorological
Organization, World Climate Research program (WCRP). Specifically, this mission
is part
of the NASA contribution to the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and
the
Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) programs.
Program Milestones:
Selection of science team 1985. Launch is scheduled with other related payloads
in
August 1996 on Japanese H-2 ELV.
Policy Payoffs:
This instrument will provide measurements of momentum fluxes that drive the
ocean
circulation. Since the oceans are a critical element in the climate system, this
will lead to a
better understanding of the processes that control climate change. In addition,
data from
this instrument will be used to enhance the skill of real-time weather forecasting
and
provide important information such as the intensity and location of severe weather
disturbances, such as hurricanes.