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Measuring Arctic Sea-IceNASA’s DC-8 is used to Measure Impact of Climate Change in ArcticFlying Laboratory is used to measure sea-ice loss and formations and atmospheric processes in the Arctic with a goal of understanding how these systems are related.
The flagship of NASA’s Airborne Science Program, the DC-8, has been dispatched to the Arctic to evaluate sea-ice loss and formation in the northern hemisphere. The ability of the DC-8 to carry multiple instruments that can take measurements of sea-ice and the atmosphere simultaneously makes it a valuable tool to the earth science community. Sea-Ice in the Northern HemisphereSea-Ice in the Arctic is shrinking at an alarming rate, and scientists are trying to pinpoint exactly what processes are causing this to happen. NASA’s DC-8 is being used in the Arctic Mechanisms of Interaction between Surface and Atmosphere, or AMISA, mission to do just that – help scientists understand how processes in the atmosphere affect the surface of sea-ice. The mission is being led by Dr. Al Gasiewski and his team from the University of Colorado’s Center for Environmental Technology, along with Dr. Ola Persson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Other scientists involved are from NASA, the University of North Dakota, the University of Leeds, and the University of Stockholm. University of North Dakota’s National Suborbital and Education Research Center (NSERC) collaborates with NASA in organizing DC-8 missions such as this one. The AMISA Mission’s ObjectivesThe mission is taking place August 2008, during which time the DC-8 will go on five separate data-collecting flights over the Arctic. Many of the instruments that are carried on the aircraft for this mission are specifically designed for understanding how the atmosphere interacts with sea-ice. For example, the University of Leeds has donated an instrument to the mission called a Volatile Aerosol Concentration and Composition instrument. This instrument will be used to measure the concentration and composition of microscopic particles, or aerosols, in the atmosphere. Understanding the concentration and composition of aerosols in the atmosphere will help scientists understand how the sun’s radiation is transmitted or absorbed by the atmosphere and how it affects atmospheric temperatures. Next, scientists will want to investigate how atmospheric temperatures affect the melting or formation of sea-ice. The month of August is a period of transition for the Arctic climate. Measurements taking during this time will vary enough for scientists to make conclusions about (1) how aerosols affect atmospheric temperatures and (2) how these temperatures affect sea-ice coverage. The data scientists collect during this mission will contribute to an understanding of how and why sea-ice coverage is diminishing in the northern hemisphere. The answer is crucial for projecting future climate change because an open arctic sea absorbs more solar energy then a highly reflective surface of ice. Sources:Rick Shetter, Personal Communication, National Suborbital Education and Research Center Center for Environmental Technology
The copyright of the article Measuring Arctic Sea-Ice in Climate Change is owned by Alexandra Matiella Novak. Permission to republish Measuring Arctic Sea-Ice in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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