When the White House’s National Science and Technology Council issued its latest report on Earth observation in April, one of the goals it set out was to improve user engagement. According to the National Strategy for Civil Earth Observations, ÛÏMechanisms for engaging user communities will be developed to cultivate wider application and use of Earth observations.Û
According to a new poll, 82 percent of Germans support the country’s transition to renewable energy, known as the Energiewende. The poll by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) found some discontent with some aspects of the project, however, particularly with the cost.
Groups at NASA and CERN are using sound to display data in new ways for analysis and outreach.
Groups at NASA and CERN are using sound to display data in new ways for analysis and outreach.
A profile of Gail Skofronick-Jackson, physical scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and deputy project scientist for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission.
NASA’s twin Global Hawk aircraft will fly a pair of instrument payloads as part of a hurricane science mission during the next two years, adding to a successful record in Earth observation.
In the era of 3D visualization, physical globes remain an important educational and scientific communication tool. The digital globe is the next generation – still providing the simple wonder of a spherical display, but combining it with the sophistication and power of today’s digital imagery.
Many religious leaders and spiritual writers have looked back to their traditions to contribute to the contemporary ecological dialogue. Faith communities around the world are appropriating sustainable practices and promoting environmental awareness. How can we gauge their impact?
The Statistics for Action (SfA) project provides new opportunities for engaging the community with science. The project is coordinated by TERC, a not-for-profit educational research organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in math and science learning. SfA has designed practices, materials, and resources to make data and science more accessible and relevant to communities concerned about their local environment. Two stories, detailed here, illustrate the approach.
![Figure showing Difference plots (LIS minus control) of a 13-hour forecast valid at 1600 UTC, June 9, 2008, for the following fields: a) sensible heat flux (W m-2), b), 2-m dew point temperature (in degree Celsius), c) PBL height (m), and d) CAPE (J kg-1). Adapted from [5].](https://ieeeearthzine.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Diff-in-CNTL.jpg "Figure showing Difference plots (LIS minus control) of a 13-hour forecast valid at 1600 UTC, June 9, 2008, for the following fields: a) sensible heat flux (W m-2), b), 2-m dew point temperature (in degree Celsius), c) PBL height (m), and d) CAPE (J kg-1). Adapted from [5].")
A suite of real-time soil characteristic products for the contiguous United States will be enhanced by data from the upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite missions. These products are used by operational weather forecasters to aid in analyzing and forecasting drought, extreme heat, and convective initiation.
