ECOSTRESS (Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station) is an ongoing scientific experiment in which a radiometer mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) measures the temperature of plants growing in specific locations on Earth over the course of a solar year. These measurements give scientists insight into the effects of events like heat waves and droughts on crops.[1]
More specifically, ECOSTRESS seeks to answer three questions:[citation needed]
- How is the terrestrial biosphere responding to changes in water availability?
- How do changes in the water stress experienced by diurnal vegetation impact the global carbon cycle?
- Can agricultural vulnerability be reduced through advanced monitoring of the consumptive use of water for agriculture, and by improved estimation of the severity of droughts?
ECOSTRESS data has many other uses, such as comparing the temperatures of man-made surfaces (such as paved roads) and natural surfaces (such as prairie land) over time.[citation needed]
ECOSTRESS radiometer
editThe instrument that collects ECOSTRESS data is a multispectral, thermal, infrared radiometer. It measures temperatures on the surface of the Earth, rather than surface air temperature.[2][3]
ECOSTRESS data is archived at the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC),[4] which is a data center managed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). ECOSTRESS data is discoverable through various platforms[5] including through LP DAAC's AppEEARS (Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples)[6] tool, which allows users to quickly subset and reproject data into a geographic lat/lot format. The data collected is also published via the open-access TERN Data Discovery Portal in Australia.[3]
The ECOSTRESS radiometer was built at JPL and consisted of 5 spectral bands in the thermal infrared (8-12 micron) and 1 band in the shortwave infrared, which is used for geolocation.[7] ECOSTRESS was delivered to the ISS by the SpaceX Dragon after a launch out of Cape Canaveral, Florida on 29 June 2018[8] The Dragon arrived at the space station on 3 July 2018.[8] The radiometer was mounted on the station's Kibo module. The radiometer constituted about 550 kg (1,210 lb) of the 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) of cargo on board the Dragon.[9] Other cargo included spare parts for the Canadarm2 robotic arm, as well as other equipment and supplies.[1]
The high-resolution images have a pixel size of 70 by 38 meters (230 by 125 ft).[10]
Participating scientists
editThe original ECOSTRESS Science Team comprised Dr. Glynn Hulley at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),[11] with scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture, including Dr. Andrew French[12] and Dr. Martha Anderson.[13]
Dr. Simon Hook of JPL[14] is the principal investigator of the ECOSTRESS mission; Dr. Joshua Fisher (also of JPL)[15] is the science lead.[3] Additional members of the science team are Drs. Eric Wood of Princeton University,[16] Rick Allen of the University of Idaho,[17] and Chris Hain of the Marshall Space Flight Center.[18]
Science data products
edit| Data product | Description | Pixel-spacing resolution (Meters) |
|---|---|---|
| ECO1BRAD.001 | Radiance | 70 × 70 |
| ECO1BATT.001 | Attitude and ephemeris | |
| ECO1BMAPRAD.001 | Projected radiance | |
| ECO1BGEO.001 | Geolocation | |
| ECO2LSTE.001 | Land surface temperature and emissivity | |
| ECO2CLD.001 | Cloud mask | |
| ECO3ETPTJPL.001 | Evapotranspiration (PT-JPL model enhanced) | |
| ECO3ANCQA.001 | Ancillary data quality | |
| ECO3ETALEXIU.001 | Evapotranspiration (ALEXI model enhanced) | 30 × 30 (resampled from 70 × 70) |
| ECO4ESIPTJPL.001 | Evaporative Stress Index derived from L3_ET_PT-JPL | 70 × 70 |
| ECO4ESIALEXIU.001 | Evaporative Stress Index derived from L3_ET_ALEXI | 30 × 30 (resampled from 70 × 70) |
| ECO4WUE.001 | Efficiency of water use | 70 × 70 |
Image data is captured over the continental United States and target areas[specify] every one to seven days.
Early adopters program
editECOSTRESS was the first Earth Venture Mission (EVM) to establish an early adopters program. The program grants its members access to provisional data, plus opportunities to collaborate with other ECOSTRESS users in a Slack channel. As of August 2019, the Early Adopters Program has transitioned to the ECOSTRESS Community of Practice, with over 250 members.[clarification needed]
See also
editExternal links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Clark, Stephen (28 June 2018). "Commercial SpaceX cargo capsule readied for launch Friday". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- ^ "ECOSTRESS Maps LA's Hot Spots". ecostress.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 18 September 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c "UQ center's data used in space station study of global climate" (Press release). University of Queensland. Retrieved 2 October 2018 – via EurekAlert!.
- ^ "LP DAAC - Homepage". lpdaac.usgs.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Data — ECOSTRESS". ecostress.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "AρρEEARS". appeears.earthdatacloud.nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Instrument". ECOSTRESS.
- ^ a b "ECOSTRESS Launches to Space Station on SpaceX Mission". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 13 August 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "ECOSTRESS launches to space station on SpaceX mission" (Press release). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2 October 2018 – via Phys.org.
- ^ "NASA's ECOSTRESS Sees Las Vegas Streets Turn Up the Heat". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Glynn Hulley". JPL Science. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Andrew French : USDA ARS". www.ars.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Martha Anderson : USDA ARS". www.ars.usda.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "JPL Science: Simon Hook". science.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Joshua Fisher". JPL Science. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Eric Wood". Civil and Environmental Engineering. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "Richard Allen, Ph.D." Department of Soil and Water Systems - University of Idaho. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017.
- ^ "SPoRT Staff - Hain". 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2022.