Polar Exchange at the Sea Surface (POLES)

The polar regions are of special interest in studies of the Earth system. Sea ice, for example, is generally believed to be a central element in the Earth's climate system. Deep convection in the polar oceans is thought to play a large role in the meridional circulation of the world ocean.

Scientists from 8 disciplines and 4 institutions have joined together in the POLES investigation to use the rich array of satellite data collected from the polar regions. The data have been collected using a variety of satellite-based sensors, including passive microwave radiometers, the TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

Satellite data have historically been used for short-term weather forecasts. POLES scientists, however, are using these data to build an understanding of long-term patterns in the fluxes of heat, moisture, and momentum across the surface of the polar oceans. Their goal is to assimilate satellite (and some buoy) observations into polar ocean-atmosphere models that not only refine the treatment of surface exchange processes, but also quantify the roles of horizontal transports, oceanic mixing, and deep convection. With better use of data, researchers can move beyond present climatological descriptions and document interannual variability.

For a more detailed description of POLES (from the 1998 EOS Reference Handbook) click here.

Earth Observing System (EOS)

The primary goal of the Earth Observing System (EOS), a program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is to advance the scientific understanding of the entire Earth system. Working with both national and international scientific communities, NASA seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the components of the global climate system, the interactions between these components, and the changes occurring within the system.

The potential ramifications of these changes include climate warming, rising sea level, deforestation, desertification, ozone depletion, acid rain, and reduction in biodiversity. Such changes would have a profound impact on all nations, yet many important scientific questions remain unanswered. For example, while most scientists agree that global warming is likely, its magnitude and timing are quite uncertain. Additional information on the rate, causes, and effects of global change is essential to the understanding needed to cope with it.

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This page last revised: 3/22/99