Satellite Meteorology

For Grade 7-12

9

Monitoring the Global Environment

NASA's 3rd Earth Observing Satellite

AURA

Aura was developed to study the Earth's ozone, air quality and climate. Scientists will use data collected by instruments on Aura to conduct research on the composition, chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's upper and lower atmosphere. Aura's instruments contain advanced technologies developed specifically for environmental studies. Each instrument provides unique and complementary capabilities that enable daily global observations of Earth's atmospheric ozone layer, air quality, and key climate parameters.

Instruments

The four main intsruments on Aura are:

• HIRDLS: High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder
• MLS: Microwave Limb Sounder
• OMI: Ozone Monitoring Instrument
• TES: Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer

These instruments will provide valuable information about the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere and the quality of the air we breathe near the Earth's surface.

This Satellite Meteorology Course was developed at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) located within the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) at the UW-Madison. Funding was provided by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) and NOAA/NESDIS.