|
|
|
Wednesday, December 12, 2001 Triana Set to Monitor the Earth as the First Deep-Space Climate Observatory Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego SCRIPPS CONTACTS:
Mario Aguilera FOR RELEASE: December 12, 2001 TRIANA SET TO MONITOR THE EARTH AS THE FIRST DEEP-SPACE CLIMATE OBSERVATORY The Triana mission, led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, will collect key information about Earth’s climate system using the first deep-space climate satellite. With new scientific instruments taking a broad set of measurements, the spacecraft will have a continuous view of the sunlit side of Earth from a vantage point 1.5 million kilometers away (at the L-1 neutral gravity point). This location will afford a view of the entire Earth, rather than a patchwork of regions of interest. Triana’s measurements of infrared radiation emitted by Earth will be used to monitor global warming and climate variability. Triana will collect information about the climate system by tracking atmospheric dynamics, cloud physics, aerosols, radiation, and surface remote sensing. Measurements of the solar wind, magnetic fields, and plasma will advance research and provide early warning of solar events that may pose threats to Earth. Solar-wind events will be "seen" by Triana approximately 50 minutes before reaching Earth’s magnetosphere–providing enough time to issue warnings to protect sensitive systems such as orbiting satellites. Triana’s views of our world will be used as a teaching tool that will inspire the quest for knowledge. Triana team members will support this quest with public and elementary-to-higher education outreach, teacher training, and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. When Triana is launched (date undetermined), it will become the first deep-space "climate satellite" and has the potential to prove the unique usefulness of deep-space observation points such as L-1 and L-2 for earth sciences. The Triana spacecraft and all instruments are built, tested, and calibrated. Triana is ready to go. # # # # # # Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. The National Research Council has ranked Scripps first in faculty quality among oceanography programs nationwide Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. |
|
