First Images Press Conference April 19, 2000

introduction / modis / misr / aster / mopitt / ceres / conclusion Note: This is the full-text and accompanying animations for the first release of Terra data images. Each image links to one or more larger images. Introduction, Yoram Kaufman, Terra Project Scientist   Four months ago, at the dawn of the new millennium, we watched the spectacular launch into the blue California sky of the first Earth Observing System satellite-"Terra"-designed for a comprehensive check up of planet Earth. What a wonderful way to begin the new millennium.   While I'll describe the objectives of the Terra mission, we shall show you a montage of coincident images acquired over North America that demonstrate some of Terra's unique new perspectives on our planet. The significance of these images will be described in a series of presentations by the mission's principal investigators. The Terra observatory carries 5 instruments—American, Japanese, and Canadian—to start a thorough evaluation of the Earth System: Land, Ocean, Atmosphere, and life, as well as the exchange of nutrients, carbon, heat, moisture and…pollution among them. Terra is measuring a wide array of vital signs, many of them for the first time, to help us understand our planet, to distinguish between natural and man-made climate change, and to show us how the Earth's climate affects the quality of our lives. Terra data, along with other measurements, will feed Earth Science models so we can predict climate variations and climate change, and prepare for the future.   We, the mission scientists, have had a fantastic time working with Terra data. We find that all 5 instruments are in great shape, with full functionality. Here today, we are sharing with you the first month's crop of images that were collected before the instruments' calibration is complete. We shall show you a glimpse of the revolution in Earth Science that the "terra-bytes" of data from Terra just began.   What is this revolution in Earth science and why is it important? There are some basic questions about the Earth system that need to be answered in order to understand our world's climate system well enough to predict future changes, and how those changes may impact our quality of life. How are the soils and vegetation types changing across our landscapes? What are the changes in the extent of snow and ice, and why are 2-3 of the world's glaciers disappearing each week? What are the variations in the phytoplankton in the ocean and how are these plants affected by windblown Saharan dust? What is the concentration of atmospheric airborne particles and gaseous pollutants, and how do they affect the ability of the atmosphere to cleanse itself? What fraction originates from natural or man- made sources? How does the availability of water vapor and the presence of pollutants affect cloud formation, properties and precipitation? Is the Earth system taking in more radiant energy than it reflects and emits back into space, or is the radiation budget in balance? Is there a change in the frequency of wild fires, floods, & volcanic eruptions? Is the frequency related to climate change? The following presentations by the instrument leaders will give you a glimpse into the multiplicity of perspectives on our world as seen by Terra, and how our mission will address these questions. In one thread among images you're about to see, the 5 instruments observed one common region: the Himalayan mountains and the heavily populated and polluted region in the Indian sub-continent. introduction / modis / misr / aster / mopitt / ceres / conclusion