ICP Newsletter Summer 1998 · Harvey Augenbraun Sam Borenstein Jimmy Bussey John DaPonte Alexandra Estrella Robert Kruckeberg Elaine Matthews Chris Petersen George Tselioudis Acknowledgements

ICP NewsletterSS uu mm mm ee rr 11 99 99 88

Storm Clouds

Computer Courseware

ECC Module Two

Student Profiles

Outreach page 16

page 10

page 8

page 5

page 2

featuring. . .

The Institute on Climate and Planets is a

Research, Science Education, and Minority

Outreach Program at the NASA Goddard

Institute for Space Studies.

A. Philip Randolph High School

Bronx High School ofScience

Career Magnet High School

City College of New York

DeWitt Clinton High School

Far Rockaway High School

George Washington High School

High School forEnvironmental Studies

Hunter College

LaGuardia CommunityCollege

MAST High School

Medgar Evers College

Mott Hall IntermediateSchool

New Rochelle High School

QueensboroughCommunity College

Richard GrossleyInstitute—JR. HS #8

School of the Future

Southern ConnecticutState U.

Townsend Harris High School

York College

School ResearchNetwork

Thanks to the followingpeople for contributing to

the publication and distribution of this

newsletter:

Harvey Augenbraun

Sam Borenstein

Jimmy Bussey

John DaPonte

Alexandra Estrella

Robert Kruckeberg

Elaine Matthews

Chris Petersen

George Tselioudis

Acknowledgements

NASA GISS

NYC Public Schools

CUNY-AMP

Columbia University

NASA Education

NASA Equal Opportunity

NASA Earth Science Office

NASA MU-SPIN CCNY-NRTS

Science Systems & Applications, Inc.

Collaborators

PA R T I C I PA N T S

ICP STAFF: PRODUCTION AND DESIGN BY

CAROLYN A. HARRIS, DIRECTOR CAROL RICHMAN

LATIKA KEEGAN, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR ELECTRONIC IMAGING AND DESIGN

2 . . . . . . . . . . . Research Update

Storm Clouds

5 . . . . . . . . . . . Web Highlight

Computer Courseware

8 . . . . . . . . . . . Earth Climate Course

Module 2

10 . . . . . . . . . Student Profiles

12 . . . . . . . . . School Research Network

A. Philip Randolph High School

16 . . . . . . . . . Outreach

A Trip to Fresh Kills

18 . . . . . . . . . Outreach

Southern Connecticut ICP

19 . . . . . . . . . Outreach

Spring Conference 1998

21 . . . . . . . . . Announcements

The ICP Newsletter is released in the fall, winter, and summer. Please send feedback and comments to: i c p n e w s l e t t e r @ g i s s . n a s a . g o v.

Volume 1, Issue 3

Institute on Climate and PlanetsInThisIssue

2ICP Newsletter • Summer 1998

The main interest of the ICPClouds team is the role cloudsplay in climate change. High

altitude, optically thin clouds have atendency to warm the earth’s atmos-phere, while low, thick clouds have atendency to cool the earth down. Willclouds help to warm or cool the earthif climate change occurs? Predictingthe future is not an easy task. No oneknows what the stock market will dotomorrow or what the next hit moviewill be. Meteorologists have a diffi-cult time just forecasting the weatherfor tomorrow. Imagine trying to pre-dict the conditions over the wholeEarth not just for tomorrow, but for10, 25—even 50 years in the future.

By using complex computer pro-grams (also known as GeneralCirculation Models or GCMs) to simu-late the physical processes in theEarth’s oceans and atmosphere, cli-mate scientists attempt to do whatmany view as impossible. By makingchanges in the inputs of these mod-els, climatologists are able to exam-ine the effects of hypotheticalchanges in the Earth’s environment.

Such changes include increasingthe amounts of certain gases in theatmosphere or changing the amountof sunlight that reaches the earth. Byexperimenting with changes, climatemodels have shown that doublingthe amount of carbon dioxide gas inthe Earth’s atmosphere may causethe average temperature of the Earthto increase by 2 to 50C. While such achange seems small, one shouldremember that the average tempera-ture of the Earth during the last iceage was only five degrees lower thanit is today.

A climate change of this order ofmagnitude is of utmost importanceto the inhabitants of the planet.Consequences can range fromincreases in sea level due to thermalexpansion of the earth’s oceans andmelting of ice to changes in thegrowing cycles in agriculture, as wellas in the usages of energy. In order tobe able to better prepare for thefuture, we need to be able to predictthese changes with some certainty.The better the computer models are,the better their predictions will be.

One area in which GCMs (includ-ing the GISS GCM) are known toneed improvement is in the way theysimulate clouds in the atmosphere.The clouds produced by the modelshould correspond in number, typeand distribution with the clouds seenin actual observations. By determin-ing the types of clouds produced bystorms, particularly mid-latitudestorms, the Clouds team hopes to bet-ter understand their role in climate

change. Later this summer we will becomparing the clouds in observedstorms with the clouds in stormsfrom the GCM. Our intention is toeventually make suggestions as tohow to improve the model’s simula-tion of storm clouds.

The Clouds team has spent the pre-vious years of the ICP determiningmethods of locating storms and theclouds associated with these storms,as well as developing tools to expe-dite analysis of the storms and theirclouds. We now have the tools inplace to examine a great number ofstorms—over 30 storms a month,some 400 storms a year, for the tenyears over which the InternationalSatellite Cloud Climatology Project(ISCCP) has processed data. Thesetools include a series of Java appletsdeveloped by Jose Alburquerque (seeStudent Profiles) which enable a useron the World Wide Web to select amid-latitude or tropical storm andexamine the dynamic and cloud

Storm CloudsHow will they Change in Response to Climate Change

Research Update

Storm Factor

Percentage of Deep Convective Clouds vs. Storm Factor in Tropical Storms: Stage II

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Figure 1

properties of that storm. The usercan either see a graphic display ofthe variable under examination, ordownload the data to analyze with aspreadsheet or other program. JuanClavijo (see Student Profiles), a stu-dent at A. Philip Randolph HighSchool and second year member ofthe Clouds team, has made an exten-sive study of the storm strengths andcloud properties of ten tropicalstorms using these applets.

Using his own definition of stormstrength, Juan has observed somestrong relationships between thesequantities. For example, as thestrength of these storms increases,the percentage of deep convectiveclouds (high altitude, high opticalthickness) in the hurricane stage(wind speed > 70 knots) of thestorms also increases. Figure 1 showsthe result of this comparison. Whatis even more remarkable is that thecorrelation (a measure of thestrength of a relationship) betweenthese two variables is 0.886—morethan 95% significant. Juan has foundan even stronger relationship fortropical storms passing over land. Ifthese relationships hold up aftermore tropical storms have beenexamined they will help modelers oftropical storms test and improvetheir simulations.

The next step is to determine whichstorms to examine first. Students inRobert Kruckeberg’s Research class atA. Philip Randolph have made somepreliminary studies of mid-latitudestorms. Their results can be viewed atthe A. Philip Randolph Web Page

and these results serve as a model forhow future studies of storm cloudswill be completed. Ideally the Cloudsteam would like to find examples ofstorms that are representative of thestorms that would be produced duringperiods of global warming. The cloudsin these storms will then be comparedto those in storms associated with peri-ods of lower temperatures.

The method we have chosen forselecting storms of interest involvesexamining the temperature differencebetween the higher latitudes and thelower latitudes in the NorthernHemisphere. This temperature differ-ence can be thought of as the “bat-tery” that drives the storms of themid-latitudes. The colder the north-ern latitudes and the warmer thesouthern latitudes, the more energythere is to be distributed between thetwo, and the greater the amount ofenergy available to create storms.This could mean more storms or itcould mean stronger storms.

The temperatures in these zoneswere examined over a period of 18years, from 1979 to 1996 using dataobtained from the National Centersfor Environmental Prediction (NCEP)Reanalysis. The difference in thesetemperatures is defined as theMeridional Temperature Gradient(MTG). Predictions of global warm-ing indicate that higher latitudes

should experience a greater increasein temperature than lower latitudes.This would cause the MTG todecrease. Periods of low MTG mayproduce storms similar to the stormsthat will exist in the event of globalwarming. The clouds of these stormsmay give us clues to the types ofclouds that will be produced duringglobal warming, and the effect theywill have on that warming.

Storms are associated with low-pressure regions moving through theatmosphere and across the Earth’ssurface. By determing the numberand strength of each of these lowsover the same 18 year period, wewere able to approximate the num-ber of strong and weak storm centersfor each month of each year andcompare these values with the MTGfor that month. A series of plots ofstorm strength distribution versusMTG were made for each monthover the 18 year period, producingresults similar to Figure 2.

The vertical axis on these graphsindicates the number of stormsoccurring while the horizontal axis isthe value of the MTG, negative val-ues implying that the northern lati-tudes have warmed more than thelatitudes further south. This graphshows this relationship for verystrong storms for the months ofMarch 1979–1996. The most interest-

http://www.aprhs.k12.ny.us/

Summer 1998 • ICP Newsletter3

Monthly Zonal Mean Temperature Anamoly Difference (C)

Total percentages of SLP Anomalies Between –40 & –30 mb vs. Monthly MTC

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Figure 2


ing features of this graph are the neg-ative slope of the red trend line, indi-cating that for lower MTG values,more of these strong storms areobserved, and the strong correlationof –0.823. This correlation is morethan 95 % significant, correspondingto an very strong relationship.

When correlations between the totalpercentage of Sea Level Pressureanomalies (in 10 mb ranges, low nega-tive values indicating stronger storms)and the MTG were made for alltwelve months of the year, some inter-esting details emerged and are shownin Figure 3.

Strong positive correlations (implying more storms of that cate-gory occur with decreasing MTG)can be seen for: Weak storms inJanuary, May, and June.

Meanwhile, strong negative corre-lations are observed for: Strong

storms in January, March, Novemberand December.

This preliminary investigationshows that to the extent that strongcorrelations between storm strengthdistribution and MTG occur in anymonth, those correlations point in thesame direction: a decrease in theweaker storms and an increase in thestronger ones with decreasing MTG.

This implies that in a warmer cli-mate with smaller MTG, fewer stormsmay occur overall, but the number ofstrong catastrophic storm events mayincrease. This is in agreement withmodeling predictions by the BritishMeteorological Office1 and the GISSGCM2, and with observations ofincreasing heavy precipitation eventsover North America since 19103. Theresults presented here are preliminaryand not conclusive, since severaluncertainties still exist in the analysis.

The lack of any strong correlations inFebruary, especially when comparedwith the months of January andMarch, bears further investigation. (Infact the Clouds team plans to investi-gate in more detail the relationshipbetween the MTG and the distributionof Sea Level Pressure anomalies beforedeciding which months to use to rep-resent the conditions that may occurduring climate change.) ■

1. Carnell, R. E., and C. A. Senior, 1998:Changes in midlatitude variability due toincreasing greenhouse gases and sulphateaerosols, Climate Dynamics, 14, 369-383.

2. Tselioudis G., Y. Zhang, and W. B. Rossow,1998: Contribution of storm clouds to theradiative balance in the northern midlati-tudes, in preparation

3. Karl, T., and R. W. Knight, 1998: Seculartrends of precipitation amount, frequency,nd intensity in the United States, Bull.Amer. Meteor. Soc., 79, 231-241.

Figure 3

Summer 1998 • ICP Newsletter

Sam Borenstein, an ICP facultymember from York College hasdeveloped a series of Web-

based interactive auto-tutorial com-puter modules using an authoringprogram called Toolbook fromAsymetrix Learning Systems, Inc.The modules are designed as educa-tional aids for reinforcing studentlearning centered on a range ofphysics concepts and meteorologicalapplications.

This courseware, incorporates inter-active animations and can be used:a)As a presentation medium to aug-

ment chalkboard demonstrationsin the classroom.

b)As a series of auto-tutorial lessonswherein the student will individu-ally work through a topic in basicscience in such a way thata concept, such as vectoraddition, or the ideal gaslaws are explained, demon-strated, animated, and theninteractively controlled bythe student. The student, inaddition to being a specta-tor to the animation, is alsoa participator, in thathe/she can alter the para-meters of the animation,which will then be re-cal-culated dynamically.

c)The student’s progress canbe monitored by havinghim/her respond to ques-tions during the animation.Now available over the

World Wide Web, the course-ware series can be accessed at

the URL below. It is important to

note that it can be invoked only fromthe PC (Windows) platform. It is alsonecessary to download an easy-to-install browser plug-in called Neuronfrom the Asymetrix Web site.

The module entitled Meteorology:Cloud Formation is developed as acurriculum supplement for intro-ducing a fundamental concept inphysics and chemistry known as theIdeal Gas Law. Usually this conceptis illustrated in textbooks by consid-ering a gas confined in a box, suchas an internal combustion cylinder.In this case, it is demonstrated usingan example from Earth Science. The

ICPHighlight

W E B

http://icp.giss.nasa.gov/data/courseware/

5

York College Professor CreatesInnovative Computer Courseware

The student,

in addition to

being a spectator

to the animation,

is also a

participator,

in that he/she

can alter the

parameters of the

animation

Figure 1: Meteorology: Cloud Formation Starting Page


following is a description of theCloud Formation module.

Key concepts incorporated into themodule are: pressure, temperature,work, energy, heat, adiabatic expan-sion, relative humidity, saturation,vapor pressure. Specifically, thismodule illustrates the developmentof an air mass, which includes someamount of water vapor into a cloudas it is lifted from the surface into theatmosphere. The amount of waterincluded in the air mass, expressed interms of its vapor pressure, is initial-ly less than the maximum amountthe air mass can sustain beforebecoming saturated. The fraction ofsaturation is called the relativehumidity. As the air mass (or gas),rises, it finds itself in an environmentof lower pressure than prevailed atthe surface. Due to this lower pres-sure, the volume of the air massincreases. This happens quite rapidly,in such a way that almost no heat isexchanged between the gas and itssurroundings.

Such an expansion, characterizedby the lack of heat exchange with theenvironment is given the name “adi-abatic”. Since the gas has expanded,then just like the expanding volumeof gasoline vapor in the cylinder of

an automobile engine, it is perform-ing work against its surroundings.Since no heat (energy) has come in orout of the gas, the source of energyfor the performance of this workmust have come from the internalenergy of the gas itself.Consequently, the internal energy isdecreased, which manifests itself as areduction of temperature. In otherwords, the reason the air mass coolsdown as it rises in the atmosphere isnot, as is often mistakenly thought,due to its contact with a colder envi-ronment, but rather due to its expan-sion. In the process of cooling down,the amount of water vapor in the airmass stays constant; however, theamount of vapor the water can holdwithout condensation diminishes.

Figure 1 (previous page) showswhat the animation looks like at theoutset. The air mass is represented bythe cloud-like object sitting at thesurface (usually 1000 mb). The hori-zontal lines represent the varioushigher levels of altitude, or lowerpressure levels. These lines are calledisobars, because they are lines of con-stant pressure. In this example, thesurface level is the 1000 mb isobar.The initial vapor pressure in thisexample has been set to 5 mb by the

KEY CONCEPTS

pressure,

temperature,

work,

energy,

heat,

adiabaticexpansion,

relative humidity,

saturation,

vapor pressure

Figure 2

student, who is instructed to do soby the message in the green banner.Clicking the reset button also allowsthe student to set the surface temper-ature and the surface pressure level.

The student now “grabs” the airmass by continually pressing downthe mouse button and raises it to ahigher elevation. As the air massrises, it expands, it cools down, andbecomes more and more saturated.This is demonstrated by the whitebox, whose contents change continu-

ously as the air mass moves up ordown. In figure 2, the air mass hasreached a height of 1687.5 meters, apressure of 815.7mb and a tempera-ture of 273.6K (It has cooled by 16.4degrees). The saturation vapor pres-sure has now been reduced to 6.3mb, and the relative humidity, whichstarted out at .257 is now .65 (or65%). The air mass in addition tobeing larger is also darker to indicatethat its relative humidity hasincreased.

As the air mass rises further it getsbigger, darker (more relativelyhumid) and cooler. Finally it reachesa height at which the relative humid-ity exceeds 100% and the watervapor condenses, and rainfall ensues.An arrow appears connecting thephrase lifted Condensation Level to theheight at which this happens. Thephrase itself is a hyperlink, whichwhen clicked, causes a temporarybox to appear containing an explana-tion of the concept of “lifted conden-sation level”.

By clicking the reset button, the stu-dent can repeat this experiment anynumber of times. As mentioned, thiscan be used in a lecturing mode,where the animation replaces ablackboard or paper (such as thisvery article) demonstration of thephenomenon being studied.Professor Sam Borenstein has already

implemented this at York College,both in the introductory physicscourse as well as in a meteorologycourse. It is intended to assign auto-tutorial assignments to students inthese same courses. Once the elec-tronic classroom at York is fullyinstalled, students can go at theirconvenience to this classroom andperform these modules. These labshelp them to understand concepts ina free-style manner. Used in a moreformal way, students can be assigneda series of well defined tasks, such asa controlled experiment to study therelationship between the height atwhich the water vapor condensesand the vapor pressure at sea level,while keeping the surface tempera-ture fixed. ■

All these values are summarized inthe white box in figure 3 above.

pS surface pressure, initially set to 1000mb

TS surface temperature, initially set to 290K.This is in degreesKelvin, and can be converted to the temperature in degreesCentigrade simply by subtract-ing 273 to get the value 17.

hS height of the surface, always set to 0.

rel/hum relative humidity of 0.257 iscalculated from the value of thevapor pressure and the saturationvapor pressure, which in turndepends upon the temperature.


OTHER MODULESAVAILABLE ON THEICP WEB ARE:

• Geostrophic balance and theCoriolis force

• Radiation Balance

• Astronomy and Kepler’sLaws

Figure 3


The radiation from the Sun is con-stantly interacting with Earth’satmosphere and surface. It is

these interactions that create ourweather and climate. Clarke’s wordsfrom his science fiction novel, 2010:Odyssey Two, serve as a reminder thatchanges in these interactions, whetherthey are natural or human-induced,can shift the delicate energy bal-ance of the greenhouse effect andalter Earth’s climate.

Our climate is always changing.Understanding these changes andthe regional patterns around theglobe and is the focus of the researchat the GISS Institute on Climate andPlanets. Energy is an important con-cept in climate system research, aswell as in science curriculum. Since itis the Sun that warms the Earth anddrives the winds and ocean currents,solar radiation is a common themethat links all the ICP climate researchteam projects.

Everyone can appreciate the fact thatthe Sun is the energy source the givesEarth its temperature. ECC Module 1gave students an appreciation of thefactors that make Earth a habitableplanet. However, the relationshipbetween radiation from the Sun andthe circulation of winds and oceansthat distribute the Sun’s heat unequal-ly around the globe and create local cli-mates is not as easily understood.

ECC Module 2 focuses on theserelationships, providing studentswith an exploration into the waysthat interactions between land, ocean

and atmosphere may change regionalsurface temperatures. The ProblemContext and Student Explorationportions of Module 2 were field-test-ed in a Research Class at A. PhilipRandolph High School this past year.They can be field-tested by facultyfrom other ICP schools using the fol-lowing Web address:

Initially A. Philip Randolph HighSchool students developedhypotheses regarding the annualaverage surface temperatures thatthey would expect to find for dif-ferent global regions, using a tem-perature scale ranging from 254OKto 315OK. By comparing their pre-dictions to actual surface tempera-tures, they also begin to considerhow changes in sunlight absorbedand reflected at Earth’s surface mayinfluence the regional temperaturesof South Africa, West Africa,Central America and EasternUnited States.

What effect do seasons have onhow much sunlight Earth receives?With satellite data from the EarthRadiation Budget Experiment(ERBE), students studied this ques-tion, using it as a guide to interpretdata image plots of average incom-ing sunlight (insolation) for theentire year of 1987, January 1987,and July 1987. From these graphsstudents explained which latituderegions receive the most and least

sunlight at different times duringthe year. Through their graphicalanalysis and data interpretations,they were able to identify and char-acterize the tropical, polar and mid-latitude regions.

This global and regional investiga-tion offers students an introductioninto the role of energy exchanges indetermining local climates aroundthe globe.

The remaining three-part investi-gation asks students to interpretdata image plots to answer the

following questions:

1 What effect does local albedo (reflec-tivity) have on sunlight absorbed atthe Earth’s surface?

2 What is the relationship betweenabsorbed sunlight and heat energyabsorbed by the atmosphere?How and why do surface tempera-

tures vary around our planet?To answer the first question, stu-

dents examine how the following listof factors may affect a planet’s albedo:surface snow and ice, thick jungles orforests, clouds, oceans, mountainousterrain and deserts. They work inteams to analyze figures 1 and 2, (nextpage) comparing the average albedo(the fraction of energy reflected atEarth’s surface) with the averageabsorbed sunlight, and to explain therelationship between the plots interms of Earth’s three latitudinalregions: the tropics, mid-latitudes andpoles. By gaining an understanding ofthe regional differences in absorbedand reflected energy, the stage is setfor the next phase of their study toexplore regional differences in thegreenhouse effect.

Module 2: What Determines Local Climates?

Earth Climate Course

http://icp.giss.nasa.gov/ecc/module2/preconcept.activity1.html

Very soon after they had emerged from the ocean, during the explosively swift

evolution forced upon them by the melting of the ice, they had realized that the

objects in the sky fell into three distinct classes. Most important, of course, was

the Sun. 2010: Odyssey Two, Arthur C. Clarke

Investigation of Regional Energy Balance

Again, using ERBE data, studentsreceive figures 3 and 4 (below) to ana-lyze the average absorbed sunlightand the average greenhouse effectenergy (energy trapped in the atmos-phere). Asked to consider that watervapor is one of the major absorbers ofinfrared (heat) radiation, studentspropose an explanation for why cer-tain regions experience the greatestgreenhouse effect. Their study pro-vides basic background to begin rea-soning why different climate zonesexist, theorizing why the tropics arecharacterized by hot temperatures

and the poles cold or why some areasare wet and others are dry.

Two additional figures are providedfor the final phase of the investigation(figure 5: average annual insolation—sunlight and figure 6: average annualsurface temperature. Figures 1, 2, 4and 5 are analyzed to account for theaverage surface temperaturesobserved in figure 6. Students consid-er why these images fail to accountfor global surface temperatures andhypothesize about other factors thatdetermine the temperature of a geo-graphic region (local climate zone).

This initial exploration is meant tomotivate students to consider factorsthat contribute to regional climate, aswell as to introduce the concepts ofalbedo and greenhouse effect. Anothercomponent of Module 2 involves stu-dents in tracking a hurricane to under-stand the relationship between windand pressure. Currently under devel-opment is a final component ofModule 2 where students will gain amore in-depth understanding ofatmospheric processes such as the JetStream and Hadley cell by conductinga study of mid-latitude storms. ■

The following New York StateMath, Science and TechnologyStandards are addressed inECC Module 2:

STANDARD (1) ANALYSIS AND INQUIRY

• Discussing relationships betweenvariables in a system

• Interpretation of organized data(graphs, diagrams, charts, tables)

• Identifying trends and patterns ofchange

• Assessing degrees of correspon-dence and discrepancy in data

• Investigating limitations of ananalysis

STANDARD (4) PHYSICAL SETTING

• Energy exists in many forms, andwhen these forms change energyis conserved

• Explain heat in terms of keneticmolecular theory

• Observe and describe transmis-sion of light and heat radiation

Fig. 1

Fig. 3

Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Fig. 4

Fig. 2

9


Andre Cassell is a sophomoreat the Bronx High School ofScience. His began hisresearch project at ICP lastsummer on the Radiation teamwith GISS Scientists, Drs.Barbara Carlson and BrianCairns, building and testinghand-held sunphotometers formeasuring solar intensity. Thehand-held sunphotometermeasures the intensity of sun-light in a single narrow spectralband where the Multi-filterRotating ShadowbandRadiometer—MFRSR—atGISS makes measurementsusing the six narrowband andone broad band filter.

The project is testing the fea-sibility of these hand-heldinstruments to compare thequality of their measurementswith the MFRSR. Andre feelsthat “ICP has and will opennew and exciting opportunitiesfor the avid young scientist toexcel.” He hopes that hiscareer will contain some of allthe areas that he has learnedabout at GISS: physics, chem-istry, computers, and humanimpacts. His accolades thispast school year include a sil-ver medal at the GreaterMetropolitan Math Fair.

JIMMY BUSSEY

Jimmy Bussey is a 1998 grad-uate of A. Philip Randolph HighSchool and will attendSyracuse University this fall.He was a student researcher atICP during the 1997-98 acade-mic year on the Cloudsresearch team with GISSScientist, Dr. GeorgeTselioudis. His project focusedon looking for a correlationbetween the meridional tem-perature gradient and the fre-quency and intensity of stormsin the mid-latitudes.

His research results indicat-ing that stronger storms maybecome more frequent as theclimate warms were summa-rized in his poster presentationat the ICP '98 SpringConference. Jimmy has beenmoved more towards comput-er science as a result of hisexperience at GISS. His "thirstfor knowledge is always fueledby the sciences." He recentlyreceived the Franklin H.Williams Scholarship.

His advice to newcomers isthat “GISS is a demandingenvironment where you willhave think for yourself, butthe experience and skills youcome away with make itworth the time.”

ANDRE CASSELL

Jose Alburquerque is an uppersenior majoring in ComputerScience at the City College of NewYork. He has been a studentresearcher at ICP since the pro-gram started in 1994. His project atGISS focuses on writing Javaapplets to facilitate the study ofclouds in storms.

He has written a graphical front-end for visualizing storm data fromthe International Satellite CloudClimatology Project. The appletsprovide user-friendly interactive dataanalysis tools allowing students,teachers, and scientists to easilymanipulate scientific data over theWorld Wide Web. Working on theClouds research team with GISSScientist, Dr. George Tselioudis,Jose has been influenced towardsapplying his programming skills tothe study of climate change and theplanet earth.

His experience at ICP has taughthim the value of staying focused inschool. “Dedication, persistenceand continuity are the secret to suc-cess in life.”

JOSEALBURQUERQUE


Caryle Ann Francis is enteringher senior year at School of theFuture and has been an ICPstudent researcher since sum-mer '97. Her research as amember of the Climate Impactsteam with GISS Scientist, Dr.Jennifer Phillips, deals withinvestigating whether the NorthAtlantic Oscillation influencesthe inter-annual rainfall in theCaribbean, mostly focusing onGrenada (that's where she'sfrom). Being at GISS hashelped her understand theresearch process and present itto a large audience. She haslearned to “through it all do yourbest!” Her poster summarizingher project at the recent ICPSpring Conference met with alot of praise for its clear andwell-thought out presentation.She plans on becoming a med-ical doctor. This past academicyear she received severalawards at school including theDirector's Award, the MostOutstanding 11th Grader,Honors in science, communityservice, and communications.

Juan Clavijo is a 1998 gradu-ate of A. Philip Randolph HighSchool and will be attendingthe State University of NewYork at Stony Brook this fall.He joined the Clouds researchteam last summer, and is work-ing with GISS Scientist, Dr.George Tselioudis, on investi-gating the properties of tropicalhurricanes to better comparethem to mid-latitude storms,find their similarities, and seehow good a model tropicalstorms can be. He has pre-sented his research at thePolytechnic University ScienceFair and a citywide ScienceFair at the City College of NewYork this spring. He says thatthe ICP has helped him under-stand many aspects of sci-ence: the way scientists ana-lyze and solve problems,understanding the use of com-puters in scientific research,how to write science papersand posters, and prepare pre-sentations.

At school, he received theSuperintendent's Award inPhysics and a certificate ofrecognition for participation inthe Polytechnic UniversityScience fair this past year.

His words of wisdom: “listento those around you so that youcan learn from their skills andfrom their mistakes…”

JUAN CLAVIJO

CARYLE ANNFRANCIS

Jahayra Trinidad a 1998 graduateof George Washington High School,will be attending VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and StateUniversity starting this fall. She willbe studying Animal and PoultrySciences to help achieve her goal ofbecoming a veterinarian.

Jay started in the ICP as a mem-ber of the Storm Tracks researchteam in 1995. Now on the Pollenteam with GISS Scientists, Drs.Dorothy Peteet and MargaretKneller, her research is on trying toidentify a trend between weatherand pollen rain for Manhattan, andpossibly establish a relationshipwith allergies that people suffer fromduring the heavy pollen season.She is also currently working at aveterinary hospital to gain first handexperience towards her desiredcareer. While at GISS she partici-pated in the NYC Science andTechnology Expo where she won acertificate of recognition with herclassmate Hector Pascal. This pastschool year, she received a Citationfrom the Governor's Committee onScholastic Achievement. Jahayrabelieves that “the key to successcomes with organization, planning,and patience”.

JAHAYRATRINIDAD

ICP Newsletter • Summer 1998

The Climate Researchcourse at A. PhilipRandolph for the1997–1998 academic yearwas designed to introduce

students to research projects study-ing the Earth and its changing cli-mate. The aim of the first semester ofthe course was to provide scienceprocess and content foundations inorder to conduct climate relatedresearch using NASA GISS data dur-ing the second semester of thecourse. The structure of the curricu-lum content was the result of a col-laborative effort between scientistsand teachers in designing Web-basedmodules for an Earth Climate courseat the Goddard Institute.

PHILOSOPHICAL COMMITMENTS

Scientific knowledge is not sepa-rate from the skills needed to con-duct scientific inquiry. The efficacy ofscientific inquiry depends upon cer-tain theoretical commitments, whichin turn stand to be refined, enhanced,and articulated through subsequentpractical inquiry. Further, such prac-tical inquiry should approachauthentic investigations conductedby practicing scientists, where prob-lems are likely open-ended, complex,ill-structured, and for which “rightanswers” are not readily available.

Learning science involves studentsconstructing their own knowledgeabout the natural and technologicalworld. This simply means that wecannot equate the transmission of

information with any process oflearning; students need to strugglewith, express, and exchange personalinterpretations of scientific knowl-edge in order for meaningful learn-ing to take place. The source of thisknowledge may involve direct physi-cal experiences, but such experiencesoften require instructors to providestudents with the concepts and mod-els of conventional science, whileallowing students to appropriatesuch models for themselves, appreci-ate their domain of applicability, andpractice using them to enhance prac-tical inquiry.

These general philosophical remarkstranslate into instructional objectivesrelating to knowledge, skills, and atti-tude in learning science in a researchcourse. These objectives are summa-rized as follows:

1. Knowledge: Students gain accessto a way of conceptualizing theworld based on the current knowl-edge base of practicing climateresearchers. Developing fluency inthis conceptual language is intend-ed to improve student scientific lit-eracy, thereby increasing studentparticipation in the culture of sci-ence and technology.

2. Skills: Students should have theopportunity to conduct scientificinvestigations that allow them topractice and develop some of thehabits of mind that characterize amethodical inquiry into the worldaround them.

ICP/GISS Research in aHigh School Classroom: Reflections from a year at A. Philip Randolph

School Research Network

SOME OF THESE HABITS OFMIND INCLUDE:a. Asking questions about natural and techno-

logical environmentsb. Conducting literature searches to explore sci-

entific viewpoints related to these questions c. Formulating hypotheses about these ques-

tions that are related to scientific viewpointsd.Designing repeatable, communicable experi-

ments to test hypotheses e.Applying measurement devices to gather

quantitative information in an experimentf. Comparing experimental results with

hypotheses and scientific viewpointsg. Proposing explanations of results and alter-

native methods of inquiryh.Using various means of representing and inter-

preting results (charts, graphs, plots, etc.)i. Developing techniques for interpreting vari-

ous types of graphical dataj. Applying currently available computer tech-

nology to represent and communicateresults

k. Sharing results with other investigators anddiscussing broad implications of findings

l. Developing critical reading and writing skillsm.Developing public speaking skills

ATTITUDE:

a. Learning to value the process of natural andtechnological inquiry

b. Gaining confidence in the ability to participatein the culture of science and technology

c. Developing productive work habits (timemanagement and organization)

d.Learning to be self-directed in confrontingopen-ended problems

e.Learning to value and respect alternativeviewpoints (scientists, peers, etc.)

➠

12

COURSE CONTENT

The first semester was intended tofacilitate an understanding of the fac-tors that contribute to a habitablerange of terrestrial surface tempera-tures on Earth relative to tempera-tures on nearby planets such as Venusand Mars. The main point to make isthat the Earth maintains a habitablerange of surface temperatures due toits distance from the sun, the amountof light it reflects back out to space,and an atmosphere that creates a nat-ural greenhouse effect for retaining anappropriate amount of thermal ener-gy. In order to compare the Earthenvironment with those of other plan-ets, students need to acquire anunderstanding of some basic scienceconcepts, emphasizing temperature,heat, kinetic molecular theory, phasechanges of matter, heat transfer,atmospheric pressure, and electro-magnetic radiation. These conceptsaddress New York State MST stan-dards for science content (standard 4:physical setting). In addition to thisscience content related to Earth’s cli-mate, students also learned how toconduct controlled experiments, whileusing word processing and computerspreadsheets to analyze and reportexperimental results.

The second semester of the courseapproached Earth climate issues byinvestigating transient events such ashurricanes and storms, which indi-cate how the Earth’s atmosphere isundergoing constant energy transfor-mations. Students spent the last halfof this semester working in a com-

puter lab equipped with 34 PentiumPCs networked through WindowsNT, along with a T1 connection tothe Internet. These students weregiven the opportunity to carry outclimate related investigations usingdata available at the GoddardInstitute. This data was accessible viaWeb-based data acquisition software(Java applets). Numerical data wastransferred to local Excel spreadsheetsoftware for manipulation, analysis,and presentation. Finally, studentslearned how to interface word pro-cessing and spreadsheet softwarewith the Netscape browser and edi-tor to construct a sequence of Webpages to present investigation results.

STUDENTS

The Earth Climate research courseat A. Philip Randolph included 18students ranging from grades 9 to 11,with an equal number of male andfemale students. Student ethnicitywas approximately 50% AfricanAmerican and 50% Hispanic. The fol-lowing provides the grade averagedistribution for students entering thecourse, giving some indication ofincoming student academic potential:

A average students: 5%; B students:10%; C students: 50 %; D students:35%. In general, the majority of thesestudents were not high academicachievers. A total of 14 studentsengaged in research investigationsrelated to climate change usingNASA GISS data. Five of these stu-dents presented preliminary researchresults at the New York City Science

and Technology Expo, of which fourstudents received awards for theirpresentations. However, all researchresults were preliminary, and lackedsufficient evidence to make warrant-ed conclusions that might serve assignificant contributions to the GISSresearch program. All of the studentswho did not participate in the cli-mate research projects were amongthe incoming D average students.

Comments regarding educational impactsof the program, challenges encounteredimplementing the school-based program,and recommendations for future programchanges.

The overarching hypothesis in thedesign and implementation of thiscourse was that doing climate researchin collaboration with GISS/ICP couldserve as a model for improving sciencelearning. The primary resources avail-able through ICP were: 1. Web-based curriculum modules

developed as a collaborative effortbetween teachers and scientists

2. Research project descriptions thatoccupy both practicing scientistsand administrators of public policy

3. Web-based software tools foraccessing scientific data relevant tothese research projects

1ST SEMESTER HIGHLIGHTS:

Sections of the Earth Climate Webmodules designed in collaborationwith GISS scientists provided stu-dents with vivid, colorful images formaking visual comparisons betweenEarth, Venus, and Mars. These


images were useful for introducingdifferences between planetary atmos-pheres (atmospheric extent and albe-do), as well as providing studentswith a space-based, external perspec-tive on each planet. Activities basedon these images provided strongmotivation for natural inquiry on aplanetary scale.

Students were introduced to con-trolled experimentation by conduct-ing a hands-on experiment to deter-mine the factors that affect a body inspace. This 1–2 week activity meetsmost of the skill and attitude objec-tives in (2) and (3), and provides anexcellent foundation for future pro-jects involving experimental designand analysis.

Exploring a Web site with currentweather station data allowed studentsto appreciate the significance of anaverage Earth temperature, andallowed for continued development ofspreadsheet analysis skills. Emphasiswas on skill objectives (2) (f–k).

PROBLEM AREAS:

Students used NASA satellite datato analyze graphs that describe dif-ferences between planetary atmos-pheres. Although students practicedtechniques for interpreting graphicaldata, they were not involved in theprocess of acquiring this data, andtherefore seemed to lack appreciationfor the variables represented in theprobe data plots.

2ND SEMESTER HIGHLIGHTS:

Students were exposed to scientificresearch projects that reflect actualpractices and concerns of the climateresearch community, which opens

opportunities for communication andcollaboration with, and therefore actualparticipation in, the culture of science.

Students were introduced to tech-nologies of data manipulation andpresentation, which allowed them todevelop skills in the following areas:

1. file organization techniques in aWindows environment

2. Internet Web-browsing and selec-tion of appropriate information

3. graphical construction and manip-ulation using spreadsheet software

4. GIF image processing between theInternet, spreadsheet, and wordprocessing documents

5. Web page construction usingNetscape browser and editor tools.In general, students were highlyengaged in the development of Webpages that allowed them to shareand present individual projects.

These activities emphasized objec-tives (2) (h–m) above.

PROBLEM AREAS:

Although students were introducedto ICP/NASA research projects andavailable data over the Internet, theyessentially carried out research pro-jects that did not include objectives (2)(a,d, and e) above. The following is asummary of problem areas and impli-cations on student involvement indoing/learning science:

1. Students engaged in ICP researchprojects for which the guiding ques-tions have already been asked byscientists. As a result, studentsseemed to lack a sense of projectownership and intrinsic motivationto pursue investigations beyond

baseline requirements in the course.2. The ICP research projects relating

to clouds and global climatechange do not involve experimen-tal design, experimental interven-tion, and use of scientific instru-ments in data collection. Studentsaccess and analyze data that hasalready been collected (by satelliteand weather station instrumenta-tion). Thus, the real source ofexperimental data remains obscure.As a result: a. Students are disconnectedfrom direct experimental interven-tion, and have little opportunity tocritically reflect upon possibleexperimental error and alternativemethods of data collection.b. Students do not develop astrong sense of experimental real-ism and a respect for the real worldentities that the data represent;they tend to believe that “data”comes from “computers” or “com-puter programs.” This particularweakness with respect to the ICPprojects becomes clear when stu-dents are asked to explain the“methods” section for theirresearch project. Here, studentsdescribe how they visited Web sitesto “collect” data, where “collect”comes to mean something likecopying numbers from a web pageand pasting them into a spread-sheet to construct a graph. c. Of course, instructors cansupplement these activities by chal-lenging students to reflect upon theactual data collection process. Butthis is talking about science, notdoing it. When research projects donot involve students in hands-on


data collection, they are much lessinclined to scrutinize the validity ofdata, much less propose alternativemethods of investigation. In thisrespect, the ICP Clouds projectdoes not address some critical com-ponents of the scientific investiga-tion process.

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

The main advantages of havingGISS/ICP as a resource for the sci-ence research classroom are:1. Students are exposed to issues dri-

ving an actual research community

2. Students develop skills in usingcomputer software tools to acquireand manipulate data

3. Students are challenged to makeinterpretations of data that representaspects of a complex climate system.However GISS/ICP research pro-

jects reflect the relatively advancedconcerns of an actual scientific com-munity, where difficult questionshave already been defined, and spe-cific methods for data collection havebeen established by experienced sci-entists. Thus, students have littleopportunity to get involved in the“front-end” aspects of scientific

research: initiating investigationquestions and hypotheses, proposinghands-on experimental designs, andusing instruments to collect data.Perhaps, prior to engaging studentsin ICP projects, future research cours-es may need to provide them withmore opportunities for hands-ondata collection that simulate hownatural indicators of Earth climateare measured. On the other hand,since “front-end” design and datacollections are fundamental compo-nents of any research education, theapplication of GISS/ICP resources inthe science classroom may need to bere-evaluated. ICP projects may bemore appropriate for exposing stu-dents to specific aspects of advancedresearch analysis, or providing thecontext for activities that involveremote data acquisition, processing,and analysis. GISS/ICP involvementcould be confined to advanced topicsin data acquisition and analysis,rather than providing the context foran entire student research project.

These are important issues thatneed to be discussed, hopefullythroughout a continuing dialogueamong all participants in the ICPprogram. Collaboration betweenNASA climate researchers and pub-lic education institutions brings theteaching and learning of sciencecloser to the authentic concerns andpractices of the science community.Though this is an important link,both educators and scientists needto scrutinize the way in which ICP isimplemented, with an emphasis onbuilding student interest and confi-dence that contributes to the suc-cessful participation in the culture ofscience. ■


A. P. Randolph student’s description of his project’s scientific methodology


Iannounced to my stu-dents, “Class, for thisyear’s science field trip we’re

going to visit the Fresh KillsLandfill on Staten Island”. The news ofour trip was not greeted with greatenthusiasm. After all, how many 13year olds would choose to go to alandfill as field trip, unless they wereon the Magic School Bus.

One of my students, Iliana Polanco,wrote in her summary of the trip,“When Mr. Augenbraun announcedthat we were going on a trip everyonewas smiling. When he told us it was toFresh Kills Landfill there were moansfrom every table—I thought it (thetrip) would be pointless.” Another stu-dent, Shari Rivera wrote, “…I didn’tknow what to expect. All I thoughtwas we were going on a class trip. Ididn’t think garbage was so interest-ing. I just thought you throw garbageaway and it wastes away and disap-pears somewhere.”

Stacia Holley wrote, “Mr. Augenbraun…dragged us out in the heat into a hotschool bus and then into a nasty germinfested place”. Afterwards, Staciathought despite the hardship of thetrip, “I picked up a few things aboutgarbage.”

As you see this was not their first choicefor a school activity. In fact, this rankedup there with a visit to the dentist. Thevisit, however, turned out to be anadventure that I am sure they will notsoon forget. Why a trip to the landfill?

For the past two years, Mott Hall hasbeen contributing to GISS Institute onClimate and Planets (ICP) GlobalMethane Inventory Update, a projectto update the spatial and temporalemissions of methane. In the 1996–97school year a group of ten eighthgrade students worked on updating a1984 GISS inventory of methane emis-sions from landfills for North Americato a 1990 reference year. During1997–98, a nine-member student teamwas responsible for completing thedata for North America by findingmissing population data and longitudeand latitude for all cities with popula-tions above 50,000. The team thencompiled population data for CentralAmerica, South America and Europe

Landfill Adventure Gives Mott HallStudents a NewOutlook onG A R B A G E

O U T R E A C H

I didn’t realize itwould be such an

adventure.

I didn’t thinkgarbage was so

interesting.

I just thought youthrow garbage away

and it wastes away and disappears

somewhere.

Yes it was smelly.

David Hendrikson, guide at Fresh Kills with two Mott Hall students

in order to produce the methane cal-culations for the updated inventory.

This ICP project is an ideal realworld problem to integrate into the8th grade Earth science curriculumthat deals with the greenhouse effectand global warming. A particularmotivation for students is the media’srenewed interest in these topics espe-cially since last year’s Global ClimateConference in Kyoto, Japan.

Our project scientist, Dr. ElaineMatthews, and I decided a field tripto a local landfill would bring homethe research for students. Landfillingand its impact are very urban issues.A visit to Fresh Kills Landfill was away to show New York City studentsthe connection between individuals’actions, their lives and Earth’s cli-mate. Fresh Kills Landfill on StatenIsland is the largest in the world. Theclosing of this facility in 2003 isbound give students reason to askthe question—Where will all the trashgo? This is a critical question for deci-sion-makers and citizens since it willimpact on their future.

Our adventure at Fresh Kills got offto shaky start. Despite the fact thatstudents were really impressed by thesheer size of the artificial mountains ofFresh Kills, the temperature duringthe day climbed to 890 Fahrenheit andthere was only one person available tolead our tour. We all squeezed intoone bus. So, now we were set for ateacher nightmare. Sixty peoplecrammed into a school bus that seatsforty, no air conditioning and studentswho did not want to be there.

Our tour guide, a 30-year veteranand supervisor of the landfill, savedthe day. He showed us the organiza-tion of the landfill. We toured thecomposting facility where students

saw that their Christmas trees andfall leaves are recycled into soil.Students saw the unloading dockswhere barges bring thousands oftons of trash from all over the cityeach day. Throughout the day ourtour guide related many interestingpersonal anecdotes. We were touchedby his story of how he helped peoplefind lost valuables, like a diamondring. He also told us of how hehelped someone find the tickets froma church raffle, which had been inad-vertently thrown out.

At the top of the landfill a panoram-ic view of Staten Island and NewJersey skyline is a constant reminderof the human impact on the Earth.Pipes, vents and retaining walls man-age the landfill gas and prevent toxicsludge from entering the environment.Landfill gas is approximately 50%methane and methane accounts for95% of natural gas. The landfill gas is

sent to an on site processing plantwhere it is refined to pipeline qualitymethane that is bought by the localutility company.

At each tour stop we viewed thehuge machinery needed to handle thethousands of tons of trash. We couldsee that a landfill is more than just a“dump”. It is a massive engineeringproject requiring a great deal of inge-nuity and skill to managing our trashwhile also protecting our environment.

At the end of the day, it was clearthat our trip to Fresh Kills made animpression on the students. In reflect-ing on the trip, Shari Rivera said, “…Ididn’t realize it would be such anadventure. Yes it was smelly. I learnedabout the processes of how garbagegets to the landfill, how gases pro-duced affect the environment and howit produces methane. I also learned thestructure of Fresh Kills and the differ-ent processes garbage goes through.”■


Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, largest in the world.


The news that SouthernConnecticut State University’sICP Partner School proposal

was funded translated our idea to cre-ate the first GISS/ICP summer pro-gram located outside of New YorkCity into a reality. An outgrowth ofmy own research involvement withthe Goddard Institute for SpaceStudies as a NASA—AmericanSociety for Engineering Educationsummer faculty fellow, this new ini-tiative will engage high school andcollege students in the analysis andenhancement of cloud imagesretrieved from earth-orbiting satel-lites.

Like the ICP, Southern conducts asummer science enrichment programthat reaches out to urban youth andprovides these New Haven highschool students with opportunities forscience inquiry in the many fine labo-ratories located on our campus.However, the one thing missing fromthis program is exposure to real world,quality research in the project-orientedenvironment that exists in ICP.

With the help of Southern’s sum-mer science enrichment programdirector, I obtained the names of sev-eral New Haven public high schoolteachers. After some investigating, Iconcluded that the most appropriatecandidate for an ICP partner wasNew Haven’s Career Magnet School.

This summer there will be a totalof six high school students and oneteacher involved in my researchrelating to satellite imaging ofclouds. Southern is very excitedabout this new program and will beproviding two rooms for us to useduring this summer, equipped withSun UNIX based workstations, anumber of NT based workstations

and a color laser printer. Studentswill also have access to a wide rangeof software on both computing plat-forms, as well as connectivity to ourcampus network an the Internet via aT1 line. In addition, ConnecticutState University is providing oneadvanced Southern undergraduatestudent from a separate facultyresearch grant to provide technicalsupport. The full time involvementof students in research opportunitiesis a powerful education strategy tomotivate our students toward pursu-ing graduate studies.

When I first came to GISS to workwith Dr. Bill Rossow and Dr. GeorgeTselioudis, my focus was on expand-ing my research base in image pro-cessing and pattern recognition,applying the knowledge I accumulat-ed in medical imaging to problems inremote sensing. Having spent over20 years as a teacher and administra-tor in the rapidly changing field ofcomputer science, I am keenly awareof the need to keep myself technolog-ically current and integrate the latestdevelopments into my teaching. Mysummer faculty fellowships and sub-sequent sabbatical leave at GISS hascertainly helped me in achievingthese goals. Shortly after starting mycollaboration with GISS, I becameaware of the Institute on Climate andPlanets. As I learned more about theICP and its goals, I realized ourshared concern for providing under-graduate students with researchexperiences. In fact, ICP extended itsoutreach to include high school andjunior high school students. As a pro-fessor at Southern, one of fourschools that comprise theConnecticut State University system,I am aware that our undergraduate

students do not have the benefit ofinteracting with advanced graduatestudents who can be positive rolemodels for pursuing careers inresearch. As a result, it is imperativethat faculty members from institu-tions, such as Southern, to not onlyengage in research but also involvestudents in their research. Towardthis end, the GISS/ICP research expe-rience has afforded me the opportuni-ty to bring research onto the Southerncampus, engaging students and col-leagues in my research. I have collabo-rated in several research projects withProfessors Jo Ann Parikh and JosephVitale from the Computer ScienceDepartment at Southern. Our collabo-rations have produced four publishedconference papers over the last twoyears. All three of us have supervisedindependent study projects for com-puter science majors.

This summer marks a turningpoint for our research and educationcollaboration with GISS/ICP. Ournewly evolved campus-based ICPSummer Institute will involve highschool and college students and fac-ulty in the development of anima-tions of cloud image sequences usingdata from the International SatelliteCloud Climatology Project (ISCCP)managed at NASA GISS. We will alsocontribute new ways of analyzinghow cloud systems evolve over time.

As we return to our classes thisfall, we will have plenty of newmaterial for independent researchprojects at both the university andhigh school level. I am confident thatour ICP involvement will go a longway in stimulating talented youngpeople in the greater New Havenarea to consider careers in scientificresearch. ■

Southern ConnecticutState University Spins Offan ICP of Their Own.

O U T R E A C H

Professor John DaPonte, founder of theSouthern Conn. ICP Summer Institute

On June 4th more than onehundred students and educa-tors, including several alumni

joined us for the 1998 SpringConference. This forum provided anopportunity for students and facultyto share the research and educationaccomplishments of the past schoolyear from the three ICP Lead andseven Partner Schools. The twentyFaculty Fellows and Student Internsworking at GISS throughout theschool year also presented theirresearch.

The Conference theme, ICP’sContribution to the Climate Puzzle, wasthe focus of the opening addressoffered by GISS research scientistElaine Matthews. Setting the tone forthe exhibit sessions, Elaine Matthewsemphasized that Earth’s climate isinfluenced by both natural andanthropogenic forcings. She provideda historical context for the ICP

research by showinghow temperature haschanged over longtimescales, showingdata records fromhundreds of thou-sands of years ago.The conclusion of hertalk charged studentsand educators withthe responsibility toconsider how theirown research projectscontribute to improv-ing our understandingof Earth’s climate.

The remainder of the SpringConference was designed in two ses-sions in order to provide the presen-ters and invited guests with theopportunity to evaluate 3–4 exhibits.Students, faculty and scientists visit-ed the exhibit areas and judged theoverall design, clarity, hypothesis,

methodology andscientific evidence.

During Session#1, Pollen team, thewinner of the BestExhibit in Session #1,presented theirresearch to producethe first modernpollen record forNew York since1950. Visitors to thePollen exhibit had achance to test theirability in identifyingpollen, and learnedabout pollen andweather data collec-tion techniques test-ed in the first phaseof this new project.Ingemar Imbert and

Jay Trinidad, Student Interns work-ing at GISS, produced a pollenrecord from March to May, 1998,and compared this record to theprevious 1950 study.

The Clouds team exhibit shared therecognition of Best Exhibit in Session#1. Southern Connecticut StateUniversity professor, Dr. JohnDaPonte showed a Temporal Analysisof ISCCP Image Sequence, a computerscience pattern recognition study.Another computer science projectwas presented by City College ofNew York Student Intern, JoseAlburquerque, who dazzled visitorswith Java Applets to Analyze StormClouds. Other Cloud team membersconducting their research at A. PhilipRandolph High School with theirteacher, Robert Kruckeberg, present-ed the results of the study entitled,Mid-Latitude Storm Clouds Over Oceanand Land. GISS-based Faculty FellowChris Petersen and Student InternJimmy Bussey explained TheFrequency of Storms and the MeridionalTemperature Gradient 1979–1996.Student Intern Juan Clavijo focusedhis research on Cloud Properties andStorm Strength in the Tropical Storms.

O U T R E A C H1998 Spring Conference Held at NASA GISS

Dr. Hansen receives a briefing from George Washington HighSchool students on the pros and cons of different pollen col-lection methods.

Maricela and Andre show visitors the data collected from theSpring 1998 hand-held sunphotometer IOP on the ICP Website.


➠

Other highlights in Session #1involved the report from theRadiation team’s first city-wideIntensive Observation Period (IOP)collecting measurements with hand-held sunphotometers. The IOP waslead by faculty member, BrendanCurran, from Townsend Harris HighSchool and Student Interns MaricelaReyes and Andre Cassell. BothStudent Interns are producing a pro-ject guide for schools to participate insunphotometer measurement cam-paign. A second component of theRadiation team’s project is being con-ducted at LaGuardia CommunityCollege by Faculty Fellow JamesFrost, involving Testing the Polarimeterand Sunphotometer. Dr. Frost involvedhis electronics project class in thebuilding of most of the sunphotome-ters used in the Fall and Spring IOPs.

For the first time, faculty and stu-dents participating in the ICPSaturday science enrichment pro-gram, Space Quest, presented at theSpring Conference. Lead by theirteacher, Teresa Smith, DamianAnderson and Abena Affum did anexcellent job presenting a regionalanalysis of precipitation and temper-ature variability.

In Session #2 Student Interns, JoshWilder and Sonjae Wallace, sharedthe Forcings and Chaos team results oftheir Winter Forecast with the GCM.Alex Estrella, another Student Intern,evaluated The Effect of El Nino on EastCoast Storm Tracks, both in the GCMand observations. York College facul-ty member, Sam Borenstein conduct-ed computer demos of his physicsand meteorology courseware mod-

ules that he field-tested in studentphysics labs during the school year.

Mott Hall Junior High School stu-dents and their teacher, HarveyAugenbraun, showcased the progressmade on updating the GISS methaneinventory for landfills in NorthAmerica. They also told interestingstories from their trip to Fresh KillsLandfill in Staten Island. (see articleon page16.).

At the Climate Impacts team exhibit,Student Interns Anthony Seivwrightand Cynthia Gianetti showed theirresearch on How Does the NorthAtlantic Oscillation (NAO) AffectClimate Along the East Coast of theUSA? In a similar study, StudentIntern Caryle Ann Francis, analyzedDoes the NAO Influence InterannualRainfall of the Caribbean? A native ofGrenada, this study holds particularimportance for Caryle Ann, as sheassessed the possible regionalimpacts on agriculture and hydro-electric power.

The Oceans team was recognized asthe Best Exhibit in Sesssion #2 for theirENSO study to determine whetherthis year was really The El Nino of theCentury. A highlight of the exhibitwas the Bronx Science school Webpage. ICP faculty Mitch Fox present-ed research conducted with studentsin his research class concerning anEvaluation of the Tremberth Mechanismfor Jet Stream Displacement DuringENSO Events.

It was clear at the concludingreception of the Spring Conferencethat all the presenters and guestswere in high spirits from the year’sresearch and education activities,both at the new Lead and PartnerSchools and at GISS. The SpringConference marks an important mile-stone in the ICP’s development, asthe School Research Network isbeginning to be institutionalized inacademic programs throughout thecity schools and CUNY campuses. ■


Josh gives CUNY faculty the results of the Winter GISS GCM forecast.

Anthony tells GISS scientists and CUNY faculty about the influence NAO.

➠


New ICP Schools: Faculty and students

from HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL

STUDIES in Manhattan, DEWITT CLINTON

HIGH SCHOOL in the Bronx and NEW

ROCHELLE HIGH SCHOOL are joining the

ICP for the first time as participants in

the 1998 Summer Institute.

New Summer Research Teams: GISSscientist MIKE ALLISON is kicking off aMars Team this summer. Mars is anatural laboratory for the study ofweather and climate under conditionsof extremely variable solar forcing andmassive atmospheric dust injection.As a possible forerunner to an ICPMars weather team, Michael Allison iscoordinating a new research effortwith two NASA faculty fellows (fromQUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE)and three summer students (fromCOLUMBIA, PENN STATE, and RIVERDALE

COUNTRY SCHOOL) on the developmentof wind mapping programs for theinterpretation of thermal soundingmeasurements from the upcomingSurveyor98 mission to Mars. With thecollaborative advice of GISSresearchers INA TEGEN and VIVIEN

GORNITZ, the Mars team will alsodevote special attention to the germi-nation and growth of Mars global duststorms.

MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE professors

LEON JOHNSON and WILBERT HOPE are

coordinating a campus ICP this sum-

mer, involving college and high

schools faculty and students in

research projects that will contribute to

the Radiation and Forcings & Chaos

teams’ research.

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVER-

SITY professor, JOHN DAPONTE is also

establishing a summer campus-based

ICP, along with CAREER MAGNET HIGH

SCHOOL faculty member JOHN CROTTY.

They plan to involve students in a

Clouds team computer science project

that will assist in the development of a

storm cloud recognition program.

GISS is collaborating with the

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to

prepare a regional report concerning

climate change impacts on New York.

The GISS contribution will deal with

coastal resources, wetlands and water

supply. HARTWICK COLLEGE student,

HAIDY PENA, will be working at GISS on

the wetlands study. The GISS

researchers leading this initiative are

CYNTHIA ROSENZWEIG, ELLEN HARTIG,

RICHARD GOLDBERG and VIVIEN

GORNITZ.

GISS Scientists VITTORIO CANUTO andARMANDO HOWARD are working withMATTHEW WITTMAN from CLARE

COLLEGE, Cambridge, England, on astudy of tassive tracers as a test ofGISS model for ocean turbulence.

Campus-Based ICP SummerResearch Teams: CCNY has tworesearch teams working on campus,one dealing with Climate Impacts andWater Resources and the other con-tributing to the Radiation team’sSunphotometer Project. GISSResearcher REGGIE BLAKE and CCNYfaculty member REZA KHANBILVARDI willbe contributing to the GISS/EDFregional climate impacts study, work-ing with undergraduates on a NewYork land use/land cover study. CCNYfaculty member FRED MOSHARY, aswell as students working in his electri-cal engineering lab, will be assistingthe ICP Radiation team on theredesign and testing of the hand-heldsunphotometer.

ANNOUNCEMENT S

Institute on Clim

ate and Planets

NA

SA

Goddard Institute for S

pace Studies

2880 Broadw

ay

New

York, N

Y10025

Documents

ICP Newsletter Summer 1998 · Harvey Augenbraun Sam Borenstein Jimmy Bussey John DaPonte Alexandra Estrella Robert Kruckeberg Elaine Matthews Chris Petersen George Tselioudis Acknowledgements