News - New Education Options
NASA SMAP Campaign for GLOBE Students Begins Today
NASA launched an Earth observing satellite called Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) on 31 January 2015. Its purpose is to measure soil moisture globally with a high level of accuracy. However, ground measurements are needed in order to validate the satellite remotely sensed measurements. To do this, the SMAP team will compare GLOBE in situ (on the ground) soil moisture data with satellite data to determine how close they are to each other. If the two datasets agree then the SMAP team can have confidence that the satellite measurements are correct.
To support this effort, the SMAP satellite mission has initiated a 7-month-long soil moisture measurement campaign and invites GLOBE schools to participate. The SMAP Campaign begins 1 October 2015 and will be ongoing through 30 April 2016.
Students will collect soil moisture data following the GLOBE SMAP Block Pattern Soil Moisture (Volumetric) Protocol and enter these data into the GLOBE science database. (For more information, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/smap/overview/how-to-participate). Once the data are in the GLOBE database, SMAP scientists and GLOBE students can view the student-collected data, through the GLOBE visualization tool, comparing them to the SMAP satellite data.
The SMAP team will provide feedback to schools that enter 15 or more measurements to the GLOBE database. The SMAP team will have monthly webinars, beginning 17 September 2015, highlighting schools and countries collecting soil moisture data following the SMAP protocol.
Connect your GLOBE data with NASA satellite measurements through this campaign. Wouldn't it be great to know that the soil moisture data you are submitting to the GLOBE database are being used by NASA scientists to better understand our planet's soil moisture!
For more information, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/smap/overview
Register your school for the GLOBE-SMAP Campaign by sending the following information to Brian Campbell Brian.A.Campbell@nasa.gov
Place "SMAP Registration" in the subject line; write the teacher's name, school name and country in the body of the email.
type: globe-newsNews origin: GLOBE Implementation Office