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Fenómeno El Niño: 8 niños mueren en Piura por altas temperaturas El Niño : 8 children die in Peru by high temperatures It seems the effects of the El Niño phenomena has cause the death of eight children due to heat stroke.  Click HERE to see the original story, in Spanish. Below is the entire article translated into English. _________________ The high temperatures in northern Peru due to El Niño have killed at least eight children as a result of heat stroke, the regional director of Health of the Piura region, Jesus Juarez said. Speaking to Canal N. Juarez said ...


Posted in: Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Did you know that soil moisture plays a vital role in human health? Those nasty little critters called mosquitoes love warm, wet soil, and can carry extremely dangerous viruses and diseases. We also can use SMAP soil moisture data to assist famine early warning systems. Improved seasonal soil moisture forecasts using SMAP data will directly benefit famine early warning systems particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where hunger remains a major human health factor and the population harvests its food from rain-fed agriculture in highly monsoonal (seasonal) conditions. ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   Investigation Areas: SOIL MOISTURE - SMAP BLOCK PATTERN PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


The NASA SMAP satellite took off for space on January 31, 2015 to study our planet's soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. Once in space, the satellite had to go through a prescribed series of steps to ensure that the spacecraft was functioning and all its instruments and components on-board were working properly. This took several months. In mid-April 2015, NASA starting receiving its first soil moisture measurements from SMAP's combined high resolution radar and its high accuracy radiometer. The combination of this data produced a data resolution of approximately 8km. Unfortunately, ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   Investigation Areas: SOIL MOISTURE - SMAP BLOCK PATTERN PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


There are many application for SMAP soil moisture satellite data. Understanding drought risk is vital to the health of the planet and to the lives of potentially billions of people around the world. Soil moisture strongly affects plant growth and hence agricultural productivity, especially during conditions of water shortage and drought. Currently, there is no global in situ network for soil moisture monitoring. Global estimates of soil moisture and plant water stress must be derived from models. These model predictions (and hence drought monitoring) can be greatly enhanced through ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE   Investigation Areas: SOIL MOISTURE - SMAP BLOCK PATTERN PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TEACHERS TRAINERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


We all know that the SMAP satellite measures soil moisture. But, how does knowing our planet's soil moisture help us in understanding agriculture's reaction to it? SMAP monitors soil moisture and provides critical information for drought early warning. In fact, a deficit in the amount of moisture in the soil defines agricultural drought. SMAP's measurements will come into play because researchers forecast a threefold increase in drought frequency in many regions of the world by the end of the 21st Century. History shows that a sustained drought can result in crop failure, deaths of ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   Investigation Areas: SOIL MOISTURE - SMAP BLOCK PATTERN PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Hello from Medford Memorial Middle School in Medford, New Jersey. The quest to get an accurate soil sample continues at Medford Memorial Middle School, Medford NJ. Hello, we are the students of Memorial’s Citizen Science Education Program. We’re excited to be part of the SMAP campaign, but have not yet been able to enter any data.  Here’s a brief overview of our journey. First, we learned about SMAP as a satellite, and then we studied the protocol. We didn’t have any soil sample cans, so we settled on a sturdy coffee can, Ryan had brought in from home. Ashwin measured 5 cm from ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   Investigation Areas: BULK DENSITY SOIL MOISTURE - SMAP BLOCK PATTERN SOIL MOISTURE - GRAVIMETRIC PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Guest Blog by NASA SMAP Scientists Dr. Erika Podest and Dr. Narendra Das of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California USA. SMAP scientists are using soil moisture in a number of ways, ways that allow all of us to better understand water’s role on Earth: Weather Prediction : Water in the soil has the potential to evaporate (depending on atmospheric temperature and pressure) and when it does it plays a large role in cloud formation. Soil moisture also has a modulating effect on air temperature and humidity therefore having the ability to measure soil moisture ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH AS A SYSTEM SCIENTIST SKILLS EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE GENERAL SCIENCE GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Investigation Areas: PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Have you ever wondered how the SMAP satellite, with an altitude of 685 km (425 miles) above the Earth, can take measurements as precise as the amount of water in the Earth's soil? The quick answer is that it requires precisely calibrated instruments, along with a technological marvel in satellite design. SMAP was designed to use a combination of two precise instruments, one with high resolution, one with high accuracy. THE INSTRUMENTS: Active (High Resolution): SMAP’s radar was designed accurately measure the echoes of very short radio frequency (RF) pulses that bounce ...


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH TECHNOLOGY   Field Campaigns: SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE   Investigation Areas: PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


The SMAP Mission is vital to understanding our planet. Water is an essential source for life. By understanding the amount of water in the soil, or soil moisture, we can apply this information to many things. Monitoring Drought SMAP monitors soil moisture and provides critical information for drought early warning. In fact, a deficit in the amount of moisture in the soil defines agricultural drought. SMAP's measurements will come into play because researchers forecast a threefold increase in drought frequency in many regions of the world by the end of the 21st Century. ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Investigation Areas: PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Weekly Report 1: 10/1/15 - 10/15/15 This report contains two weeks of data collection due to the beginning of the campaign on October 1, 2015: Volumetric Soil Moisture Measurements = 19 Participating Sites = 4 Schools Submitting Data: Shumate Middle School - Michigan - 8 data counts Ramey School - Puerto Rico -7 data counts The University of Toledo -Ohio - 2 data counts Thomas Edison Energy/Smart Charter School - New Jersey - 2 data counts Congratulations to those schools for getting a great start. Let's get more schools participating! Brian


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH   Field Campaigns: SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Investigation Areas: PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   News Topics: COMPETITIONS   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS COUNTRY COORDINATORS


In the early 1980’s, I chaired a group of scientists exploring the idea of a comprehensive satellite mission to study all aspects of the global environment. The group was diverse with expertise covering the range of Earth science disciplines from geology, ecology, oceanography, limnology, glaciology, and atmospheric science and their various sub-disciplines.  Their first recommendation was take today’s data today. In all of Earth science there is the recognition that we have only one Earth to study. How Earth works is revealed by watching it change in a comprehensive manner and ...


Posted in: Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS


We had an incredible turn out at our (the GLOBE) table at the NOAA booth at the NSTA conference. It was great to meet so many teachers and curriculum directors with an interest in GLOBE. Thanks to everybody who took the time to stop by and learn about GLOBE. For those people who did not get the Earth System Science Poster , we are very sorry. Please follow this link to get the PDF files so that you can print out the pages to use in your classroom. The page also has a complete poster that can be projected or printed, and the activities guide. Expanding on the ESS poster ...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: MEETINGS/CONFERENCES   News Topics: TRAINING   Primary Audience: PARTNERS TEACHERS


Beste mensen, Het effect van de uitzonderlijk zachte winter op de natuur is ook bij de media niet onopgemerkt gebleven. In de uitzending van het KRO programma Brandpunt op zondag 16 maart komt het onderwerp aan bod. Zie http://gemi.st/KN_1656575 . Het item begint op 23:20. Verder zat ik op zondag 9 maart in het programma Jinek op Zondag. Dit is terug te zien op http://gemi.st/KN_1656819 . Tenslotte zat ik op woensdag 19 maart in het EO-programma 'Melk en Honing'. De uitzending is terug te bekijken op  http://gemi.st/EO_101212300 . Vriendelijke groeten, Arnold


Posted in: Field Campaigns: SEASONS AND BIOMES   GLOBE Science Topics: CLIMATE CHANGE   Learning Activities: LAND COVER/BIOLOGY   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS


Our sampling site Monocacy Creek - flows through Colonial, Moravian village and empties into the Lehigh River by the repurposed Bethlehem Steel Mill (entertainment center), then into the Delaware River which joins the Atlantic Ocean. Background Bridge traverses the creek at South end of village Runoff washes road salts from brine treatment into creek Every Spring the creek is stocked with fish   Original Scope of GLOBE project – Summer, 2012   Determine water quality of the creek flowing through the village impacted by the ...


Posted in: Curriculum: ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION   GLOBE Science Topics: BACKYARD SCIENCE   Investigation Areas: HYDROSPHERE   Learning Activities: HYDROLOGY   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS SCIENTISTS


To all my new friends and colleagues at Learning to Research.  I had a great time meeting you and working with you.  If you are in the New York/Long Island area and you need a place to stay, we have a guest room with private bath and we are 25 minutes from the city.  My number's in the book.  'Til then I wish you the best on your projects. 


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: CLIMATE   Primary Audience: TEACHERS


This initial blog starts out as a "what I did on my Summer vacation" exercise and ends with what I expect to get out of the on-going GLOBE project. This institute fits in to my on-going overall annual professional goal: learn something new in Science. A specific goal for this year is to acquire training in order to participate in real time scientific investigations. An added benefit will be to share data with other schools both within my own school system and globally. I am also looking to gain the confidence and acquire strategies needed to engage my students in authentic Earth ...


Posted in: Primary Audience: TEACHERS