NASA and GLOBE, an international student Earth science
program, are sponsoring the Fall 2004 Contrail Count-a-Thon,
October 14 and 15.
The Count-a-Thon gives students and adults an opportunity to
collaborate with scientists in a hands-on, real-world science
experiment, observing contrails, cirrus clouds formed from
water vapor in aircraft exhaust. Participants submit their
findings to scientists. The observations are tallied and
reported for analysis of contrail activity patterns
worldwide.
“Contrails are one change in the Earth’s system that are,
without a doubt, caused by human activity,” said Lin
Chambers, director of the GLOBE Contrail Education project at
NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
Contrails increase Earth’s cloudiness, while impacting the
atmosphere and climate. Observations in the U.S. and around
the globe may help scientists better understand the
atmospheric conditions that enable the formation of
contrails.
The Fall Count-a-Thon coincides with Earth Science Week,
October 10 to 16. Earth Science Week, sponsored by the
American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Va., is an
international event to help the public gain a better
understanding and appreciation for Earth sciences and to
encourage stewardship of our planet. NASA and Globe hosted a
similar Count-a-Thon last spring as part of Earth Day.
“We thought spotting contrails would be a fun and educational
activity that could include more schools and the general
public since no instruments are required,” said Peggy LeMone,
chief scientist for the GLOBE program. The program is based
at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
(UCAR), Boulder, Colo. “The distribution of sightings tells
us about where jets are flying and where weather conditions
favor contrails forming. We can also compare the contrail
patterns with satellite images,” she said.
GLOBE is an international student observation campaign. It is
managed as a partnership between UCAR and Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, Colo., through a cooperative
agreement with NASA and sponsorship by the National Science
Foundation and the U.S. Department of State.
The program brings students, teachers, and scientists
together to support achievements in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. It also helps gather important
data for the global Earth science community. Since 1994, more
than one million primary and secondary students, in more than
14,000 schools worldwide, have taken part in the program. As
of September 2004, students reported more than 11.5 million
scientific measurements using methods and standards developed
by program scientists
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington, provides
funding. The directorate is dedicated to understanding the
Earth as an integrated system. It also applies Earth system
science to improve the prediction of climate, weather, and
natural hazards using the unique vantage point of space.
For information about the Fall Count-a-Thon event on the
Internet, visit:
http://www.globe.gov/earthsciweek2004
For information about Contrail Education on the Internet,
visit:
http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE
For information about NASA and agency programs on the
Internet, visit:
