2003 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID |
Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| GLOBAL GARDEN GROWS GREENER | G03-037 | 06/5/03 |
00:03:00 | Could the Earth be greener than it was
two decades ago? A multi-disciplinary study, funded by NASA and the
Department of Energy, reports that the Earth has been greening over
the last 20 years as the world's climate has changed, and plants have
found it easier to grow. The global study states that climate changes
have provided extra doses of water, heat and sunlight in areas where
one or more of those ingredients may have been lacking. This has
allowed plants to flourish in places where climatic conditions have
previously limited growth. The research will be published in the June
6, 2003 edition of the journal SCIENCE.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Satellites are Seeing Green
- Scientists studying the greening of our planet are using
climate and satellite data to calculate the net primary production
(NPP) of plants on Earth. The global NPP is the difference between
the amount of CO2 absorbed during photosynthesis, and the amount of
CO2 lost during respiration. NASA's Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view
Sensor (SeaWiFS) aboard the OrbView-2 satellite has been measuring
this cycle since 1997. This colorful globe is a three-year map of
continuous data showing fluctuating areas of successful
photosynthesis on land and in the oceans.
Courtesy: NASA/ORBIMAGE
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| ITEM (2): A World-View of
Photosynthesis - The following animation shows the same three
years of continuous data (1997-2000) on a flat map of the Earth. The
smooth migration of green areas over time is a reflection of seasonal
changes in temperature and moisture. These green patches represent
areas of the greatest plant productivity, which may be expanding and
approaching new regions due to changes in the Earth's climate over
the past 20 years.
Courtesy: NASA/ORBIMAGE
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| ITEM (3): Miami,
Florida - The following animation shows the greenness of
Florida, on land and in the nearby ocean, as seen by the SeaWiFS
instrument.
Courtesy: NASA/ORBIMAGE
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Earth Science Gallery