David Steitz
Headquarters, Washington                             May 24, 2002
(Phone: 202/358-1730) 

Rosemary Sullivant
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 818/354-5011)

Cynthia M. O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/614-5563)

John Bluck
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
(Phone: 650/604-5026 or 604-9000)

Rob Gutro
AGU Press Room, Washington Convention Center
(Phone: 202/371-5016)

NOTE TO EDITORS: N02-40

NASA SCIENTISTS HIGHLIGHT NEW EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE 
RESEARCH AT 2002 AGU SPRING MEETING

     NASA scientists will present findings on a variety of Earth 
and space science topics at the American Geophysical Union's 2002 
Spring Meeting, to be held at the Washington Convention Center in 
Washington, May 28-31.

Selected examples of some of the topics addressed by NASA 
scientists include:

MODIS Observations of Smoke and Fires 
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - a key 
instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites) aerosol data 
presented in a movie form is used to observe the generation of 
smoke plumes and their dispersion around the globe. For example, 
a key conclusion is that smoke in particular from Southern Africa 
can pollute significantly the "pristine" Southern Hemisphere and 
the Northern Pacific.

The Impact of the Oceans on the Earth's Rotation
Changes in the angular momentum of the oceans, a result of 
changes in the mass distribution in the oceans and ocean 
currents, cause Earth's rotation to change, including both its 
speed and the location of the rotation pole with respect to 
Earth's crust. 

Global Earthquake System Science (Monitoring Earthquakes From 
Space 
Satellites may be used to detect telltale infrared emissions, 
electric and magnetic signals, and changes in the ionosphere that 
may occur days before large earthquakes, according to the team.

Special AGU Session: Fleet of NASA Spacecraft Observe 
Atmosphere's Response to Recent Solar Storms 
Data of the Sun's activities during a recent series of strong 
solar storms was gathered by an entire fleet of NASA's Sun-Earth 
Connection spacecraft including atmospheric data from NASA's 
newest solar spacecraft, TIMED (Thermosphere, Ionosphere, 
Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics). TIMED is providing 
important new information on the final link in the Sun-Earth 
Connection chain of physical processes that connect the Sun and 
Earth. Preliminary TIMED data will be featured in a special AGU 
session on May 31.

For a additional details about the Earth and space science topics 
addressed by NASA scientists during the AGU conference, visit the 
Internet at:

        http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/agu2002.html

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