NASA plans to launch a new mission this month to study the heat loss from Earth's polar regions and provide information on changing climate, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said on Wednesday, The mission, named the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE), will study two of the most remote regions on Earth: the Arctic and Antarctic. A pair of shoebox-size climate satellites will be launched to measure the amount of heat the planet emits into space from these polar regions. Each of PREFIRE's cube satellites, or CubeSats, will use a thermal infrared spectrometer to measure the heat, in the form of far-infrared energy, radiated into space by Earth's surface and atmosphere. The data from the mission will help improve our understanding of the greenhouse effect at the poles -- specifically, the capacity of water vapor, clouds, and other elements of Earth's atmosphere to trap heat and keep it from radiating into space, according to the JPL. Researchers will use this information to update climate and ice models, which will lead to better predictions of how sea level, weather, and snow and ice cover are likely to change in a warming world. |
Olympic gold medalist Allisha Gray hopes to be part of US 3x3 team in Paris GamesHe's a former Disney Channel actor who starred in famous films before serving four years in prisonSpain reopens a probe into a Pegasus spyware case after a French request to work togetherRichmond Mayor Stoney drops Virginia governor bid, he will run for lieutenant governor insteadTalling in love! Alison Hammond joins cohort of celebs couples with notable height differencesKid Cudi says he broke 'something in my heel' after falling off stage during his lastAlec Baldwin furiously smacks antiLeonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti showcases her jawMel B details her fiveHe's a former Disney Channel actor who starred in famous films before serving four years in prison