NASA Ames In Mountain View Plays Big Role In Latest Climate Change Study
MOUNTAIN VIEW (KCBS) – NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Mountain View is providing an unprecedented look at our home planet, to help assist in better understanding climate change.
High-fidelity simulation models displayed at NASA Ames show a temperature map of the Untied States in the year 2100.
Senior research scientist Forrest Melton said, almost every major agricultural region of the country could have a daily maximum temperature in July of 105 degrees.
"Think about impacts to agricultural production, heat waves, heat stress, and urban heat island effects," he said.
Pete Worden, director at NASA Ames Research Center, said scientists are using supercomputers, airplanes and microsatellites to get local pictures of climate change.
"The key thing is to get precise enough data so that, what does San Jose do, versus what does San Francisco do," Worden said.
NASA scientists were key contributors to the National Climate Assessment, released this week by the White House.
"This year, we're adding to that body of knowledge, as five NASA air science missions will be launched into space in 2014 alone," said Charles Bolden, Administrator of NASA. "I am calling this, in fact NASA calls it the year of Earth."
The NCA found that the effects of climate change are already hitting every region of the U.S. and the U.S. economy and that extreme weather events will likely only get worse.