CATS Eyes on the Atmosphere
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- Visualizations by:
- Kel Elkins
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- Written by:
- Jordan Rice
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- Scientific consulting by:
- John E. Yorks
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- Produced by:
- Michael Starobin
- View full credits
From 2015 to 2017, NASA had a specialized laser mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) 250 miles above Earth. NASA’s Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, instrument was designed to study clouds and particles like dust and smoke in Earth’s atmosphere. To see the atmosphere from top to bottom, CATS's laser made measurements in "curtains," vertical slices of the atmosphere that showed what was happening at all altitudes. This view gave scientists information rapidly on spiraling hurricanes clouds and ash spewing from wildfires and volcanic erruptions, which has helped in forecasting and monitoring of these events. For example, in April 2015, the Calbuco Volcano in Chile erupted sending ash and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. As the ISS was passing overhead, CATS measured the height of the volcanic plume, a critical measurement needed to decide where to ground airplanes that can be damaged by ash in flight. Watch the videos to learn about other events witnessed by CATS.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
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Animator
- Kel Elkins (USRA) [Lead]
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Writer
- Jordan Rice (Intern) [Lead]
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Scientist
- John E. Yorks (SSAI) [Lead]
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Producer
- Michael Starobin (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
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ID: 4542 Visualization
CATS studies volcanic plumes, wildfires, and hurricanes
Read moreNASA’s Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, is a lidar remote-sensing instrument taking measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). Launched to the ISS in January 2015, CATS is specifically intended to demonstrate a low-cost, streamlined approach to developing ISS science payloads. The CATS mission extends the data record of space-based aerosol and cloud measurements to ensure the continuity of lidar climate observation.Data from CATS will help scientists model the structure of dust plumes and other atmospheric features, which can travel far distances and impact air quality. Climate scientists will also use the CATS data, along with data from other Earth-observing instruments, to look at trends and interactions in clouds and aerosols over time.Calbco EruptionCATS and the ISS provide critical measurements of volcanic plume heights. In late April 2015, the Calbuco Volcano in Chile erupted multiple times; sending plumes of sulfur dioxide and ash into the upper troposphere. Volcanic plumes pose a substantial risk to aviation safety, leading to prolonged flight cancellations that cause ripple effects in the airline industry’s economy and on personal travel. Rerouting air traffic requires accurate forecasts of volcanic plume transport from models such as the NASA GEOS-5 shown here. Utilizing the near-real-time data downlinking capabilities on ISS the CATS team can produce useful data products within six hours of data collection. ||
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