POSTER SESSION 3
15:30–17:30, Wednesday, September 16
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
ABSTRACT 1164 | POSTER 247
KEEPING PACE WITH A CHANGING PLANET: 10 SURPRISING (AND NOT SO SURPRISING) TALENTS REVEALED AFTER 2 YEARS ON ORBIT
NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission is profoundly reshaping our understanding of Earth’s interconnected systems. Launched in February 2024, this pioneering observatory has become a scientific catalyst, armed with an unprecedented combination of hyperspectral radiometry and multi-angle polarimetry. From the sunlit ocean to the highest clouds, PACE delivers near-daily global imagery that has upgraded the view of our home planet from multispectral snapshots to multi-dimensional panorama.
The mission consists of three advanced instruments: the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), the Hyper Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2), and the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone). Together, they establish a new paradigm for integrated observations to address new and emerging questions about the Earth system. Over water, PACE maps the microscopic universe of the upper ocean to enable accurate identification of beneficial and harmful phytoplankton. In the atmosphere, it decodes the complex interactions of aerosols and clouds, supplying data to monitor air quality and unravel the mechanics of atmospheric heating and cooling. Over land, it captures expansive terrestrial landscapes, scaling vegetation measurements from localized regions to global perspectives.
To celebrate its two-and-a-half years on orbit, this presentation showcases the fully realized and unexpected capabilities of this multi-disciplinary juggernaut in the form of a top ten list of “talents”. This list represents the most compelling scientific advances and socioeconomic applications revealed during PACE’s first two and a half years of operation. Join us as we explore how PACE shatters old paradigms, fills critical science gaps, and delivers transformative benefits for society like never before.
Jeremy Werdell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3592-0152
Carina Poulin, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / SSAI, [email protected]
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
