NASA turns research to California drought

[Buster's Uncle]

NASA turns research to California drought
Associated Press
By SCOTT SMITH | Associated Press – Tue, Feb 25, 2014 7:41 PM EST



FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — NASA scientists have begun deploying satellites and other advanced technology to help California water officials assess the state's record drought and better manage it, officials said Tuesday.

The California Department of Water Resources has partnered with NASA to use the space agency's satellite data and other airborne technology to better measure the snowpack, groundwater levels and predict storms.

"It sounds like a cliche, but if they could put a man on the moon, why can't we get better seasonal forecasting?" Jeanine Jones of the state's Department of Water Resources said in an interview following the Sacramento announcement of the partnership.

Now they will. NASA scientists said they are also embarking on projects that use satellite images to help more accurately measure the number of fields farmers have chosen not to plant and where land is sinking because of excessive ground-water pumping.

Gov. Jerry Brown directed state officials to form such partnerships as part of his drought emergency declaration last month.

California's relationship with NASA began shortly after the dry year of 2009, when officials sought answers to problems exacerbated by the lack of rain and snow, such as the sinking land. This year's drought has made that research all more important, Jones said, adding that the preliminary findings proved that there's plenty more to learn.

NASA geologist Tom Farr said that bringing together all types of research and modern technology like pieces of a puzzle may help those in charge of managing the state's water supply avoid deficit water years like this.

"We're on the verge of being able to put all these measurements together and start looking at the concept of closing the water budget of California," he said.

Lawrence Friedl, director of NASA's Applied Sciences Program, said that 13 of the agency's satellites are focused on water. Three more water research projects are scheduled by NASA, including a satellite to be launched Feb. 27 with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Projects NASA is advancing include measuring so-called "atmospheric rivers" to better predict global storm systems farther in advance so rain can be captured in California reservoirs. Satellite images that show the amount of land farmers have chosen not to plant in a drought will arm officials in Sacramento with information about where to open food banks for farm workers.

Satellites technology will help officials identify levees that are prone to break with high volumes of water, scientists said.


http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/nasa-turns-research-california-drought-004111065.html

[Buster's Uncle]

NASA to use space images to help monitor California drought
Reuters
By Laila Kearney  February 25, 2014 6:44 PM



NASA and the Department of Water Resources are holding meetings to discuss the drought.



SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - NASA scientists plan to use images shot from space and within the Earth's atmosphere to help California monitor one of the worst droughts in its recorded history, officials said on Tuesday.

Scientists said they would deploy imaging tools to measure snowpack and groundwater levels and use a host of other technologies to help better map and assess the water resources in a state that produces half the nation's fruits and vegetables.

"We're on the verge of being able to put all of these different kinds of instruments together, these measurements together, and start looking at the concept of perhaps closing the water budget of California," Tom Farr, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory geologist, told reporters at a news conference.

While much of the United States has experienced torrential rains and heavy snowfall this winter, California is in the midst of a drought threatening to inflict the biggest water crisis in its modern history.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency last month and has called on state officials to prepare for water shortages and develop solutions for potentially long-term dry weather.



A tumbleweed is seen at an irrigation channel on a farm near Cantua Creek, California February 14, 2014. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith


The California Department of Water Resources has contracted with NASA to use data that will be collected next month with airplane mapping tools to measure water stored in the California snowpack, according to Jeanine Jones, the department's interstate water resources manager.

California could also soon utilize data from a satellite mapping system to gauge the extent of land subsidence, or sinking, because of dwindling groundwater levels, researchers said.

That data will help state officials plan for year-round water availability and locate and determine the size of aquifers, as well as detecting any damage caused by excessive groundwater pumping, researchers said.

State officials hope to ultimately use NASA satellite imagery to track the expanse of fallowed agricultural land in California's Central Valley to more accurately assess the impact of the drought on agricultural production.

Officials have said that California farmers facing drastic cutbacks in irrigation water are expected to idle half a million acres of cropland this year in a record production loss that could cause billions of dollars in economic damage.

Looking ahead, officials will also seek to use images shot from two NASA satellites - one designed to measure precipitation and another that tracks soil moisture levels - that are scheduled to launch into orbit this year.


http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-space-images-help-monitor-california-drought-234448570.html