Press

1:30 p.m. Media roundtable
The Heliophysics Big Year: Solar Eclipses, Exciting Missions, Collaborative Science, and More

Kicked off by the annular solar eclipse on October 14, the Heliophysics Big Year is a global celebration of solar science and the Sun’s influence on the entire solar system. The Big Year invites everyone to participate in Heliophysics science. It includes a total solar eclipse in North America on April 8, 2024, and continues through December 2024, when NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach to the Sun. Panelists will share NASA science and engagement opportunities during the 2024 total solar eclipse and the Big Year, what we hope to learn from NASA Heliophysics missions such as the newly launched Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), and how citizen scientists are helping to investigate our star and its influence on us all.

Panelists:

• Kelly Korreck, NASA Headquarters – Heliophysics Big Year overview and NASA eclipse efforts 
• Elizabeth MacDonald, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center – Eclipse and heliophysics citizen science 
• Amir Caspi, Southwest Research Institute – NASA eclipse experiments 
• Nour Raouafi, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory – Parker Solar Probe
• David Fritts, Global Atmospheric Technologies and Sciences/Boulder – AWE mission

Contact: Sarah Frazier, NASA, [email protected]

3:30 p.m. Media roundtable
Disappearing solar wind: New results from the NASA MAVEN mission

NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission is the only asset currently at Mars that is able to simultaneously observe both the Sun’s activity and the response of the Martian atmosphere to these solar influences.  In December 2022, MAVEN observed a dramatic and unexpected “disappearance” of a stream of charged particles constantly emanating off the Sun, known as the solar wind. Without the pressure of the solar wind, the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere expanded by thousands of kilometers. Many of the results from this event are being presented at this year’s AGU fall meeting, in a wide range of sessions.

Panelists:

• Jasper Halekas, University of Iowa
• Skylar (Sky) Shaver, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder
• Yingjuan Ma, University of California Los Angeles,
• Shannon Curry, University of California Berkeley, Principal Investigator of MAVEN mission

Contact: Willow Reed, LASP, [email protected]

Related abstracts:

• Halekas: The Day the Solar Wind Disappeared at Mars [accepted in the AGU journal Space Physics; manuscript available on request to [email protected]]
• Shaver: The Martian Ionospheric Response to the Co-rotating Interaction Region that caused the Disappearing Solar Wind Event in December 2022
• Ma: Multi-fluid MHD study of the extremely low solar wind density event observed by MAVEN on December 26, 2022 

4:30 p.m. Media availability
Probing the atmospheres of “hot Jupiters”: New results from NASA’s first astrophysics SmallSat

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is the first NASA-funded CubeSat mission to study a volatile class of planets known as “hot Jupiters.” Scalding hot and bombarded by extreme radiation from their nearby parent stars, their atmospheres puff up and escape, making them good laboratories for studying atmospheric escape, a process that affects the structure, composition, and evolution of many planets, including those in our solar system. Launched in 2021, CUTE uses a unique rectangular telescope that collects ~3x more photons than a traditional telescope, but fits in a satellite the size of a cereal box. The mission has recently begun to return exciting results that are helping us better understand how these and other planets evolve over billions of years.

Panelist:

• Kevin France, CUTE Principal Investigator, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and University of Colorado Boulder faculty member

Contact: Sara Pratt, LASP, [email protected]

Associated abstracts:

• France: The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE): NASA’s First Exoplanet Spectroscopy SmallSat

9:00 a.m. Press conference
Latest ice dynamics in Antarctica

In this press conference, researchers from the US and Europe will share the latest field observations and satellite data on ice dynamics in Antarctica, with a focus on areas of West Antarctica that have been retreating rapidly. Panelists will update reporters on the breakup of Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf, share new seismic data from the bed of Thwaites Glacier, discuss glacier retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula, and share the latest synthesis of ice dynamics for both the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets.

Panelists:

• Beata Csatho, University at Buffalo
• Ben Eaton Smith, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington
• Coen Hofstede, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research 
• Naomi Ochwat, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
• Erin Pettit, Oregon State University
• Ted Scambos, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder (moderator)

Contact: Lauren Lipuma, CU Boulder, [email protected]

Associated abstracts:

• Beata Csatho: Laser altimetry reveals changes in Antarctic ice dynamics patterns during the past two decades
• Ben Smith: Mass balance of Antarctica and Greenland from two decades of laser-altimetry measurements
• Coen Hofstede: The bed of Thwaites Glacier: Characteristics derived from a 208 km seismic profile of the center flow line
• Erin Pettit: The Evolution of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf: Ongoing Destabilization and Implications for Future Glacier Change
• Naomi Ochwat: Triggers of the 2022 Larsen B multi-year landfast sea ice break-out and glacier responses (Invited)

*NEW TIME*

10:00 a.m. Press conference

NOAA 2023 Arctic Report Card

The NOAA 2023 Arctic Report Card provides the latest information on the disruptive impacts of climate change on a region warming more than three times as quickly as other regions. Featuring reports on air temperature, sea ice, ocean temperature, plankton blooms, snow cover, tundra greenness, precipitation and the Greenland ice sheet, this year’s report also offers new chapters on impacts to Alaskan salmon, melting subsea permafrost and two chapters demonstrating how integrating Indigenous knowledge can strengthen climate resilience. The work of 82 authors from 13 countries, the report is an internationally recognized primary source for scientists, media, Arctic communities and decision-makers.

Panelists:

• Richard W. Spinrad, NOAA Administrator
• Richard Thoman, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Thomas Ballinger, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Daniel Schindler, University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science
• Roberta Tuurraq Glenn-Borade, Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub 

Contact: Monica Allen (NOAA), [email protected]

1:30 p.m. Press conference
1000 Sols and Counting: Perseverance Rover’s Latest Science and Future Plans

With briefing day comes the 1,000^th sol on Mars for Perseverance. Along with a look at the first 1K for the rover, the briefing will highlight the science results from the rover’s third science campaign that scoured the top of the Jezero delta in hunt for more scientifically collected, return-worthy samples from Mars. It will also chronicle first results from the rover’s latest science campaign, where the rover is looking at a sedimentary deposit that could be amongst the oldest yet investigated, and reveal for the first time the detailed future plans which will carry Perseverance up the rim and out of Jezero Crater. The status and significant progress made to date and future milestones to come in the agency’s Mars Sample Return program will also be covered.

Panelists:

• Lori Glaze, NASA HQ
• Ken Farley, Caltech
• Libby Ives, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Morgan Cable, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Meenakshi Wadhwa, Arizona State University

Contact: DC Agle, NASA JPL, [email protected]

2:30 p.m. Media Availability
Monitoring the Air We Breathe from Space: How NASA's TEMPO Instrument Will Revolutionize Air Quality Forecasts

TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) collects high-resolution, hourly, daytime measurements across North America. Data from TEMPO’s UV-visible spectrometer showing ozone, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants at a spatial range of just several square miles — literally at the neighborhood level — will become available in early 2024. This first-of-its-kind data will provide ongoing aerosol and pollutant measurements that benefit the public and revolutionize air quality forecasts. 

Panelists will speak to the instrument and mission, how traditional air monitoring campaigns benefit from and validate TEMPO’s data, and how early adopters will use the data.

Panelists:

• Barry Lefer, TEMPO Program Scientist and Tropospheric Composition Program Manager for NASA
• Laura Judd, Research Scientist/Associate Program Manager for Health and Air Quality in Earth Action at NASA’s Langley Research Center
• Hazem Mahmoud, Atmospheric Science Data Center and Distributed Active Archive Center Scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center
• Aaron Naeger, Physical Research Scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Contact: Charles Hatfield, [email protected]

NEW TIME

3:30 p.m. Media availability
Mapping the World’s Water: New Satellite Provides Game-Changing Data

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite measures the height of nearly all water on Earth’s surface, providing one of the most detailed, comprehensive views yet of our oceans and freshwater bodies. SWOT – a joint effort of NASA and CNES – started collecting scientific data this fall after months of system calibrations and validation, and the satellite is surpassing expectations. Launched less than a year ago, SWOT can “see” the braided features of rivers like Alaska’s Yukon River and sea levels right up to coastlines – something previous ocean-observing satellites can’t do. SWOT is even able to spot icebergs and sea ice.

Panelists

• Lee Fu, SWOT project scientist and lead ocean researcher, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Tamlin Pavelsky, SWOT lead freshwater researcher, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  
  

4:30 p.m. Media availability
How do we build broad and durable climate action in America?

American climate policy lacks a broad, durable commitment to accelerate the pace of action. The current challenge is to form a coalition that can sustain progress and ensure that the benefits of climate action—health, economic prosperity, and political voice—are enjoyed by all Americans. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Accelerating Climate Action has released a report called "Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America", which provides a blueprint for the nation's response to climate change. The report offers five strategies and 21 recommendations for coordinating efforts across sectors, ideological divides, and diverse communities.

The Commission on Accelerating Climate Action is one of the most diverse groups to address climate issues, with expertise spanning the arts, faith communities, environmental justice, youth activism, the natural and social sciences, Indigenous people and Indigenous Knowledge, public health, and urban design. The novelty of our report is thus not from any one recommendation but from our delineation of the fair bargain, which details how the private sector, frontline communities, government, and environmental groups convene to build infrastructure, reduce emissions, and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

This availability will feature some of the diverse contributors to our report, discussing key recommendations, the fair bargain in practice, and methods of integrating environmental justice into the broader climate conversation.

Panelists:

• Leo Curran, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Chris Field, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
  
  

Contact: Leo Curran, AAAS, [email protected]

Associated abstracts:

• Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America

10:00 a.m. Media availability
Earth Science at a Rapid PACE: A preview of NASA’s new ocean and atmospheres mission

NASA’s PACE satellite, scheduled to launch January 2024, will study Earth in the full rainbow of colors. With a hyperspectral instrument that views the entire globe every two days, it will not only identify the ebbs and flows and migrations of phytoplankton blooms, but can identify which species makes up those blooms. Add in two multi-angle polarimeters that will map atmospheric aerosols and clouds from top to bottom, and scientists will be able to use PACE to investigate how the ocean and atmosphere interact and impact our planet’s changing climate.

At this Media Availability, panelists can provide a primer on this mission, launching soon after AGU, and also discuss the real-world problems the data will be used for. This ranges from studying the role that microscopic oceanic organisms have in the carbon cycle and climate change, to tracking the locations of valuable fisheries or siting new aquaculture efforts, to identifying harmful algal blooms in recreational areas, and studying the effect of aerosols on the health of people in the Great Plains.

Panelists:

• Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist, NASA Goddard
• Natasha Sadoff, geographer and social scientist, NASA Goddard
• Kirk Knobelspiesse, PACE atmospheric scientist, NASA Goddard

Contact: Kate Ramsayer, [email protected]

11:00 a.m. Press conference
Marine carbon removal research, funding, applications and ethics

Marine carbon dioxide removal aims to increase the role that the ocean already plays in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is now considered an essential approach to limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But despite the ocean’s large potential for carbon removal, many questions remain for marine carbon dioxide removal research. A panel of experts will discuss recent advances in public and private marine carbon dioxide removal and explore some ethical considerations. There will also be information about a pilot project currently underway in the Pacific Northwest.

Panelists:

• Steve Thur, Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at NOAA
• Lisa Graumlich, President of AGU and climatologist at the University of Washington
• Gabriella Kitch, Program Lead for Carbon Dioxide Removal at NOAA
• Rory Jacobson, Senior Advisor for Deployment at the U.S. Department of Energy
• Matt Eisaman, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Ebb Carbon, a startup company developing a marine carbon dioxide removal pilot project in Sequim, WA.

Contact: Alison Gillespie, [email protected], 202-713-6644

Contact for Lisa Graumlich: [email protected]

1:30 p.m. Media workshop
Can we map our way out of water shortages?

In many places around the world, we are using more freshwater than our planet can replenish. To better understand emerging freshwater shortages and inspire sustainable action, the National Geographic Society, in partnership with Utrecht University and Esri, launched the World Water Map: a geovisualization of the world’s freshwater resources. Built on 40 years of data, the Map helps answer: where are the “water gap” hotspots where demand is outpacing supply? How do changes in groundwater resources affect communities? What sectors are driving water demand in different geographies? Answering these questions could change the way people use water and help identify sustainable solutions. 

Panelists:

• Marc Bierkens, National Geographic Explorer, Professor of Hydrology and Vice Dean of Research Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University
• Niko Wanders, Associate Professor of Hydrological Extremes, Utrecht University 
• Myrthe Leijnse, PhD Candidate, Utrecht University  
• Will Thompson, Senior Manager, Storytelling Programs, National Geographic Society 

Contact: Steph Miceli, National Geographic, [email protected]

Associated abstracts:

• The World Water Map of Water Scarcity Hotspots to Support Sustainable Water Management

2:30 p.m. Media availability
Understanding Open Science: NASA's role and real-world insights

Join our informative media roundtable spotlighting the transformative role of Open Science in research. Led by NASA's Chief Science Data Officer, Kevin Murphy, we'll explore NASA's recent release of the 'Open Science 101' course. Accompanied by esteemed scientists sharing firsthand experiences, we'll delve into Open Science's impact on their work. Discussions will navigate its far-reaching effects, including the benefits and challenges in research. This session offers a unique perspective on Open Science's evolution, emphasizing NASA's commitment to transparency and collaboration.

Panelists:

• Moderator: Jonathan Deal, Public Affairs Officer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
• Kevin Murphy, NASA Chief Science Data Officer, NASA HQ
• Kaylin Bugbee. Applications Data Manager, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
• Sudhir Shrestha, Technical Manager, Web and Data Service Program, NOAA Office of Water Prediction
• Tasha Snow, Research Associate, Colorado School of Mines

Associated abstracts and sessions:

• Kevin Murphy’s abstracts and sessions are listed here
• Session: Advancing Cryospheric Research and Community Engagement Through Open-Science Tools, Data, and Collaboration
• Bastien: Shifting Biomes in a Changing Climate: Unequal Global Impacts on Market and Non-Market Values of Natural Capital
• Zaringhalam: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Year of Open Science to Advance National Open Science Policies Across the Federal Government in 2023

Contact: Amanda Adams, [email protected]

9:00 a.m. Press conference
Change and resilience under fire in Ukraine’s agricultural landscapes 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on the country’s agriculture that has been felt around the world. This event will highlight early indications of where E.U. subsidies have reached Ukrainian farmers and up-to-date surveys of farms from occupied areas, delving into how scientists use remote sensing and AI advances and ground-truthing to observe cultivation and abandonment of land under conflict. Panelists will discuss what they have learned about metal contamination of soils and other environmental impacts from shelling, as well as how this information could be used for recovery. The panel will also touch on the broader context of land use change in Ukraine, how the war exacerbates climate pressures and the application of tools and lessons learned there to other ongoing conflicts.

Panelists:

• Nataliia Kussul, National Technical University of Ukraine (Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute)
• Olena Melnyk, ETH Zurich/ Sumy National Agrarian University
  
• Leonid Shumilo, University of Maryland
• Sarah Hartman, University of California Berkeley
• Iryna Dronova, University of California Berkeley

Contact: Liza Lester, AGU, [email protected]

Associated sessions and abstracts:

• Monitoring War Impacts on Agricultural Productivity and the Effectiveness of Emergency Farmer Support using Satellite and Survey Data (Kussul)
• Assessment of Damages and Ways to Restore Agricultural Lands of Ukraine as a Result of the Russian Invasion (Melnyk)
• Factors Impacting Agricultural Resilience in Ukraine: A Historical to Near-Real-Time Analysis (Hartman, Dronova)
• Advances in Earth Observation and Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Armed Conflicts - Poster session
• Advances in Earth Observation and Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Armed Conflicts - Oral session
• Advances in Earth Observation and Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Armed Conflicts -Poster session
• See also: Characteristics of the Main Types of Destruction of the Natural Environment Caused by the War in Ukraine and Analysis of the Methodological Approaches to the Assessing Economic and Environmental Losses

11:00 a.m. Media roundtable
To be just, dam removals need to consider both science and society

Dam removals have cascading effects on ecosystems, individuals and society. Removing dams can help correct past injustices and ecosystem disturbances inflicted by the dams' installation, restoring river environments that people, including Indigenous communities, can rely on. This roundtable discussion features experts who can talk about the scientific and societal aspects of dam construction and removal, in light of efforts to assess and potentially remove dams around the U.S. and abroad. The Klamath Dam removal can be discussed.

Speakers:

• Lucy Andrews, UC Berkeley
• Desiree Tullos, Oregon State University
• Frank Magilligan, Dartmouth
• Brook Thompson, UC Santa Cruz and Yurok Tribe member
  
  

Contact: Becca Dzombak, AGU, [email protected]

Related and associated sessions, abstracts and additional experts:

• Stream restoration and social justice: Sociodemographic patterns in the siting of Minnesota’s government-sponsored restoration projects (Andrews)
• A Systematic Approach to Dam Removal in California (Andrews)
• Water quality, primary production, and river health in the pre-dam removal Klamath River based on multiple ways of knowing (Tullos)
• Racism In Water Infrastructure (Thompson)
• Streams of Justice? River Restoration as Environmental Justice (Magilligan)
• See also: Silt Happens: Modeling Reservoir Sedimentation across the United States. Melissa A Foster, Bureau of Reclamation.
• See also: Data-driven Predictions of Reservoir Capacity Loss from Sedimentation across the United States. Abigail Eckland, CU Boulder.
• Amy East, geologist with the USGS and Editor in Chief of JGR Earth Surface

1:30 p.m. Media roundtable

NCA Atlas: A powerful new climate reporting tool

The 5^th National Climate Assessment (NCA5) released in November is the preeminent source of authoritative and usable climate information – risks, impacts, and responses – in the United States. The vast scope of the report may appear challenging for a reporter or data visualization provider looking to identify and extract local and regional climate data quickly. That's why USGCRP, NOAA and Esri built an interactive atlas to help reporters to explore the downscaled projections used in the report to add data and context to breaking news, and to help enterprising journalists identify under-reported climate stories.

This Media Roundtable Q&A will be a live demo of the NCA Atlas developed by the NOAA Climate Program Office in conjunction with USGCRP. The atlas uses the Esri ArcGIS Hub. Following a demonstration, presenters will take reporter questions and query the Atlas. 

Speakers:

• Alison Crimmins, US Global Change Research Program
• Dan Pisut, Esri
• Frank Niepold, NOAA Climate Program Office

Contact: Monica Allen (NOAA; onsite), [email protected] and Theo Stein (NOAA), [email protected]

Related sessions:

• The Fifth National Climate Assessment: Risks, Impacts, and Responses (Poster session, with a poster for 32 chapters and additional topics)
• The Fifth National Climate Assessment: Key Themes and Scientific Updates

3:30 p.m. Media roundtable

How beavers can impact landscapes in the US West and beyond

Beavers are ecosystem engineers that can help get river corridors back on track, make landscapes more resistant to wildfires, and support other river-dwelling species. Many places across the U.S. are trying to reestablish decimated beaver populations, but some view them as a blight. This roundtable features experts who can discuss how beavers affect different types of landscapes — including making them more resilient to wildfire and drought — improving our knowledge of beavers’ presence in the rest with a new 5,000-year DNA record of beavers in Grand Teton National Park, models of how beaver reintroductions could affect Sierra Nevada hydrology, and how artificial beaver dams can help restore landscapes, too.

Panelists:

• Emily Fairfax, University of Minnesota
• Neve Baker, UCSC
• Jessie Moravek, UC Berkeley
• Christa Kelleher, Lafayette College

Contact: Becca Dzombak, AGU, [email protected]

Associated and relevant abstracts:

• Beavers can improve wildfire resistance in many kinds of landscapes (Fairfax)
• EEAGER beaver modeling: Machine learning and imagery to map beavers in CA (Fairfax)
• Ancient DNA reveals 5,000 years of continuous beaver presence in Grand Tetons (Baker)
• New modeling of how beavers might impact Sierra Nevada hydrology (Moravek)
• Beavers could help make the Sierra Nevada more drought-resilient (Moravek)
• Humanmade “beaver” dams can help restore landscapes, but beavers do it better (Kelleher)
• See also: Lake Superior beavers reuse old dams
• See also: Beavers’ influence on Arctic carbon is complex

10:00 a.m. Media availability
Using fiber optics to study Arctic seafloor permafrost

The Arctic is remote, with often harsh conditions, and its climate is changing rapidly — warming four times faster than the rest of the Earth. This makes studying the Arctic climate both challenging and vital for understanding global climate change.

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories are using an existing fiber optic cable off Oliktok Point on the North Slope of Alaska to study the conditions of the Arctic seafloor up to 20 miles from shore. Christian Stanciu, project lead, will present their latest findings on Friday, Dec. 15 at AGU’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

Their goal is to determine the seismic structure of miles of Arctic seafloor. Using an emerging technique, they can spot areas of the seafloor where sound travels faster than on the rest of the seafloor, typically because of more ice. They have identified several areas with lots of ice, said Stanciu, a Sandia geophysicist.

Panelists:

• Christian Stanciu, Sandia National Laboratories

Contact: Mollie Rappe, Sandia National Laboratories, [email protected]

Associated abstracts:

• Stanciu: Multi-Modal Sensing Using DAS and DTS on Submarine Fiber Optic in the Arctic
• Frederick: Mapping Submarine Permafrost Distribution Near Prudhoe Bay, AK, Using Seabed Distributed Temperature Sensing

New location - Plenary Hall E - North (Exhibition Level, North)
2:00 p.m. Media availability
Pam Melroy (NASA Deputy Administrator) media opportunity

Following her plenary talk at 1:00 PM PT on Friday, 15 December, NASA’s Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will be available to discuss the agency’s Artemis program, through which NASA is going to the Moon for scientific discovery, capitalizing on the curiosity, dexterity, mobility, and rapid decision making that astronauts bring to the table as we seek to understand more about the universe and our place in it. Melroy can answer questions about why science is at the forefront of Artemis and how NASA is bringing about that vision.

Participant: Pam Melroy

Contact: Karen Fox, [email protected]