Science thrives on new ideas, and a new study published in the journal Nature last month has floated an ambitious proposal for supplying much-needed drinking water to arid regions near the ocean. It involves inventing a new technology to capture moisture-rich air rising off the surface of the ocean, and condensing it into fresh water.
NASA launches mission to measure Earth’s surface water – with help from Canada
A spacecraft equipped with Canadian technology has begun its mission to answer one of the most basic but challenging questions in climate science: where is all the water?
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, or SWOT, was launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base early Friday morning aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The low-Earth-orbit satellite was developed by NASA in partnership with the French space agency, CNES, with additional involvement from Britain and Canada.
SWOT’s aim is to measure the water levels of rivers, lakes and coastal waters of about 90 per cent of the globe and track how they change over time.
While the task may sound straightforward, the results promise to unlock a bounty of information about the water cycle, its relationship to climate and the consequences for people around the world.
Indeed, so important is the data that the scientists behind the mission describe it in the same terms that astronomers have used when talking about the James Webb Space Telescope.
“We’re speaking about a revolution in hydrology,” said Selma Cherchali, the head of Earth observation at CNES, at a prelaunch science briefing.
For decades, researchers have been able to rely on satellite imagery to measure the length and breadth of the countless bodies of water that dot Earth’s surface and to map the coastlines of every continent, but capturing water levels is an entirely different matter. Visually, there is no easy way to do this from space.
Instead, gauges that measure water levels must be installed wherever such data is needed. However, that can only provide measurements at one point, and the global distribution of gauges is highly uneven, leaving many parts of the world underrepresented in the data.
Without water level data, estimating the total volume becomes guesswork – which in turn makes it difficult to answer a host of questions about drought, flood risk and water availability in many locations.
“Having these areas where there’s a dearth of information is horrible to deal with because you’re just left having to make assumptions,” said Thomas Piekutowski, the program manager for Sun-Earth system sciences at the Canadian Space Agency.
SWOT has been designed to bridge this knowledge gap by using a pair of antennae 10 metres apart that simultaneously fire radar pulses toward Earth’s surface thousands of times per second. The pulses are reflected by water and travel back up to the spacecraft. The slight difference in the time it takes the reflected pulses to reach each antenna separately allows the satellite to extract three-dimensional information about water levels to an accuracy of within 10 centimetres.
The satellite’s near-polar orbit allows it to build a global map of Earth’s water every 21 days. It is expected to provide data on any body of water that is at least 250 metres across, including small lakes and most of the world’s major rivers.
“That’s critical in a country like Canada that has millions of lakes and rivers that would be impossible to measure by traditional, ground-based methods,” said Jay Famiglietti, executive director of the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Water Security.
During the development of SWOT, researchers tested the satellite’s radar system by flying it over some of Canada’s Prairie wetlands.
SWOT is also designed to observe the oceans and record the degree to which the sea surface is lifted or depressed by eddy currents that can transport heat, nutrients, oxygen and pollution from one place to another, providing a unique window on the ever-shifting patterns of water flow.
Collectively, the data will improve climate models and help researchers understand the global water supply.
“It’s really going to provide rich information that impacts all of us,” said Benjamin Hamlington, a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and a member of the SWOT science team.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are both preparing to make use of the data SWOT will provide. The Canadian Space Agency is also working with university researchers with projects related to SWOT.
Canada has contributed a key electronic component to the satellite called a klystron, which amplifies the radar signal. The hardware was built by Communications & Power Industries Canada Inc., a Georgetown, Ont., based company.
The launch caps off a big year for Canadian researchers engaged in observing the planet and its atmosphere from space.
In October, the federal government announced about $200-million in funding for a new mission called HAWC, so named because it is designed to study high-altitude aerosols, water vapour and clouds. All are factors that influence how energy moves through the atmosphere. Scientists are seeking a better understanding of their distribution and impact to refine climate models.
“Having better data is really going to be critical,” said Kaley Walker, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Toronto and co-principal investigator on the project.
The effort is part of a multi-satellite program, the Atmosphere Observing System, led by NASA. Some components of HAWC are slated to fly in 2028, with a Canadian-led satellite to follow in 2031.
The satellite’s near-polar orbit allows it to build a global map of Earth’s water every 21 days. It is expected to provide data on any body of water that is at least 250 metres across, including small lakes and most of the world’s major rivers.
“That’s critical in a country like Canada that has millions of lakes and rivers that would be impossible to measure by traditional, ground-based methods,” said Jay Famiglietti, executive director of the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Water Security.
During the development of SWOT, researchers tested the satellite’s radar system by flying it over some of Canada’s Prairie wetlands.
SWOT is also designed to observe the oceans and record the degree to which the sea surface is lifted or depressed by eddy currents that can transport heat, nutrients, oxygen and pollution from one place to another, providing a unique window on the ever-shifting patterns of water flow.
Collectively, the data will improve climate models and help researchers understand the global water supply.
“It’s really going to provide rich information that impacts all of us,” said Benjamin Hamlington, a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and a member of the SWOT science team.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are both preparing to make use of the data SWOT will provide. The Canadian Space Agency is also working with university researchers with projects related to SWOT.
Canada has contributed a key electronic component to the satellite called a klystron, which amplifies the radar signal. The hardware was built by Communications & Power Industries Canada Inc., a Georgetown, Ont., based company.
The launch caps off a big year for Canadian researchers engaged in observing the planet and its atmosphere from space.
In October, the federal government announced about $200-million in funding for a new mission called HAWC, so named because it is designed to study high-altitude aerosols, water vapour and clouds. All are factors that influence how energy moves through the atmosphere. Scientists are seeking a better understanding of their distribution and impact to refine climate models.
“Having better data is really going to be critical,” said Kaley Walker, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Toronto and co-principal investigator on the project.
The effort is part of a multi-satellite program, the Atmosphere Observing System, led by NASA. Some components of HAWC are slated to fly in 2028, with a Canadian-led satellite to follow in 2031.
(Article courtesy of The Globe & Mail)
Brace yourself for some cold facts: the water on Earth is finite. What we have is what we get! Plus, according to the World Atlas, there are approximately 360,000 births every day, so our water supply requires more care than ever.
Fact: Most homes see the majority of their water footprint come from their indoor water use. Small adjustments to our daily routine can go a long way towards our water conservation efforts.
Coffee is 98.3% water and a little over 1% soluble plant matter. That’s a healthy helping of H2O! Water is both the main ingredient in your coffee and the solvent that extracts the oils from your coffee beans or grounds, so it’s pulling double duty.
Water makes up 75% of the Earth’s surface, so why is everyone concerned about finding enough adequate drinking water? The truth is, less than 1% of the Earth’s water is fresh water that we can drink. This 1% can become contaminated in a number of ways.
It's important to be proactive in creating prevention plans as well as formulating appropriate responses if preventable actions fail and your house does become flooded.
PREPARE FOR SEASONAL FLOODING
Flooding can happen in any season, but you can take precautions to prevent water damage at different times of the year. These seasonal weather patterns will be important to keep in mind when preparing for flooding.
SPRING
During spring thaw, melting snow can overflow lakes and riverbanks. Add spring rains to that abundance of water, and your home may be in danger of flooding. Severe flooding in the Midwest during spring has occurred many times over the years.
SUMMER
Thunderstorms in summer can bring heavy rains, sometimes over a period of several days, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. Some areas even experience flash floods during summer storms.
FALL
Hurricane season runs from June through November and during these months, locations along the East and Gulf coasts are vulnerable to storm surge and torrential rains. Even inland locations can be affected by rising floodwaters and ensuring your home is properly protected is vital to prevent damage.
WINTER
While big winter storms get headlines for bringing snow days to the north, they can also cause major rainfall in the warmer southern states. These big wintry snow dumps can lead to a buildup of snow that eventually leads to a big spring thaw.
HOW TO STOP FLOODING IN YOUR HOME
If you live in a high-risk area, it may be inevitable that your home will flood. Luckily, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage to structural elements and possessions in your home.
6 WAYS TO MINIMIZE FLOOD DAMAGE
1. Check your roof - Be sure that gutters and drains are clear of debris so rainwater can flow away from your home instead of seeping in through your roof or pooling at the base of your home.
2. Check the foundation - Find cracks and close them with expandable products such as hydraulic cement so water doesn't seep into your basement.
3. Move expensive items higher - When furnaces and water pumps are installed, make sure they are at least 12 inches above the known flood level for your area. Move valuable items to higher levels to avoid potential flood damage in low-lying areas.
4. Keep wastewater from backing up - Install sewer or septic line check valves, which will prevent your sewage from ending up in the standing water in your home.
5. Mitigate water damage - Once power sources like furnaces and water heaters are turned off and cool, you can wrap them up in waterproof tarps. Also make sure fuel tanks are anchored so they don't float or rupture.
6. Document your property - Take photos and videos of all the damage your property sustained. If you have flood insurance, it'll be necessary to show proof of what has been affected.
IMPORTANT STEPS TO TAKE TO HELP ENSURE YOUR SAFETY
DO NOT step into standing water in your basement. You risk electrocution. Turn off the power.
Scrub floors and surfaces with a bleach solution of one cup of bleach to one gallon of water.
Dry your home using dehumidifiers and fans.
Stop the flow of water. If a burst pipe has caused the flood, find the source and make plans for repairs before you turn the water back on.
Remove water. A sump pump or utility pump will effectively propel water out of your basement. Most homes have a sump pump in a pit or basin in the basement or crawl space. If, for some reason, your sump pump is broken, then a battery-powered backup will be more useful than bucketing water
MINIMIZE DAMAGE BY ACTING QUICKLY WITH IMMEDIATE WATER REMOVAL
Act within 48 hours to minimize the damage to structural elements and possessions in your home, which can help to prevent mold, and secondary water damage.
According to waterdamagedefense.com, 1-4" of water can cost $7,800 in repairs.* Removing all water and drying the area is most important to prevent damage.
A large amount of flood damage calls for a professional. Ask your homeowner insurance company for a recommendation.
*Source: https://www.waterdamagedefense.com/pages/water-damage-by-the-numbers
(Content courtesy of Pentair Everpure)
