An Investigation of the Sky CloudSat

1
An Investigation of the Sky - CloudSat
Wagner Ranch Elementary Orinda,
California Maddie, Kaiser, Grant, Giannie, Julia,
Kate, Daniel, Will, Sonja, Edlyn, James, Lina,
Ariel, Anya, Maddie, Jeffrey, Stephanie, Willie,
Elena, Greer, Steven, Camille, Sophie, Ariana,
Zach, Brian, Nolan, Carl
Methods
Discoveries
Summary
Collected Data
The picture on the right shows our station model.
It is located in the schools Nature Area. The
white box contains the digital thermometer. We
can take air and land readings. A student is
checking the rain gauge one hour prior to the fly
over, while another student records the data.
Discoveries of the Southern Sky
--------------------------------------------------
--------Observations for USCAJ5Z2 on 03 Jan,
2007, 1328 UTC Taken by observers James,
Maddie, Carl At site Nature Area Temperature
reported was 15.6 degrees Cloud observed for
USCAJ5Z2 Cloud cover Broken Cloud types
observed Stratus, Stratocumulus,
Cumulus CloudSat-specific observed North
Quadrant observed cloud cover Broken Cloud
types Nimbostratus Cumulus East Quadrant
observed cloud cover Broken Cloud types
Stratus Stratocumulus South Quadrant observed
cloud cover Broken Cloud types Stratus
Stratocumulus West Quadrant observed cloud
cover Broken Cloud types Stratus Rainfall
39.6 mm of rain at overpass (16 accumulated
days) Rain gauge one hour prior to overpass 0
mm Rain is predicted for the evening.
Have you ever heard of CloudSat? CloudSat is
a satellite that gathers information to study
clouds and aerosols. It flies over our school
approximately every 14 days. It observes the
characteristics of the clouds and their density
by collecting very specialized data. As
students, we have to do the same, but observe the
clouds from the ground. Our class collects data
in a grassy area that has a small station model.
The station model looks like a white birdhouse.
In the station model there is a digital
thermometer and a rain gauge. An hour before the
satellite flies over the school the class goes
out to check the rain gauge. We record the
amount of water that has accumulated in the rain
gauge. An hour later we go back out to collect
and record more data. This reading correlates
with the exact time CloudSat is flying over the
school. At this time we check the thermometer
and the rain gauge. The readings are recorded on
data sheets. Then four students line up to make
a compass rose, each facing a direction - north,
east, south, or west. They are responsible for
classifying the clouds in their direction. This
information is also recorded on a data sheet.
Pictures are also taken, with a digital camera,
of the clouds in the directional areas. This
information is later entered into the CloudSat
website. Scientists compare this information
with the data collected by CloudSat.
We noticed that the clouds in the Southern part
of the sky seemed to be darker and more massive
the majority of the time. They also seemed
denser. The clouds roll over the Berkley
Hills, stemming from the San Francisco Bay and
Pacific Ocean. We have wondered and
discussed the affects that these geographical
features play in our local weather.
Contrails We learned that contrails are actually
man made clouds. This photo displays the
persistent spreading contrails that we viewed and
recorded on Aril 7th.
Meet the Drowned Rat Committee. On April
7th it rained 35.7 mm while we were out
collecting data!
CloudSat Education Network
School Information
Inspiration

• Wagner Ranch Elementary
• Orinda, California
• Fifth Grade Ms. Brucker

CloudSat has provided Wagner Ranch students the
opportunity to become part of a global effort to
observe and collect weather data. The program
has fostered a keen interest in science. This
interest has been sparked with visits from Debra
Krumm, director of education and public outreach
for the CloudSat mission and Deborah Vane, the
CloudSat projects deputy principal investigator.
Over the course of the year the students have
learned that CloudSat flies overhead about 705
kilometers above Earth and that it takes about 90
minutes to orbit the earth. The students have
also enjoyed learning about the complexity of
clouds and how to identify them correctly. The
concept of taking part in real science has been
an exciting one. Since the fall the students
have collected data and sent it to the CloudSat
scientists. Seeing how real science works has
inspired at least one student to state, When I
grow up I am going to be a scientist and study
the sky.

NASA JPL/Colorado State University
This research is part of the CloudSat Education
Network. For more information go to
http//cloudsat.atmos.colostate.edu/education