GMAO work highlighted at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco

11.23.2016

UN climate negotiations took place from November 7-18, 2016 at the COP22 meeting in Marrakech, Morocco to discuss implementation of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 196 countries in December 2015. In Marrakech, negotiators from all over the world agreed to finalize rules by 2018 and set in place a clear plan to reach that deadline. The U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Germany laid out ambitious plans to substantially reduce emissions by 2050 while a number of the world’s developing countries vulnerable to climate change committed to generating 100% of their energy from renewable sources. Over 200 corporations, who agreed to work toward reduced emissions in coming years, joined nations in their commitments.

The U.S. delegation included representatives from the U.S. State Department, Agency for International Development, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House. Scientists from NASA and NOAA played an important role in explaining the current state of understanding of the planet’s climate at the U.S. Center, a major public outreach initiative hosted by the Department of State to inform audiences around the world about U.S. actions on climate change. NASA provided its unique hyperwall display, which displays multiple high-definition data visualizations and images simultaneously across an arrangement of screens. Ali Omar (NASA Langley Research Center) and John T. Reager (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) presented during the first week while Dan Irwin (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center) and Lesley Ott (GMAO, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), presented during the second. Together, they gave 28 presentations highlighting the ability of NASA satellites and models to enhance understanding the Earth system.

Photo: Hyperwall group shot

Photo: Dan Irwin took the group_hyperwall which is (L-R) Marit Jentoft-Nilsen (GSFC), Dan Irwin (MSFC), Lesley Ott (GSFC), and Mark Malanoski (GSFC) in front of the hyperwall. [ Photo Credit: Dan Irwin ]

NASA presentations showcased a diverse set of topics including atmospheric composition and air quality, water in the Earth system, human footprints, changes at the Earth’s poles, and the ability of satellites to observe climate from space. In addition to observations from over 20 current Earth Science missions, presentations featured multiple animations created using GMAO's GEOS modeling system including several showing the transport of aerosols (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30017) and carbon species (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11719), and the development of hurricanes (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11269).

GMAO scientist, Dr. Ott, also coordinated a side event that focused on how current and future satellite observations help scientists and decision makers understand carbon and climate interactions (http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop22/us-center/). Dr. Akio Takemoto, the Director of the Research and Information Office from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, who emphasized the importance of international scientific collaboration, joined Dr. Ott.

Photo: Lesley Ott presenting at COP22

Photo: Dr. Lesley Ott presenting at COP22 in Morroco [ Photo Credit: Mark Malanoski ]

See more COP-22 NASA Hyperwall presentation photos on Twitter.

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