Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

Module 6: Scenario Analysis & Display on NASA

Training on NASA Giovanni platform for satellite data retrieval and analysis – Giovanni Work Session 

Relevant NASA Giovanni Online Tutorial Resources: 

http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/overview/index.html 

Instructions:

1. Review the four scenarios below, select one from the first three, and also complete the fourth one.
2. Your task is to determine the spatial extent of your domain of interest, explore GIOVANNI to locate appropriate datasets, and use the data that you selected to conduct an analysis that helps you address the issue of interest. If necessary, you may also use surface-based station data (e.g., from the NOAA Climate Data Centre) as part of your analyses. Please note that you are required to use multiple datasets for each scenario.
3. Submit a brief summary of your analyses (2 to 5 pages) for each scenario and include some graphics that best reflect the analyses that you did.    

Scenario 1:

We have experienced some severe droughts in the U.S. Midwest in the recent past. Document the severity of this drought as best as you can by comparing appropriate datasets from recent years to previous years when conditions were wetter.

Scenario 2:

Fires are a major threat to human life, property, and forest ecosystems in many parts of the world. Choose an area where forest fires are rampant and highlight some of the environmental impacts on air quality and land surface conditions (vegetation, soil moisture, soil temperature, etc.).

Scenario 3:

Many parts of the world have recently experienced severe flooding incidents from excessive rainfall. Characterize these rainfall events using appropriate satellite and surface datasets. 

Scenario 4: 

Select any environmental event in any country outside the USA that you are interested in and highlight specific aspects of that event using appropriate datasets from GIOVANNI.