>> SCIENTISTS ARE UNRAVELING THE
SCIENCE OF THE FIRES.
>> THE KEY FACTOR, HOW CAN WE
MAKE USE OF OUR NASA DATA?
>> NASA IS WORKING TO HELP FIRST
RESPONDERS.
>> WE HAD NO VISUAL OF WHICH
FIRES WERE BURNING WHERE.
>> TRACK SMOKE THAT HARMS HUMAN
HEALTH.
>> WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM THIS.
>> AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPACTS.
>> WE WANT TO STUDY THE EARTH.
>> WE NEED TO ANSWER ONE OF
SCIENCE'S BIGGEST QUESTIONS.
>> Leslie: HELLO AND WELCOME TO
NASA LIVE SCIENCE, AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COME
BEHIND THE SCENES AND GET TO
KNOW YOUR SPACE AGENT U.S. I'M
YOUR HOST, LESLIE GARRISON.
THIS IS ABOUT YOU BEING ABLE TO
INTERACT AND CONNECT WITH OUR
SCIENTISTS AND SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTS TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET
THE ANSWERS.
VISIT US DURING THE BROADCAST ON
Facebook OR TWITTER AND ASK US
QUESTIONS USING THE #ASKNASA.
YOU CAN LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW.
YOU SEE THE BOX?
GOOD JOB.
TODAY WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT
FIRES.
DID YOU KNOW THAT AT ANY GIVEN
TIME THERE ARE MULTIPLE FIRES
BURNING ACROSS THE GLOBE.
WE'LL DISCUSS THE REAL SCIENCE
OF FIRE.
WE'LL LOOK AT HOW NASA MONITORS
AND TRACKS FIRES, HOW THE DATA
IS USED IN PREDICTION, RESPONSE
AND RECOVERY AND HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO A NASA
ASTRONAUT ABOUT HOW STUDYING
FIRE IN SPACE COULD HELP US ON
EARTH.
LET'S BEGIN.
OUR FIRST STOP IS TO ONE OF OUR
NASA LAB.
WE LEARNED ABOUT THE REAL
SCIENCE OF FIRE.
JOSH, TAKE IT AWAY.
>> TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK TO
YOU ABOUT FIRE.
IT REQUIRES HEAT, OXYGEN AND
FUEL TO PRODUCE A FLAME.
IN THE CASE OF THIS CANDLE, I
ADDED HEAT TO A FUEL WHICH IS
THE CANDLE WAX TO PRODUCE THIS
FLAME.
THIS FLAME, NOT BEING AN
ELEMENT, IS THOSE COMBUSTION
BYPRODUCTS OR GASSES THAT ARE SO
HOT THAT THEY ARE GLOWING
VISIBLE TO YOUR EYES.
WAX IS BURNING AND PRODUCING A
BLUE COLOR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BASE OF THE
FLAME, THERE IS BLUE AT THE
BOTTOM.
AT THAT FLAME PROGRESSES UPWARD,
IT PICKS UP SMALL PARTICLES
EMITTED BY THE CANDLE WICK.
THE HOTTER THEY GET, THE COLOR
WILL CHANGE.
ABOVE THAT, THE FLAME SEEMS TO
DISAPPEAR.
THE PARTICLES ARE NO LONGER
EMITTING LIGHT THAT IS VISIBLE
TO OUR EYES.
JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT VISIBLE TO
OUR EYES DOESN'T MEAN IT'S STILL
NOT HOT.
TO DEMONSTRATE THE FACT THIS
FLAME IS THERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU
CAN NO LONGER SEE IT, I WILL
TAKE THIS PIECE OF PAPER AND I
WILL HOLD IT ABOVE THE CANDLE.
PAPER LIKES TO BURN AT 450°
BECAUSE THE PAPER IS NOT
TOUCHING THE FLAME, VISIBLE PART
OF THE FLAME, BUT BURNING NOW,
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FLAME IS
QUITE HOT AT THIS POINT.
SMOKE, BY THE WAY, LOOKS LIKE A
GAS.
SMOKE IS NOT A GAS.
SMOKE IS TINY PARTICLES OF SOOT
AND CHAR THAT ARE BEING OMITTED
INTO THE AIR.
THEY ARE SO SMALL, THEY FLOAT UP
INTO THE AIR.
EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH
CAMPFIRES.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU TRY TO
LIGHT A WET PIECE OF WOOD, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO GET THE CAMPFIRE
GOING.
THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS.
A LOT OF THE HEAT IS ABSORBED BY
THE WATER RATHER THAN BY THE
WOOD WHICH WOULD ELEVATE THE
TEMPERATURE OF THE WOOD TO ITS
IGNITION TEMPERATURE AND BEGIN
BURNING.
I CAN DEMONSTRATE THIS BY TAKING
THE PAPER AND PROVIDING A HEAT
SOURCE.
I READILY REACHED THE 450°
TEMPERATURE REQUIRED FOR THIS
IGNITION TO HAPPEN AND THE PAPER
BURNS READILY.
NOT A SURPRISE.
I WILL TAKE A SIMILAR PIECE OF
PAPER, DIP IT IN WATER.
NOTICE NOW THAT MOST OF THIS
ENERGY IS BEING ABSORBED BY THE
WATER AND NOT BY THE PAPER.
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PAPER IS
STILL RELATIVELY COOL.
UNDERSTANDING THESE FUNDAMENTALS
HELP DETECT FIRE.
IF IT'S WET, RAINY OR HUMID, IT
DECREASES THE CHANCE OF BURNING.
UNDERSTANDING THESE FUNDAMENTALS
HELPS FIRE EXPERTS TO FIGHT
WILDFIRE.
BACK TO YOU, LESLIE.
>> Leslie: NOW, HERE TO HELP US
TAKE THAT SCIENCE AND APPLY IT
TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHAT
IT'S LIKE WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN
VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON EARTH ARE
AMBER SOJA AND DOUG MORTON.
I WANT TO GLEAN FROM YOUR
EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS WE WANT TO
ASK.
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
CLEAR SOME DARK SPACES OR CLOUDY
SPACES FOR US.
HERE WE ARE.
WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT THE
SCIENCE OF FIRE, AMBER.
HOW DO WE APPLY THE SCIENCE OF
FIRE TO WHAT HAPPENS HERE ON
EARTH?
>> NASA NOT ONLY INVESTIGATES
THE STARS, BUT WE ALSO FOCUS ON
OUR HOME PLANET, EARTH.
FIRE SCIENCE IS ONE OF THOSE KEY
SUBJECT AREAS.
WE COULD PROBABLY BREAK DOWN
WHAT WE PROVIDE IN TERMS OF
SATELLITE DATA INFORMATION, IN
TERMS OF PRE-FIRE, ACTIVE FIRE,
POST-FIRE AND ALSO FEEDBACKS
BETWEEN FIRE AND OUR EARTH'S
SYSTEM.
ONE EXAMPLE OF THOSE IS HOW
BLACK CARBON COULD LAND ON SNOW
AND ICE FORCING IT TO MELT MORE
QUICKLY.
>> Leslie: THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.
DID YOU KNOW, DOUG, MOST PEOPLE
THINK OF NASA AS JUST A SPACE
AGENCY.
HOWEVER, NASA'S EARTH SCIENCE IS
JUST AS IMPORTANT AS OUR SPACE
SCIENCE.
HOW CAN NASA'S UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE AND RESEARCH INFORM
THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT FIRES?
>> SO, LESLIE, WE HAVE MORE THAN
20 INSTRUMENTS IN ORBIT
INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
EACH ONE TAKES MEASUREMENTS THAT
HELP US UNDERSTAND THE PLANET AS
A WHOLE.
AS A SCIENTIST HERE, ONE OF MY
JOBS IS TO TAKE DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE PUZZLE AND PUT THEM
TOGETHER.
LOOKING CAREFULLY AT AREAS ARE
BURNING, WHERE THE SMOKE WILL GO
TOMORROW AND HOW THE SMOKE WILL
LAST FOR WEEKS AND DECADES CAN
CHANGE OUR PLANET.
>> Leslie: THAT'S AWESOME.
WE HAVE SPARKED INTEREST FROM
OUR VIEWERS.
LET'S TAKE QUESTIONS FROM
#ASKNASA.
QUESTION ONE IS JESSIE FROM
TWITTER SAYS HOW BIG ARE THE
FIRES WE CAN SEE FROM SPACE?
>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY A METER BY
A METER, WE CAN SEE SMOKE
STACKS.
THAT'S A HOTSPOT IN SPACE.
OTHER PEOPLE WILL DEFINE IT AS
AN ENVELOPE OF POSSIBILITIES,
DEPENDING ON HOW HOT AND WIDE A
FIRE IS AND IF WE ARE OVERHEAD.
WE CAN SEE A SMOKE STACK OR
SMALL AGRICULTURE FIRES.
IN A WILDFIRE WE SEE A LINE OF
BURNING AS FIRES MOVE ACROSS THE
LANDSCAPE.
>> Leslie: SO NATALIE FROM
Facebook SAYS WHAT CAN WE SEE
WHEN FLYING IN PLANES?
>> NASA HAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY
RIGHT NOW.
IT'S BEEN AN ACTIVE SUMMER.
WE'LL BE FLYING IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SMOKE
CAN CHANGE THE TROPICAL MONSOON.
FROM NASA'S VANTAGE POINT,
CHASING SMOKE PLUMES, WE CAN
TAKE MEASUREMENTS TO UNDERSTAND
HOW THE SMOKE CHANGES AND
IMPACTING PEOPLE WITH AIR
QUALITY CONCERNS THAT LIVE
THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM THE
FIRES.
>> Leslie: REALLY NICE.
SO WE'LL GO BACK TO OUR EXPERTS.
NASA HELP SEARCH HAS BEEN IN THE
FIELD TRACKING SMOKES FROM FIRES
RECENTLY.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHAT
THEY SEE FROM THE AIR AND ON THE
GROUND?
>> YES, WE CAN.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ONGOING
CAMPAIGNS RIGHT NOW ABOVE THAT'S
LOOKING AT THE ARCTIC.
WE HAVE CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE
CONTINUALLY ONGOING.
IT'S AN EXCITING CAMPAIGN WHERE
WE ARE LOOKING AT MULTIPLE
ECOSYSTEMS AND FLYING OUR PLANES
THROUGH THE SMOKE, OUR D.C.A.
THAT'S EXCITING.
YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WHEN YOU
ARE IN A SMOKE PLUME.
BUT WE HAVE INSTRUMENTS ON THE
SIDE OF THE PLANE THAT TAKE IN
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE
SMOKE AND LOOK AT THAT TIME AS
IT EVOLVES OVER TIME.
THAT CAN IMPACT AIR QUALITY, NOT
ONLY CLOSE TO A FIRE, BUT
DOWNWIND OF THE FIRE.
>> HOW MANY SCIENTISTS ARE
WORKING ON A PLANE AND ON THE
GROUND AT THE SAME TIME TO STUDY
FIRES?
>> ON THE PLANE IS PROBABLY
ABOUT 28.
ON THE GROUND MAYBE ANOTHER 80
PROVIDING SUPPORT.
DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CAMPAIGN
IS AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
SO THAT IS DURING FIRE XAQ,
PEOPLE CYCLE IN AND OUT.
IT'S DYNAMIC AND EXCITING.
>> Leslie: THIS JUNE WAS THE
HOTTEST JUNE ON RECORD WITH DATA
SHOWING THAT JULY WAS
STATISTICALLY TIED FOR THE
WARMEST MONTH ON RECORD.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THAT HAD ON THIS
YEAR'S FIRE SEASON?
>> LESLIE, WE ARE LIVING IN A
WARMER AND DRYER WORLD.
WITH CLIMATE CHANGE WE'LL SEE
CONDITIONS THAT MAKE FIRES MORE
LIKELY.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM JOSH ABOUT
THE FIRE TRIANGLE AND MAKING
VEGETATION AND OTHER FUELS ON
THE GROUND TODAY MORE FLAMMABLE.
IT'S LIKELY WE'LL SEE MORE FIRES
AND THE FIRES THAT DO START ARE
MORE EXTREME.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A MORE LASTING
IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS AND HARDER
TO SUPPRESS.
AS THE CLIMATE HAS BEEN WARMING,
WE ARE INTERESTED IN TRACKING
HOW FIRES AND FIRE BEHAVIOR HAS
BEEN CHANGING.
>> Leslie: THAT'S SURPRISING.
LET'S TAKE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS
FROM OUR #ASKNASA.
WHAT'S NOR DIFFICULT, PREDICTING
WHERE THE FIRE WILL GO OR WHERE
THE SMOKE WILL GO?
>> WE DO A GOOD JOB OF BOTH OF
THOSE.
YOU WOULD NEED A SMALLER SCALE
TO PREDICT WHERE A FIRE WOULD
GO.
WE HAVE INSTRUMENTS THAT CAN
LOOK AT FIRE DETECTIONS
OVERNIGHT SO WE CAN BETTER PLACE
RESOURCES.
SMOKE, CHEMICAL TRANSPORT MODELS
ARE DOING A GOOD JOB OF TRACKING
SMOKE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE KNOW
EVERYTHING.
WE CAN BE BETTER AND HAVE HIGHER
RESOLUTION INFORMATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT WHERE SMOKE IS
INJECTED DETERMINES HOW FAST IT
WILL BE TRANSPORT IN TIME.
AND WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME
GETTING THE INJECTION CORRECT.
THAT'S ONE AREA WE NEED TO WORK
ON.
>> ONE OF THE INTERESTING
THINGS, WE HAVE SCIENTISTS
FUNDED THROUGH NASA AND HERE AT
THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER.
WE CAN TAKE IN INFORMATION ABOUT
WHERE THE FIRES ARE BURNING AND
WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES WHO
MADE DETAILED MODELS OF THE
EARTH AS A SYSTEM, SAME AS WE
USE TO PREDICT WEATHER.
THE COMBINATION ALLOWS US TO
TRACK, PREDICT AND FORECAST
WHERE THE SMOKE COULD BE DAYS OR
WEEKS FROM NOW.
>> Leslie: WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF FIRE AND
THE DATA NASA COLLECTS FROM THE
AIR AND ON THE GROUND.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW DATA
AND INFORMATION ARE ACTUALLY
USED.
IN THIS NEXT VIDEO, YOU WILL SEE
HOW FIRST RESPONDERS RELY ON
NASA SATELLITE DATA TO SEE
THROUGH THE SMOKE AND FIRE WHICH
ALLOWS THEM TO TRACK AND BLAZE
IN NEAR REALTIME.
>> OUR INTELLIGENCE FOR THIS
FIRE WAS BASED ON THE 9/11
REPORTS WE WERE RECEIVING AND
THE RADIO REPORTS WE WERE
GETTING FROM OUR FIRE RESOURCES
AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
IN THE FIELD.
IF WE HAD THE BIRD'S EYE VIEW,
SOME KIND OF IMAGERY SO WE COULD
GET A PICTURE OF EXACTLY WHAT WE
HAD, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GAME
CHANGER.
WE ARE USING SOME OF THE
NATIONAL GUARD, MANNED AND
UNMANNED AERIAL ASSETS SO WE CAN
PRACTICE THE SURVEILLANCE OF OUR
FIRES.
ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE
HAVE THEM HELP US WITH IS THE
PERIMETER MAPPING AND DETERMINE
THE EXACT LOCATION OF OUR FIRES.
>> A SYSTEM WE LIE ON IS THE
MODIS SATELLITE SYSTEM.
WE USE THAT TO SEE WHERE THE
HOTSPOTS ARE, THAT FIRE THAT WE
ARE FIGHTING.
>> 102.
OKAY.
WE GOT IT.
>> FIRST RESPONDERS WANT TO KNOW
WHICH HOUSES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE SMOKE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN CLEARED.
USING RADAR, WE CAN SEE WHERE
THOSE HOUSES ARE AND WHERE WE
NEED TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS.
BASED ON HOW A WAVE LENGTH MIGHT
BOUNCE OFF THE SURFACE, WE CAN
ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH SMOKE AND
CLOUDS.
WE CAN SEE THINGS LIKE
VEGETATION STRUCTURE OR BUILDING
STRUCTURES.
>> WE GOT A FIRE ON THE RIGHT
WING TOWARDS THE NORTH.
>> PRIOR TO HAVING THE
CAPABILITY, WE WOULD DRAW BY
HAND BASICALLY WHERE THE FIRE
PERIMETER APPROXIMATELY WAS.
NOW, WITH THE MODIS DATA BEING
PULLED IN, WE ARE ABLE TO SEE
WHERE THAT FIRE WAS LAST KNOWN
TO BE.
>> HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
>> THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN A
GAME CHANGER.
>> JUST AS WE COULD SEE FROM
THAT EXAMPLE WITH THE TEAM THAT
DEPENDS ON GETTING INFORMATION
FROM NASA SATELLITES TO KNOW
WHERE THE FIRES STARTED AND
WHERE THEY WILL SPREAD NEXT,
THEY ARE GOING FROM THE
SATELLITE TO THE SMARTPHONE ALL
OVER THE WORLD AS THAT
INFORMATION GETS SHARED.
AND THE INFORMATION IS THE MOST
POWERFUL AND LONG-TERM RECORDS
OF HOW FIRES HAVE CHANGED ACROSS
OUR ENTIRE PLANET.
THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THE WALKER
FIRE, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST FIRE
BURNING IN THE LOWER 48, ABOUT
50,000 ACRES.
IT BROKE OUT IN THE LAST COUPLE
OF DAYS.
THE MODIS IMAGE WILL TELL US
WHERE THE ACTIVE FIRES ARE AND
BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THE
SMOKE CAN CHANGE AIR QUALITY
MAKING IT DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS
FOR PEOPLE NOT LIVING JUST CLOSE
TO THE FIRE, BUT ALSO LIVE
THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.
NASA SATELLITES HAVE A VIEW OF
THE EARTH EVERY DAY AND NIGHT.
YOU CAN FOCUS ON CALIFORNIA, BUT
THERE ARE FIRES ACROSS PARTS OF
THE AMAZON REGION.
THIS IS WHERE THEY PROVIDE A
CRITICAL WINDOW INTO FIRES THAT
ARE BURNING IN REMOTE LOCATIONS.
WE LOOK AT THE IMAGERY FROM
AUGUST, WE SEE THE FIRES COMING
FROM AREAS OF ACTIVE
DEFORESTATION.
THIS IS AREAS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE
CLEARED ADDITIONAL RAINFOREST TO
MAKE ROOM FOR CATTLE PASTURES
AND CROP LANDS.
THEY ARE BURNING WOOD BECAUSE WE
CAN SEE THAT THE FIRES ARE SO
INTENSE, THAT THEY PUT THE SMOKE
HIGH UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE
IT SPREADS DOWNWIND AND CAN
CREATE AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS IN
BRAZIL AND BOLIVIA.
IT'S THE MOST UNHEALTHY WE HAVE
SEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN
THE LAST MONTH.
NASA SATELLITES CAN SEE THINGS
THAT OUR EYES CAN'T SEE.
AS WE ARE TRACKING THE AMAZON,
I'M ALSO SHOWING THIS DATA,
COLLECTED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW
CARBON MONOXIDE, ONE OF THE
GASSES THAT GETS RELEASED WHEN
FIRES ARE BURNING, WE CAN SEE
HOW IT GETS RELEASED FROM THESE
FIRES, POOLS UP OVER THE AMAZON
REGION AND FLOWS SOUTH.
SHOWING US HOW SMOKE CHANGED OUR
QUALITY OVER THE CITIES OF SAO
PAULO AND BRAZIL AFFECTING
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
WHAT STARTS IN THE AMAZON
DOESN'T ALWAYS STAY IN THE
AMAZON.
USING THAT SATELLITE DATA,
LOOKING AT CONDITIONS THAT ARE
IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF
UNDERSTANDING ECOSYSTEMS AND AIR
QUALITY AS WELL AS THE REST OF
OUR EARTH SYSTEM.
IF WE LOOK AT THE MODIS DATA, WE
CAN CONTINUE TO SET WAY THAT
FIRES ARE BURNING ACROSS THESE
LANDSCAPES.
THOSE FIRE DETECTIONS WILL HELP
US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW FIRES
ARE CHANGING ECOSYSTEMS, HOW
THEY ARE CHANGING THE GREENHOUSE
GASSES THAT GET RELEASED INTO
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ULTIMATELY
HOW THAT MIXES WITH THE
ATMOSPHERE AND CHANGES THE
COMPOSITION.
IT'S NOT JUST PLACES LIKE THE
AMAZON THAT DRY OUT EVERY YEAR
SENDING SMOKE DOWN TO PLACES
WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.
OUR SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN OUT IN
CANADA AND ALASKA AS A PART OF
THE PROGRAM.
LET'S JOIN LAUREN WARD AS SHE
LEARNS ABOUT FUELS THAT ARE
LIGHTING FIRES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US ON THIS BUG-FILLED EXPEDITION
INTO THE FOREST HERE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU
ACTUALLY DID IN THE FIELD TODAY?
>> TODAY WE ARE NOT AN AREA THAT
BURNED IN 2015.
WE ARE MEASURING SOIL MOISTURE
AND ALSO MEASURING WHAT'S
REGROWING IN THE AREA.
WE HAVE PROBES THAT WE USE TO
MEASURE THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF
THE SOILS AND LITTLE PLOTS WHERE
WE'LL MEASURE WHAT'S REGROWING.
>> THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN
IDEA OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND
HERE.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANKS, LAUREN.
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, BUT LOTS OF
BUGS.
WE'LL STAY HERE IN THE STUDIO.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING AMBER AND
I BACK ON THE SOFA.
I WANT TO ASK A COUPLE OF MORE
QUESTIONS WITH YOU.
LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT THE ABOVE
MISSION AND THE CAMPAIGN.
WHY DO SCIENTISTS GO IN THE
FIELD AND HOW OFTEN DO ME
ACTUALLY GO OUT TO DO THE
RESEARCH HANDS ON?
>> I THINK WE CAN BOTH ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
WE ARE ALWAYS IN THE FIELD.
WE ARE IN THE FIELD IN DIFFERENT
PLACES.
WE ARE IN THE FIELD IN THE
TROPICS, IN THE FOREST STEP AND
DESERTS AND TEMPERED
ENVIRONMENTS WHERE MOST OF US
LIVE AND ALSO IN THE BORIAL
ENVIRONMENTS WHICH INCLUDES
CANADA AND RUSSIA.
WE STUDY THE ARCTIC.
WE GO ON FIELD CAMPAIGNS.
ABOVE IS ONE OF THE CAMPAIGNS
THAT STUDIES THE ARCTIC.
ALSO ONGOING IS FIRE XAQ.
THE OBJECTIVE IS TO INVESTIGATE
SMOKE AND FIRE IN A VARIETY OF
ECOSYSTEMS AND HOOK IT TO THE
ACTUAL ECOSYSTEMS.
THIS IS NEW SCIENCE.
WE HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING
QUITE THIS EXTENSIVE BEFORE.
WE ARE NOT ONLY FOCUSING ON THE
WESTERN FIRES FROM BOISE, BUT
ALSO KANSAS, AGRICULTURAL, CROP
LAND AND PRESCRIPTION BURNS.
IT'S EXCITING SCIENCE.
>> Leslie: WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD
TO THIS?
>> IT'S INTERESTING HOW THEY ARE
MAKING MEASUREMENTS ON ALL
DIFFERENT SCALES.
I LIKE WHAT LAUREN USED.
WE CAN MAKE DETAILED MAPS AND
HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES TO MAP
ECOSYSTEMS IN THREE DIMENSIONS.
EACH OF THOSE PARTS LINKS HOW
THEY ARE CHANGING AS WELL AS IN
RESPONSE TO WARMING CLIMATE.
>> Leslie: LET'S TAKE A COUPLE
MORE QUESTIONS FROM #ASKNASA.
JENNIFER ASKS WHAT SORT OF
EDUCATION DOES ONE NEED TO WORK
IN NASA'S JOBS?
>> MY BACKGROUND IS IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS.
FIRE IS A WAY THAT CARBON IS
CYCLED.
SO I BECAME INTERESTED IN WHAT
WAS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND,
WHAT WAS THIS ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE, WAS IT REAL, WASN'T IT
REAL.
SO FIRE WAS A WAY THAT I COULD
LOOK AT THE WAY CARBON WAS
CYCLED IN ECOSYSTEMS.
THAT LED ME TO MY FOCUS IN
SIBERIA.
THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE CARBON
IS STORED, IT'S MOST IN THE
BORIAL ENVIRONMENT AND
TWO-THIRDS IS IN RUSSIA.
>> Leslie: AMBER, LET ME ASK YOU
A QUESTION, HOW EXCITING WAS IT?
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS
HERE THAT'S ON HASHTAG.
>> IT WAS EXCITING IN SIBERIA
AND IN THE DC-8.
THERE WAS ONE FLY IN THE DC-8.
IT DID REEK HAVOC.
IN SIBERIA, THE BUGS WERE SO
BAD, WE COVERED OURSELVES WITH
MASKS.
EVERY BIT WAS EXCITING.
THE CAMPING OUTSIDE,
HELICOPTERED IN, STUDYING THE
AMOUNT OF FUEL AND HOW THEY
COULD CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE
FIRE AND WEATHER.
IT WAS INCREDIBLY EXCITING.
>> Leslie: SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
TALKED ABOUT BEING IN SIBERIA.
WE UNDERSTAND YOU WERE RECENTLY
IN KANSAS AND IDAHO ON THE FIRE
XAQ.
TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, WHAT
IS YOUR ACTUAL JOB WHEN YOU ARE
OUT IN THE FIELD AND WHAT YOU DO
WHEN YOU ARE ON TRAVEL?
>> I WAS ABLE TO GO ON THE DC-8,
ONE A PRESCRIBED FIRE, IN SOLINA
AND BOISE.
LOOKING AT BOTH TYPES OF FIRES.
MY PRIMARY JOB WAS A FORECASTER.
IT WAS FORECASTING WHERE I
THOUGHT THE BEST AREA THE FIRE
WOULD GO.
WE HAD METEOROLOGISTS AND PEOPLE
LOOKING FOR LARGER SMOKE.
WE ALSO FORECASTED IN THE EAST
IT WAS QUITE DIFFERENT BECAUSE
THEN WE WERE USING SMALL,
HOTSPOTS AND DETECTIONS IN ORDER
TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRES WERE
MOST ACTIVE.
WE HAD TO CATCH THEM QUICKLY.
IT ONLY BURNED FOR 15 MINUTES.
THE PLANE WAS HOPPING FROM PLACE
TO PLACE IN THE EAST.
IN THE WEST WE TOOK OUR TIME
FLYING BACK AND FORTH.
>> Leslie: SOUNDS LIKE YOU ENJOY
YOUR WORK.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND YOUR
QUESTIONS.
WE'LL TRY TO COME BACK TO SOME
QUESTIONS A LITTLE LATER IN THE
SHOW.
SO, WE HAD HEARD FROM NASA
STUDIES ABOUT THE FIRES AND THE
SATELLITES, AIRCRAFTS AND GOING
INTO LOCATIONS ON EARTH.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER PLACES WHERE
WE ARE WORKING TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THOSE PLACES.
THAT'S THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT, WERE
YOU.
ASTRONAUTS ON THE OR BITTING
LABORATORY NOT ONLY HAVE A
BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF FIRES ON
EARTH, BUT ALSO CONDUCTING
EXPERIMENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE
PHYSICS OF FLAMES.
WE CAN LEARN MORE FROM RANDY
BRESNIK.
>> HI, EVERYBODY.
I'M DAN HUOT.
I'M FORTUNATE TO BE JOINED BY AN
ASTRONAUT.
THIS IS RANDY BRESNIK.
RANDY SPENT TIME ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
GIVE US 30 SECONDS, WHAT IS THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION?
>> MOST AMAZING THING HUMANS
HAVE BUILT.
WE HAVE HAD HUMANS UP THERE FOR
THE LAST 19 YEARS CONTINUOUSLY.
HUNDREDS OF EXPERIMENTS GO ON
ALL THE TIME.
>> TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
FIRES.
YOU ARE 250 MILES ABOVE THE
EARTH.
YOU GET A UNIQUE VANTAGE POINT.
YOU CAN SEE FIRES HERE ON EARTH.
>> I WAS ON THE PHONE, HAVE YOU
SEEN THE FIRES IN CALIFORNIA.
WHAT FIRES.
BEFORE I COULD SEE THE COASTLINE
OF CALIFORNIA, YOU COULD SET
SMOKE.
THEN THE SMOKE IS ENGULFING THE
WHOLE NORTHERN PART OF THE L.A.
BASIN.
HAVING GROWN UP IN SANTA MONICA,
IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE SCOPE
OF THE FIRES GOING ON AT THAT
TIME.
>> THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU HAD
SEEN DOWN ON THE GROUND.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GET THE FULL
SCOPE, THE MAGNITUDE OF IT FROM
SPACE?
>> IT'S SURREAL.
EVERYTHING ON THE GROUND IS SO
SMALL.
TO SEE SOMETHING THIS BIG, IT
WAS ASTOUNDING.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET REALTIME
DATA TO FOLKS ON THE GROUND,
HERE'S THE SCOPE, HOW IT'S
CHANGING.
90 MINUTES LATER IT'S CHANGING.
>> YOU ARE STARTING FIRES IN A
VERY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT ON
BOARD THE SPACE STATION.
WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH ARE WE
DOING?
>> TYPICALLY IN AVIATION, THE
ONLY THING WORSE THAN FIRE ON
THE GROUND, FIRE IN THE AIR.
WORSE THAN THAT IS IN SPACE.
WE BURN UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
>> THIS IS AFTER IT LEFT.
>> AND LOOK AT HOW FIRE BURNS ON
FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS.
IF WE LOWER THE PRESSURE, THE
FLAME DOESN'T SPREAD AS FAST.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT WE
BUILD OUR SPACECRAFT AND OPERATE
AT LOWER PRESSURE, WE MAKE THEM
LESS FIRE OR MORE FIRE SAFE AND
LESS CHANCE OF FIRE
PROMULGATING.
>> IT HAS TO BE DIFFERENT IN
SPACE FROM ON THE GROUND.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE TO GET ON IT RIGHT AWAY.
FOR EVERYBODY WHO HAS SEEN THAT
MOVIE WALLY WHERE HE'S FLYING
AROUND WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER,
IT'S PROPULSIVE.
WE HAVE TO LOCATE THE FIRE, HAVE
OUR BREATHING APPARATUS, BE IN A
POSITION TO HOLD US.
AND SO IT DOESN'T PROPEL US OUT
AWAY FROM THE FIRE.
>> DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO TEST
THAT?
>> I HAD TO CHECK THEM.
WE CHECK THE GAUGES.
WE HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHER RACES
SOME DAY, BUT NOT ON SPACE
STATION.
>> THANK YOU.
IT'S AMAZING STUFF.
WE'LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU, TALK
MORE ABOUT FIRE.
>> Leslie: THANKS, DAN.
THANKS ASTRONAUT RANDY.
WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO.
LOOKS LIKE WE ARE MOMENTS AWAY
FROM BEING COMPLETELY OUT OF
TIME.
BUT BEFORE WE GO, I WANT TO
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US
TODAY TO DISCUSS NASA'S ROLE IN
STUDYING FIRES ACROSS THE GLOBE
AND SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR STUDIO
GUEST, AMBER AND DOUG FOR BEING
WITH US TODAY.
BEFORE WE GO, WANT TO SHARE AN
EXCITING TRAILER THAT WE HAVE
FOR OUR THIRD SEASON OF NASA
EXPLORERS VIDEO SERIES WHICH IS
ABOUT FIRES.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, REMEMBER TO
KEEP LOOKING FAR AND BEYOND THE
STARS.
THERE IS A LOT MORE TO BE
DISCOVERED.
THANKS AND BYE-BYE.
>> FEEL LIKE THE WORK THAT I DO,
THAT NOW IT'S TRYING TO PULL
TOGETHER IS IMPORTANT FOR THE
HUMAN RACE, FOR OUR COUNTRY.
>> WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME
ALONG TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, I
RESONATED WITH IT.
>> WITH BETTER SCIENCE, YOU HAVE
BETTER INFORMATION.
WITH BETTER INFORMATION, WE CAN