NASA’s PREFIRE Mission: Understanding Polar Heat Loss and Climate Change UPSC

PREFIRE MISSION

Source: IndianExpress

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Context

NASA's upcoming mission, PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment), aims to fill critical gaps in understanding how the Earth's polar regions, the Arctic and Antarctic, radiate heat into space and influence global climate.
The mission will use twin CubeSats, small shoebox-sized satellites, to study these phenomena, with the first satellite set to launch on May 22, 2024, from New Zealand.

Details

Second Satellite Launch:Two weeks after the first.
Launch Vehicle:Electron launch vehicle.
Instruments:Equipped with thermal infrared spectrometers, each weighing less than 6 pounds (3 kilograms).
Orbits:Asynchronous near-polar orbits, overlapping every few hours near the poles for maximum coverage.
The CubeSat platform costs less than a full-size satellite while providing critical climate data.

Heat Distribution

Energy Absorption:Earth absorbs energy from the Sun at the tropics, which is then moved toward the poles by air and water currents.
Far-Infrared Wavelengths:About 60% of the heat energy that flows out to space in far-infrared wavelengths has never been systematically measured.

Objectives

Climate Model Accuracy:
- Heat Loss Measurement:Reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from Earth’s polar regions.
- Improve Predictions:Data will improve climate models and predictions of climate change and sea level rise.
Scientific Achievements:
- New Information:Provide new data on how the atmosphere and ice influence heat radiation from the polar regions.
- Arctic Warming:Help understand why the Arctic has warmed more than 2.5 times faster than the global average since the 1970s.
- Heat Emission Efficiency:Better knowledge of how efficiently far-infrared heat is emitted by snow, sea ice, and the influence of clouds.
- Future Predictions:Enhance predictions of heat exchange changes and their effects on ice sheet melting, atmospheric temperatures, and global weather.

Importance of Polar Regions

Global Climate Balance:
- Energy Balance:The balance between the energy received from the Sun and the energy radiated out into space determines Earth’s temperature and climate.
- Polar Influence:Polar regions play a crucial role in this energy balance and, consequently, in shaping global climate.
Impact on Global Weather:
- Climate and Weather:Changes in the polar regions can significantly affect global weather patterns, leading to extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion.
- Scientific Insight:Understanding polar heat loss helps predict and mitigate these impacts.

Category	Arctic	Antarctic
Location	Northern Hemisphere, centered around the Arctic Ocean	Southern Hemisphere, centered around the continent of Antarctica
Geography	Ocean surrounded by land (Canada, Russia, Greenland, USA (Alaska), Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland)	Continent surrounded by the Southern Ocean
Ice Coverage	Sea ice varies seasonally, with significant melting in summer and refreezing in winter	Permanent ice sheet covering the continent, with ice shelves like Ross and Filchner-Ronne
Temperature Range	-40°C in winter to 0°C in summer	-60°C in the interior in winter to around -20°C on the coast in summer
Precipitation	Low, classified as a polar desert, most falls as snow	Extremely low, the driest continent, most falls as snow
Flora and Fauna	Polar bears, Arctic foxes, caribou, seals, migratory birds, tundra vegetation like mosses, lichens, and shrubs	Penguins, seals, seabirds (albatross), limited vegetation (mosses, lichens, algae)
Marine Life	Whales, walruses, fish species, rich marine biodiversity	Krill, whales, seals, penguins, rich marine ecosystem with many endemic species
Presence of Penguins	Absent	Native, including species like Emperor and Adélie penguins
Presence of Polar Bears	Native	Absent
Terrestrial Mammals	Present, including species like reindeer (caribou), Arctic foxes, musk oxen, and wolves	Virtually absent; some seals and penguins are considered semi-terrestrial
Tundra Lines	Extensive tundra with mosses, lichens, and dwarf shrubs in areas like Alaska, Canada, and Siberia	No true tundra; limited terrestrial vegetation restricted to mosses, lichens, and algae
Human Presence	Indigenous communities (Inuit, Saami), multiple research stations	No indigenous population, temporary research stations under the Antarctic Treaty System
Climate Change Impact	Rapid warming, twice the global average rate, leading to ice melt and permafrost thawing	West Antarctica experiencing warming and ice loss, East Antarctica relatively stable or gaining ice
Research Focus	Climate change, ecology, sustainable development	Glaciology, meteorology, astronomy, biology
Role in Climate Regulation	Reflects sunlight (albedo effect), stores freshwater in ice	Reflects sunlight (albedo effect), stores vast amounts of freshwater in ice
Global Significance	Influences global weather patterns, sea level rise, and biodiversity	Affects global sea level rise, climate models, and weather patterns
Primary Research Bodies	Arctic Council, National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)	Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

Sources:

IndianExpress

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. By addressing the current gaps in polar energy measurements, PREFIRE is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of global climate dynamics and the specific challenges posed by rapid changes in the polar regions. Discuss. (250 words)