GPM Student Field Campaign: Changing Students to Junior Scientists - Olawale Ayodeji Oluwafemi

My passion towards Global Precipitation Measurement Mission started when I visited GPM Clean Room at Goddard Space Flight Centre in August 2013 during 18^th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting in Maryland, United States. Having received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through University of Toledo, Ohio to participate in the event gave me reasons to maximize the opportunity. As a scientist from Nigerian Space Agency, this opportunity gave a rare privilege to contribute to the development of Environmental Education (EE) in my resource-constrained country and the world at large.

The GPM Core Observatory was launched on February 27th, 2014 at 1:37pm EST from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan as collaborative effort between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as a global successor to Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). It comprises a consortium of international space agencies, including the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and others.

The GPM concept centres on the deployment of the GPM Core Observatory, a satellite carrying two advanced instruments to measure precipitation with unprecedented accuracy. For more information on how the equipment works visit http://pmm.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/document_files/GPM%20Mission%20Brochure.pdf The data from these two instruments will be used to standardize precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites. Not only will this data give us a better picture of global precipitation, it will help advance our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycles and improve forecasting of extreme events like floods, droughts, landslides and hurricanes.

As a member of the GLOBE Scientist Network and a trained GLOBE Teacher mandated to inspire, mentor and motivate students and teachers worldwide, I am afforded the opportunity to inspire students and teachers to share my love for the environment.

The GPM-GLOBE Student Field Campaign focuses on GPM data validation by involving GLOBE students in data collection and observation. This involves students observing and measuring forms of precipitation- rain or snow, depending on where you are located. Also during the campaign, students worldwide will be able to provide answers to questions like;

1. What is Precipitation?
2. Why is precipitation important to life?
3. Why do we measure precipitation?
4. Do we have enough precipitation on Earth?
5. How can we know how much precipitation is falling?

The way satellites “see” precipitation is different than how we collect it from rain gauges on the ground, or even from ground-based radar like you might see on the news.

Therefore, there is a need to compare the data from the satellite to data collected on the ground, to make sure that the instruments on the satellite and the computer programs that process the data are all working properly. That’s where you come in!

GPM Master Teachers and Pilot Teachers with their students all over the world have started collecting precipitation data and reporting it to GLOBE. To join the campaign, please complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GPMpilotteacher or contact Dorian our education specialist at dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov or any of the Master Teacher. Interested schools can also contact me on: walefemi007@yahoo.com

With the rain gauge set up at your school, you and your classmates will become a part of the GPM ground validation team and partner, streaming data that will be used to compare to satellite and radar data, as well as to other networks of rain gauges. You will also have the chance to do your own analysis, using data from schools around the world as well as historic climate averages, just like the professionals! For more information, see the GPM-GLOBE collaboration site, http://www.globe.gov/web/gpm. You can also hook up with GPM Student Field Campaign on the following social media http://www.facebook.com/NASA.Rain twitter@NASA_Rain. In the mean time, you will also be hearing about GPM-GLOBE Field Campaign Events which kicks up on Monday, January 12 with a blog post from our fabulous GPM Education Specialist, Kristen Weaver.

Questions? Contact Olawale Oluwafemi, +2348038470618, walefemi007@yahoo.com