Shizuku: Understanding Climate Change from Space

On this episode of Science View we bring you news on Shizuku, Japan's state-of-the-art weather satellite. In August 2012, it was announced that Arctic sea ice had shrunk to a new record low. This announcement was based on data provided by Shizuku, an observation satellite developed and launched in May the same year by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). In fact, until early spring, Arctic sea ice had been relatively abundant compared to the previous decade. So scientists were caught off guard when Shizuku started to observe the rapidly diminished sea ice. But what was causing it? Was it global warming?

Shizuku actually monitors the microwaves emitted by water molecules. Water, of course, can be solid, liquid or gas and the strength of the microwaves vary depending on which state it is in. These differences can tell us how much rain is falling, how the clouds are moving as well as detailed ice conditions. The microwave sensors on Shizuku can also monitor water conditions on land, seawater temperature and wind speed over the sea more precisely than ever before. The ability to observer water like this around the globe has many applications from tracking environmental changes, disaster response, weather forecasting, as well as assisting farming, fishing and various other activities, too. Professor Taikan Oki of the University of Tokyo, for example, is trying to use Shizuku's data to assist disaster response. Flooding in Thailand in October, 2011 killed more than 800 people. It also damaged factories, causing significant repercussions for the global economy. Professor Oki believes that using data from Shizuku could help prevent flood damage before it occurs. Tune in to find out what kind of data Shizuku is providing and how it's being used. Scientists also hope that data provided by Shizuku will be useful for farming and fishing. Shizuku can predict the best fishing grounds for different types of fish as well as provide data to assist in conservation efforts. The data can also help predict droughts and harvest volumes for farmers.

Professor Taikan Oki of Tokyo University, the leader of a scientific team that is analyzing Shizuku's data joins us in the studio as we take a close look at the advanced technologies used in the satellite. He also talks about the latest ways its data is being used.