View source for Goddard Institute for Space Studies

{{Short description|New York City-based NASA laboratory}}
{{Redirect|GISS|The ornithological term|Jizz (birding)}}
{{Infobox organization
| name            = Goddard Institute for Space Studies
| image           = Armstrong 20101026 244x366.jpg
| image_size      = 250px
| caption         = Columbia University's Armstrong Hall, the building in which GISS is located.
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| founded_date    = {{Start date|1961|05}}<ref name="About GISS">{{cite web |url=http://www.giss.nasa.gov/about |title=The institute was established in May 1961, by Dr. Robert Jastrow, following its approval in December 1960 by NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan. |access-date=May 5, 2014 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318000508/https://www.giss.nasa.gov/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| founder         = [[Robert Jastrow]]
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| location        = New York City, United States
| addnl_location  = 2880 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], New York, NY 10025 USA
| coordinates     = {{Wikidatacoord|Q422272|display=inline,title}}
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| focus           = [[Atmospheric]] and [[climate change]]
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| affiliations    = [[Columbia University]], [[NASA]]
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| website         = {{URL|www.giss.nasa.gov}}
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The '''Goddard Institute for Space Studies''' ('''GISS''') is a laboratory in the Earth Sciences Division of [[NASA]]'s [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] affiliated with the [[The Earth Institute|Columbia University Earth Institute]].<ref name=columbia>
{{NASA
|article=Overview
|url=http://www.giss.nasa.gov/ }}</ref> The institute is located at [[Columbia University]] in New York City. It was named after [[Robert H. Goddard]], American engineer, professor, physicist and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first [[Liquid-propellant rocket|liquid-fueled]] [[rocket]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/about/history/dr_goddard.html |publisher=NASA |title=Dr. Robert H. Goddard, American Rocketry Pioneer |date=February 11, 2015 |access-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207113050/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/about/history/dr_goddard.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Research at the GISS emphasizes a broad study of [[global change]], the natural and anthropogenic changes in our environment that affect the habitability of our planet. These effects may occur on greatly differing time scales, from one-time forcings such as volcanic explosions, to seasonal/annual effects such as [[El Niño]], and on up to the millennia of ice ages.
The institute's research combines analysis of comprehensive global datasets (derived from surface stations combined with satellite data for [[sea surface temperature]]s) with global models of atmospheric, land surface, and oceanic processes. Study of past climate change on Earth and of other planetary atmospheres provides an additional tool in assessing general understanding of the atmosphere and its evolution.<ref name=gsss>{{NASA
|article=Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) (611) Home
|url=http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.main&navOrgCode=611&navTab=nav_about_us }}</ref>
GISS was established in May 1961 by [[Robert Jastrow]] to do basic research in space sciences in support of Goddard programs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19660018716 |author=R.L. Rosholt |title=Administrative History of NASA, 1958-1963 |date=1966 |publisher=NASA |page=124 |id=NASA SP-4101 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19810012433 |author=Homer E. Newell Jr. |title=Beyond the Atmosphere: Early Years of Space Science |date=1980 |publisher=NASA |pages=237–239 |id=NASA SP-4211 |author-link=Homer E. Newell Jr. }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19990054617 |author=L.E. Wallace |title=Dreams, Hopes, Realities: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center: The First Forty Years |date=1999 |publisher=NASA |pages=24–25 |id=NASA SP-4312 }}</ref> Formally the institute was the '''New York City office of the GSFC Theoretical Division''' but was known as the '''Goddard Space Flight Center Institute for Space Studies''' or in some publications as simply the '''Institute for Space Studies'''. But even before it opened, the institute had been referred to in the press as the '''Goddard Institute for Space Studies'''.<ref>
{{cite news |title=Space Study Group Slated Here in May |work=The New York Times |date=January 29, 1961 |url=https://nyti.ms/2zfe01h}}
</ref> It was separated from the Theoretical Division in July 1962. Its offices were originally located in [[The Interchurch Center]], and the institute moved into Columbia's [[Edwin Howard Armstrong|Armstrong]] Hall (a renovated apartment building previously known as the Ostend apartments and subsequently the Oxford [[Single room occupancy|Residence Hotel]]) in April 1966.
From 1981 to 2013, GISS was directed by [[James E. Hansen]]. In June 2014, [[Gavin A. Schmidt]] was named the institute's third director.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20140609/ |title=NASA Names Schmidt Director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies }}</ref>
== History of scientific research ==
In the 1960s, GISS was a frequent center for high-level scientific workshops, including the "History of the Earth's Crust Symposium" in November 1966 which has been described as the meeting that gave birth to the idea of [[plate tectonics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eos.org/features/meeting-gave-birth-idea-global-tectonics |title=Meeting gave birth to the idea of global tectonics |first=Michael |last=Rampino |date=December 12, 2016 |website=Eos }}</ref>
At a GISS workshop in 1967, [[John Archibald Wheeler|John Wheeler]] popularized the term "[[black hole]]" as a short-hand for 'gravitationally completely collapsed star', though the term was not coined there.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-bla1.htm |title=World Wide Words: Black Hole |website=World Wide Words |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-date=September 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912044641/http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-bla1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Hong-Yee Chiu]] is credited with introducing the term "[[quasar]]" while working at GISS in 1964.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chiu |first1=Hong-Yee |title=Gravitational collapse |journal=Physics Today |date=May 1964 |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=21–34 |doi=10.1063/1.3051610 |bibcode=1964PhT....17e..21C |doi-access=free }}</ref>
In September 1974, at a seminal meeting led by [[Patrick Thaddeus]] at GISS with [[John C. Mather|John Mather]] (his then post-doc) and others discussions began on the possibility of building a satellite to measure both the spectrum and possible spatial fluctuations of the Cosmic Microwave Background. This led directly to the [[Cosmic Background Explorer|COBE]] satellite project and a Nobel Prize for Mather.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Patrick Thaddeus |journal=Nature Astronomy |volume=1 |pages=0170 |date=2017 |doi=10.1038/s41550-017-0170 |first=Thomas |last=Dame |issue=7 |bibcode=2017NatAs...1E.170D |s2cid=256726166 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
GISS personnel were involved as instrument and science team scientists in multiple historic [[NASA]] solar system missions, [[Mariner 5]] to Venus, [[Pioneer 10]] and [[Pioneer 11|11]] to Jupiter and Saturn, the [[Voyager program]], [[Pioneer Venus]], [[Galileo (spacecraft)|Galileo]] to Jupiter, the unsuccessful [[Mars Observer]] and [[Mars Climate Orbiter|Climate Orbiter]], and [[Cassini-Huygens]] mission to Saturn.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
[[Polarimetry]] has been a speciality of GISS since the Pioneer, Voyager, and Galileo missions, and has been adapted to Earth observing missions as well. Notably, Michael Mishchenko of GISS was project scientist for the [[Glory (satellite)|Glory]] mission, which failed to reach orbit after launch in 2011. Glory would have employed the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS) developed by GISS scientists had it reached orbit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://atrain.nasa.gov/publications/Glory.pdf |title=Glory Mission Fact Sheet |access-date=April 20, 2024 }}</ref> More recently, Brian Cairns of GISS is one of the deputy project scientists of the [[Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem|PACE]] mission, which launched in February 2024 and has two polarimeters on board.<ref>{{cite web |title=PACE Project Science Team |url=https://pace.oceansciences.org/project_science_team.htm |access-date=April 20, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=PACE Mission Overview |url=https://pace.oceansciences.org/mission.htm |access-date=April 20, 2024 |archive-date=April 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420110924/https://pace.oceansciences.org/mission.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Climate change research ==
A key objective of Goddard Institute for Space Studies research is prediction of climate change in the 21st century. The research combines paleogeological record, analysis of comprehensive global datasets (derived mainly from spacecraft observations), with global models of atmospheric, land surface, and oceanic processes.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
Climate science predictions are based substantially on historical analysis of Earth's paleoclimate (climate through geological ages), and the sea-level/ temperature/ carbon dioxide record.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
Changes in carbon dioxide associated with continental drift, and the decrease in volcanism as India arrived at the Asian continent, allowed temperatures to drop & Antarctic ice-sheets to form. This resulted in a 75m drop in sea level, allowing our present-day coastlines & habitats to form and stabilize.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.franklin-live.net/site/20110512DrJamesHansen.php |title=James Hansen, public lecture 12th May 2011 |access-date=January 14, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515102527/http://www.franklin-live.net/site/20110512DrJamesHansen.php |archive-date=May 15, 2011 }}</ref>
Global change studies at GISS are coordinated with research at other groups within the Earth Sciences Division, including the Laboratory for Atmospheres, Laboratory for Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences, and Earth Observing System science office.
== Awards ==
GISS director [[James Hansen]] received the [[Heinz Awards|Heinz Award]] in 2001.<ref name="HeinzAward">{{cite web |url=https://www.heinzawards.org/pages/james-hansen |title=James Hansen |website=The Heinz Awards |access-date=2023-02-18 |archive-date=2023-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218075035/https://www.heinzawards.org/pages/james-hansen |url-status=live }}</ref>
In November 2004, climatologists [[Drew Shindell]] and [[Gavin Schmidt]] were named amongst [[Scientific American]] magazine's Top 50 Scientist award.<ref>Goddard Institute for Space Studies (November 9, 2004). [http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20041109/ NASA Climatologists Named in Scientific American Top 50 Scientists]. Retrieved on September 25, 2008.</ref>
One-time GISS post-doctoral scientist [[John C. Mather]] was years later awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 2006.<ref name=nobel>{{cite press release |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2006/press.html |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2006 |publisher=The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences |date=October 3, 2006 |access-date=October 5, 2006 }}</ref>
Climate impacts researcher [[Cynthia Rosenzweig]] was awarded the [[World Food Prize]] in 2022.<ref name="WFP">{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/87428/48752/2022_world_food_prize_awarded_to_nasa_climate_scientist |website=World Food Prize Organization |title=2022 World Food Prize Awarded to NASA Climate Scientist |date=May 5, 2022 |access-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630205921/https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/87428/48752/2022_world_food_prize_awarded_to_nasa_climate_scientist |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Alumni ==
People who have worked at GISS and their periods of employment include:
* [[W. David Arnett]], (1966-1967), postdoc
* [[Norman H. Baker]] (1962-1965)
* [[Alastair G. W. Cameron]] (1961-1966)
* [[Mark Cane]] (1966-1970, 1975–1976), programmer, postdoc
* [[Jérôme Chappellaz]] (1990-1991)
* [[Hong-Yee Chiu]] (1961-1984)
* [[Benjamin Cook (scientist)|Benjamin Cook]] (2008-)
* [[Tom Dame|Thomas M. Dame]] (1983-1984), postdoc
* [[Anthony Del Genio]] (1979-2019)
* [[Dilhan Eryurt]] (née Ezer) (1964-1966, 1969–1973), postdoc and staff scientist
* [[Rhodes Fairbridge]] (1955-2006)
* [[Inez Fung]] (1986-1993)
* [[Michael Ghil]] (1975-1976)
* [[Douglas Gough]] (1967-1969)
* [[Milton Halem]] (1961-1977)
* [[James Hansen]] (1967-2014)
* [[Christine P. Hendon]] (1998-2000), intern
* [[Robert Jastrow]] (1961-1981)
* [[John Knox (meteorologist)|John Knox]] (1995-2001), postdoc
* [[Joel S. Levine]] (1967-1969), grad student
* [[Liou Kuo-Nan|Kuo-Nan Liou]] (1970-1972), postdoc
* [[Leon B. Lucy]] (1962), postdoc
* [[Kate Marvel]] (2015-2022, 2024-)
* [[John C. Mather]] (1974-1976), postdoc
* [[John McAfee]] (1968-1970), programmer
* [[Michael I. Mishchenko]] (1992-2020)
* [[Michael J. Prather]] (1985-1992)
* [[Bill Quirk|William J. Quirk]] (1974-1978), postdoc
* [[S. Ichtiaque Rasool]] (1961-1971)
* [[Cynthia Rosenzweig]] (1985-)
* [[William B. Rossow]] (1979-2007)
* [[Gavin Schmidt]] (1996-)
* [[Stephen Schneider (scientist)|Stephen Schneider]] (1971-1972), postdoc
* [[Stephen Self]] (1977-1979)
* [[Drew Shindell]] (1995-2014)
* [[Richard Somerville]] (1971-1974)
* [[Richard Stothers]] (1961-2011)
* [[Patrick Thaddeus]] (1966-1986)
* [[James W. Truran]] (1965-1967), postdoc
* [[Sachiko Tsuruta]] (c. 1964), graduate student
* [[Nadine Unger]] (2002-2010)
* [[C. V. Vishveshwara]] (c. 1969), postdoc
== In popular culture ==
* The institute is housed at the corner of [[112th Street (Manhattan)|West 112th St.]] and [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in New York City in Columbia University's Armstrong Hall. The building also houses [[Tom's Restaurant (Manhattan)|Tom's Restaurant]], which was the exterior for the restaurant in ''[[Seinfeld]]'' and the subject of the [[Suzanne Vega]] song ''[[Tom's Diner]].''
* [[WQED (TV)|WQED]] made a documentary in the 1960s "The Universe on a Scratch Pad" about the theoretical work being done at GISS.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/48171442 |title=Universe on a Scratchpad |first=Climate Science |last=TV |date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=January 14, 2018 |via=Vimeo }}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Earth Simulator]]
* [[EdGCM]]
* [[National Center for Atmospheric Research]]
* [[Robert Jastrow]]
* [[James Hansen]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.giss.nasa.gov/ Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)] - Official Site
* [https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/ GISS Global Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP)] - Global Surface Temperature Data
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