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The students' adventure begins weeks before
Mission Day. After choosing an area of expertise and forming
an Emergency Response Team (ERT), teams submit applications
to the e-Mission Headquarters. They wait anxiously for several
weeks and continue their regular studies until they hear back
from e-Mission Headquarters. Upon acceptance, students begin
their work. Over the next 3 weeks, students are informed of
changing events that guide the focus of their ERT's efforts.
Application Process
Your students are told that e-Mission Headquarters is often
asked by foreign governments and other international organizations
to provide scientific expertise. To do this Mission Control
partners with groups of people serving as emergency response
teams (ERTs). The people in each ERT must learn Earth system
science skills and ideas. Under pressure, they must be able
to work with each other and with people from other ERTs. Using
special monitoring equipment, like the Low Earth Orbiting
satellite, or LEO satellite, Mission Control works hand-in-hand
with various agencies, such as NASA or the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, to measure what is happening
on Earth. ERT Earth system experts study these measurements
(also called "data") and provide valuable advice
to people in danger.
During each mission, Mission Control coordinates incoming
data from sites around the globe. Members of emergency response
teams will work like Earth system scientists to interpret
the data and make emergency recommendations.
At t-minus 3 weeks
Mission Control accepts your students'
applications and schedules the mission for a "September
4, 1996" date. The students will be told there is a problem.
The LEO satellite is malfunctioning, and the Space Shuttle
crew must be dispatched to repair it. At launch time the ERTs
will stand by to receive and analyze a week's worth of data.
Students must be prepared to analyze the data quickly because
the situation could be critical. An island in the Caribbean
called Montserrat has been experiencing volcanic tremors and
ash clouds. Scientists believe the volcano could erupt any
day.
For preparation, you and your students must study volcanoes
and what they might do to the island's fragile spheres.
At t-minus 2 weeks
Your students need to study the dangers and behaviors of hurricanes
and what effects they might have on Montserrat's Earth systems.
At t-minus 1 week
There is a situation. A significant volcanic disturbance has
been detected on Montserrat. If that isn't alarming enough,
a hurricane is forming. The island lies in its path. Thousands
of people on this small island are in peril.
Get ready. Learn as much as you can about Montserrat, its
geography and its history of hurricanes and volcanic disturbance.
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