NASA's Aquarius Returns Global Maps of Soil Moisture

Credits

• Animator

  • Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

• Data visualizers

  • Trent L. Schindler (USRA) [Lead]
  • Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC)

• Writer

  • Maria-Jose Vinas Garcia (Telophase)

• Video editor

  • Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

• Scientists

  • Rajat Bindlish (USDA-ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory)
  • Tom Jackson (USDA-ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory)

• Producers

  • Kayvon Sharghi (USRA) [Lead]
  • Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

• Narration

  • Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
  • Kayvon Sharghi (USRA)

• Narrator

  • Joy Ng (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

• Project support

  • Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)

Related Pages

• Related

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    ID: 11585 Produced Video

    Mapping Soil Moisture

    July 10th, 2014
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    To improve weather forecasts and build better climate models, scientists are looking at changes in soil moisture. Soil moisture is a measurement of the amount of water contained within soil particles. In 2011, NASA and the Argentina space agency launched the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite to observe the salt content of the ocean surface. But researchers also developed a method for the satellite to provide global maps of soil moisture. Orbiting Earth at an altitude of 400 miles, the satellite measures the wetness of soil by detecting microwave energy that's naturally emitted from the top two inches of land. The maps show how severe weather and seasonal cycles affect soil conditions in different parts of the world—information that can be used to help predict the onset of floods or drought. Watch the video to learn more. ||

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  • 

    ID: 4165 Visualization

    Aquarius Soil Moisture

    July 7th, 2014
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    This visualization shows soil moisture measurements taken by NASA’s Aquarius instrument from September 2011 to September 2013. Soil moisture, the water contained within soil particles, is an important player in Earth's water cycle. It is essential for plant life and influences weather and climate. Satellite readings of soil moisture will help scientists better understand the climate system and have potential for a wide range of applications, from advancing climate models, weather forecasts, drought monitoring and flood prediction to informing water management decisions and aiding in predictions of agricultural productivity. Here, soil moisture in the top 2 inches of the land is visible. ||

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  • 

    ID: 4046 Visualization

    Aquarius Sea Surface Salinity on Rotating Globes 2012

    Feb. 27th, 2013
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    The Aquarius spacecraft is designed to measure global sea surface salinity. It is important to understand salinity, the amount of dissolved salts in water, because it will lead us to better understanding of the water cycle and can lead to improved climate models. Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of ArgentinaThis visualization celebrates over a year of successful Aquarius observations. Sea surface salinity in the northern hemisphere is shown as the globe slowly rotates. The data cycles through a single year, 2012, and repeats. Two versions of the visualization are provied: a version with dates and a scientific color bar and another version without dates and a simpler color bar. The range of time shown is December 2011 through Decemeber 2012. The data continuously loops through this range every 6 seconds. This visualization was generated based on version 2.0 of the Aquarius data products with all 3 scanning beams.http://The Aquarius spacecraft ||

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  • 

    ID: 3830 Visualization

    Aquarius Satellite & Data Pre-launch Beauty Shot

    May 5th, 2011
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Aquarius is a focused satellite mission to measure global Sea Surface Salinity. After its planned 09-Jun-11 launch, it will provide the global view of salinity variability needed for climate studies. The Aquarius / SAC-D mission is being developed by NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE). The satellite model depicted in this animation is an artist rendition and intentionally exaggerated so as to remain visible as it flies around the globe. Had the satellite model been rendered true-to-scale, it would not be visible when we pull out to see the full earth. ||

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