For 15 Years, GRACE Tracked Freshwater Movements Around the World

  • Released Wednesday, May 16, 2018
  • Updated Friday, June 8, 2018 at 1:43PM
  • ID: 12876

NASA scientists used GRACE data to identify regional trends of freshwater movement, and combined that information with data from other satellites, climate models and precipitation measurements to determine the causes of major regional trends in freshwater storage.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE mission, used precise measurements of the motions of two spacecraft in Earth’s orbit to track the movement of water through the oceans, land, and atmosphere.

Music: Iron Throne by Anthony Giordano [SACEM]

Complete transcript available.

Time series of freshwater increases above average in blue and decreases below average in red from 2002 to 2016.

2014 MODIS image of California<p><p>Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

2014 MODIS image of California

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Earth Observing-1 satellite image of the Okavango Delta during a 2012 flood

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

2012 Landsat image of Saudi Arabia cropland<p><p>Credit: USGS/NASA

2012 Landsat image of Saudi Arabia cropland

Credit: USGS/NASA

Freshwater anomalies in 2012, at the beginning of the GRACE mission, with increases above average in blue and decreases below average in red.

Freshwater anomalies in 2012, at the beginning of the GRACE mission, with increases above average in blue and decreases below average in red.

Freshwater anomalies in 2016, near the end of the GRACE mission, with increases above average in blue and decreases below average in red.

Freshwater anomalies in 2016, near the end of the GRACE mission, with increases above average in blue and decreases below average in red.



Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center


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