PACE Data Tour - Visualizations
A tour of several PACE data products, highlighting observations of aerosols, ocean biology, clouds, and land surface conditions.
This visualization is a tour of several PACE data products, highlighting observations of aerosols, ocean biology, clouds, and land surface conditions. Together, these views demonstrate how PACE provides a more complete picture of Earth’s interconnected systems. The scenes shown here represent a range of data products, some of which are currently available while others remain in development.
To learn more about the PACE mission, visit: https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov/
PACE captures smoke and dust from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Southern California on January 9. The true-color view shows how these plumes spread across the region and offshore, while additional PACE products reveal relative burn severity on the ground and aerosol properties in the atmosphere, including optical depth, light absorption, and dominant particle size.
PACE detects harmful cyanobacteria blooms across the Great Lakes during summer 2024. Elevated concentrations appear in regions like Green Bay, Saginaw Bay, and western Lake Erie, showing how cyanobacteria abundance changes over time.
PACE tracks aerosols over the North Atlantic, revealing Saharan dust transported westward and wildfire smoke moving east. The aerosol index highlights these large-scale atmospheric transport patterns
PACE resolves different types of phytoplankton in the eastern Atlantic, distinguishing communities like picoeukaryotes, Prochlorococcus, and Synechococcus. Each group occupies distinct regions of the ocean, shaped by differences in nutrient availability and large-scale ocean structure.

A diatom bloom unfolds off the Kamchatka Peninsula as spring conditions drive rapid phytoplankton growth. These blooms play an important role in ocean ecosystems, helping transfer carbon and support marine life.
A harmful algal bloom of Karenia mikimotoi appears off the coast of South Australia. Unlike cyanobacteria, this species is identified through its fluorescence in sunlight.
HARP2’s multi-angle observations reveal the three-dimensional structure of clouds along a satellite orbit. These measurements provide new insight into cloud vertical structure and variability.
Ship emissions modify marine stratocumulus clouds over the North Pacific, creating bright streaks known as ship tracks. Aerosols from ships lead to smaller cloud droplets and brighter clouds.
PACE maps plant pigments across North America, revealing changes in vegetation health and productivity. These pigments vary throughout the year and provide insight into plant productivity and responses to stress
Spanish versions:
PACE capta el humo y el polvo de los incendios forestales de Palisades y Eaton, en el sur de California, el 9 de enero. La vista en colores reales muestra cómo estas columnas se extienden por la región y hacia mar abierto, mientras que otros productos adicionales de PACE revelan la severidad relativa de las quemas en el suelo y las propiedades de los aerosoles en la atmósfera, incluyendo la profundidad óptica, la absorción de luz y el tamaño dominante de las partículas.
PACE detecta proliferaciones de cianobacterias nocivas en los Grandes Lagos durante el verano de 2024. Se observan concentraciones elevadas en regiones como Green Bay, la bahía de Saginaw y el oeste del lago Erie, lo que muestra cómo varía la abundancia de cianobacterias a lo largo del tiempo.
PACE rastrea los aerosoles sobre el Atlántico Norte, revelando el polvo sahariano transportado hacia el oeste y el humo de los incendios forestales desplazándose hacia el este. El índice de aerosoles pone de relieve estos patrones de transporte atmosférico a gran escala.
PACE distingue diferentes tipos de fitoplancton en el Atlántico oriental, diferenciando comunidades como los picoeucariotas, los Prochlorococcus (proclorococos) y los Synechococcus (sinecococos). Cada grupo ocupa distintas regiones del océano, configuradas por las diferencias en la disponibilidad de nutrientes y la estructura oceánica a gran escala.

Una proliferación de diatomeas se desarrolla frente a la península de Kamchatka, a medida que las condiciones primaverales impulsan un rápido crecimiento del fitoplancton. Estas proliferaciones desempeñan un papel importante en los ecosistemas oceánicos, ayudando a transferir carbono y a sustentar la vida marina.
Una proliferación de algas nocivas de Karenia mikimotoi aparece frente la costa de Australia meridional. A diferencia de las cianobacterias, esta especie se identifica mediante su fluorescencia con la luz solar.
Las observaciones de HARP2 desde diferentes ángulos revelan la estructura tridimensional de las nubes a lo largo de una órbita satelital. Estas mediciones aportan nuevos conocimientos sobre la estructura vertical y la variabilidad de las nubes.
Las emisiones de los barcos modifican las nubes de estratocúmulos marinos sobre el Pacífico Norte, creando franjas brillantes conocidas como estelas de barcos. Los aerosoles provenientes de los barcos dan lugar a gotículas de nube más pequeñas y a nubes más brillantes.
Credits
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Visualizer
- Kel Elkins (Science and Technology Corporation)
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Producer
- Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
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Scientists
- Jeremy Werdell (NASA/GSFC)
- Kirk Knobelspiesse (NASA/GSFC)
- Meng Gao (SSAI)
- Skye Caplan (SSAI)
- Ivona Cetinic (Morgan State University)
- Andrew Sayer (USRA)
- Sean R Foley (Morgan State University)
- Bridget Seegers (Morgan State University)
- Inia Soto Ramos (Morgan State University)
- Chamara Rajapakshe (SSAI)
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Translator
- Noelia Gonzalez Moreira (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Missions
This page is related to the following missions:Datasets used
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Ocean Color Instrument [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1208This dataset can be found at: https://pace.oceansciences.org/oci.htm
See all pages that use this dataset -
SPEXone Polarimeter [PACE: SPEXone]
ID: 1207This dataset can be found at: https://pace.oceansciences.org/spexone.htm
See all pages that use this dataset -
Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2 [PACE: HARP2]
ID: 1209This dataset can be found at: https://pace.oceansciences.org/harp2.htm
See all pages that use this dataset -
PACE orbit planning ephemeris (TLE) (PACE orbit planning ephemeris (TLE))
ID: 1157Credit: Fred Patt
See all pages that use this dataset -
Land surface reflectance [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1280This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20SFREFL
See all pages that use this dataset -
Aerosol and ocean products [PACE: HARP2]
ID: 1281This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20HARP2%20fastmapol
See all pages that use this dataset -
Cyanobacteria Index [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1266This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI
See all pages that use this dataset -
Aerosol index [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1282This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20UAA%20index
See all pages that use this dataset -
Phytoplankton [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1264This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20MOANA
See all pages that use this dataset -
Diatom backscatter [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1283This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20OC_IOP
See all pages that use this dataset -
Fluorescence [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1284This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20fluorescence
See all pages that use this dataset -
3D clouds [PACE: HARP2]
ID: 1285This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20HARP2%20Level%201
See all pages that use this dataset -
Clouds [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1286This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20cloud
See all pages that use this dataset -
Land Vegetation Indices [PACE: OCI]
ID: 1243This dataset can be found at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/catalog?keyword=PACE%20OCI%20landvi
See all pages that use this dataset
Note: While we identify the data sets used on this page, we do not store any further details, nor the data sets themselves on our site.
Release date
This page was originally published on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 11:55 AM EDT.