{ "count": 58, "next": null, "previous": null, "results": [ { "id": 5565, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5565/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Water Cycle Extremes 2002-2024: Droughts and Pluvials", "description": "In a study of 20 years of data from the NASA/German GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites, NASA scientists confirmed that major droughts and pluvials — periods of excessive precipitation and water storage on the landscape — have been occurring more often. They also found that the worldwide intensity of these extreme wet and dry events – a metric that combines extent, duration, and severity — is closely linked to global warming.", "hits": 430 }, { "id": 5409, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5409/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-10-17T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Slow Reveal Graphs: Water Cycle Extremes", "description": "In a study of 20 years of data from the NASA/German GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites, NASA scientists confirmed that major droughts and pluvials — periods of excessive precipitation and water storage on the landscape — have been occurring more often. They also found that the worldwide intensity of these extreme wet and dry events – a metric that combines extent, duration, and severity — is closely linked to global warming.", "hits": 34 }, { "id": 5392, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5392/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-10-01T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Water Cycle Extremes 2002-2023: Droughts and Pluvials", "description": "This visualization shows extremes of the water cycle — droughts and pluvials — over a twenty-year period (2002-2023) based on observations from the GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites. D. A total of 1,138 extreme wet and dry events are shown the visualization. The plots at the bottom of the figure show that the total intensity of extreme events increased as global temperatures increased. |", "hits": 233 }, { "id": 5087, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5087/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2023-03-13T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Water Cycle Extremes: Droughts and Pluvials", "description": "This visualization shows extremes of the water cycle — droughts and pluvials — over a twenty-year period (2002-2021) based on observations from the GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites. Dry events are shown as red spheres and wet events as blue spheres, with earlier years being shown as lighter shades and later years as darker shades. The volume of the sphere is proportional to the intensity of the event, a quantity measured in cubic kilometer months.", "hits": 201 }, { "id": 14291, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14291/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2023-02-11T10:00:00-05:00", "title": "Landsat 8 - A Decade of Service", "description": "L8_Anniversary_Thumb.jpg (1280x720) [449.9 KB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.01584_print.jpg (1024x576) [138.4 KB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.01584_searchweb.png (320x180) [75.8 KB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.01584_thm.png (80x40) [5.7 KB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.01584_web.png (320x180) [75.8 KB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.webm (1920x1080) [72.5 MB] || NASA_L8Anniversary_Final.mp4 (1920x1080) [1.2 GB] || L8Anniv.en_US.srt [13.9 KB] || L8Anniv.en_US.vtt [13.2 KB] || ", "hits": 156 }, { "id": 14228, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14228/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2022-10-31T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "Clouds 101", "description": "Complete transcript available. || Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_1.52.39_PM_print.jpg (1024x578) [66.1 KB] || Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_1.52.39_PM.png (2844x1607) [3.9 MB] || Clouds_101_Lock.00001_searchweb.png (320x180) [34.8 KB] || Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_1.52.39_PM_searchweb.png (320x180) [66.0 KB] || Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_1.52.39_PM_web.png (320x180) [66.4 KB] || Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_1.52.39_PM_thm.png (80x40) [8.7 KB] || Clouds_101_audio_otter_ai.en_US.srt [9.6 KB] || Clouds_101_audio_otter_ai.en_US.vtt [9.6 KB] || Clouds_101_Lock.mp4 (1920x1080) [974.5 MB] || ", "hits": 44 }, { "id": 5014, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5014/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2022-08-17T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Drought in the Horn of Africa", "description": "According to a July 29 2022 report from the International Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, the worst drought conditions in 70 years across the Horn of Africa have more than 16 million people coping with a shortage of drinking water. Yields of key crops are down for the third year in a row, milk production is in decline, and more than 9 million livestock animals have been lost due to a lack of water and suitable forage land. At the same time, regional conflicts, COVID-19, locusts, and the Ukraine War have caused price spikes and shortages of basic commodities. An estimated 18 to 21 million people now \"face high levels of acute food insecurity\" in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.These animations depict root zone and surface soil moisture observations and forecasts from the NASA Hydrological Forecast and Analysis System (NHyFAS). Reds depict areas with soil moisture percentages below the average, while blues reflect areas that are above average (often due to passing storms). The first 27 seconds of the animation show soil moisture from August 2020 through June 2022. The final 10 seconds show forecasts for July through December 2022, including the next rainy season. Root zone moisture is critical for long term crop growth. New seedlings are mostly dependent on surface water, but then as plants grow and sink deeper roots, they are sustained by moisture in the top layer of the soil. || ", "hits": 193 }, { "id": 31046, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31046/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2019-07-15T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Soil Moisture, Salinity and Precipitation", "description": "Global maps shown the relationship between precipitation, soil moisture, and salinity. || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2019-03-24_print.jpg (1024x576) [168.4 KB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2019-03-24_searchweb.png (320x180) [81.6 KB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2019-03-24_thm.png (80x40) [6.5 KB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_1080p.webm (1920x1080) [9.3 MB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_1080p.mp4 (1920x1080) [127.5 MB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2019-03-24.tif (3840x2160) [7.7 MB] || salinity_soilm_precip (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2160p.mp4 (3840x2160) [388.4 MB] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_2160p.hwshow [106 bytes] || salinity_soilm_precip_squashed_1080p.hwshow [106 bytes] || ", "hits": 64 }, { "id": 13192, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13192/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2019-06-21T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "NASA Helps Warn of Harmful Algal Blooms", "description": "With limited resources to dedicate to monitoring for harmful algal blooms, water managers are looking to new technologies from NASA and its partners to detect and monitor potential hazards in lakes and reservoirs. || ", "hits": 17 }, { "id": 13227, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13227/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2019-06-12T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "NASA Follows Changing Freshwater from Space", "description": "When we look into the vastness of space, our home planet stands out in many ways. One of the most crucial is the presence of abundant, accessible freshwater -- as a liquid, solid and gas. Water helps make our planet habitable. The first question NASA researchers studying freshwater on Earth ask is: Where is the water? As it constantly cycles between water vapor, rain and snow, and reservoirs above and below ground, water is tracked by a fleet of NASA satellites. Heat travels with that water, as energy from the Sun drives freshwater’s transformations between vapor, liquid water, and ice. As our planet warms due to greenhouse gases, scientists have a second pressing question: How is climate change affecting the distribution of water? || ", "hits": 86 }, { "id": 4718, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4718/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-05-23T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Visualization Elements for Global Freshwater Campaign", "description": "The following visualizations and animations were created in support of the video release \"NASA Follows Changing Freshwater from Space,\" entry ID 13227, for use as elements within the video. || ", "hits": 21 }, { "id": 30988, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30988/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2018-08-29T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Earth System Diagram", "description": "Diagram showing parts of the Earth system. || earth_system_diagram_print.jpg (1024x574) [115.6 KB] || earth_system_diagram.png (4104x2304) [1.2 MB] || earth_system_diagram_searchweb.png (320x180) [63.5 KB] || earth_system_diagram_thm.png (80x40) [6.6 KB] || earth_system_diagram.hwshow [208 bytes] || ", "hits": 434 }, { "id": 12254, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12254/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2016-06-23T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "Life of the Monsoon", "description": "Additional footage: pond5.comMusic: Ruminations by Miriam Cutler, 24 Dimensions by Christian Telford, David Travis Edwards, Matthew St. Laurent, and Robert Anthony NavarroComplete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || life_monsoon_still_print.jpg (1024x578) [133.9 KB] || life_monsoon_still_searchweb.png (320x180) [94.5 KB] || life_monsoon_still_thm.png (80x40) [9.4 KB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_prores.mov (1920x1080) [7.6 GB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon.mpeg (1280x720) [933.1 MB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [141.4 MB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_youtube_hq.mov (1920x1080) [2.3 GB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon.webm (960x540) [112.9 MB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_large.mp4 (1920x1080) [282.0 MB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [141.5 MB] || LifeMonsoon.en_US.srt [5.1 KB] || LifeMonsoon.en_US.vtt [5.1 KB] || 12254_Life_of_the_Monsoon_ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [49.6 MB] || ", "hits": 28 }, { "id": 12287, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12287/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2016-06-22T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Extreme Precipitation Facebook Live Event", "description": "Ever wonder where in the world we get the most extreme rainfall (and how we know)? Or if climate change is going to cause more frequent and intense hurricanes?NASA scientists and engineers, Dalia Kirschbaum, Scott Braun, and Jamie Pawloski had a live discussion on Facebook about how they study extreme weather from space. Viewers got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Operations Center and were also able to ask the scientists questions. The Facebook Live event was held on June 23, 2016 at 1.00pm ET. Click here to see the original Facebook post.To see more posts from NASA's precipitation measurement missions visit their Facebook page. || ", "hits": 14 }, { "id": 30580, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30580/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2015-01-21T15:00:00-05:00", "title": "The Water Cycle", "description": "Diagram of the water cycle || water_cycle_print.jpg (1024x574) [110.8 KB] || water_cycle.png (4104x2304) [1.6 MB] || water_cycle_searchweb.png (320x180) [63.3 KB] || water_cycle_thm.png (80x40) [6.1 KB] || water_cycle_30580.pptx [1.6 MB] || water_cycle_30580.key [5.8 MB] || water_cycle.hwshow [71 bytes] || ", "hits": 108 }, { "id": 11489, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11489/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2014-02-26T19:00:00-05:00", "title": "Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Live Shot broll", "description": "NASA scientists talk about the GPM mission ahead of launch. || ", "hits": 20 }, { "id": 11288, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11288/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-05-31T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Anatomy of a Raindrop", "description": "This short video explains how a raindrop falls through the atmosphere and why a more accurate look at raindrops can improve estimates of global precipitation.For a printable droplet hand out click here. || ", "hits": 21 }, { "id": 11221, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11221/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-04-12T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "GPM: Our Wet Wide World", "description": "The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international satellite mission to provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch a \"Core\" satellite carrying advanced instruments that will set a new standard for precipitation measurements from space. The data they provide will be used to unify precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites to quantify when, where, and how much it rains or snows around the world.The GPM mission will help advance our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycles, improve the forecasting of extreme events that cause natural disasters, and extend current capabilities of using satellite precipitation information to directly benefit society. || ", "hits": 22 }, { "id": 11219, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11219/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-04-07T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "GPM: For Good Measure", "description": "The need for measuring the when and where and how much of precipitation goes beyond our weekend plans. We also need to know precipitaiton on a global scale. Rain gauges and radars are useful but are inconsistent and do not cover enough of the globe to provide accurate precipitation rates. The GPM constellation will cover the globe and give us a more comprehensive look at precipitation. || ", "hits": 20 }, { "id": 4044, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4044/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2013-02-27T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "The Distributed Water Balance of the Nile Basin", "description": "This visualization shows how satellite data and NASA models are being applied to study the hydrology of the Nile basin. The Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Multisensor Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) provides three-hourly estimates of rainfall rate across much of the globe. Here we see the seasonal cycle of monthly precipitation derived from TMPA for Africa, including the Nile Basin. The annual migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) from the Nile Equatorial Lakes region around Lake Victoria, source of the White Nile, northward into Sudan and the highlands of Ethiopia, headwaters of the Blue Nile, and back is evident in the seasonal cycle in precipitation. This precipitation cycle drives flow through the Nile River system. The Nile basin, however, is intensely evaporative, and the majority of the water that falls as rain leaves the basin as evaporation rather than river flow—either from the humid headwaters regions or from large reservoirs and irrigation developments in Egypt and Sudan. The Atmosphere Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) evapotranspiration product, developed by USDA scientists, uses satellite data to map daily evapotranspiration across the entire Nile basin, providing unprecedented information on water consumption. The balance of rainfall and evapotranspiration can be seen in seasonal patterns of soil moisture, as simulated by the NASA Nile Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS), which merges satellite information with a physically-based land surface model to simulate variability in soil moisture—a critical variable for rainfed agriculture and natural ecosystems. Finally, the twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) can be used to monitor variability in total water storage, including surface water, soil moisture, and groundwater. The annual cycle in GRACE estimates of water storage anomalies clearly shows the seasonal movement of water storage due to precipitation patterns and the movement of surface waters from headwaters regions into the wetlands of South Sudan and the reservoirs of the lower Nile basin.The Nile is the longest river in the world and its basin is shared by 11 countries. Reliable, spatially distributed estimates of hydrologic storage and fluxes can provide critical information for water managers contending with multiple resource demands, a variable and changing climate, and the risk of damaging floods and droughts. NASA observations and modeling systems offer unique capabilities to meet these information needs. || ", "hits": 85 }, { "id": 11165, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11165/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-12-21T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "GPM Presentation Resources", "description": "Media resources for educators and presentations. || ", "hits": 28 }, { "id": 11054, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11054/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-08-02T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Earth's Water Cycle", "description": "Water is the fundamental ingredient for life on Earth. Looking at our Earth from space, with its vast and deep ocean, it appears as though there is an abundance of water for our use. However, only a small portion of Earth's water is accessible for our needs. How much fresh water exists and where it is stored affects us all. This animation uses Earth science data from a variety of sensors on NASA Earth observing satellites as well as cartoons to describe Earth's water cycle and the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. Sensors on a suite of NASA satellites observe and measure water on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere. These measurements are important to understanding the availability and distribution of Earth's water — vital to life and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on a growing world population.NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information Systems (EOSDIS) EOSDIS is a distributed system of twelve data centers and science investigator processing systems. EOSDIS processes, archives, and distributes data from Earth observing satellites, field campaigns, airborne sensors, and related Earth science programs. These data enable the study of Earth from space to advance scientific understanding.For questions, please contact eosdis-outreach@lists.nasa.gov || ", "hits": 262 }, { "id": 10989, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10989/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-05-15T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "GPM: The Fresh(water) Connection", "description": "The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international satellite mission to provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch a \"Core\" satellite carrying advanced instruments that will set a new standard for precipitation measurements from space. The data they provide will be used to unify precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites to quantify when, where, and how much it rains or snows around the world. The GPM mission will help advance our understanding of Earth's water and energy cycles, improve the forecasting of extreme events that cause natural disasters, and extend current capabilities of using satellite precipitation information to directly benefit society. || ", "hits": 20 }, { "id": 10993, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10993/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-05-15T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Earth Day 2012: Beautiful Earth", "description": "Join Director and Musician Kenji Williams as he takes the Internet audience on a tour of the Earth from Space with his BELLA GAIA (www.bellagaia.com) multimedia show and interactive discussions with NASA Earth Scientist Thorsten Markus and Native American science educator Jim Rock. The show simulates spaceflight for the public and reminds us of the beauty and inter-connectedness of Earth's life systems. The program will emphasize Earth's Water in all of its forms: Liquid, Solid, and Vapor, from the Western scientific, Indigenous, Artistic, and Multi-cultural points of view. The event provides a real-time Internet link-up where students and teachers from schools across the country can interact live with the program. || ", "hits": 47 }, { "id": 10912, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10912/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-02-02T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Uncovering Winter's Mystery Recap", "description": "This is a recap of the satellite media tour \"NASA Uncovers Winter's Mystery,\" featuring Tom Wagner and Gail Skofronick-Jackson. || ", "hits": 13 }, { "id": 10640, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10640/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2010-09-05T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "A Tour of the Water Cycle", "description": "This animation shows one molecule of water completing the hydrologic cycle. Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow. Ultimately, the water molecule arrives back where it started...at the ocean. || ", "hits": 37 }, { "id": 3746, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3746/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-07-01T20:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hurricane Alex Makes Landfall in Northeastern Mexico", "description": "NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Alex on June 30, 2010 at 2103 UTC (5:02 PM EST). At this time, Hurricane Alex was increasing in intensity and had become a category 2 storm with estimated winds at 75 knots (~86.4 mph) and a pressure reading of 962 mb. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar (PR) instruments. The TMI rainfall analysis shows that Alex had a well defined eye containing powerful thounderstorms that were dropping extreme amounts of rain. The clouds are taken by TRMM's visible-infrared radiometer (VIRS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-13) infrared instrument. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. The colored isosurface under the clouds show the rain seen by the PR instrument. Areas of extremely heavy rainfall are colored in red. Heavy rainfall are colored in yellow, moderate rainfall are colored in green, and light rain are in blue. || ", "hits": 42 }, { "id": 3745, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3745/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-07-01T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hurricane Katrina 3D Stereoscopic Viewfinder Image", "description": "NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005. At the time the data was collected, Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane, the most destructive and deadly. The cloud cover data was taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS), with additional data from the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure data was taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). This view looks underneath the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. This stereoscopic still image was created from a previous visualization and is intended for viewing through a special NASA Earth Science Viewfinder available through NASA Headquarters. Below, we include an anaglyph version, a printable viewfinder version, and the individual left eye and right eye views. || ", "hits": 31 }, { "id": 3734, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3734/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-06-24T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "MERRA Combined Liquid Water and Ice Mixing Ratios", "description": "Retrospective-analyses (or reanalyses) have been a critical tool in studying weather and climate variability for the last 15 years. Reanalyses blend the continuity and breadth of output data of a numerical model with the constraint of vast quantities of observational data. The result is a long-term continuous data record. The Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications was developed to support NASA's Earth science objectives, by applying the state-of-the-art GMAO data assimilation system that includes many modern observing systems (such as EOS) in a climate framework.The MERRA time period covers the modern era of remotely sensed data, from 1979 through the present, and the special focus of the atmospheric assimilation is the hydrological cycle.The time period covered by the visualization is the months of May, June, and July of 1988 and 1993, two years with contrasting extreme weather events during the summer: a drought through the midwestern states of the US in 1988, and heavy rains and flooding through the same region in 1993.This visualization shows the combined liquid water and ice mixing ratio dataset produced by MERRA, roughly corresponding to cloud cover, up to an geopotential height of 20 km. The height coordinate is greatly exaggerated. Both opacity and color are driven by the data value.This animation was created as part of a presentation for the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) hyperwall display. This is a set of tiled high definition displays consisting of 5 displays across by 3 displays down. The full resolution of all combined displays is 6840 pixels accross by 2304 pixels down. For the full presentation, see the link below. || ", "hits": 10 }, { "id": 3723, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3723/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-06-18T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "NCCS Hyperwall Show: GEOS-5 Modeled Clouds at 5-km Resolution (Flat Map)", "description": "This visualization shows clouds from a simulation using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Verison 5 (GEOS5). The global atmospheric simulation ran at a resolution of 5-km per grid cell and covered a period from Feb 2, 2010 through Feb 22, 2010. The results of the simulation were written out at 30 minute intervals. This is a high-resolution non-hydrostatic global model.This visualization was created for display on the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) hyperwall. This is a set of tiled high definition displays consisting of 5 displays across by 3 displays down. The full resolution of all combined displays is 6840 pixels accross by 2304 pixels down. This movie was rendered at this high resolution, then diced up into images to be displayed on each screen.A similar, lower resolution visualization is available in entry #3724. The lower resolution version is for comparison to current operational model resolution output. When displaying these visualizations on the hyperwall, we sometimes show them in a checkerboard pattern with alternating 5-km and quarter-degree tiles for easy comparison. We chose to stretch the image to fit the hyperwall aspect rather than cropping or adding black bars. || ", "hits": 198 }, { "id": 3724, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3724/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-06-18T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "NCCS Hyperwall Show: GEOS-5 Modeled Clouds at One Quarter Degree (28-km) Resolution (Flat Map)", "description": "This visualization shows clouds from a simulation using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Verison 5 (GEOS-5). The global atmospheric simulation ran at a resolution of one quarter degree (or about 28-km) per grid cell and covered a period from Feb 3, 2010 through Feb 13, 2010. The results of the simulation were written out at 30 minute intervals. This model is a high-resolution non-hydrostatic global model.This visualization was created for display on NASA's Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) hyperwall. This is a set of tiled high definition displays consisting of 5 displays across by 3 displays down. The full resolution of all combined displays is 6840 pixels across by 2304 pixels down. This movie was rendered at this resolution, then diced up into images to be displayed on each screen.A similar, higher resolution visualization is available in entry #3723. This lower resolution version is for comparison to current operational model resolution output. || ", "hits": 27 }, { "id": 3722, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3722/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-06-01T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "NCCS Hyperwall Show: Push in with GEOS-5 Modeled Clouds at 3.5-km Global Resolution and 10 Minute Interval", "description": "This visualization shows clouds from a simulation using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Verison 5 (GEOS-5). The global atmospheric simulation ran at 3.5 km per grid cell and covered a single day: January 2, 2009. The results of the simulation were written out at 10 minute intervals. Since there is only one day of simulation data, the sequence of clouds repeats several times. The white flash indicates the sequence is about to repeat.This version of the visualization was created for display on the NASA Center for Climate Science (NCCS.) hyperwall. This hyperwall is a set of 15 tiled high definition displays constisting of 5 displays across by 3 displays down. The full resolution of all combined displays is 6840 pixels accross by 2304 pixels down. This movie was rendered at full resolution, then diced up into images for display on each screen.This visualization is similar to a visualization shown at the Supercomputing 2009 conference available in entry #3659. The differences between that one and this one are: resolution, aspect ratio, and camera path (due to the aspect). || ", "hits": 16 }, { "id": 3711, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3711/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-05-01T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Five Spheres - Water", "description": "Satellite data can be used to observe the dramatic ebb and flow of the our planet's water system from space. This animation of QuikSCAT's sea surface winds is match framed to animation entries 3707, 3708, 3709, and 3710. The SeaWinds Scatterometer instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite captures the always moving and complex sea surface. The mission has also provided critical information for monitoring, modeling, forecasting and researching our atmosphere, ocean and climate.By any measure of success, the 10-year-old QuikSCAT mission is a unique national resource that has achieved and far surpassed its science objectives. Designed for a two-year lifetime, QuikSCAT has been used around the globe by the world's operational meteorological agencies to improve weather forecasts and identify the location, size and strength of hurricanes and other storms in the open ocean. More information on QuikSCAT is online at: http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/quikscat/index.cfm. || ", "hits": 21 }, { "id": 3661, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3661/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-02-18T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Volume Renderings of Hurricane Isabel based on the WRF Computational Model (Three Resolutions)", "description": "This visualization shows cloud and ice data from an atmospheric simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Clouds are shown as levels of white; and, ice is shown as levels of blue. Cloud and ice data from the model are volumetric (i.e. in multiple pressure levels).Three different reolution runs are shown as the camera moves in towards the East coast:1. 36 km per grid cell every hour covering most of the northern hemisphere (volume size: 415x270x27)2. 12 km per grid cell every hour covering central North America (volume size: 438x300x27)3. 4 km per grid cell every 5 minutes covering the US East coast (volume size: 300x300x27)This visualization was created in support of a video about the Climate in a Box project. for the Fall 2009 American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference. || ", "hits": 22 }, { "id": 3671, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3671/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2010-01-14T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Amazon Basin Monthly GRACE Data", "description": "This visualization displays monthly GRACE data in the Amazon basin. GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) measures mass distribution and in this instance is used to demonstrate water storage and movement in the basin. Warmer colors like red and yellow reveal areas with greater mass, or more water, while cooler colors like blue and green indicate areas with lesser mass, or less water. || ", "hits": 103 }, { "id": 3664, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3664/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-12-11T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Volumetric Renderings of Hurricane Isabel based on the WRF Computational Model: close up with winds", "description": "This visualization shows cloud and ice data from an atmospheric simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Clouds are shown as shades of white and ice is shown as shades of blue. Cloud and ice data from the model are volumetric (with a volume size of 300x300x27 cells). Winds are represented by moving arrows. The arrows are colored from blue (lower altitudes) to white (higher altitudes). Each of these data sets were from simulations at 3. 4 km per grid cell every 5 minutes for the East coast near where Isabel made landfall. This visualization was created in support of a video about the Climate in a Box project for the Fall 2009 American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference. || ", "hits": 18 }, { "id": 3666, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3666/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-12-11T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Volumetric Renderings of Hurricane Isabel based on WRF Computational Model: Top Down View", "description": "This visualization shows cloud and ice data from an atmospheric simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Clouds are shown as shades of white and ice is shown as shades of blue. Cloud and ice data from the model are volumetric, so a volumetric rendering technique called ray-casting was used to create the images. Winds are represented by moving arrows. Each of these data sets were from simulations at 3. 4 km per grid cell every 5 minutes for the East coast near where Isabel made landfall.This is a top-down view of the storm that was rendered in layers. There are layers (with alpha channels) for the dates, winds, clouds, and background. This allowed for editors to control when each of the elements was faded in during post production. A composited example is included. The layers should composited in the order listed above.This visualization was created in support of a video about the Climate in a Box project for the Fall 2009 American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference. || ", "hits": 10 }, { "id": 3659, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3659/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-11-16T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "GEOS-5 Modeled Clouds at 3.5-km Global Resolution", "description": "This visualization shows clouds from a simulation using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Verison 5 (GEOS-5). The global atmospheric simulation ran at 3.5 km per grid cell and covered a single day: January 2, 2009. The model output the results at 10 minute intervals. Since there is only one day of simulation data, the sequence of clouds repeats several times. The white flash indicates the sequence is about to repeat. || ", "hits": 53 }, { "id": 3660, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3660/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-11-09T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Tropical Storm Ida Observed on November 9, 2009 at 1218 UTC", "description": "NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Tropical Storm Ida on November 9, 2009 at 1218 UTC (7:18 AM EST). Scattered convective thunderstorms are shown producing moderate to heavy rainfall of over 50 millimeters per hour (~2 inches) north of IDA's center of circulation and in a strong band on the eastern side. At the time of this image IDA had winds estimated at 70 knots (~80.5 mph). IDA is predicted by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida to hit the Gulf coast near Pensacola, Florida on Tuesday morning. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. The colored isosurface under the clouds show the rain seen by the PR instrument. || ", "hits": 16 }, { "id": 3652, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3652/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-09T13:24:00-04:00", "title": "Sea Surface Temperature, Salinity and Density", "description": "Sea Surface TemperatureThe oceans of the world are heated at the surface by the sun, and this heating is uneven for many reasons. The Earth's axial rotation, revolution about the sun, and tilt all play a role, as do the wind-driven ocean surface currents. The first animation in this group shows the long-term average sea surface temperature, with red and yellow depicting warmer waters and blue depicting colder waters. The most obvious feature of this temperature map is the variation of the temperature by latitude, from the warm region along the equator to the cold regions near the poles. Another visible feature is the cooler regions just off the western coasts of North America, South America, and Africa. On these coasts, winds blow from land to ocean and push the warm water away from the coast, allowing cooler water to rise up from deeper in the ocean. || ", "hits": 835 }, { "id": 3754, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3754/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-09T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Endless Loop: Earth's Water Cycle", "description": "For circulating energy, for distributing essential chemistry, and as a fundamental requirement for most biological processes, water defines Earth's dynamic identity. The more than seventy percent of our planet covered by water is in many ways the reason life has survived and thrived for so long.A simple trip to the ocean's edge highlights how water constantly moves. But water sloshing back in forth in ocean basins only begins to describe the complex processes of its circulation on Earth.NASA takes the water cycle as not merely an academic exercise but as a vital area for exploration. Satellites can examine aspects of the global water cycle that in situ measurements and observations can only dream about seeing. The TRMM spacecraft is the world's most advanced precipitation measuring system to date, gathering vital information about tropical precipitation and other features every day. Other sensors, like the AMSR and AIRS instruments on the AQUA spacecraft take profiles of the planet's atmosphere, examine water vapor concentrations and distribution, among other things. A number of instruments look at water at or below the surface. MODIS makes sea surface temperature measurements that provide essential information about how oceans work and how they're changing over time. GRACE keeps track of elusive, yet massive, quantities of water both underground and in the oceans by making precise gravitational measurements. And the planned Aquarius mission, scheduled for launch in just a few years, will make unprecedented measurements of ocean salinity, a vital characteristic for describing a wide variety of phenomena, from life to physical processes that govern global circulation patterns. || ", "hits": 254 }, { "id": 10501, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10501/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2009-10-09T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "The Water Cycle", "description": "This animation shows one molecule of water completing the hydrologic cycle. Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow. Ultimately, the water molecule arrives back where it started...at the ocean. || water_cycle_appletv_1280x720.00713_print.jpg (1024x576) [76.9 KB] || water_cycle_appletv_1280x720_web.png (320x180) [194.0 KB] || water_cycle_appletv_1280x720_thm.png (80x40) [15.8 KB] || water_cycle_appletv_1280x720.webmhd.webm (960x540) [13.4 MB] || water_cycle_appletv_1280x720.m4v (960x540) [33.0 MB] || water_cycle_broll_prores.mov (1280x720) [736.3 MB] || water_cycle_h264_1280x720.mov (1280x720) [40.1 MB] || water_cycle_youtube_1280x720.mov (1280x720) [18.9 MB] || 1280x720_16x9_30p (1280x720) [256.0 KB] || water_cycle_ipod_640x480.m4v (640x360) [15.3 MB] || water_cycle_ipod_320x240.m4v (320x180) [5.2 MB] || ", "hits": 122 }, { "id": 10509, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10509/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2009-10-09T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Water, Water Everywhere!", "description": "Water is all around us, and its importance to nearly every natural process on earth cannot be underestimated. The water cycle is the movement of water around the Earth in all its forms, from the ocean to the atmosphere, to snow, soil, aquifers, lakes, and streams on land, and ultimately backs to the ocean. This video explains what the water cycle is and how important it is to life on earth.For complete transcript, click here. || Water_Water_Everywhere_640x480.01727_print.jpg (1024x576) [218.0 KB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_640x480_web.png (320x180) [275.8 KB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_640x480_thm.png (80x40) [18.1 KB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_AppleTV.webmhd.webm (960x540) [95.5 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_640x480.mp4 (1280x720) [231.3 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_AppleTV.m4v (960x540) [229.2 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_H264.mov (1280x720) [2.0 GB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_friday_1280x720.mp4 (1280x720) [231.3 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_friday.mov (1280x720) [6.4 GB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_ipod_640x480m4v.m4v (640x360) [72.1 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_friday_640x480.mp4 (640x360) [72.1 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_1280x720.mp4 (640x480) [97.6 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_friday.mp4 (320x180) [30.1 MB] || Water_Water_Everywhere_friday.wmv (320x236) [26.9 MB] || ", "hits": 172 }, { "id": 3643, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3643/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hourly Atmospheric Water Vapor from the GEOS-5 Model", "description": "These three animations portray the hourly flow of atmospheric water vapor around the world. The animations were created using data from the GEOS-5 atmospheric model on the cubed-sphere, run at 14-km global resolution for 30-days. For more information on the GEOS-5, see http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/systems/geos5 . For more information on the cubed-sphere work, see http://sivo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cubedsphere_overview.html. || ", "hits": 17 }, { "id": 3644, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3644/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hourly Evaporation from the GEOS-5 Model", "description": "This animation of the global hourly evaporation shows how heating from the sun during the day causes increased evaporation over land areas. Two versions of this animation are provided: one with a day/night clock inset and one without. The animation was created using data from the GEOS-5 atmospheric model on the cubed-sphere, run at 14-km global resolution for 30-days. For more information on the GEOS-5, see http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/systems/geos5. For more information on the cubed-sphere work, see http://sivo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cubedsphere_overview.html. || ", "hits": 26 }, { "id": 3645, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3645/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hourly Total Precipitation from the GEOS-5 Model", "description": "This animation portrays the hourly flow of precipitation around the world. The animation was created using data from the GEOS-5 atmospheric model on the cubed-sphere, run at 14-km global resolution for 30-days. For more information on the GEOS-5, see http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/systems/geos5 . For more information on the cubed-sphere work, see http://sivo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cubedsphere_overview.html. || ", "hits": 14 }, { "id": 3648, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3648/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Components of the Water Cycle", "description": "Water regulates climate, storing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Water in the ocean and atmosphere carry heat from the tropics to the poles. The process by which water moves around the earth, from the ocean, to the atmosphere, to the land and back to the ocean is called the water cycle. The animations below each portray a component of the water cycle. All use an identical view and camera motion to allow for easy compositing.Data for the animation of global sea surface temperature was derived from a model run of ECCO's Ocean General Circulation Model. See http://www.ecco-group.org/model.htm for more information on ECCO.Data for the animation of atmospheric phenomena was created using data from the GEOS-5 atmospheric model on the cubed-sphere, run at 14-km global resolution for 25-days. Variables animated here include evaporation, water vapor and precipitation.For more information on the GEOS-5 see http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/systems/geos5.For more information on the cubed-sphere work see http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/610.3/cubedsphere.html.All three of these animations are time synchronous throughout the animation to allow cross fades during compositing.The final animation shown here, a pulsing network of rivers over the continents, represents the flow of water from land back into the ocean, thereby completing the water cycle.A flat version of these animations can be found in item #3811. || ", "hits": 119 }, { "id": 3658, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3658/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "The Thermohaline Circulation - The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt", "description": "The oceans are mostly composed of warm salty water near the surface over cold, less salty water in the ocean depths. These two regions don't mix except in certain special areas. The ocean currents, the movement of the ocean in the surface layer, are driven mostly by the wind. In certain areas near the polar oceans, the colder surface water also gets saltier due to evaporation or sea ice formation. In these regions, the surface water becomes dense enough to sink to the ocean depths. This pumping of surface water into the deep ocean forces the deep water to move horizontally until it can find an area on the world where it can rise back to the surface and close the current loop. This usually occurs in the equatorial ocean, mostly in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This very large, slow current is called the thermohaline circulation because it is caused by temperature and salinity (haline) variations.This animation shows one of the major regions where this pumping occurs, the North Atlantic Ocean around Greenland, Iceland, and the North Sea. The surface ocean current brings new water to this region from the South Atlantic via the Gulf Stream and the water returns to the South Atlantic via the North Atlantic Deep Water current. The continual influx of warm water into the North Atlantic polar ocean keeps the regions around Iceland and southern Greenland mostly free of sea ice year round.The animation also shows another feature of the global ocean circulation: the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The region around latitude 60 south is the the only part of the Earth where the ocean can flow all the way around the world with no land in the way. As a result, both the surface and deep waters flow from west to east around Antarctica. This circumpolar motion links the world's oceans and allows the deep water circulation from the Atlantic to rise in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the surface circulation to close with the northward flow in the Atlantic.The color on the world's ocean's at the beginning of this animation represents surface water density, with dark regions being most dense and light regions being least dense (see the animation Sea Surface Temperature, Salinity and Density). The depths of the oceans are highly exaggerated to better illustrate the differences between the surface flows and deep water flows. The actual flows in this model are based on current theories of the thermohaline circulation rather than actual data. The thermohaline circulation is a very slow moving current that can be difficult to distinguish from general ocean circulation. Therefore, it is difficult to measure or simulate. || ", "hits": 224 }, { "id": 3009, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3009/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-09-20T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "TRMM Looks at the Rain Fueling Hurricane Ivan on September 15, 2004", "description": "NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Ivan. TRMM snapped this view of Hurricane Ivan on September 15, 2004 just before the storm strikes land. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. High vertical bands on the outside of the storm indicated that Hurricane Ivan was very likely to spawn tornados in Florida and Georgia. || ", "hits": 22 }, { "id": 3010, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3010/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-09-20T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hurricane Ivan Rainfall Structure Seen from TRMM September 9, 2004", "description": "Zooms down to Hurricane Ivan on September 9, 2004. It looks underneath of the storms clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. || melt_still.0000.jpg (720x486) [69.1 KB] || TRMM09092004_640x480_pre.jpg (320x240) [11.8 KB] || TRMM09092004_320x240_pre.jpg (320x240) [12.3 KB] || TRMM09092004_640x480.webmhd.webm (960x540) [3.3 MB] || 720x486_4x3_29.97p (720x486) [32.0 KB] || TRMM09092004_640x480.mpg (640x480) [10.6 MB] || TRMM09092004_320x240.mpg (320x240) [2.8 MB] || ", "hits": 17 }, { "id": 3001, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3001/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-09-09T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hurricane Isabel Model: Precipitable Water", "description": "The NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) was used to predict the path of hurricane Isabel, starting from a known initial state. The predicted path is compared to the actual path taken by the hurricane. || ", "hits": 27 }, { "id": 3002, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3002/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-09-09T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hurricane Isabel Model: Clouds and Precipitable Water", "description": "The NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) was used to predict the path of hurricane Isabel, starting from a known initial state. The predicted path is compared to the actual path taken by the hurricane. || ", "hits": 17 }, { "id": 2976, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2976/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-09-03T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Examining Hurricane Frances' Cloud Structure", "description": "The MODIS instrument on Terra captures great details in the beautiful clouds surrounding Hurricane Frances. || ", "hits": 18 }, { "id": 2910, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2910/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-02-13T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Global TRMM Rainmap, August - September 2003 (WMS)", "description": "This is a three-hour global rainmap from August 27 through September 8, 2003, as observed by the TRMM satellite. || ", "hits": 20 }, { "id": 2901, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2901/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-02-12T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1998 La Niña (WMS)", "description": "Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. A key feature of global atmospheric water vapor convection is the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the low pressure region within five degrees of the equator where the trade winds converge and solar heating of the atmosphere forces the water-laden air to rise in altitude, form clouds, and then precipitate as rain in the afternoon. This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from August 30, 1998 to September 20, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun. This is a La Niña period, when the water to the west of South America is cooler than normal, forcing the atmosphere there to cool down and hold less water. Strong east-to-west winds can be seen in this region, contributing to the high water vapor region that forms further to the west over southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, causing increased humidity and rainfall in that region. This data is from the Goddard Earth Modeling System, a coupled land-ocean-atmosphere model which uses earth and satellite-based observations to simulate the Earth's physical system during events such as La Niña. || ", "hits": 20 }, { "id": 2902, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2902/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2004-02-12T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1997-1998 El Niño (WMS)", "description": "Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. A key feature of global atmospheric water vapor convection is the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the low pressure region within five degrees of the equator where the trade winds converge and solar heating of the atmosphere forces the water-laden air to rise in altitude, form clouds, and then precipitate as rain in the afternoon. This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from December 20, 1997 to January 14, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun. This is an El Niño period, when the water to the west of South America is warmer than normal, allowing the atmosphere there to heat up and hold more water. This region feeds a high band of water vapor reaching to the southeastern United States and causes increased humidity and rainfall in that region. This data is from the Goddard Earth Modeling System, a coupled land-ocean-atmosphere model which uses earth and satellite-based observations to simulate the Earth's physical system during events such as El Niño. || ", "hits": 15 }, { "id": 20016, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20016/", "result_type": "Animation", "release_date": "2003-12-09T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Aqua Mission Science Objectives", "description": "The Water Cycle - Water falling from summer storm clouds onto a field of wheat today will someday fall again somewhere else. This is the essence of the water cycle. The first step in the cycle is evaporation. Heated by sunlight, liquid water turns to vapor and enters the atmosphere. Another source of atmospheric water vapor is the respiratory process of plants. Vapor leaves plants through tiny pores called stomata. This process is called transpiration. As moist air ascends into the atmosphere and encounters lower atmospheric pressure, the invisible water vapor transforms back into liquid water, and we see the next phase in the water cycle: condensation. Droplets of water coalesce from traces of vapor, and as they gain size by joining with other droplets, they yield the next part of the water cycle. This is called precipitation. The cycle is endless. As it's name suggests, the Aqua project will be intensely involved in studying the water cycle in its many forms.Evaporation - Depending on total ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and water temperature, some molecules of water are almost always passing from liquid to gaseous state at the surface. This is called evaporation. Evaporation is what puts moisture into the air, pulling water off the surface of lakes and streams and topsoil. Not only does water vapor enter the atmosphere, but also evaporating water pulls heat away from the surface. That heat will get redistributed to a different part of the atmosphere when the recently liberated water vapor re-condenses.Transpiration - Related to evaporation, this is the respiratory equivalent of breathing in plants. Transpiration is how plants lose water to the surrounding air. While some water directly evaporates through the walls of cells on the surface of plants, the majority of water lost happens through intercellular structures called stomata. These are like tiny pores. Transpiration helps pull nutrients from plant roots up to leaves. It's a natural process that's heavily influenced by ambient temperature, humidity, and other factors. Additionally, transpiration also helps properly circulate carbon dioxide and oxygen, diffusing the first into plant cells for growth, and carrying the second away from cells as waste gas.Condensation - The process that describes the change in physical state of a gas to a liquid is called condensation. Generally this is a phenomenon brought about by either of two processes: cooling of air to its dewpoint, or the addition of enough water vapor to bring the air to the point of saturation. But as that moisture either reaches high enough altitudes so that the air containing it is chilled by lower temperatures found there, or affected by increasing humidity from dynamic meteorological conditions, it condenses. The water molecules start moving more slowly, and the state of matter begins to change, as water molecules start hooking up. Gas becomes a liquid. Condensation can take many forms without necessarily falling from the sky. Dew, fog, mist, and clouds are all examples of condensed water.Precipitation - Simply speaking, precipitation is a function of water changing its material state from vapor to a liquid or a solid. But more specifically, two fundamental steps must take place for water to fall from the sky. The first is that basic precipitation components must develop. These include ice crystals that form around various minute particles in the atmosphere such as dust or salts. The second step is for those ice crystals or condensed droplets to grow. Because of their increasing size, larger droplets or ice crystals are more apt to collide with other particles of water, and thus more likely to fall or 'precipitate' out of a cloud. || ", "hits": 294 }, { "id": 20017, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20017/", "result_type": "Animation", "release_date": "2003-12-09T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Aqua Mission Science Objectives", "description": "Water Vapor And Climate Change - There is no more important greenhouse gas than water vapor. As one of the fundamental parts of Earth's atmosphere, water vapor affects global warming in both positive and negative terms, and offers a trail for scientists to follow towards a better understanding about how the planet functions as a whole. It's also one of the principal aspects of the Earth's climate targeted for study by the Aqua satellite. By applying integrated analytic tools to the study of climate and climate change, experts hope to learn more specifically how water vapor and other greenhouse gasses move and function throughout the atmosphere. || ", "hits": 113 } ] }