{ "count": 148, "next": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/api/search/?limit=100&offset=100&search=%22Balance%22", "previous": null, "results": [ { "id": 31365, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31365/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2026-03-01T18:59:59-05:00", "title": "The Earth System Science Spheres", "description": "A rotating sphere shows data from recent satellites representing four of the five science spheres: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, and Hydrosphere.", "hits": 1372 }, { "id": 5587, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5587/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2025-12-11T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2026", "description": "The animation archived on this page shows the geocentric phase, libration, position angle of the axis, and apparent diameter of the Moon throughout the year 2026, at hourly intervals.", "hits": 7694 }, { "id": 5588, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5588/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2025-12-11T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2026 South Up", "description": "The animation archived on this page shows the geocentric phase, libration, position angle of the axis, and apparent diameter of the Moon throughout the year 2026, at hourly intervals.", "hits": 796 }, { "id": 20405, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20405/", "result_type": "Animation", "release_date": "2025-07-08T16:00:00-04:00", "title": "Carruthers Atmospheric Layers Animation", "description": "Earth’s atmosphere is divided into five main layers, differentiated by factors such as temperature, chemical composition, and air density. The troposphere is the lowest layer, extending from Earth's surface up to about 10 miles above it, and is where almost all weather phenomena occur. Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which reaches up to around 31 miles. It contains the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. Next is the mesosphere, which extends from about 31 to 53 miles above Earth. It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere, and it is where most meteors burn up upon entering. Above the mesosphere is the thermosphere, ranging from about 53 to 375 miles above Earth. Known as the upper atmosphere, this region contains the ionosphere, a region filled with charged particles that enable radio communications and where auroras often occur. The outermost layer is the exosphere, which gradually transitions into outer space. It is extremely thin and composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Together, these layers form a protective shield that regulates Earth’s energy balance and helps sustain life. || ", "hits": 1772 }, { "id": 14854, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14854/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2025-06-17T15:00:00-04:00", "title": "From Space to Soil: How NASA Sees Forests", "description": "Music: \"Overview Effect,\" \"All In Stride,\" Universal Production Music. NASA utilizes advanced satellite lidar technology to better understand and observe Earth’s forests—crucial ecosystems that absorb roughly 30 percent of atmospheric carbon. Remote sensing scientist, Laura Duncanson, explains the challenge of studying vast, remote regions where traditional field research is limited. For over 50 years, satellites like Landsat have tracked forest cover, but have lacked the ability to measure how much carbon these forests contain. That’s where NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission comes in. GEDI provides high-resolution 3D data on tree canopy height, canopy structure, and surface elevation, allowing scientists to determine forest biomass. However, based on GEDI’s orbit on the International Space Station (ISS), it is unable to capture data near Earth’s poles. To fill that gap, NASA uses the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), which, although not originally designed for forests, provides complementary 3D forest data, especially in boreal regions. Together, the two lidar systems enable the first comprehensive global biomass map, revealing where and how much carbon is being lost or regained in forests. With this new understanding comes smarter conservation and restoration efforts, assisting in identifying carbon-rich areas to prioritize protection. With these NASA Earth science missions, we can see a clearer global picture of our planet and its carbon balance. Find out more about NASA’s Earth Sciences Division at https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/earth.This video can be freely shared and downloaded. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, some individual imagery provided by external sources (see list below) is obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html Complete transcript available. || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.00100_print.jpg (1024x576) [231.2 KB] || From_Space_to_Soil_THUMBNAIL.jpg (1280x720) [925.4 KB] || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.00020_searchweb.png (320x180) [101.0 KB] || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.00020_web.png (320x180) [101.0 KB] || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.en_US.srt [7.2 KB] || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.en_US.vtt [6.9 KB] || 06_04_GEDI_ICESat2_Video_FINAL.mp4 (3840x2160) [2.6 GB] || ", "hits": 230 }, { "id": 14814, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14814/", "result_type": "B-Roll", "release_date": "2025-04-09T08:00:00-04:00", "title": "IMAP Testing and Integration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab", "description": "NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, or IMAP, is embarking on its yearlong integration and testing campaign, during which all of the instruments and components will be added to the spacecraft structure, tested to ensure they will survive the harsh environments of launch and space, and made ready to execute its mission.", "hits": 92 }, { "id": 14757, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14757/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2025-01-21T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Roman Space Telescope's Coronagraph Instrument Integration into the Instrument Carrier", "description": "The Coronagraph, one of two science instruments, finds it home in NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Instrument Carrier.Designed and built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Roman Coronagraph will advance scientists’ ability to directly image planets and disks around other stars (exoplanets). Coronagraphs work by blocking light from a bright object, like a star, so that the observer can more easily see a faint object, like a planet. The Roman Coronagraph is designed to detect planets 100 million times fainter than their stars, or 100 to 1,000 times better than existing space-based coronagraphs. The Roman Coronagraph will be capable of directly imaging reflected starlight from a planet akin to Jupiter in size, temperature, and distance from its parent star. || ", "hits": 68 }, { "id": 14725, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14725/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2024-11-25T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "EXCITE 2024: Payload Prep", "description": "In August 2024, the EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) team conducted a test flight of their telescope from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.EXCITE's goal is to study atmospheres around hot Jupiters, gas giant exoplanets that complete an orbit once every one to two days and have temperatures in the thousands of degrees.The telescope is designed fly to about 132,000 feet (40 kilometers) via a scientific balloon filled with helium. That takes it above 99.5% of Earth’s atmosphere. At that altitude, it can observe multiple infrared wavelengths with little interference. In the future, EXCITE could take observations over both Arctic and Antarctic, with the latter offering longer duration flights optimum for observing planets for their entire orbit. || ", "hits": 54 }, { "id": 5415, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5415/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-11-22T09:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2025", "description": "The geocentric phase, libration, position angle of the axis, and apparent diameter of the Moon throughout the year 2025, at hourly intervals.", "hits": 4546 }, { "id": 5416, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5416/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-11-22T09:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2025 South Up", "description": " || The data in the table for all of 2025 can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || ", "hits": 573 }, { "id": 14647, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14647/", "result_type": "B-Roll", "release_date": "2024-08-12T13:00:00-04:00", "title": "CODEX – Coronal Diagnostic Experiment", "description": "The Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) is a solar coronagraph that will be installed on the International Space Station to gather important information about the solar wind and how it forms. A coronagraph blocks out the bright light from the Sun to better see details in the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona. CODEX is a collaboration between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) with additional contribution from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).Learn more: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/codex/ || ", "hits": 78 }, { "id": 14568, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14568/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2024-04-18T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Tracking the Greenhouse Gas Methane, Earth Information Center Videos", "description": "Full 8K resolution. Optimized for Earth Information Center display.Universal Production Music: \"Passing By\" by Miguel D'Oliveira, \"Simple Story\" by Fred Dubois, and \"Whispers of Hope\" by Sam Connelly, This video can be freely shared and downloaded. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, some individual imagery provided by Pond5 and The Raleigh Drone Company is obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html || GHGMain.png (7680x2160) [5.4 MB] || GHGMain_print.jpg (1024x288) [68.0 KB] || GHGMain_searchweb.png (320x180) [64.0 KB] || GHGMain_thm.png (80x40) [6.8 KB] || GHG.en_US.srt [4.0 KB] || GHG.en_US.vtt [3.8 KB] || GHG_Main_7680x2160.mp4 (7680x2160) [586.6 MB] || GHG_Main.mp4 (7680x2160) [1.1 GB] || GHG_Main_h.264.mov (7680x2160) [1.1 GB] || ", "hits": 93 }, { "id": 31158, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31158/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-03-08T17:00:00-05:00", "title": "Antarctic Ice Mass Loss 2002-2025", "description": "The mass of the Antarctic ice sheet has changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018 - ).", "hits": 1808 }, { "id": 31156, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31156/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-03-08T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Greenland Ice Mass Loss 2002-2025", "description": "The mass of the Greenland ice sheet has rapidly declined in the last several years due to surface melting and iceberg calving. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018 - ) indicates that between 2002 and 2023, Greenland shed approximately 264 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year.", "hits": 1502 }, { "id": 31166, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31166/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2024-03-08T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "GRACE and GRACE-FO polar ice mass loss", "description": "The mass of the Polar ice sheets have changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018 - ) indicates that between 2002 and 2025, Antarctica shed approximately 135 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.4 millimeters per year; and Greenland shed approximately 264 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.8 millimeters per year.", "hits": 554 }, { "id": 14491, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14491/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2023-12-26T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Roman Hardware Highlights", "description": "This video, covering the second half of 2025, opens with a person entering NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s largest clean room, the Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility. The room is a class 10,000 clean room with over one million cubic feet of space.The outside half of Roman, called OSD, contains the solar panels and protective layers. The Deployable Aperture Cover, which protects the mirrors during launch and then unfolds to help shield them from sunlight does a test deployment. During this test, lines connect to it and pull upward to negate Earth’s gravitational forces, which Roman will not experience in space. Then the Solar Array Sun Shield panels deploy. There are four panels that move. They fold against the spacecraft to fit inside the rocket fairing and then deploy in space to make a large flat plane that both collects light to generate electricity and helps keep the rest of Roman cool.In preparation for additional testing, technicians put a clean tent over OSD and transport it out of the clean room. They push it into the acoustic test chamber where a six-foot-tall horn projects up to 150-decibel sound at varying frequencies. The other tests are on two vibration tables that shake Roman along all three axes: up/down, left/right, and forward/backward. Engineers attach hundreds of sensors and run tests of increasing intensity. During and after each test, they carefully study the data to make sure that Roman is behaving as they anticipated.While these tests occur, Roman’s inside half, containing the mirrors, instruments and support equipment, move into Goddard’s largest thermal vacuum chamber, the SES (Space Environment Simulator). This 40-foot-tall chamber can simulate the vacuum of space and the wide temperature range that Roman will experience there: from -310° Fahrenheit (-190° C) to 302° Fahrenheit (150° C). The move to the chamber happens without a clean tent, so the entire path was cleaned, and all the workers dress in full clean-room garb to ensure that no dirt contaminates the sensitive parts of the spacecraft. Once the two layers of doors are sealed, Roman spends 72 days inside running through tests at various temperatures and with equipment turned on to ensure that it works at low temperature in a vacuum. A special array installed above the mirror projects light that engineers use to test the optics and sensors.After leaving the SES chamber and returning to the SSDIF, Roman’s primary and secondary mirrors are carefully cleaned and inspected. It is a balance to get the mirrors as clean as possible while not cleaning too aggressively and damaging the delicate surfaces. The mirrors are cleaned both horizontally with a gentle vacuum cleaner and vertically with brushes. After this cleaning, every inch is visually inspected and photographed to record the exact optical characteristics. This was the last time the primary mirror would be accessible.Finally, in late November, Roman’s two halves are joined together to form the complete observatory. The process takes the better part of a day. Two guide poles are installed on the inside half to help direct OSD down onto it. At various times, the clearances between the two halves are only a few inches. With the observatory complete, it begins preparing for another round of deployments and testing.Music credit: “Our Journey Begins,” Dan Thiessen [BMI], Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || YTframe_Roman_Hardware_Highlights_SummerFall2025_3.jpg (1280x720) [473.7 KB] || Roman_HH_Summer-Fall2025_10mbps.mp4 (1920x1080) [185.0 MB] || Roman_HH_Summer-Fall2025_25mbps.mp4 (1920x1080) [452.7 MB] || Roman_HH_Summer-Fall2025_YT.mp4 (1920x1080) [880.2 MB] || RomanHHLate2025Captions.en_US.srt [588 bytes] || RomanHHLate2025Captions.en_US.vtt [570 bytes] || Roman_HH_Summer-Fall2025_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.5 GB] || ", "hits": 219 }, { "id": 5187, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5187/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2023-11-16T08:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2024", "description": " || The data in the table for all of 2024 can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [87.6 KB] || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) [14.8 MB] || ", "hits": 1382 }, { "id": 5188, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5188/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2023-11-16T08:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2024 South Up", "description": " || The data in the table for all of 2024 can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [87.3 KB] || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) [15.0 MB] || ", "hits": 208 }, { "id": 5173, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5173/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2023-10-10T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Earth's Radiation Balance, 2000-2023", "description": "A plotted view of planetary heat uptake since the beginning of the CERES data record showing an oscillating, monthly mean (yellow) and twelve-month running average (red line). These data show how much energy is added (absorbed) by Earth during the CERES period. || planetary_heat_anomaly.1800_print.jpg (1024x576) [69.7 KB] || planetary_heat_anomaly.1800_searchweb.png (320x180) [21.2 KB] || planetary_heat_anomaly.1800_thm.png (80x40) [3.0 KB] || phu_2023 (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || planetary_heat_anomaly_2160p60.mp4 (3840x2160) [4.2 MB] || ", "hits": 329 }, { "id": 40503, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/hyperwall-power-playlist-earth-science/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2023-08-28T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Hyperwall Power Playlist - Earth Science Focus", "description": "This is a collection of our most powerful, newsworthy, and frequently used Hyperwall-ready visualizations, along with several that haven't gotten the attention they deserve. They're especially great for more general or top-level science talks, or to \"set the scene\" before a deep dive into a more focused subject or dataset. We've tried to cover the subject areas our speakers focus on most. \n\nIf you're not seeing what you're looking for, there is a huge library of visualizations more localized or specialized in subject - please use the Search function above, and filter \"Result type\" for \"Hyperwall Visual.\"\n\n If you'd like to use one of these visualizations in your Hyperwall presentation, we'll need to know which element on which page. On the visualization's web page, below the visual you'd like to use, you'll see a Link icon next to the Download button. All we need is for you to click on that icon and include that link in your presentation Powerpoint/Keynote or visualization list. Additionally, please check our Hyperwall How-To Guide for tips on designing your Hyperwall presentation, file specifications, and Powerpoint/Keynote templates.", "hits": 255 }, { "id": 5115, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5115/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2023-06-20T15:00:00-04:00", "title": "Global Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)", "description": "Volumetric visualization of the total carbon dioxide (CO₂) on a global scale added on Earth's atmosphere over the course of the year 2021. || TotalCO2_Comp_1920x1920p30_00080.png (1920x1920) [3.2 MB] || TotalCO2_Comp_1920x1920p30_00080_print.jpg (1024x1024) [168.5 KB] || VolumetricCO2_Composite (1920x1920) [0 Item(s)] || VolumetricCO2_Composite_1920x1920p30.mp4 (1920x1920) [806.2 MB] || ", "hits": 585 }, { "id": 14318, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14318/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2023-05-11T15:00:00-04:00", "title": "Cosmic Cycles 2: Earth, Our Home", "description": "This video includes music from a synthesized orchestra provided by composer Henry Dehlinger.Music credit: “Earth, Our Home\" from Cosmic Cycles: A Space Symphony by Henry Dehlinger. Courtesy of the composer.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || Cosmic_Cycles_Earth_Our_Home_V2_print.jpg (1024x576) [85.8 KB] || Cosmic_Cycles_Earth_Our_Home_V2.jpg (3840x2160) [715.2 KB] || Cosmic_Cycles_Earth_Our_Home_V2_searchweb.png (320x180) [48.3 KB] || Cosmic_Cycles_Earth_Our_Home_V2_thm.png (80x40) [5.7 KB] || CosmicCycles_Earth_With_Music_1080.webm (1920x1080) [100.5 MB] || CosmicCycles_Earth_With_Music_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [1.3 GB] || CosmicCycles_Earth_With_Music_50mbps.mp4 (1920x1080) [4.0 GB] || CosmicCycles_Earth_With_Music_1920x1080_30fps.mov (1920x1080) [17.9 GB] || ", "hits": 42 }, { "id": 5047, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5047/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2022-11-30T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Net Ecosystem Exchange of Carbon Dioxide", "description": "The NASA Carbon Monotoring System's estimate of the Net Ecosystem Exchange of Carbon Dioxide from 2000 to 2018. || co2_nee_5.01750_print.jpg (1024x576) [124.3 KB] || co2_nee_5.01750_searchweb.png (320x180) [43.8 KB] || co2_nee_5.01750_thm.png (80x40) [4.5 KB] || 3840x2160_16x9_30p (3840x2160) [64.0 KB] || co2_nee_5.webm (3840x2160) [14.2 MB] || co2_nee_5.mp4 (3840x2160) [256.2 MB] || ", "hits": 364 }, { "id": 5048, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5048/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2022-11-09T13:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2023", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 1012 }, { "id": 5049, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5049/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2022-11-09T13:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2023 South Up", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 153 }, { "id": 13375, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13375/", "result_type": "Animation", "release_date": "2022-01-24T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "The James Webb Space Telescope at L2", "description": "After launch, the James Webb Space Telescope will travel to its orbital destination. Webb will perform its science mission while orbiting a location in space, called the second Lagrange point, or L2 for short. L2 is located one million miles from Earth. As Webb orbits L2, the telescope stays in line with Earth as it travels around the Sun. L2 is a point where the gravitational influences of the Earth and Sun balance the centripetal force of a small object orbiting with them. The telescope's optics and instruments need to be kept very cold to be able to observe the very faint infrared signals of very distant objects clearly. This location is perfect for Webb's sunshield to block out light and heat from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb's orbit keeps the spacecraft out of the Earth's shadow making L2 a thermally stable location for the observatory to operate at. Webb will operate within its field of regard. The \"field of regard\" refers to the angles the telescope can move while staying in the shadow of the Sun. Each of Webb's instruments has its own field of view. The field of view is the area of sky an instrument can observe. Webb's fine steering mirror is moved so that an object can be observed by the different instruments. This prevents the whole telescope from having to repoint itself to do so. The Webb Telescope’s commissioning process will be complete approximately six months after launch, at which time Webb start its science mission. Helping to uncover more of the mysteries of our Universe. || ", "hits": 242 }, { "id": 4959, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4959/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2021-12-13T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Reduction in Tropospheric NOx and Ozone Corresponding to Worldwide COVID-19 Lockdowns", "description": "When the world went into lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, air pollution emissions started to rapidly decrease leaving a global atmospheric fingerprint detected by a team of scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory using satellite measurements. These traces provided an unexpected window into what low-emissions world could look like, thus providing a means for identifying effective environmental policies. While many countries in the last few decades have implemented environmental policies to reduce human health risk from air pollution by controlling emissions, the impacts of those policies have not always been clear. The global lockdowns in response to COVID-19 represent a well-observed “scenario-of-opportunity” that allows us to assess how atmospheric emission and composition responds to reduced human activity. COVID-19 lockdowns effectively showed how reducing NOx emissions affects the global atmosphere. Its identifying signature shows up as in the atmosphere’s altered ability to produce harmful ozone pollution and ozone’s reduced influence on Earth’s heat balance that affects climate. These effects are not uniform across the world and depend on the location and season of the emission reductions.The results of this research indicate that in order to design effective environmental policies which benefit both air quality and climate, decision-makers need to carefully consider the complex relationships between emissions and atmospheric composition. || ", "hits": 49 }, { "id": 4955, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4955/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2021-11-18T10:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2022", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 954 }, { "id": 4956, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4956/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2021-11-18T09:59:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2022 South Up", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 364 }, { "id": 40016, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/climate-essentials/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2021-11-10T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Climate Essentials", "description": "This Climate Essentials multimedia gallery brings together the latest and most popular climate-related images, data visualizations and video features from Goddard Space Flight Center. For more multimedia resources on climate and other topics, search the Scientific Visualization Studio. To learn more about NASA's contribution to understanding Earth's climate, visit the Global Climate Change site.", "hits": 331 }, { "id": 4920, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4920/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2021-08-04T17:00:00-04:00", "title": "Earth System Observatory", "description": "An animated graphic showing the areas of focus for NASA's Earth System Observatory. || EarthSystemObservatory_9.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [158.4 KB] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.00001_searchweb.png (320x180) [72.0 KB] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.00001_web.png (320x180) [72.0 KB] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.00001_thm.png (80x40) [6.4 KB] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.mp4 (1920x1080) [44.9 MB] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.webm (1920x1080) [4.6 MB] || EarthSystemObservatory_4K_9.mp4 (3840x2160) [47.6 MB] || 3840x2160_16x9_30p (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || EarthSystemObservatory_9.mp4.hwshow [220 bytes] || earth-system-observatory-4k-movie.hwshow [329 bytes] || ", "hits": 129 }, { "id": 4935, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4935/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2021-04-16T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "CERES Radiation Balance", "description": "A plotted view of planetary heat uptake since the beginning of the CERES data record showing an oscillating, monthly mean (yellow) and twelve-month running average (red line). These data show how much energy is added (absorbed) by Earth during the CERES period. || CERES_2021_update_final.01650_print.jpg (1024x576) [69.5 KB] || CERES_2021_update_final.01650_searchweb.png (320x180) [23.5 KB] || CERES_2021_update_final.01650_thm.png (80x40) [3.3 KB] || CERES_2021_update_final.mp4 (1920x1080) [9.2 MB] || CERES_2021_update_final.webm (1920x1080) [6.2 MB] || CERES_2021_update_final.mp4.hwshow [194 bytes] || ", "hits": 119 }, { "id": 20328, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20328/", "result_type": "Animation", "release_date": "2021-03-25T10:00:00-04:00", "title": "Radiative Forcing", "description": "A simplified animation of Earth's planetary energy balance: A planet’s energy budget is balanced between incoming (yellow) and outgoing radiation (red); On Earth, natural and human-caused processes affect the amount of energy received as well as emitted back to space; This study filters out variations in Earth’s energy budget due to feedback processes, revealing the energy changes caused by aerosols and greenhouse gas emissions. || ", "hits": 300 }, { "id": 4874, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4874/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2020-11-23T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2021", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 1086 }, { "id": 4875, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4875/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2020-11-23T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2021 South Up", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 154 }, { "id": 13761, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13761/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2020-11-05T11:00:00-05:00", "title": "Rising Waters: Out-of-Balance Ice Sheets", "description": "Music: \"Marimba Rhythms\" via Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available. || Anatomy_Glacier_Thumbnail.png (1280x720) [1.2 MB] || Anatomy_Glacier_Thumbnail_print.jpg (1024x576) [91.9 KB] || Anatomy_Glacier_Thumbnail_searchweb.png (320x180) [79.1 KB] || Anatomy_Glacier_Thumbnail_thm.png (80x40) [6.0 KB] || Anatomy_Glacier_FINAL.mov (1280x720) [1.4 GB] || Anatomy_Glacier_FINAL.mp4 (1920x1080) [197.9 MB] || Anatomy_Glacier_FINAL.webm (1920x1080) [22.6 MB] || Anatomy_Glacier_FINAL.en_US.srt [3.8 KB] || Anatomy_Glacier_FINAL.en_US.vtt [3.8 KB] || ", "hits": 255 }, { "id": 4851, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4851/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2020-09-09T13:15:00-04:00", "title": "Deep Star Maps 2020", "description": "The star map in celestial coordinates, at five different resolutions. The map is centered at 0h right ascension, and r.a. increases to the left. || starmap_2020_4k_print.jpg (1024x512) [41.8 KB] || starmap_2020_4k_searchweb.png (320x180) [53.9 KB] || starmap_2020_4k_thm.png (80x40) [5.5 KB] || starmap_2020_4k.exr (4096x2048) [34.3 MB] || starmap_2020_8k.exr (8192x4096) [124.5 MB] || starmap_2020_16k.exr (16384x8192) [422.9 MB] || starmap_2020_32k.exr (32768x16384) [1.4 GB] || starmap_2020_64k.exr (65536x32768) [3.8 GB] || ", "hits": 3726 }, { "id": 13557, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13557/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2020-02-24T11:00:00-05:00", "title": "Placing the Recent Hiatus Period in an Energy Balance Perspective", "description": "GLOBAL OBSERVATIONS OF EARTH’S ENERGY BALANCE With the launch of NASA’s Terra Satellite Earth Observing System on Dec. 18, 1999, and subsequent ‘first light’ of the Cloud’s and the Earth’s Energy Radiant System (CERES) instrument on February 26, 2000, NASA gave birth to what ultimately would become the first long-term global observational record of Earth’s energy balance. This key indicator of the climate system describes the delicate and complex balance between how much of the sun’s energy reaching Earth is absorbed and how much thermal infrared radiation is emitted back to space. “Absorbed solar radiation fuels the climate system and life on our planet,” said Norman Loeb, CERES Principal Investigator. “The Earth sheds heat by emitting outgoing radiation.” || ", "hits": 199 }, { "id": 4794, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4794/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2020-02-21T08:00:00-05:00", "title": "CERES Radiation Balance", "description": "The Clouds and the Earth’s Energy Radiant System (CERES) instrument is a key component of NASA’s Earth Observing System, with six active CERES instruments on satellites orbiting Earth and taking data.  For Earth’s temperature to be stable over long periods of time, absorbed solar and emitted thermal radiation must be equal. Increases in greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, trap emitted thermal radiation from the surface and reduce how much is lost to space, resulting in a net surplus of energy into the Earth system. Most of the extra energy ends up being stored as heat in the ocean and the remainder warms the atmosphere and land, and melts snow and ice. As a consequence, global mean surface temperature increases and sea levels rise. Much like a pulse or heartbeat, CERES monitors reflected solar and emitted thermal infrared radiation, which together with solar irradiance measurements is one of Earth’s ‘vital signs.’ Better understanding Earth’s energy balance enables us to be informed and adapt to a changing world. || ", "hits": 143 }, { "id": 4768, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-12-12T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2020", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 811 }, { "id": 4769, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4769/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-12-12T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2020 South Up", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 155 }, { "id": 4748, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4748/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-11-18T13:00:00-05:00", "title": "LISA Pathfinder vs Solar System Dust", "description": "Trajectory of the LISA Pathfinder mission from Earth orbit to its L1 halo orbit including impacts with inner solar system dust (yellow points) and time windows along the orbit when this capability is enabled (purple). With labels. || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_print.jpg (1024x576) [44.6 KB] || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_searchweb.png (320x180) [49.9 KB] || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_thm.png (80x40) [3.1 KB] || LISAGSE.L1View.impacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [47.9 MB] || L1View.impacts.labels (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || LISAGSE.L1View.impacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [8.5 MB] || L1View.impacts.labels (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || LISAGSE.L1View.impacts.labelfade_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [151.6 MB] || LISAGSE.L1View.impacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow [210 bytes] || ", "hits": 27 }, { "id": 4749, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4749/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-11-18T13:00:00-05:00", "title": "LISA Pathfinder Trajectory to L1", "description": "Trajectory of the LISA Pathfinder mission from Earth orbit to its L1 halo orbit. With labels. || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_print.jpg (1024x576) [42.7 KB] || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_searchweb.png (320x180) [47.9 KB] || LISAGSE.L1View.GSE.AU.clockSlate_EarthTarget.UHD3840.01000_thm.png (80x40) [2.1 KB] || L1View.labels (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || LISAGSE.L1View.noimpacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [47.3 MB] || LISAGSE.L1View.noimpacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [8.5 MB] || L1View.labels (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || LISAGSE.L1View.noimpacts.labelfade_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [148.3 MB] || LISAGSE.L1View.noimpacts.labelfade.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow [212 bytes] || ", "hits": 44 }, { "id": 40388, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/nasaearth-science/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2019-09-13T10:53:37-04:00", "title": "NASA Earth Science", "description": "NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) missions help us to understand our planet’s interconnected systems, from a global scale down to minute processes. Working in concert with a satellite network of international partners, ESD can measure precipitation around the world, and it can employ its own constellation of small satellites to look into the eye of a hurricane. ESD technology can track dust storms across continents and mosquito habitats across cities.\n\nFor more information:\nhttps://science.nasa.gov/earth-science", "hits": 192 }, { "id": 4720, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4720/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2019-09-06T10:00:00-04:00", "title": "CGI Moon Kit", "description": "These color and elevation maps are designed for use in 3D rendering software. They are created from data assembled by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera and laser altimeter instrument teams.", "hits": 42907 }, { "id": 13092, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13092/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2019-03-25T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Greenland's Jakobshavn Glacier Reacts to Changing Ocean Temperatures", "description": "NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission uses ships and planes to measure how ocean temperatures affect Greenland's vast icy expanses. Jakobshavn Glacier, known in Greenlandic as Sermeq Kujalle, on Greenland's central western side, has been one of the island's largest contributor's to sea level rise, losing mass at an accelerating rate. In a new study, the OMG team found that between 2016 and 2017, Jakobshavn Glacier grew slightly and the rate of mass loss slowed down. They traced the causes of this thickening to a temporary cooling of ocean temperatures in the region. || ", "hits": 102 }, { "id": 4442, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4442/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2018-12-15T00:01:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2019", "description": " || Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator.The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [41.9 KB] || comp.0001.tif (3840x2160) [5.6 MB] || ", "hits": 276 }, { "id": 4459, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4459/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2018-12-15T00:01:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2019 South Up", "description": "Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || || ", "hits": 132 }, { "id": 13110, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13110/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2018-11-08T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "NASA's View of Pine Island Glacier's Latest Iceberg", "description": "Last week, Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier calved a massive iceberg, known as Iceberg B-46, into the Amundsen Sea. Pine Island has lost several large icebergs in the last few years -- it's one of the most rapidly melting glaciers in the Antarctic and a significant contributor to sea level rise.NASA's Operation IceBridge flew over Pine Island Glacier on Nov. 7, capturing images and collecting data over the newly formed iceberg and remaining glacier.Read more about the new iceberg. || ", "hits": 25 }, { "id": 12977, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12977/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2018-09-26T13:00:00-04:00", "title": "Mass Balance of Ice Sheets", "description": "AntarcticaMusic: \"Distant Echoes,\" Adam Salkeld, Atmosphere Music Ltd. PRS; \"Evolution of Life,\" David Stephen Goldsmith, Atmosphere Music Ltd. PRSComplete transcript available. || antarc_thumb_print.jpg (1024x576) [113.1 KB] || antarc_thumb_searchweb.png (180x320) [88.3 KB] || antarc_thumb_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || Antarctica_Brunt.mov (1920x1080) [4.1 GB] || Antarctica_Brunt_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [424.3 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [77.5 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_youtube_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [571.8 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_youtube_720.mp4 (1280x720) [552.4 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_facebook_720.webm (1280x720) [32.9 MB] || Antarctica_icesheet.en_US.srt [6.0 KB] || Antarctica_icesheet.en_US.vtt [6.0 KB] || ", "hits": 37 }, { "id": 4604, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4604/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2017-12-18T01:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2018", "description": " || Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || ", "hits": 358 }, { "id": 4605, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4605/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2017-12-18T01:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2018 South Up", "description": " || Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || ", "hits": 105 }, { "id": 12752, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12752/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2017-11-27T08:00:00-05:00", "title": "TSIS: Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor", "description": "In terms of climate change research, scientists need to understand the balance between energy coming in from the Sun and energy radiating out from Earth, as modulated by Earth's surface and atmosphere. That's why NASA is launching TSIS, the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor. Find out more in this short narrated video. || APPLE_TV-TSIS_Solar_Irradiance_FINAL_PR422_appletv.00732_print.jpg (1024x576) [71.7 KB] || TWITTER_720_112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [26.1 MB] || 112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2.webm (960x540) [47.4 MB] || 112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_lowres.mp4 (480x272) [16.0 MB] || Solar_Irradiance_V2.en_US.srt [2.1 KB] || Solar_Irradiance_V2.en_US.vtt [2.1 KB] || 112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2.mov (1920x1080) [1.6 GB] || CH28_112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_ch28.mov (1280x720) [1.1 GB] || FACEBOOK_720_112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [142.6 MB] || YOUTUBE_720_112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_youtube_720.mp4 (1280x720) [191.6 MB] || 112717--Solar_Irradiance_NO_BUMPER_V2_large.mp4 (1920x1080) [116.6 MB] || ", "hits": 108 }, { "id": 30880, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30880/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2017-05-11T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Antarctic Ice Loss 2002-2016", "description": "The mass of the Antarctic ice sheet has changed over the last several years. Research based on observations from NASA’s twin NASA/German Aerospace Center’s twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites indicates that between 2002 and 2016, Antarctica shed approximately 125 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.35 millimeters per year.These images, created with GRACE data, show changes in Antarctic ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002. In general, areas near the center of Antarctica experienced small amounts of positive or negative change, while the West Antarctic Ice Sheet experienced a significant ice mass loss (dark red) over the fourteen-year period. Floating ice shelves whose mass GRACE doesn't measure are colored gray. || ", "hits": 200 }, { "id": 30879, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30879/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2017-05-02T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Greenland Ice Loss 2002-2016", "description": "The mass of the Greenland ice sheet has rapidly declined in the last several years due to surface melting and iceberg calving. Research based on observations from the NASA/German Aerospace Center’s twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites indicates that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year. These images, created from GRACE data, show changes in Greenland ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002. In general, higher-elevation areas near the center of Greenland experienced little to no change, while lower-elevation and coastal areas experienced up to 13.1 feet (4 meters) of ice mass loss (expressed in equivalent-water-height; dark red) over a 14-year period. The largest mass decreases of up to 11.8 inches (30 centimeters (equivalent-water-height) per year occurred along the West Greenland coast. The average flow lines (grey; created from satellite radar interferometry) of Greenland’s ice converge into the locations of prominent outlet glaciers, and coincide with areas of high mass loss. || ", "hits": 175 }, { "id": 40323, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/applied-science/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2017-03-30T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Applied Science", "description": "Discovering innovative and practical uses of Earth observations\n\nappliedsciences.nasa.gov", "hits": 73 }, { "id": 4549, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4549/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2017-02-09T10:00:00-05:00", "title": "MMS Phase 2b: Transitioning to Magnetosphere Science on the Darkside", "description": "Visualization of the spacecraft orbit transition from apogee at the dayside magnetopause to the nightside magnetopause. || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_RE_GSE.slate_GSEtour.UHD3840.3660_print.jpg (1024x576) [103.1 KB] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_RE_GSE.slate_GSEtour.UHD3840.3660_searchweb.png (320x180) [72.9 KB] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_RE_GSE.slate_GSEtour.UHD3840.3660_thm.png (80x40) [5.2 KB] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_Fast.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [23.0 MB] || FastVersion (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_Fast.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [140.4 MB] || FastVersion (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017.UHD3840_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [449.6 MB] || MMSPhase2b_Pole_Jan2May2017_Fast.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow [210 bytes] || ", "hits": 24 }, { "id": 4537, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4537/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2016-12-22T15:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2017", "description": " || Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || ", "hits": 267 }, { "id": 4538, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4538/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2016-12-22T15:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2017 South Up", "description": " || Dial-A-Moon || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) || comp.0001.tif (5760x3240) || ", "hits": 98 }, { "id": 12410, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12410/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2016-11-07T13:45:00-05:00", "title": "Small Satellites for Earth Science", "description": "NASA has embraced the revolution in small spacecraft and satellites, from CubeSats you can hold in your hand to microsatellites the size of a small washing machine. The technology helps advance scientific and human exploration, reduces the cost of new missions, and expands access to space. The briefing will discuss NASA's overall program, technology development initiatives, and new Earth-observing missions that use individual and constellations of small satellites to study climate change, hurricanes and clouds.Briefing PanelistsEllen Stofan, chief scientists at NASA Headquarters in WashingtonThomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HeadquartersSteve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HeadquartersMichael Freilich, director of the Earth Science Division at NASA HeadquartersAaron Ridley, mission constellation scientist for NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) at the University of Michigan in Ann ArborBill Swartz, CubeSat principal investigator for the Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) project at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MarylandWilliam Blackwell, principal investigator for the Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsat (TROPICS) mission at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Mass.More information is available. || ", "hits": 19 }, { "id": 12364, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12364/", "result_type": "B-Roll", "release_date": "2016-09-08T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Footage", "description": "B-roll of OSIRIS-REx arriving at the Kennedy Space Center in May 2016, leading to a spin test and balance test. || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_SPIN.png (1908x1076) [2.4 MB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_SPIN_print.jpg (1024x577) [124.6 KB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_SPIN_searchweb.png (320x180) [92.1 KB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_SPIN_thm.png (80x40) [6.8 KB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_Arrival_Spin_Test.mov (1920x1080) [19.2 GB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_Arrival_Spin_Test_720.mov (1280x720) [9.8 GB] || KSC_OSIRIS-REx_Arrival_Spin_Test.webm (1920x1080) [85.3 MB] || ", "hits": 30 }, { "id": 12321, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12321/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2016-07-28T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "One Year On Earth", "description": "A NASA camera records a year in the life of our planet. || c30-1024.jpg (1024x576) [120.0 KB] || c30-1280.jpg (1280x720) [169.0 KB] || c30-1920.jpg (1920x1080) [279.3 KB] || c30-1024_print.jpg (1024x576) [117.8 KB] || c30-1024_searchweb.png (320x180) [38.7 KB] || c30-1024_web.png (320x180) [38.7 KB] || c30-1024_thm.png (80x40) [3.4 KB] || ", "hits": 142 }, { "id": 40302, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/svsyoutube-candidates/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2016-06-03T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "SVS YouTube Candidates", "description": "These are the proposed visualization candidates to be included in the SVS YouTube Channel.", "hits": 183 }, { "id": 12153, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12153/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2016-02-18T11:00:00-05:00", "title": "WFIRST: The Best of Both Worlds", "description": "With a view 100 times bigger than that of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope WFIRST will aid researchers in their efforts to unravel the secrets of dark energy and dark matter, and explore the evolution of the cosmos. It also will discover new worlds outside our solar system and advance the search for worlds that could be suitable for life. Scientists participating in the mission discuss the spacecraft, the science, and its potential. Slated to launch in the mid-2020s, the observatory will operate at a gravitational balance point known as Earth-sun L2, which is located about 930,000 miles from Earth and directly opposite the sun.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || WfirstAfta-PrintStill2_print.jpg (1024x576) [79.3 KB] || WfirstAfta-PrintStill2.png (3840x2160) [4.7 MB] || WfirstAfta-PrintStill2_searchweb.png (320x180) [59.2 KB] || WfirstAfta-PrintStill2_thm.png (80x40) [4.6 KB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_ProRes_1280x720_5994.mov (1280x720) [3.1 GB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_H264_Best_1280x720_5994.mov (1280x720) [1.7 GB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_FINAL_youtube_hq.mov (1280x720) [671.5 MB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_H264_Good_1280x720_2997.mov (1280x720) [174.0 MB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_FINAL_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [122.3 MB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_H264_Good_1280x720_2997.webm (1280x720) [25.0 MB] || 12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_FINAL_appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [122.4 MB] || 12153_WFIRST_BestBoth_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [4.6 KB] || 12153_WFIRST_BestBoth_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [4.4 KB] || NASA_PODCAST_12153_WFIRST_Best_Both_Worlds_FINAL_ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [41.6 MB] || ", "hits": 69 }, { "id": 40273, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/icesheets/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2015-12-15T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "NASA Measures the Ice Sheets", "description": "This is a collection of some of NASA’s most recent data visualizations relating to the mass balance of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, as well as a collection ultra-high definition footage of researchers in Greenland from July of 2015. For a collection of still photos, go here.", "hits": 112 }, { "id": 4404, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4404/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2015-12-10T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2016", "description": " || Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator.The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [74.4 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [2.5 MB] || ", "hits": 635 }, { "id": 4405, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4405/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2015-12-10T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2016 South Up", "description": " || Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator.The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [74.4 KB] || comp.0001.tif (3840x2160) [7.1 MB] || ", "hits": 81 }, { "id": 12057, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12057/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2015-11-19T18:00:00-05:00", "title": "Carbon Cycle Live Shots", "description": "Promo video featuring Dr. Carlos Del Castillo || Carlos_Promo_print.jpg (1024x576) [149.2 KB] || Carlos_Promo_searchweb.png (320x180) [97.6 KB] || Carlos_Promo_web.png (320x180) [97.6 KB] || Carlos_Promo_thm.png (80x40) [6.6 KB] || Carlos_Promo.webm (1280x720) [6.8 MB] || Carlos_Promo.mp4 (1280x720) [385.7 MB] || Carlos_Promo.mov (1280x720) [853.4 MB] || Carlos_Promo.en_US.srt [1.4 KB] || Carlos_Promo.en_US.vtt [1.3 KB] || ", "hits": 68 }, { "id": 4365, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4365/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2015-09-30T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Airborne in the Arctic", "description": "This gallery was created for Earth Science Week 2015 and beyond. It includes a quick start guide for educators and first-hand stories (blogs) for learners of all ages by NASA visualizers, scientists and educators. We hope that your understanding and use of NASA's visualizations will only increase as your appreciation grows for the beauty of the science they portray, and the communicative power they hold. Read all the blogs and find educational resources for all ages at: the Earth Science Week 2015 page.Four turboprop engines roar to life under the autumnal Alaskan sun, and we begin to taxi to the main runway of Eielson Air Force Base. After extensive pre-flight configurations, our science payload is primed for our eight-hour mission. Without delay, the engines’ roar becomes a howl as we hurtle down the nearly three-mile stretch of runway until that near-weightless moment we become airborne. Our mission into the clouds of the arctic is underway.Clouds are important drivers of Earth’s climate by regulating the amount of sunlight that is absorbed at the ground versus what is reflected back into space. You’ve probably experienced this firsthand when sitting outside on a hot and sunny summer day when a fluffy cumulus cloud crosses the sky between you and the sun. The respite that you feel from the heat of the sun’s rays means that that energy is no longer reaching you at the surface. At the lower latitudes where most of us live, these thick, stratiform and cumuliform clouds have a cooling effect because the white cloud reflects the sun’s energy back to space instead of being absorbed by the dark brown soil, green trees and plants, or the blue ocean waters. The story is much more complicated at the high latitudes where the frozen ice surface is also very bright white and reflective. Under these conditions, clouds can actually have a net warming effect because they reflect a similar or smaller amount of the incoming sunlight, but also trap more of the outgoing heat radiation and keep it close to the surface (like a blanket.)The exact balance between heating and cooling depends on the cloud properties - droplet number and size - and where the clouds are located in the atmosphere (high or low altitude as well as overlying dark water or bright ice.) Unraveling these effects is important for understanding how the Earth’s radiation balance and climate exist now and how they are likely to change in the future.Differentiating the impacts of low-level clouds versus Arctic sea ice on sunlight from space is hard, because to a passive satellite sensor orbiting many hundreds of kilometers above the Earth’s surface, both the ice and cloud look very similar. To best visualize this system, we must go to the Arctic with scientific research aircraft to measure the cloud properties just below, above, and within the clouds themselves. This was precisely the motivation behind the NASA Arctic Radiation – IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE), which was conducted in the Alaskan Arctic from September-October, 2014.ARISE carried out 14 science flights aboard the NASA Wallops Flight Facility C-130 Hercules aircraft, which was outfitted with a comprehensive suite of scientific instrumentation including a laser altimeter for measuring the sea ice surface properties, in situ cloud probes, and a sun photometer and two radiometers (SSFR, BBR) for measuring the surface, aerosol, and cloud radiative properties. An example 8-hour flight track is shown for the September 7th science flight in the Google Map below. The aircraft was based at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, AK, and began each flight by transiting approximately 2 hours north to the vicinity of the ice edge in the Beaufort Sea. On the 7th, the aircraft flew a series of parallel, horizontal legs to cover a single satellite grid box of the overflying NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite. These measurements help CERES scientists to understand how small-scale variability in ice and cloud extent and properties affect their satellite-based retrievals. Google map showing the flight track of the NASA C-130 aircraft during a research flight conducted on 7 September 2014 north of the Alaskan coast. Before wrapping up the research flight on the 7th and beginning our 2-hour transit back to Fairbanks, we descended into the low-level clouds to measure their microphysical properties with the in situ cloud probes. The video below shows what it’s like to measure an Arctic cloud from inside it! The left side of the video shows the real-time data time series from our research instruments that we are continuously monitoring in flight. The top-right imagery is from the forward-facing camera in the C-130 cockpit. The bottom-right imagery is from the downward-facing, nadir camera mounted on the bottom of the aircraft. || ", "hits": 14 }, { "id": 4362, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4362/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2015-09-28T14:00:00-04:00", "title": "Dust in the Wind", "description": "This gallery was created for Earth Science Week 2015 and beyond. It includes a quick start guide for educators and first-hand stories (blogs) for learners of all ages by NASA visualizers, scientists and educators. We hope that your understanding and use of NASA's visualizations will only increase as your appreciation grows for the beauty of the science they portray, and the communicative power they hold. Read all the blogs and find educational resources for all ages at: the Earth Science Week 2015 page.Each year, millions of tons of dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa is swept up into the atmosphere. The dust travels across the Atlantic Ocean, with some of it reaching as far as the Amazon Rainforest. African dust contains phosphorus, which is an important nutrient for plants, so each year the Amazon Rainforest is fertilized by dust blown all the way from Africa! We created this data visualization to tell the incredible story of this great migration.To create this visualization, I used data from NASA’s CALIPSO satellite, which measures aerosols in the atmosphere. Using Autodesk Maya and Pixar’s Renderman software (the same software Pixar uses to make movies), I created a virtual Earth with vertical walls for each time the CALIPSO satellite passed over the dust cloud. Each wall has a picture (we call them \"textures\") that represents the data collected by the satellite at that location. Each wall slices through the dust cloud, and shows us a cross-sectional view of dust distribution in the atmosphere. Although dust clouds can be seen in satellite imagery as hazy brown sections, it’s hard to determine their altitude. Knowing the height at which dust travels will help scientists determine where the dust will go, how it moves at different altitudes and how it will interact with the Earth’s climate. CALIPSO allows scientists to clearly see the shape of a dust cloud in three dimensions.The second section of the visualization describes dust flux, or how much dust flows through a specific region over a period of time. To visualize flux, I used a particle system in Autodesk Maya that creates particles at a rate and velocity relative to the flux value for a region at each time step. As the flux value increases, additional particles are created and they move faster. As flux goes down, fewer particles are created and they move slower. The result is a particle cloud that changes shape with the seasons as flux values go up and down. || ", "hits": 26 }, { "id": 4270, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4270/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2015-02-12T13:30:00-05:00", "title": "Megadroughts in U.S. West Projected to be Worst of the Millennium", "description": "Soil moisture (surface down to 30cm) from 1950 to 2095 based on a 10 year moving average of 17 CMIP5 models using a high future emissions scenario (RCP 8.5). The year shown is the middle of the 10-year moving average.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || print10yr_-3to3_rcp85_1700_print.jpg (1024x576) [75.8 KB] || print10yr_-3to3_rcp85_1700.png (5760x3240) [10.6 MB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85_1700_searchweb.png (320x180) [48.3 KB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85_1700_thm.png (80x40) [4.8 KB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85.webm (1920x1080) [1.7 MB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85.mp4 (1920x1080) [3.3 MB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85 (1920x1080) [32.0 KB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85_comp_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [3.6 MB] || comp_rcp85 (1920x1080) [32.0 KB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85.m4v (640x360) [2.0 MB] || 10yr_-3to3_rcp85.hwshow [195 bytes] || print10yr_-3to3_rcp85_1700.hwshow [205 bytes] || ", "hits": 230 }, { "id": 40415, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/whats-newwith-earth-today/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2015-01-04T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "What's New with Earth Today", "description": "Explore the latest visualizations of NASA's Earth Observing satellites and the data they collect. NASA researchers are constantly tracking remote-sensing data and modeling processes to better understand our home planet.", "hits": 207 }, { "id": 4236, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4236/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2014-12-09T06:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2015", "description": " || New: Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator. The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [92.5 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [2.5 MB] || ", "hits": 206 }, { "id": 4237, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4237/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2014-12-09T06:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2015 South Up", "description": " || New: Click on the image to download a high-resolution version with labels for craters near the terminator. The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [92.6 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [2.5 MB] || ", "hits": 78 }, { "id": 40179, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/icesat2/", "result_type": "Gallery", "release_date": "2014-10-15T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "ICESat-2", "description": "The Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 will measure the height of Earth from space, creating a record of the planet’s elevation in unprecedented detail and precision. With high-resolution data from ICESat-2’s laser altimeter, scientists will track changes to Earth’s polar ice caps – regions that are a harbinger of warming temperatures worldwide. The mission will also take stock of forests, map ocean surfaces, track the rise of cities and measure everything in between. ICESat-2 continues key elevation observations begun by ICESat-1 (2003 to 2009) and Operation IceBridge (2009 through present), to provide a portrait of change in the beginning of the 21st century.\n\nFor more information, please visit the ICESat-2 website.", "hits": 273 }, { "id": 11659, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11659/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2014-09-16T14:00:00-04:00", "title": "Briefing Materials: NASA Airborne Campaigns Focus on Climate Impacts in the Arctic, Alaska", "description": "Earth’s northern polar region, one of the most rapidly changing areas of our planet, is the focus of three recent NASA research campaigns and will be discussed in detail during a media teleconference at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 16. The airborne field campaigns will examine changing glacier elevations in Alaska, thawing permafrost and the impact of sea ice retreat on the Arctic climate.NASA’s first campaign to study the link between sea ice retreat, clouds and the energy balance in the Arctic is underway, flying out of Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) is making flights over Arctic sea ice to measure ice, cloud properties and incoming and outgoing radiation.NASA is wrapping up the third year of flights for the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE), which is measuring the emission of greenhouse gases from thawing permafrost. Operation IceBridge-Alaska recently concluded its sixth year of flights measuring changes of Alaskan mountain glaciers.Related feature story: www.nasa.gov/press/2014/september/nasa-airborne-campaigns-focus-on-climate-impacts-in-the-arctic Briefing Speakers Introduction: Tom Wagner, program scientist for cryospheric sciences in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.Bill Smith, principal investigator for ARISE at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.Charles Miller, principal investigator for CARVE at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CaliforniaEvan Burgess, Operation IceBridge-Alaska/University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Presenter 1: Tom Wagner || ", "hits": 17 }, { "id": 11624, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11624/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2014-08-14T09:00:00-04:00", "title": "ARISE Arctic Campaign Takes Shape", "description": "Crews at NASA Goddard’s Wallops Flight Facility are hard at work integrating a suite of instruments into a C-130 aircraft in preparation for the start of the ARISE campaign later this month. ARISE, which stands for Arctic Radiation IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment, will make simultaneous measurements of ice, clouds and levels of incoming and outgoing radiation, the balance of which determines the degree of climate warming.To learn more about NASA's Earth science activities in 2014, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/earthrightnow || ", "hits": 11 }, { "id": 11561, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11561/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2014-06-05T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "MMS Spin Test", "description": "The four MMS observatories each undergo what's called a spin test, to learn how well the spacecraft is balanced. Italso provides information on how well the mass properties of an observatory can be measured and aligned. This movie shows Observatory #4 undergoing the test in May 2013 on the MRC Mark V spin balance machine. After launch, the MMS observatories will spin at approximately 3 revolutions per minute during normal operations. || ", "hits": 24 }, { "id": 30492, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30492/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2014-02-11T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Antarctic Ice Loss 2003-2013", "description": "The mass of the Antarctic ice sheet has changed over the last several years. Research based on observations from NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites indicates that between 2003 and 2013, Antarctica shed approximately 90 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.25 millimeters per year.These images, created with GRACE data, show changes in Antarctic ice mass since 2003. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2003. In general, areas near the center of Antarctica experienced small amounts of positive or negative change, while the West Antarctic Ice Sheet experienced a significant ice mass loss (dark red) over the ten-year period. || ", "hits": 29 }, { "id": 4118, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4118/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2013-12-06T00:01:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2014", "description": " || The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [27.9 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [1.5 MB] || ", "hits": 153 }, { "id": 4119, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4119/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2013-12-06T00:01:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2014 South Up", "description": " || The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0001.jpg (730x730) [27.7 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [1.5 MB] || ", "hits": 50 }, { "id": 30370, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30370/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2013-10-24T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Monthly Reflected Shortwave Radiation", "description": "If you look at Mars in the night sky, the planet is little more than a glowing dot. From Mars, Earth would have the same star-like appearance. What gives the planets this light? Do they shine like a star? No. The light is mostly reflected sunlight. These images show how much sunlight Earth reflects. Bright parts of Earth like snow, ice, and clouds, reflect the most light; dark surfaces, like the oceans, reflect less light. Earth's average temperature is determined by the balance between how much sunlight Earth reflects, how much it absorbs, and how much heat it gives off. These maps show monthly reflected-shortwave radiation from July 2006 to the present, from the Fast Longwave And Shortwave Radiative Fluxes, or FLASHFlux, Time Interpolation and Spatial Averaging (TISA) data product. The product contains daily observations collected by the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) sensors on NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites. The colors in the map show the amount of shortwave energy (in Watts per square meter) that was reflected by the Earth system. The brighter, whiter regions show where more sunlight is reflected, while green regions show intermediate values, and blue regions are lower values. || ", "hits": 71 }, { "id": 30181, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30181/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2013-10-17T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "Ice Loss on Puncak Jaya", "description": "Tropical glaciers have retreated significantly in the past century, and many have lost more than half of their ice in the last few decades. Indonesia’s glaciers are no exception. In 1989, five ice masses sat on the slopes of Puncak Jaya, a 4,884-meter peak within the Sudirman Range. By 2009, two of the glaciers—Meren and Southwall—were gone. The other three—Carstenz, East Northwall Firn, and West North Wall Firn—had retreated dramatically.This pair of images, captured by the Thematic Mapper (TM) on Landsat 4 and Landsat 5, offer a view of the ice loss between 1989 and 2009. The images are a combination of shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green light. Ice appears light blue. Clouds are primarily white, though some are tinged with blue. Exposed rock is salmon-colored; forests are green. (The gray area near the center of the 2009 image is the Grasberg mine. Established in 1990 by Freeport McMoran, the open-pit mine has the world’s largest known gold reserve and second largest copper reserve.) || ", "hits": 29 }, { "id": 30478, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30478/", "result_type": "Hyperwall Visual", "release_date": "2013-10-08T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Greenland Ice Loss 2003-2013", "description": "The mass of the Greenland ice sheet has rapidly been declining over the last several years due to surface melting and iceberg calving. Research based on observations from NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites indicates that between 2003 and 2013, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.8 millimeters per year. These images, created with GRACE data, show changes in Greenland ice mass since 2003. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2003. In general, higher-elevation areas near the center of Greenland experienced little to no change, while lower-elevation and coastal areas experienced up to 3 meters of ice mass loss (dark red) over a ten-year period. The largest mass decreases of up to 30 centimeters per year occurred over southeastern Greenland. || ", "hits": 52 }, { "id": 11362, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11362/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-09-24T08:00:00-04:00", "title": "Ask A Climate Scientist - Lagging CO2", "description": "Is there any merit to the studies that show that historical CO2 levels lag behind temperature, and not lead them?Climate scientist Peter Hildebrand, Director of the Earth Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, says yes, there's merit to those studies. In the pre-industrial age, the CO2 response to temperature was that the temperature would go up and CO2 would go up. Or if the temperature went down, CO2 would go down. And the reason for that is when the temperature went up, the whole biosphere revved up and emitted CO2, and we had more CO2 in the atmosphere. So we understand that process.In the post-industrial age, the opposite is true. Increasing CO2 in the atmosphere is leading to increased temperature. So two different things happened, one pre-industrial, where temperature was driving the CO2, and post-industrial, where CO2 was driving temperature. Which means a completely different physical-biological process is going on. And we don't understand what the consequence of that change is. It is a fundamental change to how the earth works and the earth's radiation balance works. And so, we're very concerned because we don't see any restraining force on continued increase in temperature due to continued increase in CO2. And that's a problem. || ", "hits": 444 }, { "id": 11301, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11301/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-07-10T12:30:00-04:00", "title": "IBEX Provides First View Of the Solar System’s Tail", "description": "This page contains resources from the July 10, 2013 media briefing.To watch the media briefing on YouTube, click here.To view the web short on YouTube about this story, click here.NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, recently mapped the boundaries of the solar system’s tail, called the heliotail. By combining observations from the first three years of IBEX imagery, scientists have mapped out a tail that shows a combination of fast and slow moving particles. The entire structure twisted, because it experiences the pushing and pulling of magnetic fields outside the solar system. || ", "hits": 91 }, { "id": 4067, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4067/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2013-06-05T11:00:00-04:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2013 South Up", "description": " || The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0002.jpg (730x730) [94.7 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [2.3 MB] || ", "hits": 170 }, { "id": 11286, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11286/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-06-04T12:00:00-04:00", "title": "IRIS L-14 Media Briefing", "description": "Lying just above the sun's surface is an enigmatic region of the solar atmosphere called the interface region. A relatively thin region, just 3,000 to 6,000 miles thick, it pulses with movement: zones of different temperature and density are scattered throughout, while energy and heat course through the solar material. Understanding how the energy travels through this region – energy that helps heat the upper layer of the atmosphere, the corona, to temperatures of 1,000,000 kelvins, some thousand times hotter than the sun’s surface itself – is the goal of NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, scheduled to launch on June 26, 2013 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. Scientists wish to understand the interface region in exquisite detail, since energy flowing through this region has an effect on so many aspects of near-Earth space. For one thing, despite the intense amount of energy deposited into the interface region, only a fraction leaksthrough, but this fraction drives the solar wind, the constant stream of particles that flows out to fill the entire solar system. The interface region is also the source of most of the sun's ultraviolet emission, which impacts both the near-Earth space environment and Earth's climate. IRIS's capabilities are uniquely tailored to unravel the interface region by providing both high-resolution images and a kind of data known as spectra, which can see many wavelengths at once. For its high-resolution images, IRIS will capture data on about one percent of the sun at a time. While these are relatively small snapshots, IRIS will be able to see very fine features, as small as 150 miles across. || ", "hits": 55 }, { "id": 11223, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11223/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-05-07T10:00:00-04:00", "title": "Narrated 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. It is a narrated version of the original video, which can be found, along with further documentation, in entry #4044. || ", "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": 86 }, { "id": 11185, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11185/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2013-02-14T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Ballistic Helix", "description": "The Vela pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. A bright jet of charged particles and electromagnetic radiation, travelingat nearly three-quarters of the speed of light, shoots from its axis. In 2010, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory snapped a series of images over a period of four months that showed the pulsar's jet blasting material into space. Using these images, scientists modeled the jet's motion. To their surprise, the movement followed a winding path resembling that of a rotating helix. If their model is accurate, it means the pulsar may be off-balance, wobbling as it spins—a feature never before seen. Watch the video to see a time-lapse view of the pulsar as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. || ", "hits": 108 }, { "id": 4007, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4007/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-12-12T00:00:00-05:00", "title": "Ground-Penetrating Radar Measurements of Antarctic Ice Sheet", "description": "This visualization presents data collected by the 2010 Satellite Era Accumulation Traverse (SEAT). Accumulation, the amount of snow that falls on an ice sheet, is one of the most important inputs for determining the mass balance of an ice sheet. There are, however, relatively few direct accumulation measurements because the most precise measurements come from ice cores at a single point location.Recently, new large-bandwidth, very-high frequency radars have been developed and used over the ice sheets to image internal layers in the near surface which represent about the past 30-40 years of accumulation. The SEAT traverses are making the link between near surface radar layers and ice cores by collecting both simultaneously across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide region. || ", "hits": 54 }, { "id": 4000, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4000/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-11-20T12:00:00-05:00", "title": "Moon Phase and Libration, 2013", "description": " || The data in the table for the entire year can be downloaded as a JSON file or as a text file. || moon.0002.jpg (730x730) [94.6 KB] || comp.0001.tif (1920x1080) [2.3 MB] || ", "hits": 359 }, { "id": 3995, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3995/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-09-20T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "The Heliophysics Fleet at Lagrange Point 1", "description": "NASA and ESA operate a fleet of heliophysics satellites at the 'balance point' between the Earth and the Sun, known as Lagrange Point 1, or L1. SOHO, ACE, and Wind have been operating at this point for over 15 years (see SOHO @ 15, ACE @ 15). || ", "hits": 56 }, { "id": 3925, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3925/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-07-22T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "NPP Ceres Shortwave Radiation", "description": "The CERES experiment is one of the highest priority scientific satellite instruments developed for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The doors are open on NASA's Suomi NPP satellite and the newest version of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument is scanning Earth for the first time, helping to assure continued availability of measurements of the energy leaving the Earth-atmosphere system.CERES products include both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Cloud properties are determined using simultaneous measurements by other EOS and NPP instruments such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible and Infrared Sounder (VIRS). Analyses using CERES data, build upon the foundation laid by previous missions such as NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE), leading to a better understanding of the role of clouds and the energy cycle in global climate change. The sun's radiant energy is the fuel that drives Earth's climate engine. The Earth-atmosphere system constantly tries to maintain a balance between the energy that reaches the Earth from the sun and the energy that flows from Earth back out to space. Energy received from the sun is mostly in the visible (or shortwave) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. About 30% of the solar energy that comes to Earth is reflected back to space. The ratio of reflected-to-incoming energy is called \"albedo\" from the Latin word meaning whiteness. The solar radiation absorbed by the Earth causes the planet to heat up until it is radiating (or emitting) as much energy back into space as it absorbs from the sun. The Earth's thermal emitted radiation is mostly in the infrared (or longwave part of the spectrum. The balance between incoming and outgoing energy is called the Earth's radiation budget. This global view shows CERES top-of-atmosphere (TOA) shortwave radiation from Jan 26 and 27, 2012. Thick cloud cover tends to reflect a large amount of incoming solar energy back to space (blue/green/white image). For more information on the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) see http://ceres.larc.nasa.gov || ", "hits": 67 }, { "id": 3926, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3926/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-07-22T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "NPP Ceres Longwave Radiation", "description": "The CERES experiment is one of the highest priority scientific satellite instruments developed for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The doors are open on NASA's Suomi NPP satellite and the newest version of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument is scanning Earth for the first time, helping to assure continued availability of measurements of the energy leaving the Earth-atmosphere system.CERES products include both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Cloud properties are determined using simultaneous measurements by other EOS and NPP instruments such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible and Infrared Sounder (VIRS). Analyses using CERES data, build upon the foundation laid by previous missions such as NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE), leading to a better understanding of the role of clouds and the energy cycle in global climate change.The sun's radiant energy is the fuel that drives Earth's climate engine. The Earth-atmosphere system constantly tries to maintain a balance between the energy that reaches the Earth from the sun and the energy that flows from Earth back out to space. Energy received from the sun is mostly in the visible (or shortwave) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. About 30% of the solar energy that comes to Earth is reflected back to space. The ratio of reflected-to-incoming energy is called \"albedo\" from the Latin word meaning whiteness. The solar radiation absorbed by the Earth causes the planet to heat up until it is radiating (or emitting) as much energy back into space as it absorbs from the sun. The Earth's thermal emitted radiation is mostly in the infrared (or longwave part of the spectrum. The balance between incoming and outgoing energy is called the Earth's radiation budget.This global view shows CERES top-of-atmosphere (TOA) longwave radiation from Jan 26 and 27, 2012. Heat energy radiated from Earth (in watts per square meter) is shown in shades of yellow, red, blue and white. The brightest-yellow areas are the hottest and are emitting the most energy out to space, while the dark blue areas and the bright white clouds are much colder, emitting the least energy. Increasing temperature, decreasing water vapor, and decreasing clouds will all tend to increase the ability of Earth to shed heat out to space.For more information on the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) see http://ceres.larc.nasa.gov || ", "hits": 78 }, { "id": 11010, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11010/", "result_type": "Produced Video", "release_date": "2012-07-10T00:00:00-04:00", "title": "Sizing Up Earth", "description": "At a given point in time, Earth usually seems stable. But over centuries, lands rise and sink, continents move and the balance of the ocean shifts. These changes are tracked through the science of geodesy, dedicated to measuring and precisely charting the size and shape of Earth. Geodesy began more than 2,000 years ago, when the Greek scholar Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of Earth with impressive accuracy. In modern geodesy, scientists use multiple techniques to map the world's ice sheets, watch sea level creep up and monitor the impact of earthquakes, droughts and floods. This animated video looks at the long history of geodesy and highlights some of the technologies NASA uses, such as radio telescopes and long-range lasers, to take the basic measure of our planet. || ", "hits": 142 }, { "id": 3906, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3906/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-02-07T12:40:00-05:00", "title": "Global Mass Balance from GRACE", "description": "In the first comprehensive satellite study of its kind, a University of Colorado Boulder-led team used NASA data to calculate how much Earth's melting land ice is adding to global sea level rise.Using satellite measurements from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the researchers measured ice loss in all of Earth's land ice between 2003 and 2010, with particular emphasis on glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica. The total global ice mass lost from Greenland, Antarctica and all Earth's glaciers and ice caps over the period studied was about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) to global sea level. That's enough ice to cover the United States 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) deep.About a quarter of the average annual ice loss came from glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica (about 148 billion tons, or 39 cubic miles), while ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica and their peripheral ice caps and glaciers averaged roughly 385 billion tons (100 cubic miles) a year. Results of the study are published online Feb. 8 in the journal Nature.\"Earth is losing a huge amount of ice to the ocean annually, and these new results will help us answer important questions in terms of both sea rise and how the planet's cold regions are responding to global change,\" said University of Colorado Boulder physics professor John Wahr, who helped lead the study.\"The strength of GRACE is it sees all the mass in the system, even though its resolution isn't high enough to allow us to determine separate contributions from each individual glacier,\" said Wahr, also a fellow at the University of Colorado-headquartered Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Traditional estimates of Earth's ice caps and glaciers have been made using ground measurements from relatively few glaciers to infer what all the world's unmonitored glaciers were doing. Only a few hundred of the roughly 200,000 glaciers worldwide have been monitored for longer than a decade.One unexpected study result from GRACE was that the estimated ice loss from high Asian mountain ranges like the Himalaya, the Pamir and the Tien Shan was only about 4 billion tons of ice annually. Some previous ground-based estimates of ice loss in these high Asian mountains have ranged up to 50 billion tons annually, Wahr said.\"The GRACE results in this region really were a surprise,\" said Wahr. \"One possible explanation is that previous estimates were based on measurements taken primarily from some of the lower, more accessible glaciers in Asia and were extrapolated to infer the behavior of higher glaciers. But unlike the lower glaciers, most of the high glaciers are located in very cold environments, and require greater amounts of atmospheric warming before local temperatures rise enough to cause significant melting. This makes it difficult to use low-elevation, ground-based measurements to estimate results from the entire system.\"\"This study finds that the world's small glaciers and ice caps in places like Alaska, South America and the Himalayas contribute about 0.4 millimeters (.02 inches) per year to sea level rise,\" said Tom Wagner, cryosphere program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \"While this is lower than previous estimates, it confirms that ice is being lost from around the globe, with just a few areas in precarious balance. The results sharpen our view of land ice melting, which poses the biggest, most threatening factor in future sea level rise.\"Launched in 2002, the twin GRACE satellites track changes in Earth's gravity field by noting minute changes in gravitational pull caused by regional variations in Earth's mass, which for periods of months to years is typically due to movements of water on Earth's surface. It does this by measuring changes in the distance between its two identical spacecraft to one-hundredth the width of a human hair. The spacecraft, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are in the same orbit approximately 220 kilometers (137 miles) apart. || ", "hits": 62 }, { "id": 3910, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3910/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-02-07T12:40:00-05:00", "title": "Ice Sheet Mass Balance from GRACE", "description": "In the first comprehensive satellite study of its kind, a University of Colorado Boulder-led team used NASA data to calculate how much Earth's melting land ice is adding to global sea level rise.Using satellite measurements from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the researchers measured ice loss in all of Earth's land ice between 2003 and 2010, with particular emphasis on glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica. The total global ice mass lost from Greenland, Antarctica and all Earth's glaciers and ice caps over the period studied was about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) to global sea level. That's enough ice to cover the United States 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) deep. About a quarter of the average annual ice loss came from glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica (about 148 billion tons, or 39 cubic miles), while ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica and their peripheral ice caps and glaciers averaged roughly 385 billion tons (100 cubic miles) a year. Results of the study are published online Feb. 8 in the journal Nature.\"Earth is losing a huge amount of ice to the ocean annually, and these new results will help us answer important questions in terms of both sea rise and how the planet's cold regions are responding to global change,\" said University of Colorado Boulder physics professor John Wahr, who helped lead the study. \"The strength of GRACE is it sees all the mass in the system, even though its resolution isn't high enough to allow us to determine separate contributions from each individual glacier,\" said Wahr, also a fellow at the University of Colorado-headquartered Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Traditional estimates of Earth's ice caps and glaciers have been made using ground measurements from relatively few glaciers to infer what all the world's unmonitored glaciers were doing. Only a few hundred of the roughly 200,000 glaciers worldwide have been monitored for longer than a decade. One unexpected study result from GRACE was that the estimated ice loss from high Asian mountain ranges like the Himalaya, the Pamir and the Tien Shan was only about 4 billion tons of ice annually. Some previous ground-based estimates of ice loss in these high Asian mountains have ranged up to 50 billion tons annually, Wahr said. \"The GRACE results in this region really were a surprise,\" said Wahr. \"One possible explanation is that previous estimates were based on measurements taken primarily from some of the lower, more accessible glaciers in Asia and were extrapolated to infer the behavior of higher glaciers. But unlike the lower glaciers, most of the high glaciers are located in very cold environments, and require greater amounts of atmospheric warming before local temperatures rise enough to cause significant melting. This makes it difficult to use low-elevation, ground-based measurements to estimate results from the entire system.\" \"This study finds that the world's small glaciers and ice caps in places like Alaska, South America and the Himalayas contribute about 0.4 millimeters (.02 inches) per year to sea level rise,\" said Tom Wagner, cryosphere program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \"While this is lower than previous estimates, it confirms that ice is being lost from around the globe, with just a few areas in precarious balance. The results sharpen our view of land ice melting, which poses the biggest, most threatening factor in future sea level rise.\" Launched in 2002, the twin GRACE satellites track changes in Earth's gravity field by noting minute changes in gravitational pull caused by regional variations in Earth's mass, which for periods of months to years is typically due to movements of water on Earth's surface. It does this by measuring changes in the distance between its two identical spacecraft to one-hundredth the width of a human hair. The spacecraft, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are in the same orbit approximately 220 kilometers (137 miles) apart. || ", "hits": 112 }, { "id": 3911, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3911/", "result_type": "Visualization", "release_date": "2012-02-07T12:40:00-05:00", "title": "Mass Balance Change over India from GRACE", "description": "In the first comprehensive satellite study of its kind, a University of Colorado Boulder-led team used NASA data to calculate how much Earth's melting land ice is adding to global sea level rise.Using satellite measurements from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the researchers measured ice loss in all of Earth's land ice between 2003 and 2010, with particular emphasis on glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica. The total global ice mass lost from Greenland, Antarctica and all Earth's glaciers and ice caps over the period studied was about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) to global sea level. That's enough ice to cover the United States 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) deep. About a quarter of the average annual ice loss came from glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica (about 148 billion tons, or 39 cubic miles), while ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica and their peripheral ice caps and glaciers averaged roughly 385 billion tons (100 cubic miles) a year. Results of the study are published online Feb. 8 in the journal Nature.\"Earth is losing a huge amount of ice to the ocean annually, and these new results will help us answer important questions in terms of both sea rise and how the planet's cold regions are responding to global change,\" said University of Colorado Boulder physics professor John Wahr, who helped lead the study. \"The strength of GRACE is it sees all the mass in the system, even though its resolution isn't high enough to allow us to determine separate contributions from each individual glacier,\" said Wahr, also a fellow at the University of Colorado-headquartered Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Traditional estimates of Earth's ice caps and glaciers have been made using ground measurements from relatively few glaciers to infer what all the world's unmonitored glaciers were doing. Only a few hundred of the roughly 200,000 glaciers worldwide have been monitored for longer than a decade. One unexpected study result from GRACE was that the estimated ice loss from high Asian mountain ranges like the Himalaya, the Pamir and the Tien Shan was only about 4 billion tons of ice annually. Some previous ground-based estimates of ice loss in these high Asian mountains have ranged up to 50 billion tons annually, Wahr said. \"The GRACE results in this region really were a surprise,\" said Wahr. \"One possible explanation is that previous estimates were based on measurements taken primarily from some of the lower, more accessible glaciers in Asia and were extrapolated to infer the behavior of higher glaciers. But unlike the lower glaciers, most of the high glaciers are located in very cold environments, and require greater amounts of atmospheric warming before local temperatures rise enough to cause significant melting. This makes it difficult to use low-elevation, ground-based measurements to estimate results from the entire system.\" \"This study finds that the world's small glaciers and ice caps in places like Alaska, South America and the Himalayas contribute about 0.4 millimeters (.02 inches) per year to sea level rise,\" said Tom Wagner, cryosphere program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \"While this is lower than previous estimates, it confirms that ice is being lost from around the globe, with just a few areas in precarious balance. The results sharpen our view of land ice melting, which poses the biggest, most threatening factor in future sea level rise.\" Launched in 2002, the twin GRACE satellites track changes in Earth's gravity field by noting minute changes in gravitational pull caused by regional variations in Earth's mass, which for periods of months to years is typically due to movements of water on Earth's surface. It does this by measuring changes in the distance between its two identical spacecraft to one-hundredth the width of a human hair. The spacecraft, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are in the same orbit approximately 220 kilometers (137 miles) apart. || ", "hits": 19 } ] }