Earth from Orbit 2019: How NASA Satellites #PictureEarth

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    Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2022

    Jan. 12th, 2023

    This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are shown in white. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are calculated over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2018-2022. This data visualization shows the 2022 global surface temperature anomaly compared with the 1951-1980 average. This data visualization shows only the 2022 global surface temperature anomalies on a rotating globe to highlight the La Niña. 2022 was one of the warmest on record despite a third consecutive year of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. NASA scientists estimate that La Niña’s cooling influence may have lowered global temperatures about 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit from what the average would have been under more typical ocean conditions. Colortable is both degrees fahrenheit and degrees celsius. This image is the single year 2022 GISS temperature anomaly as compared with the 1951-1980 average. This version does not have any titles or text overlays, except for the corresponding colorbar. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in robinson projection display a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies in even degrees Fahrenheit. The first frame in this sequence represents the data from 1880-1884. The second frame represents 1881-1885, ...and the last frame represents 2018-2022. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. This sequence of images are the corresponding date overlays for the 5 year rolling averages used in the first visualization on this page. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in degrees celsius is designed to be displayed on the Science on a Sphere projection system. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. Frame 1884 represents data from 1880-1884, frame 1885 represents data from 1881-1885,... frame 2022 represents data from 2018-2022. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. This is the colorbar for the Science on a Sphere frameset above. It is in degrees celsius.

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    Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2021

    Jan. 13th, 2022

    This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are shown in white. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are calculated over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2017-2021. Scale in degrees Fahrenheit. This data visualization shows the 2021 global surface temperature anomalies on a rotating globe to highlight the La Niña. La Niña has developed and is expected to last into early 2022. Despite the cooling influence of this naturally occurring climate phenomenon, temperatures in many parts of the world are above average. The year 2000 also saw a La Niña event of similar strength to that in 2021, but 2021 global temperatures was more than 0.75 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than 2000. This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are shown in white. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are calculated over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2017-2021. Scale in degrees Celsius. This frame sequence is the corresponding date range for each frame in the sequence. Degrees Fahrenheit Colorbar Degrees Celsius Colorbar This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in robinson projection display a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies in Fahrenheit. The first frame in this sequence represents the data from 1880-1884. The second frame represents 1881-1885, ...and the last frame represents 2017-2021. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in degrees celsius is designed to be displayed on the Science on a Sphere projection system. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. Frame 1884 represents data from 1880-1884, frame 1885 represents data from 1881-1885,... frame 2021 represents data from 2017-2021. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. This is the colorbar for the Science on a Sphere frameset above. It is in degrees celsius. Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2021 tied with 2018 as the sixth warmest on record, according to independent analyses done by NASA and NOAA. Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2021 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (or 0.85 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.Collectively, the past eight years are the top eight warmest years since modern record keeping began in 1880. This annual temperature data makes up the global temperature record – and it’s how scientists know that the planet is warming.GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.For more information about NASA’s Earth science missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth Related pages

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    Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2020

    Jan. 14th, 2021

    This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2016-2020. Scale in degrees Celsius. This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2016-2020. Scale in degrees Fahrenheit. This data visualization places the most recent time step, 2016-2020, of our global surface temperature anomalies on a rotating globe. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Scale is in degrees Fahrenheit. THe Earth's topography is exaggerated by 10x. This frame sequence is the corresponding date range for each frame in the sequence. This 136 frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in robinson projection display a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies in Fahrenheit. The first frame in this sequence represents the data from 1880-1884. The second frame represents 1881-1885, ...and the last frame represents 2016-2020. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Degrees Fahrenheit Colorbar Degrees Celsius Colorbar This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in degrees celsius is designed to be displayed on the Science on a Sphere projection system. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. Frame 1884 represents data from 1880-1884, frame 1885 represents data from 1881-1885,... frame 2020 represents data from 2016-2020. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Degrees Celsius horizontal colorbar 2020 Tied for Warmest Year on Record, NASA Analysis ShowsEarth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA. Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, the year’s globally averaged temperature was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit (1.02 degrees Celsius) warmer than the baseline 1951-1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. 2020 edged out 2016 by a very small amount, within the margin of error of the analysis, making the years effectively tied for the warmest year on record.“The last seven years have been the warmest seven years on record, typifying the ongoing and dramatic warming trend,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. “Whether one year is a record or not is not really that important – the important things are long-term trends. With these trends, and as the human impact on the climate increases, we have to expect that records will continue to be broken.”A Warming, Changing WorldTracking global temperature trends provides a critical indicator of the impact of human activities – specifically, greenhouse gas emissions – on our planet. Earth's average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century. Rising temperatures are causing phenomena such as loss of sea ice and ice sheet mass, sea level rise, longer and more intense heat waves, and shifts in plant and animal habitats. Understanding such long-term climate trends is essential for the safety and quality of human life, allowing humans to adapt to the changing environment in ways such as planting different crops, managing our water resources and preparing for extreme weather events.Land, Sea, Air and SpaceNASA’s analysis incorporates surface temperature measurements from more than 26,000 weather stations and thousands of ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures. These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions if not taken into account. The result of these calculations is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.NASA measures Earth's vital signs from land, air, and space with a fleet of satellites, as well as airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. The satellite surface temperature record from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aura satellite confirms the GISTEMP results of the past seven years being the warmest on record. Satellite measurements of air temperature, sea surface temperature, and sea levels, as well as other space-based observations, also reflect a warming, changing world. The agency develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. NASA shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet. NASA’s full surface temperature data set – and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation – are available at: https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistempGISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.For more information about NASA’s Earth science missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth Related pages

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    Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2020 with Area Graph

    Oct. 15th, 2020

    Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2020, With Graph Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2020, By Year, With Dates Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2020, By Year, No Dates Satellite-based passive microwave images of the sea ice have provided a reliable tool for continuously monitoring changes in the Arctic ice since 1979. Every summer the Arctic ice cap melts down to what scientists call its "minimum" before colder weather begins to cause ice cover to increase. This graph displays the area of the minimum sea ice coverage each year from 1979 through 2020. In 2020, the Arctic minimum sea ice covered an area of 3.36 million square kilometers. This visualization shows the expanse of the annual minimum Arctic sea ice for each year from 1979 through 2020 as derived from passive microwave data. A graph overlay shows the area in million square kilometers for each year's minimum day. Related pages

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    Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2019

    Jan. 15th, 2020

    This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2015-2019. Scale in degrees Celsius. This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the 5 year global temperature anomalies from 2015-2019. Scale in degrees Fahrenheit. Degrees Celsius Colorbar Degrees Fahrenheit Colorbar Date Sequence This data visualization places the most recent time step, 2015-2019, of our global surface temperature anomalies on a rotating globe. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Scale is in degrees Fahrenheit. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in robinson projection display a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies in Fahrenheit. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. The frame number of each frame is the last year for that frame's time period. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in degrees celsius is designed to be displayed on the Science on a Sphere projection system. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. Frame 1884 represents data from 1880-1884, frame 1885 represents data from 1881-1885,... frame 2019 represents data from 2015-2019. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. Normal temperatures are the average over the 30 year baseline period 1951-1980. NASA, NOAA Analyses Reveal 2019 Second Warmest Year on RecordAccording to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth's global surface temperatures in 2019 were the second warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880.Globally, 2019 temperatures were second only to those of 2016 and continued the planet's long-term warming trend: the past five years have been the warmest of the last 140 years. This past year, they were 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (0.98 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. “The decade that just ended is clearly the warmest decade on record,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. “Every decade since the 1960s clearly has been warmer than the one before.”Since the 1880s, the average global surface temperature has risen and the average temperature is now more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (a bit more than 1 degree Celsius) above that of the late 19th century. For reference, the last Ice Age was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit colder than pre-industrial temperatures.Using climate models and statistical analysis of global temperature data, scientists have concluded that this increase mostly has been driven by increased emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by human activities.“We crossed over into more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit warming territory in 2015 and we are unlikely to go back. This shows that what’s happening is persistent, not a fluke due to some weather phenomenon: we know that the long-term trends are being driven by the increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” Schmidt said.Because weather station locations and measurement practices change over time, the interpretation of specific year-to-year global mean temperature differences has some uncertainties. Taking this into account, NASA estimates that 2019’s global mean change is accurate to within 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit, with a 95% certainty level.Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures, so not every region on Earth experienced similar amounts of warming. NOAA found the 2019 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the 34th warmest on record, giving it a “warmer than average” classification. The Arctic region has warmed slightly more than three times faster than the rest of the world since 1970.Rising temperatures in the atmosphere and ocean are contributing to the continued mass loss from Greenland and Antarctica and to increases in some extreme events, such as heat waves, wildfires, intense precipitation.NASA’s temperature analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from more than 20,000 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations.These in situ measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heat island effects that could skew the conclusions. These calculations produce the global average temperature deviations from the baseline period of 1951 to 1980.NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but with a different interpolation into the Earth’s polar and other data-poor regions. NOAA’s analysis found 2019 global temperatures were 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit (0.95 degrees Celsius) above the 20th century average.NASA’s full 2019 surface temperature data set and the complete methodology used for the temperature calculation and its uncertainties are available at:https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistempGISS is a laboratory within the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.NASA uses the unique vantage point of space to better understand Earth as an interconnected system. The agency also uses airborne and ground-based measurements, and develops new ways to observe and study Earth with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. NASA shares this knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.For more information about NASA’s Earth science activities, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/earthThe slides for the Jan. 15 news conference are available at:https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/briefings/20200115.pdfNOAA’s Global Report is available at:https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201913 Related pages

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    Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019 with Area Graph

    Jan. 9th, 2020

    Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019, With Graph Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019, No Graph Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019, Graph Only Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2019, By Year Satellite-based passive microwave images of the sea ice have provided a reliable tool for continuously monitoring changes in the Arctic ice since 1979. Every summer the Arctic ice cap melts down to what scientists call its "minimum" before colder weather begins to cause ice cover to increase. This graph displays the area of the minimum sea ice coverage each year from 1979 through 2019. In 2019, the Arctic minimum sea ice covered an area of 3.66 million square kilometers. This visualization shows the expanse of the annual minimum Arctic sea ice for each year from 1979 through 2019 as derived from passive microwave data. A graph overlay shows the area in million square kilometers for each year's minimum day. The date shown in the upper right corner indicates the current year being displayed. Related pages

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    Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2018

    Feb. 6th, 2019

    This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies from 1880 through 2018. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower then normal termperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the global temperatures 5-year averaged from 2014 through 2018. Scale in degree Celsius. This color-coded map in Robinson projection displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies from 1880 through 2018. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower then normal termperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the global temperatures 5-year averaged from 2014 through 2018. Scale in degree Fahrenheit. Dates Sequence for the series. temperature anomaly in degrees Celsius colorbar temperature anomaly in degrees Fahrenheit colorbar Global temperature anomaly data from 1880- 2018, in degrees Fahrenheit, on a spinning globe. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal temperatures are shown in blue. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in robinson projection display a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies in Fahrenheit. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. The frame number of each frame is the last year for that frame's time period. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. This frame sequence of color-coded global temperature anomalies in degrees celsius. This frame sequence is designed to be displayed on the Science on a Sphere projection system. Each image represents a unique 5 year rolling time period with no fades between datasets. Frame 1 represents data from 1880-1884, frame 2 represents data from 1881-1885,... frame 135 represents data from 2014-2018. There is a metadata file called dateinfo_4626.txt. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal are shown in blue. 2018 Fourth Warmest Year in Continuing Warming Trend, According to NASA, NOAAEarth's global surface temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).Global temperatures in 2018 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.83 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. Globally, 2018's temperatures rank behind those of 2016, 2017 and 2015. The past five years are, collectively, the warmest years in the modern record.“2018 is yet again an extremely warm year on top of a long-term global warming trend,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.Since the 1880s, the average global surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius). This warming has been driven, in large part, by increased emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases caused by human activities, according to Schmidt. Warming trends are strongest in the Arctic region, where 2018 saw the continued loss of sea ice. In addition, mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets continued to contribute to sea level rise. Increasing temperatures can also contribute to longer fire seasons and some extreme weather events, according to Schmidt.Warming trends are strongest in the Arctic regions, where 2018 saw the continued loss of sea ice, as well as mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets that contribute to sea level rise. Increasing temperatures can also contribute to longer fire seasons and some extreme weather events, according to Schmidt.“The impacts of long-term global warming are already being felt - in coastal flooding, heat waves, intense precipitation and ecosystem change,” said Schmidt.NASA’s temperature analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations.These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heat island effects that could skew the conclusions. These calculations produce the global average temperature deviations from the baseline period of 1951 to 1980.Because weather station locations and measurement practices change over time, the interpretation of specific year-to-year global mean temperature differences has some uncertainties. Taking this into account, NASA estimates that 2018’s global mean change is accurate to within 0.1 degree Fahrenheit, with a 95 percent certainty level.NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but with a different baseline period and different interpolation into the Earth’s polar and other data poor regions. NOAA’s analysis found 2018 global temperatures were 1.42 degrees Fahrenheit (0.79 degrees Celsius) above the 20th century average.NASA’s full 2018 surface temperature data set — and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation — are available at:https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistempGISS is a laboratory within the Earth Sciences Division of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.NASA uses the unique vantage point of space to better understand Earth as an interconnected system. The agency also uses airborne and ground-based monitoring, and develops new ways to observe and study Earth with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. NASA shares this knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.For more information about NASA’s Earth science missions, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/earth Related pages

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    Evolution of the Meteorological Observing System in the MERRA-2 Reanalysis

    Dec. 14th, 2018

    Meteorological Observing Systems, 1980 and 2018. Data is revealed within a moving 1.5 hour window centered on the time shown. Sistemas de observación meteorológica, 1980 y 2018. Los datos se muestran en una ventana móvil de 1,5 horas centrada en el tiempo indicado. Meteorological Observing Systems, 1980. Data is revealed within a moving 1.5 hour window centered on the time shown. Sistemas de observación meteorológica, 1980. Los datos se muestran en una ventana móvil de 1,5 horas centrada en el tiempo indicado. Meteorological Observing Systems, 2018. Data is revealed within a moving 1.5 hour window centered on the time shown. Sistemas de observación meteorológica, 2018. Los datos se muestran en una ventana móvil de 1,5 horas centrada en el tiempo indicado. Individual Meteorological Observing Systems, 1980. Each image represents 6 hours of observations, centered on 12Z. Dropdown menu contains complete set. Individual Meteorological Observing Systems, 2018. Each image represents 6 hours of observations, centered on 12Z. Dropdown menu contains complete set. The Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center uses the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) modeling and data assimilation system to produce gridded estimates of the atmospheric state by combining short-term forecasts with observations from numerous observing systems. While the GEOS system is under continual development, it is periodically frozen and used to reprocess the modern satellite era, which begins in about 1980. This period specifically has been the focus of the second version of the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2). The modern satellite era in the context of MERRA-2 stems from the launch of the NASA/NOAA Television InfraRed Observational Satellite N-series (TIROS-N) satellite. This satellite served as the space platform for the first of the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) series, which included TIROS-N and NOAA-6 through NOAA-14. The series of TOVS observations included global infrared and microwave radiance observations that provided the first comprehensive space-based observations that served as the remotely sensed backbone of the assimilation system. These observations, along with wind estimates from geostationary satellites and the global surface and upper air conventional observing network (e.g. surface reporting stations, radiosondes, aircraft measurements) provide the observations for the beginning of MERRA-2 in 1980.The observing system has advanced substantially since the launch of TIROS-N. Both satellite and conventional observations have increased in both quality and quantity over the course of the past four decades. In 1980, the median number of observations assimilated over a six hour period was 175,000. In 2018, this number has approached 5 million. The transition from the TOVS to the ATOVS (Advanced TOVS) observing system, which began in 1998 with the launch of the NOAA-15 platform, provided better horizontal and vertical resolution, along with improved observational quality. NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on the EOS-Aqua spacecraft provided yet another major advance in remote sensing of Earth, providing the first well-calibrated hyperspectral infrared radiance observations of the atmosphere, leading to a massive increase in the number of observations available to constrain the system. Designed as a research instrument, AIRS has been adopted by international operational weather prediction centers in their analysis and forecasting systems and also provides a key part of the meteorological observing system for MERRA-2. The demonstrable value of NASA’s AIRS observations also provided the impetus for developing hyperspectral infrared radiance instruments by the weather agencies, with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometers (IASI) on the EUMETSAT Metop spacecraft and the Cross-track Infrared Sounders (CrIS) on the NASA-NOAA Suomi-NPP and JPSS platforms providing massive boosts in the number of available observations for use in weather analysis and forecasting. These measurements all provide critical inputs to the observing system used in MERRA-2. One of the fundamental scientific goals of the GMAO reanalysis projects is to provide the optimal estimate atmospheric state in a manner that is consistent over time. These animations illustrate how different the observing system were in 1980 compared to today. On the one hand, these animations demonstrate the critical role that NASA has played in developing the observing systems that are used in satellite measurements, including the enhancements of the spacecraft observations between 1980 and the present time. They also highlight one of the great challenges in producing consistent long-term records of the atmospheric state in MERRA-2 and other reanalyses: technological advances lead to larger numbers of higher quality observations. Even though the underlying assimilation systems remain frozen over time, the great challenge is to overcome the impacts of an ever improving suite of observations. Related pages

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    El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico Canopy Change Nadir View (2017-2018)

    Dec. 10th, 2018

    Animation that does of a low fly over of El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. The entire animation is split screen showing the 2017 data on top and 2018 on bottom. Notice the dense lush forest canopy in 2017 and how it covers and shades much of the forest floor. However, in 2018, after Maria devastated the forest in late 2017, the tree canopy has been greatly thinned exposing much more of the forest floor. 2017 El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. Notice the dense forest coverage before Hurricane Maria struck six months later. 2018 El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. Notice the exposed forest floor after Hurricane Maria hit in late 2017. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria's lashing rain and winds also transformed Puerto Rico's lush tropical rainforest landscape. Research scientist Doug Morton of Goddard was part of the team of NASA researchers who had surveyed Puerto Rico's forests six months before the storm. The team used Goddard’s Lidar, Hyperspectral, and Thermal (G-LiHT) Airborne Imager, a system designed to study the structure and species composition of forests. Shooting 600,000 laser pulses per second, G-LiHT produces a 3D view of the forest structure in high resolution, showing individual trees in high detail from the ground to treetop. In April 2018 (post-Maria) the team went back and surveyed the same tracks as in 2017 (before Maria).The extensive damage to Puerto Rico's forests had far-reaching effects, Morton said. Fallen trees that no longer stabilize soil on slopes with their roots as well as downed branches can contribute to landslides and debris flows, increased erosion, and poor water quality in streams and rivers where sediments build up. Related pages

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    NASA's Black Marble night lights used to examine disaster recovery in Puerto Rico

    Dec. 8th, 2018

    This visualization starts with a global view of hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico. We then zoom in to Puerto Rico to compare the standard night lights dataset to a new, high definition version of nights lights. After the hurricane passes over the island, we see a massive drop in night light intensity due to loss of power. After showing night light levels over several stages of hurricane recovery, we transition to a 'Days Without Power' dataset. The camera then zooms in to several locations around the island to examine each stage of recovery in more detail. This visualization starts with a global view of hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico. We then zoom in to Puerto Rico to compare the standard night lights dataset to a new, high definition version of nights lights. After the hurricane passes over the island, we see a massive drop in night light intensity due to loss of power. After showing night light levels over several stages of hurricane recovery, we transition to a 'Days Without Power' dataset. The camera then zooms in to several locations around the island to examine each stage of recovery in more detail. This version has no legend/labels. Still image - Hurricane Maria just after passing over Puerto Rico Still image - Puerto Rico night lights after Hurricane Maria passes over (path shown here in red) Color bar for night light intensity Color bar for number of days without power Print resolution still - This view of Puerto Rico shows number of days without power. Greens and yellows are fewer days (0-60), and reds and pinks are more days (120-180). (With and without city labels) Print resolution still - This view of Puerto Rico shows number of days without power. Greens and yellows are fewer days (0-60), and reds and pinks are more days (120-180). Print resolution still - This view of Puerto Rico shows number of days without power. Greens and yellows are fewer days (0-60), and reds and pinks are more days (120-180). Print resolution still - Baseline (pre-storm) view of Puerto Rico night lights. (With and without city labels) Print resolution still - Average night lights 2 months (Sep 20 - Nov 20) after Hurricane Maria passed over Puerto Rico. (With and without city labels) Print resolution still - Average night lights 3-4 months (Nov 21- Jan 20) after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. (With and without city labels) Print resolution still - Average night lights 5-6 months (Jan 21- Mar 20) after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. (With and without city labels) Print resolution still - Baseline (pre-storm) view of San Juan night lights. Print resolution still - Average San Juan night lights 2 months (Sep 20 - Nov 20) after Hurricane Maria passed over Puerto Rico. At night, Earth is lit up in bright strings of roads dotted with pearl-like cities and towns as human-made artificial light takes center stage. During Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico's lights went out.In the days, weeks, and months that followed, research physical scientist Miguel Román at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and his colleagues combined NASA's Black Marble night lights data product from the NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite with USGS-NASA Landsat data and Google's OpenStreetMap to develop a neighborhood-scale map of energy use in communities across Puerto Rico as the electricity grid was slowly restored. They then analyzed the relationship between restoration rates in terms of days without electricity and the remoteness of communities from major cities. Related pages

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    Tropical Storm Michael Drenches the Carolinas

    Oct. 10th, 2018

    This data visualization shows Tropical Storm Michael over the Carolinas on October 11, 2018. Shades of green, yellow, and red are ground precipitation rates. Blue and purple indicate frozen precipitation. Hurricane Michael was the strongest storm on record to hit the Florida panhandle. It became a tropical depression on October 7th, intesifying into a hurricane by October 8th. It made landfall on October 10th. GPM caught the storm after it had weakened back down to a Tropical Storm on October 11th. But even in a weakened state, Michael still caused flash floods and power outages throughout the Carolinas. Related pages

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    Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2018 with Area Graph

    Sept. 26th, 2018

    Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area, With Graph Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum, No Graph Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area, Hyperwall SIze Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Area, Print Resolution Still Non-interpolated Yearly Sea Ice Area Sequence, Stationary Camera Satellite-based passive microwave images of the sea ice have provided a reliable tool for continuously monitoring changes in the Arctic ice since 1979. Every summer the Arctic ice cap melts down to what scientists call its "minimum" before colder weather begins to cause ice cover to increase. This graph displays the area of the minimum sea ice coverage each year from 1979 through 2018. In 2018, the Arctic minimum sea ice covered an area of 4.15 million square kilometers. This visualization shows the expanse of the annual minimum Arctic sea ice for each year from 1979 through 2018 as derived from passive microwave data. A graph overlay shows the area in million square kilometers for each year's minimum day. The date shown in the upper right corner indicates the current year being displayed. Related pages

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    Earth Observing Fleet (June 2018)

    July 11th, 2018

    NASA's Earth observing starting at L1 and moving in towards Earth This animation shows the orbits of NASA's fleet of Earth observing spacecraft that are considered operational as of June 2018. New elements in this version include the GRACE Follow-On 1 and 2. The clouds used in this version are from a high resolution GEOS model run at 10 minute time steps interpolated down to the per-frame level.Spacecraft included:AquaAuraCALIPSO: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite ObservationCYGNSS-1: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 1CYGNSS-2: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 2CYGNSS-3: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 3CYGNSS-4: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 4CYNGSS-5: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 5CYGNSS-6: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 6CYGNSS-7: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 7CYGNSS-8: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System 8CloudsatDSCOVR: Deep Space Climate ObservatoryGPM: Global Precipitation MeasurementGRACE-FO-1: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On-1GRACE-FO-2: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On-2ISS: International Space StationJason 2Jason 3Landsat 7Landsat 8OCO-2: Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2SMAP: Soil Moisture Passive ActiveSORCE: Solar Radiation and Climate ExperimentSuomi NPP: Suomi National Polar-orbiting PartnershipTerra Related pages

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    Ice Cube Cubesat Measures High Altitude Atmospheric Ice

    April 23rd, 2018

    Mean Cloud Ice data as measured from Ice Cube from July through August 2017. A representation of ice particles measured by Ice Cube in the atmosphere. Lower altitude particles are generally larger; higher altitude particles are generally smaller. Ice Cube ortbit Color bar for Ice Cube mean cloud ice data in grams per square meter. Colors range from teal (0) to blue (50) to purple (100). Lower values are less visible in the visualization because the particle sizes are smaller. This visualization shows 2 months of high altitude atomspheric ice as measured from the Ice Cube Cubsesat satelllite. Related pages

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    Sea Ice Maximum extent 2018

    March 23rd, 2018

    This visualization shows the Arctic sea ice as it expands from October 1, 2017 to its annual maximum extent that occurred on March 17th, 2018.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. This image shows the maximum extent of the Arctic sea ice that occurred on March 17th, 2018. The yellow line indicates the 30 year average maximum extent calculated from 1981 through 2010. The date is shown in the upper left corner. This image shows the maximum extent of the Arctic sea ice that occurred on March 17th, 2018. The yellow line indicates the 30 year average maximum extent calculated from 1981 through 2010. On this image, the date is not displayed. This image shows the maximum extent of the Arctic sea ice that occurred on March 17th, 2018. The date is not displayed. The above visualization without dates. Dates with transparency that correspond to the above visualization. Sea ice in the Arctic grew to its annual maximum extent on March 17, 2018, joining 2015, 2016, and 2017 as the years with the lowest maximum extents on record, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and NASA. The Arctic sea ice cover peaked at 5.59 million square miles (14.48 million square kilometers), making it the second lowest maximum on record, at about 23,000 square miles (60,000 square kilometers) higher than the record low maximum reached on March 7, 2017. This animation runs from October 1, 2017 to March 17, 2018, the date that the maximum sea ice extent occurred. The images shown here portray the sea ice as it was observed by the AMSR2 instrument onboard the Japanese Shizuku satellite. The opacity of the sea ice shown in this animation is derived from the AMSR2 sea ice concentration. The blueish white color shown on the sea ice is derived from the AMSR2 89 GHz brightness temperature data. Related pages

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    Interface to Space: The Equatorial Fountain

    Jan. 31st, 2018

    Visualization illustrating the Fountain Effect of ions in the near-Earth electric and magnetic fields. Color bar for oxygen ion density. This is a visualization of the Equatorial Fountain process in the ionosphere, whereby ions are driven away from the equator forming ion density enhancements to the north and south of the equator. This visualization is depicted near 50 degrees west longitude, where the magnetic equator crosses the geographic equator. Magnetic field lines near Earth are represented by the gold lines. Particles appear in a blue-white flash, representing the point where atoms are ionized, becoming positively charged and releasing an electron. Now these charged particles can 'feel' the near-Earth electric and magnetic fields. Their motion becomes a combination of circular gyromotion (see Plasma Zoo: Gyromotion in Three Dimensions) due to the magnetic field and E-cross-B drift (see Plasma Zoo: E-cross-B Drift). At higher altitudes, the electric field is weaker, reducing the vertical motion, and the ion motion becomes dominated by the magnetic field and gravity, allowing the ion to 'slide' down the magnetic field line back to Earth. At lower altitudes, the ions combine with free electrons in a process called recombination, represented by a red flash and fading of the particle trail. A slice of data from the IRI (International Reference Ionosphere) model represents the density of singly-ionized oxygen atoms is faded-in to compare to the particle motion. Red represents high ion density, green represents low ion density. The camera finally pulls out from Earth, providing an overview of the enhanced ion density (red) above and below the magnetic equator on the dayside of Earth. This enhancement was discovered by Edward Appleton in 1946.The Fountain effect is just one of the many of complex processes which occur in the layer of thinning atmosphere that forms Earth's interface to the space environment. A conceptual inventory of some of these processes are presented in the graphic at Terrestrial Atmosphere ITM Processes.What creates the dayside near-Earth electric field? As the sun warms Earth's atmosphere during the day, the temperature and pressure differences create wind flows. In the upper atmosphere, where the solar ultraviolet photons also break atoms into negative-charged electrons and positive-charged ions, these winds carry the charges creating currents and electric fields. The major current from this process is called the equatorial electrojet and travels along the magnetic equator (not quite aligned with the geographic equator). This motion of charges also creates a west-to-east directed electric field.Are the particles in this visualization at a realistic scale? The particles in this visualization are generated to be representative of the motion in the fountain effect to the appropriate altitudes and latitudes, but items such as the size of the gyromotion, and the particle size, are not to be regarded as physically accurate. ReferencesNOAA/National Geophysical Data Center. International Geomagnetic Reference FieldErwan Thebault, Christopher C. Finlay, et al. International Geomagnetic Reference Field: the 12th generation. Earth, Planets and Space 67:79 (2015)Dieter Bilitza. The International Reference Ionosphere - Status 2013. Advances in Space Research, Volume 55, p. 1914-1927 (2015)Douglas P. Drob, John T. Emmert, et al. An update to the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM): The quiet time thermosphere. Earth and Space Science, vol. 2, issue 7, pp. 301-319Edward V. Appleton. Two Anomalies in the Ionosphere. Nature, Volume 157, pp. 691 (1946)E. N. Bramley and M. Peart. Diffusion and electromagnetic drift in the equatorial F2-region. Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, vol. 27, pp. 1201-1211 (1965)R.J. Moffett & W.B. Hanson. Effect of Ionization Transport on the Equatorial F-Region. Nature 206, pp705-706 (1965) Related pages

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