NASA Finds 2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record
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- Jessica Merzdorf and
- Sofie Bates
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- Gavin A. Schmidt
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Temperatures are increasing due to human activities, specifically emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane.
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Music: Organic Machine by Bernhard Hering [GEMA] and Matthias Kruger [GEMA]
Complete transcript available.
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- Joshua Stevens (SSAI)
Visualizers
- Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
- Trent L. Schindler (USRA)
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- Jessica Merzdorf (Telophase) [Lead]
- Sofie Bates (KBR) [Lead]
Scientists
- Gavin A. Schmidt (NASA/GSFC GISS) [Lead]
- Lesley Ott (NASA/GSFC)
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- Kathryn Mersmann (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Katie Jepson (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Jefferson Beck (KBRwyle)
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Series
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2021 Arctic Sea Ice Maximum Extent Ranks Seventh-Lowest on Record
March 30, 2021, 7 a.m.
Read moreOn March 21, 2021, Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent, tying with 2007 for the seventh-lowest maximum on record. Music: Amazing Discoveries by Damien Deshayes [SACEM]Complete transcript available.
2020 Global Temperature Announcement Live Shots
Jan. 8, 2021, 1 a.m.
Read moreNASA and NOAA Scientists Available January 15 To Share Latest Global Temperature Update With Your ViewersOn January 14th, climate experts from NASA and NOAA will release their annual assessment of global temperatures over the last year. NASA and NOAA scientists are available for one-on-one interviews on January 15th from 6:00AM-1:00PM EST. Find out where 2020 fell in the climate record books, and what it means for the longer term trend. Each year, NASA and NOAA undertake the huge task of measuring the average temperature of the Earth, using an impressive fleet of satellites in orbit as well as scientists making local measurements all around the globe. Understanding these long-term changes is vital to how we interact with our environment, from planting different crops to managing water resources, to predicting the strength of hurricanes.** Interviews will be conducted using video chat programs including Skype in 15-minute slots. For example 600-615 ET, 615-630 ET, etc. Satellite interviews are not available. ** Interviews are available in Spanish**To book an interview please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/LMHA7o75adexoDkR6Participating Scientists:Gavin Schmidt (GISS) / Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space StudiesTom Neumann / Cryospheric Sciences Lab Chief, NASA GSFCLesley Ott / NASA Climate ScientistLiz (Elizabeth) Hoy (GSFC) / Senior Support Scientist, NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems OfficeRachel Tilling / Cryosphere ScientistRuss Vose / NOAA Chief Climate AnalystAdam Smith / NOAA Disaster ExpertSandra Cauffman / Earth Science Division Deputy Director, NASA HQ [interviews in Spanish]Alfonso Delgado-Bonal / Atmospheric Scientist, NASA GSFC [interviews in Spanish]Mayra Oyola (JPL) / Atmospheric Scientist, NASA JPL [interviews in Spanish]Ahira Sánchez-Lugo / NOAA Climatologist [Interviews in Spanish English]Suggested Questions:1. NASA and NOAA have just released the global temperature data for 2020. Where does it rank? 2. What does this new information tell us about* [*Please select the question that you believe will hold the most interest for your viewers.]a. hurricane trends after the record-breaking 30 named storms last year?b. wildfires?c. general weather trends that impact viewers all over the country?3. How else do changes to Earth’s global temperature impact us? 4. What do we expect to see in the future in terms of heat and these global events?5. Where can we learn more? NASA Finds 2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record The Climate Events of 2020 Show How Excess Heat is Expressed on EarthEl 2020 empató con 2016 como el año más cálido en el registro, según un análisis de la NASA B-roll for 2020 Annual Temperature Update Live Shot.
2019 Was the Second Hottest Year on Record
Jan. 15, 2020, 6 a.m.
Read moreEarth s long-term warming trend: the six warmest years on the instrumental record have been the six last years. Music: Avalanches by Chris Constantinou [PRS] and Paul Frazer [PRS]Complete transcript available. Video translated into SpanishComplete transcript available. Earth’s long-term warming trend can be seen in this visualization of NASA’s global temperature record, which shows how the planet’s temperatures are changing over time, compared to a baseline average from 1951 to 1980. The record is shown as a running five-year average. Zoom into the U.S. Audio from telecon with Gavin Schmidt and Deke Arndt
Carbon and Climate Briefing - November 12, 2015
Nov. 12, 2015, 6 a.m.
Read moreEarth’s land and ocean currently absorb about half of all carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, but it’s uncertain whether the planet can keep this up in the future. NASA’s Earth science program works to improve our understanding of how carbon absorption and emission processes work in nature and how they could change in a warming world with increasing levels of carbon dioxide and methane emissions from human activities.NASA will host a media teleconference at noon EST on Thursday, Nov. 12, at noon EST to discuss the latest insights into how Earth is responding to rising levels of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, and what this means for our future climate.Later this month, a United Nations climate meeting in Paris will focus on setting limits on future levels of human-produced carbon emissions. This NASA briefing will present new observations from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission, NASA’s first satellite dedicated to measuring carbon dioxide, and preview field work planned in the North Atlantic and Alaska.Participating in the briefing:* Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division at the agency’s headquarters in Washington* Mike Behrenfeld, principal investigator for NASA’s NAAMES field campaign, Oregon State University in Corvallis* George Hurtt, lead for NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System, University of Maryland in College Park* Annmarie Eldering, deputy project scientist for NASA’s OCO-2 mission at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California* Lesley Ott, research scientist in the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MarylandListen to a recording of the briefing.For more information:Carbon and Climate feature storyPress Release: As Earth Warms, NASA Targets ‘Other Half’ of Carbon, Climate EquationCarbon and Climate Video Resources Figure 1 (Behrenfeld) -- Microscopic phytoplankton serve as the basis of the marine food web and, due to their abundance, play an integral role in the planet’s climate. Credit: NOAA Figure 2 (Behrenfeld) -- In recent years NASA satellites have allowed scientists to map the average distribution of phytoplankton around the world.Credit: NASA Figure 3 (Behrenfeld) -- Satellites can observe massive blooms that spread and change rapidly. Credit: NASA Figure 4 (Behrenfeld) -- NASA’s ongoing NAAMES (North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study) is using shipborne and airborne observations to study key links between the ocean processes that determine phytoplankton blooms and their ultimate link to the climate. Credit: NASA/Oregon State Figure 5 (Hurtt) --The ocean and land have continued to, over time, absorb about half of all carbon dioxide emissions, even as those emissions have risen dramatically in recent decades. It remains unclear if carbon absorption will continue at this rate. Credit: NASA/JPL Figure 6 (Hurtt) -- Satellite and field research has dramatically improved the resolution of scientists’ measurements of carbon stored by land ecosystems in recent decades and even in the past few years. NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System is in part targeting these improvements. Credit: George Hurtt, University of Maryland Figure 7 (Hurtt) -- Lidar measurements of forests are giving scientists better understanding of how and how much carbon is absorbed and stored by forests.Credit: University of Maryland Figure 8 (Hurtt) -- The GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation) lidar will fly on the International Space Station in coming years and provide 3-D observations of forest structure that will vastly improve measurements of carbon stored by trees.Credit: Ralph Dubayah, University of Maryland Figure 9 (Hurtt) -- In 2016, NASA will begin a 10-year field campaign using aircraft and on-the-ground monitoring in an attempt to gain better insight into how the rapidly warming Arctic could respond to climate change and potentially release methane and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Credit: IPCC Figure 10 (Eldering) -- The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 is providing NASA’s first detailed measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere near Earth’s surface. OCO-2 recently released a first full year of data — critical to analyzing the annual cycle of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech Figure 11 (Eldering) -- Part of the annual cycle can be seen here: In early Northern Hemisphere spring this year, concentrations above the equator exceeded 400 parts per million in many places. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech Figure 12 (Eldering) -- About two months later, after ocean and land plants had bloomed or leafed out, atmospheric concentrations have been drawn down via photosynthesis. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech Figure 13 (Eldering) -- Though OCO-2 was not designed to do so, scientists have discovered they can use the instrument to measure plant fluorescence — a key sign of photosynthetic activity which could provide insights into carbon processes. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech Figure 14 (Ott) -- The GEOS-5 (Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5) climate model has recently provided scientists with a higher resolution view of atmospheric processes than the most advanced weather forecasting models and with resolution 1,000 times greater than most climate models. Scientists are using it to study the “flux” of carbon between the atmosphere, land and ocean. Credit: Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Figure 15 (Ott) -- Satellite measurements of phytoplankton in the ocean (ocean color), land greenness and even the brightness of city lights all go into climate models that help improve understanding of carbon flux. Credit: Lesley Ott, NASA Goddard Figure 16 (Ott) -- Climate models can replicate the day-to-night cycle of carbon’s absorption and release. Credit: Lesley Ott, NASA Goddard Figure 17 (Ott) -- This GEOS-5 simulation demonstrates how the model can distinguish between manmade sources of carbon dioxide emissions from megacities (blue) and natural sources, like fires.Credit: Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
GRACE Data Assimilation and GEOS-5 Forecasts
March 30, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreNASA researchers have developed new satellite-based, weekly global maps of soil moisture and groundwater wetness conditions and one to three-month U.S. forecasts of each product. While maps of current dry/wet conditions for the United States have been available since 2012, this is the first time they have been available globally.Both the global maps and the U.S. forecasts use data from NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On (GRACE-FO) satellites, a pair of spacecraft that detect the movement of water on Earth based on variations of Earth’s gravity field. GRACE-FO succeeds the highly successful GRACE satellites, which ended their mission in 2017 after 15 years of operation. With the global expansion of the product, and the addition of U.S. forecasts, the GRACE-FO data are filling in key gaps for understanding the full picture of wet and dry conditions that can lead to drought.The satellite-based observations of changes in water distribution are integrated with other data within a computer model that simulates the water and energy cycles. The model then produces, among other outputs, time-varying maps of the distribution of water at three depths: surface soil moisture, root zone soil moisture (roughly the top three feet of soil), and shallow groundwater. The maps have a resolution of 1/8th degree of latitude, or about 8.5 miles, providing continuous data on moisture and groundwater conditions across the landscape.The new forecast product that projects dry and wet conditions 30, 60, and 90 days out for the lower 48 United States uses GRACE-FO data to help set the current conditions. Then the model runs forward in time using the Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 seasonal weather forecast model as input. The researchers found that including the GRACE-FO data made the resulting soil moisture and groundwater forecasts more accurate. GRACE Surface Water, Root Zone, and Groundwater Storage, Okovango Delta Region GRACE Surface Water, Root Zone, and Groundwater Storage, Australia GRACE Surface Water, Root Zone, and Groundwater Storage, Australian Drought Dec 2019 GRACE Surface Water, Root Zone, and Groundwater Storage, Europe GRACE Groundwater Storage, Whole Earth 2018 GRACE Data AssimilationFour images in dropdown menu, one for each month. 2018 GEOSV2 ForecastsFour images in dropdown menu, one for each month. 2019 GRACE Data AssimilationFour images in dropdown menu, one for each month. 2019 GEOSV2 ForecastsFour images in dropdown menu, one for each month. Percentile Color Bar, All Water Storage Percentile COlor Bar, Groundwater Storage Only
Earth's Energy Budget
July 20, 2017, 4 a.m.
Read moreEarth s energy input across a wide range of wavelengths. In this animation we see how various wavelengths of light are partially reflected into space at different places in the column of atmosphere above the ground. The sensors of TSIS-1, the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), are significantly improved versions of sensors included on NASA’s Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission launched in 2003. Both sensors are more accurate and more precise than their predecessors.
Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2022
Jan. 12, 2023, 5 a.m.
Read moreNASA Reports 2022 Tied for 5th Warmest Year on Record, Continuing a TrendEarth s Earth science programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth 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.
Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2021
Jan. 12, 2022, 7 p.m.
Read moreEarth’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 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.
Active Fires As Observed by VIIRS, 2020
April 7, 2021, 8 p.m.
Read moreThis visualization shows active fires as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, during 2020. The VIIRS instrument flies on the Joint Polar Satellite System’s Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 polar-orbiting satellites. Instruments on polar orbiting satellites typically observe a wildfire at a given location a few times a day as they orbit the Earth from pole to pole. VIIRS detects hot spots at a resolution of 375 meters per pixel, which means it can detect smaller, lower temperature fires than other fire-observing satellites. Its observations are about three times more detailed than those from the MODIS instrument, for example. VIIRS also provides nighttime fire detection capabilities through its Day-Night Band, which can measure low-intensity visible light emitted by small and fledgling fires. This animated visualization uses a moving three-day average of measured fire radiative power (FRP), summing the 375 m resolution data into one-quarter degree bins, to present a view of fire intensities around the globe. This still image shows the cumulative FRP over the year 2020, summing the 375 m resolution data into one-quarter degree bins, in a Robinson projection. This still image shows the cumulative FRP over the year 2020, summing the 375 m resolution data into one-quarter degree bins, in a Mollweide projection. This animated visualization uses a moving three-day average of measured fire radiative power (FRP), summing the 375 m resolution data into one-quarter degree bins, to present a view of fire intensities in North America.
Global Temperature Anomalies from 1880 to 2020
Jan. 14, 2021, 6 a.m.
Read more2020 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 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
Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 2020
Sept. 21, 2020, 9:20 a.m.
Read moreSatellite-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 (GCOM-W1) satellite. Two JAXA datasets used in this animation are the 10-km daily sea ice concentration and the 10 km daily 89 GHz Brightness Temperature.In this animation, the daily Arctic sea ice and seasonal land cover change progress through time, from the yearly maximum ice extent on March 5 2020, through its minimum on September 15 2020. Over the water, Arctic sea ice changes from day to day showing a running 3-day minimum sea ice concentration in the region where the concentration is greater than 15%. The blueish white color of the sea ice is derived from a 3-day running minimum of the AMSR2 89 GHz brightness temperature. The red boundary shows the minimum extent averaged over the 30-year period from 1981 to 2010. Over the terrain, monthly data from the seasonal Blue Marble Next Generation fades slowly from month to month. The faint circle that appears periodically close to the pole is an artifact of the visualization process, and does not represent a real feature. Animation of Arctic sea ice extent from the Mar. 5, 2020 maximum to the Sept. 15, 2020 minimum, 30-year average extents in yellow Animation of Arctic sea ice extent from the Mar. 5, 2020 maximum to the Sept. 15, 2020 minimum, 30-year average extents in yellow, no text Animation of Arctic sea ice extent from the Mar. 5, 2020 maximum to the Sept. 15, 2020 minimum, no average, no text Animation of Arctic sea ice extent from the Mar. 5, 2020 maximum to the Sept. 15, 2020 minimum, 30-year average extents in red Arctic sea ice minimum, Sept. 15 2020, with labels, 30-year average extents in yellow, print resolution Arctic sea ice minimum, Sept. 15 2020, with labels, 30-year average extents in red, print resolution Arctic sea ice minimum, Sept. 15 2020, no labels, print resolution
COVID-19: NASA Satellite Data Show Drop in Air Pollution Over U.S.
May 17, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreThese images show the impact the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had on reducing air pollution in the United States as widespread lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders have been put in place. The images show a reduction in the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—a noxious gas emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities—as measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite in March 2020. The “without stay-at-home orders” images show average monthly NO2 concentrations during March and April from 2015 through 2019, while the “during stay-at-home orders” images show average monthly concentrations in March and April 2020. These improvements in air quality have come at a high cost, as communities grapple with the impacts of COVID-19. The data indicate that the NO2 levels in March and April 2020 are much lower on average across the United States when compared to the mean of 2015 to 2019. Tropospheric NO2 Column, March 15-April 15 2015-2019 average vs. 2020, USA regions Tropospheric NO2 Column, March 2015-2019 average vs. 2020, Northeast USA Tropospheric NO2 Column, March 15-April 15 2015-2019 average vs. 2020, Southeast USA Tropospheric NO2 Column, March 15-April 15 2015-2019 average vs. 2020, Florida Tropospheric NO2 Column Animation, With Total Mass Inset
Earth: A System of Systems (updated)
May 7, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreIn order to study the Earth as a whole system and understand how it is changing, NASA develops and supports a large number of Earth-observing missions. These missions provide Earth science researchers the necessary data to address key questions about global climate change.This visualization reveals that the Earth system, like the human body, comprises diverse components that interact in complex ways. Shown first, the Multi-Scale Ultra-High Resolution (MUR) sea surface temperature (SST) dataset combines data from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra and Aqua, and Advanced Microwave Spectroradiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) instruments. Constantly released into the Earth’s atmosphere, heat and moisture from the ocean and land influence Earth’s weather patterns—represented here as wind speeds from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) dataset. Moisture in the atmosphere—represented as water vapor (also from MERRA)—forms clouds (shown here using cloud layer data from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center) and precipitation. Precipitation (data from GPM IMERG) significantly impacts water availability, which influences soil moisture (data from NASA-USDA-FA) and ocean salinity.While scientists learn a great deal from studying each of these components individually, improved observational and computational capabilities increasingly allow them to study the interactions between these interrelated geophysical and biological parameters, leading to unprecedented insight into how the Earth system works—and how it might change in the future. All six time-synchronous datasets, individually and then layered two at a time
Earth Day 2020: Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from January 2016 through March 2020
April 20, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreThis visualization shows sea surface temperature (SST) data of the oceans from January 2016 through March 2020. The data set used is from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution (MUR) Sea Surface Temperature Analysis. The ocean temperatures are displayed between 0 degrees celcius (C) and 32 degrees C.This visualization was created in part to support Earth Day 2020 media releases. Sea Surface Temperature - composited version with all layers includedThis video is also available on our YouTube channel. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data layer with alpha Dates layer with alpha Background layer Sea Surface Temperature color bar: color range is blue - cyan -gray - yellow - red; value range is 0 to 32 degrees Celcius
Earth Day 2020: IMERG Precipitation
April 19, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreThis visualization shows the IMERG precipitation product for April, May, and June of 2014.This visualization was created in part to support Earth Day 2020 media releases. IMERG Visualization, With LabelsThis video is also available on our YouTube channel. IMERG Visualization, No Labels
Earth Day 2020: CERES Net TOA Radiation
April 16, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreThis visualization shows top-of-atmosphere (TOA) net radiation for the Earth, as measured from space by the CERES instrument, for the period of August 2005 to July 2014 (this period was chosen for convenience rather than for scientific significance). The net radiation is the difference between absorbed solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation.This visualization was created in part to support Earth Day 2020 media releases. CERES Net TOA Radiation, WIth LabelsThis video is also available on our YouTube channel. CERES Net TOA Radiation, No Labels Colorbar
Global Atmospheric Methane
March 23, 2020, 6 a.m.
Read moreMethane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat 28 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a 100-year timescale. Concentrations of methane have increased by more than 150% since industrial activities and intensive agriculture began. After carbon dioxide, methane is responsible for about 20% of climate change in the twentieth century. Methane is produced under conditions where little to no oxygen is available. About 30% of methane emissions are produced by wetlands, including ponds, lakes and rivers. Another 20% is produced by agriculture, due to a combination of livestock, waste management and rice cultivation. Activities related to oil, gas, and coal extraction release an additional 30%. The remainder of methane emissions come from minor sources such as wildfire, biomass burning, permafrost, termites, dams, and the ocean. Scientists around the world are working to better understand the budget of methane with the ultimate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving prediction of environmental change. For additional information, see the Global Methane Budget.The NASA SVS visualization presented here shows the complex patterns of methane emissions produced around the globe and throughout the year from the different sources described above. The visualization was created using output from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, GMAO, GEOS modeling system, developed and maintained by scientists at NASA. Wetland emissions were estimated by the LPJ-wsl model, which simulates the temperature and moisture dependent methane emission processes using a variety of satellite data to determine what parts of the globe are covered by wetlands. Other methane emission sources come from inventories of human activity. The height of Earth’s atmosphere and topography have been vertically exaggerated and appear approximately 50-times higher than normal in order to show the complexity of the atmospheric flow. As the visualization progresses, outflow from different source regions is highlighted. For example, high methane concentrations over South America are driven by wetland emissions while over Asia, emissions reflect a mix of agricultural and industrial activities. Emissions are transported through the atmosphere as weather systems move and mix methane around the globe. In the atmosphere, methane is eventually removed by reactive gases that convert it to carbon dioxide. Understanding the three-dimensional distribution of methane is important for NASA scientists planning observations that sample the atmosphere in very different ways. Satellites like GeoCarb, a planned geostationary mission to observe both carbon dioxide and methane, look down from space and will estimate the total number of methane molecules in a column of air. Aircraft, like those launched during NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABOVE) sample the atmosphere along very specific flight lines, providing additional details about the processes controlling methane emissions at high latitudes. Atmospheric models help place these different types of measurements in context so that scientists can refine estimates of sources and sinks, understand the processes controlling them and reduce uncertainty in future projections of carbon-climate feedbacks. This first 3D volumetric visualization focuses on several continents showing the emission and transport of atmospheric methane around the globe between January 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018. This video is also available on our YouTube channel. This second 3D volumetric visualization shows a global view of the methane emission and transport between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018. This visualizaion of the rotating global view is designed to be played in a continuous loop.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. This version of the first visualization shows the Earth and methane only. The date, colorbar and exaggeration are not displayed. This version of the second visualization shows the Earth and methane only. The date, colorbar and exaggeration are not displayed. A still image of the global atmospheric methane on December 25, 2017. This layer of the first visualization includes the date, colorbar and exaggeration with transparency. This layer of the second visualization includes the date, colorbar and exaggeration with transparency.
Active Fires As Observed by VIIRS, 2012-2018
July 18, 2019, 8 p.m.
Read moreThis visualization shows active fires as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, from 2012 to 2018. The VIIRS instrument flies on the Joint Polar Satellite System’s Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 polar-orbiting satellites. Instruments on polar orbiting satellites typically observe a wildfire at a given location a few times a day as they orbit the Earth from pole to pole. VIIRS detects hot spots at a resolution of 375 meters per pixel, which means it can detect smaller, lower temperature fires than other fire-observing satellites. Its observations are about three times more detailed than those from the MODIS instrument, for example. VIIRS also provides nighttime fire detection capabilities through its Day-Night Band, which can measure low-intensity visible light emitted by small and fledgling fires.This visualization uses a moving five-day average of measured brightness temperature to present a qualitative view of fire intensities around the globe. Global Fires, 2012-2018 Global Fires, No Dates 2012-2018 Global Fires, Dates Only Global Fires, Spherical Global Fires, Hyperwall Size