Earth ID: 4477

GRACE over Brazil (March 2015 - March 2016)

Visualizations by Alex Kekesi Released on July 28, 2016

GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) maps variations in Earth's gravity field. GRACE consists of two identical spacecraft that fly about 220 kilometers (137 miles) apart in a polar orbit 500 kilometers (310 miles) above Earth. GRACE maps Earth's gravity field by making accurate measurements of the distance between the two satellites, using GPS and a microwave ranging system. It is providing scientists from all over the world with an efficient and cost-effective way to map Earth's gravity field with unprecedented accuracy. The results from this mission are yielding crucial information about the distribution and flow of mass within Earth and its surroundings.

The gravity variations studied by GRACE can be used to determine ground water storage on land masses. By comparing current data to an average over time, scientists can generate an anomaly map to see where ground water storage has been depleted or increased.

GRACE is a joint partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States and Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Germany. Project management and systems engineering activities are carried out by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Water storage anomaly color bar. Deepening shades of orange indicate areas below average and shades of darker shades of blue are above average ground water storage.

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Visualization Credits

Alex Kekesi (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Visualizer
Doug C. Morton (NASA/GSFC): Lead Scientist
Yang Chen (University of California, Irvine): Scientist
Michelle Handleman (USRA): Lead Producer
Claire Saravia (NASA/GSFC): Lead Producer
Matthew R. Radcliff (USRA): Producer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4477

Mission:
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)

Data Used: