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NASA FACT?

Less than three percent of all water on Earth is freshwater (usable for drinking) and of that amount, more than two-thirds is locked up in ice caps and glaciers.


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+ NASA Home > Life on Earth > The Environment

  THE ENVIRONMENT FEATURES
 
 A cloud of pollution hangs over the Eastern United States in this image captured in July 2002 by NASA's MODIS instrument.
Local Sources Major Cause of U.S. Near-Ground Aerosol Pollution
Most of the pollution found here in the U.S. is from local sources, and only a small portion is brought here from other countries.
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 Ozone hole image from September 13, 2007
NASA Data Reveals 'Average' Ozone Hole in 2007
NASA data reveal the extent of the hole in 2007 was about average when compared to measurements from the last few decades.
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 This data visualization shows the annual sea ice minimum in 2007.
Drop in Arctic Sea Ice Raises Questions
Melting Arctic sea ice has shrunk to a 29-year low, significantly below the minimum set in 2005.
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 Graphic representation of the Greenland ice melt anomaly.
Greenland Snow Melting Hits Record High
A new NASA-supported study reports that 2007 marked an overall rise in the melting trend over the entire Greenland ice sheet.
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 Primary forest showed an increase in photosynthetic activity, see left image, despite below average rainfall, see right image.
Amazon Unexpectedly Resilient to Drought
A team of scientists using two NASA satellites has shown that one of the worst droughts in decades could not stop the Amazon forest from "greening up."
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 Clouds over North America on August 2, 2000, as measured by GOES-11.
NASA Study Predicts More Severe Storms With Global Warming
NASA scientists have developed a new climate model that indicates that the most violent severe storms and tornadoes may become more common as Earth’s climate warms.
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 Still from animation showing global rainfall trends.
Long-Term Increase in Rainfall Seen in Tropics
NASA has detected the first signs that tropical rainfall is on the rise.
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 Thumbnail of CHAPS field campaign map of Oklahoma
Scouting out Aerosols in Oklahoma
NASA Langley researchers use lidar to support Department of Energy field campaigns.
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 Aura Will Help Understand Climate Change
Aura Will Help Understand Climate Change
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+ View this Video
 


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Last Updated: November 16, 2007
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