SMAPVEX12 stands for the 2012 Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Validation Experiment. The SMAP mission… SMAP is a NASA Earth science satellite mission that uses microwave radar and radiometer instruments to measure soil moisture from space. The radar and radiometer share a six-meter mesh reflector antenna that rotates at approximately 14 revolutions per minute. The […]
During the next few weeks we’ll be writing a series of short articles or “blogs” bringing you news of the SMAPVEX12 field campaign taking place in Winnipeg, Canada this summer. Along the way we’ll be providing you with a view of what SMAPVEX12 is, when, where and why it’s happening, and we’ll introduce you to […]
We often see our images and stories pop up in different places…
We bring you this week’s indicator—90—with a sigh. Ninety is the combined number of Earth-observing instruments on NASA and NOAA satellites that are currently monitoring our planet. And that number is about to plunge, according to a National Research Council report released in May 2012. By 2020, there could be less than 20 instruments in orbit, and […]
By the year 1631, residents of southern Italy had perhaps grown complacent about the volcano that destroyed Pompeii. But near the end of that year, Mount Vesuvius reminded them of its power. From December 1631 to January 1632, explosive activity at Vesuvius caused a caldera collapse, a tsunami, mud flows, scorched farms, and up to […]
Study: Quickening Water Cycle Fueling Extreme Weather There’s been no shortage of extreme weather in recent years, from flooding in Australia to record-breaking temperatures in North America to wildfires in Russia. A new study published in Science argues that at least some of the blame should go to global warming for accelerating the water cycle. By measuring changes in […]
This week’s indicator: 76. No, that is not a reference to the return time of Halley’s Comet (76 years) or the atomic number of the world’s densest natural element (the metal osmium). In this case, 76 is a percentage. And it’s a particular percentage that represents how much of the variability in North Atlantic sea […]
The vast majority of content on the Earth Observatory is free and available for anyone to use, commercially or otherwise. Many iPhone users will recognize our Blue Marble image from their welcome screen, and many other people have been using our RSS feeds and other syndication methods to bring EO content to other websites, or […]
Global Warming and Whipsaw Weather Perhaps you’ve noticed that we’ve had a record-shattering heat wave across much of North America in recent months, whereas Europe and Asia have experienced an unusually cold winter. That’s to be expected according to a new report on extreme weather published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report points […]
Ernie Hilsenrath spent more than 40 years working for NASA, and though he officially retired a few years ago, he is still a great advocate for his employer and for science. The longtime atmospheric chemist is both amazed and troubled by how few people know that NASA works in Earth science. He is equally troubled […]
