NASA Earth Observatory - Home
Satellite images of Earth at night have been a curiosity for the public and a tool of fundamental research for at least 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness. Published Apr 12, 2017. Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing.
Rainforest: Mission: Biomes - NASA Earth Observatory
The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long. It is known for its dense canopies of vegetation that form three different layers. The top layer or canopy contains giant trees that grow to heights of 75 m (about 250 ft) or more. This layer of vegetation prevents much of the sunlight from reaching the ground.
Desert: Mission: Biomes - NASA Earth Observatory
Desert biomes are the driest of all the biomes. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little rainfall. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared to rainforests, which receive over 2,000 mm. That means that the desert only gets 10 percent of the rain that a rainforest gets!
Tracking 30 Years of Sea Level Rise - NASA Earth Observatory
Aug 10, 2022 · Scientists have found that global mean sea level—shown in the line plot above and below—has risen 10.1 centimeters (3.98 inches) since 1992. Over the past 140 years, satellites and tide gauges together show that global sea level has risen 21 to 24 centimeters (8 to 9 inches). Starting with TOPEX/Poseidon, NASA and partner space agencies ...
Total Rainfall - NASA Earth Observatory
Total Rainfall. Globally, rain is the main source of fresh water for plants and animals rainfall is essential for life across Earth’s landscapes. In addition to moving tremendous amounts of water through Earth’s atmosphere, rain clouds also move tremendous amounts of energy. When water evaporates from the surface and rises as vapor into the ...
Collection - Earth from Afar - NASA Earth Observatory
Apr 9, 2024 · climate change, global climate change, global warming, natural hazards, Earth, environment, remote sensing, atmosphere, land processes, oceans, volcanoes, land cover ...
The Carbon Cycle - NASA Earth Observatory
The Slow Carbon Cycle. Through a series of chemical reactions and tectonic activity, carbon takes between 100-200 million years to move between rocks, soil, ocean, and atmosphere in the slow carbon cycle. On average, 10 13 to 10 14 grams (10–100 million metric tons) of carbon move through the slow carbon cycle every year.
Tropical Deforestation - NASA Earth Observatory
Mar 30, 2007 · Tropical forests of all varieties are disappearing rapidly as humans clear the natural landscape to make room for farms and pastures, to harvest timber for construction and fuel, and to build roads and urban areas. Although deforestation meets some human needs, it also has profound, sometimes devastating, consequences, including social conflict ...
2021 Continued Earth’s Warming Trend - NASA Earth Observatory
Jan 13, 2022 · Global temperatures in 2021 were 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average for NASA’s baseline period, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). NASA uses the period from 1951-1980 as a baseline to compare how global temperatures change over time. Collectively, the past eight years ...
Planetary Motion: The History of an Idea That Launched the …
The ancient Greek philosophers, whose ideas shaped the worldview of Western Civilization leading up to the Scientific Revolution in the sixteenth century, had conflicting theories about why the planets moved across the sky. One camp thought that the planets orbited around the Sun, but Aristotle, whose ideas prevailed, believed that the planets ...