Applied Sciences

NASA satellites and sensors constantly take the pulse of our planet, measuring how Earth changes by the day, season, year, and decade. Researchers and resource managers analyze those measurements and apply them on local and regional scales to better manage things like our food and water supplies, health, safety, land use, and ecosystems. NASA data is also used by other government agencies to help with responses to natural disasters and emergencies around the country and the world.

Temperatures Predict Bird Biodiversity
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Temperatures Predict Bird Biodiversity

Small birds prefer winter landscapes that have larger thermal differences, likely because they offer more opportunities to find refuge from the cold.

Published Jun 4, 2020

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A Fiery Month in Zulia
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A Fiery Month in Zulia

After dry weather parched the soil and vegetation, large fires burned in the northwestern Venezuela state.

Published Apr 28, 2020

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Tornado Leaves a Mark on Rural Texas
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Tornado Leaves a Mark on Rural Texas

Powerful thunderstorms moving through eastern Texas and western Louisiana spawned several tornadoes, including some that caused major damage.

Published Apr 27, 2020

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Mapping Moose Populations in Russia
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Mapping Moose Populations in Russia

Researchers using vegetation data to explain moose population dynamics run into a hidden variable and a possible signature of history.

Published Apr 27, 2020

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Tracking Water for the Navajo Nation
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Tracking Water for the Navajo Nation

A new web tool designed by NASA applied scientists could help the tribe anticipate and respond to drought.

Published Apr 20, 2020

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Could Satellites Help Head Off a Locust Invasion?
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Could Satellites Help Head Off a Locust Invasion?

Researchers are using satellite data to understand where locusts may spread during the largest infestation in eastern Africa in decades.

Published Mar 30, 2020

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Satellite Observations Aid Bison Management
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Satellite Observations Aid Bison Management

A new study has found a link between the effects of climate change, the productivity of grasslands, and the proliferation of bison in Yellowstone National Park.

Published Mar 12, 2020

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Habitat at Risk for Snow-Dependent Organisms
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Habitat at Risk for Snow-Dependent Organisms

Some species will be exposed to more cold winter air without the insulating protection of snow cover.

Published Mar 6, 2020

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Reflecting on a Tumultuous Amazon Fire Season
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Reflecting on a Tumultuous Amazon Fire Season

The reality of science, statistics, and satellites is that a deep understanding of the causes, effects, and severity of a fire season takes time.

Published Mar 3, 2020

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Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China
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Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China

NO2 amounts have dropped with the coronavirus quarantine, Chinese New Year, and a related economic slowdown.

Published Feb 28, 2020

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ECOSTRESS Sees Plants Waking Up
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ECOSTRESS Sees Plants Waking Up

An instrument on the International Space Station observed vegetation beginning to stir on summer mornings near Lake Superior.

Published Feb 26, 2020

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Rivers Are Getting Less Icy
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Rivers Are Getting Less Icy

The window of time available to make and use ice roads is closing.

Published Feb 19, 2020

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Drought Hits Thailand
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Drought Hits Thailand

A severe drought in Thailand is affecting agriculture and drinking water in the region.

Published Feb 15, 2020

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Climate Change Could Trigger More Landslides in High Mountain Asia
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Climate Change Could Trigger More Landslides in High Mountain Asia

Warming temperatures will likely cause more intense rainfall, leading to increased landslide activity.

Published Feb 12, 2020

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Polar Bears Struggle as Sea Ice Declines
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Polar Bears Struggle as Sea Ice Declines

A new study shows that polar bears are spending less time on sea ice, leading them to fast longer, become thinner and have fewer cubs.

Published Feb 4, 2020

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Patchwork of Corn in the Snow
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Patchwork of Corn in the Snow

In the wake of a potent winter storm in late November in the U.S. Midwest, an unusual pattern turned up in satellite imagery.

Published Dec 6, 2019

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Night Lights Can Disrupt Wildlife
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Night Lights Can Disrupt Wildlife

A new study shows that nocturnal animals are less active when the nights are too bright with electric lighting.

Published Oct 24, 2019

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A Flash Drought Dries the Southeast
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A Flash Drought Dries the Southeast

After a wet spring, a quick-onset drought has parched fields.

Published Oct 23, 2019

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New Map Shows Risk of Sunburn Across the U.S.
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New Map Shows Risk of Sunburn Across the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using NASA data to help the public better understand their UV exposure.

Published Aug 7, 2019

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Water Cycle is Speeding Up Over Much of the U.S.
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Water Cycle is Speeding Up Over Much of the U.S.

Scientists have developed a new way to measure water cycle intensity over time.

Published Jul 26, 2019

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Measuring Movement from the Ridgecrest Quake
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Measuring Movement from the Ridgecrest Quake

Remote sensing scientists are getting better at measuring such events and showing how they disrupt and move the land surface.

Published Jul 25, 2019

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Study Projects Troubles for 1700 Vertebrate Species
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Study Projects Troubles for 1700 Vertebrate Species

Researchers examined how human land use will affect species habitats around the world.

Published Jul 22, 2019

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Green Space is Good for Mental Health
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Green Space is Good for Mental Health

New study uses satellite and demographic data to show how the prolonged presence of green space is important for a healthy society.

Published Jul 17, 2019

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Mapping the Land Between the Tides
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Mapping the Land Between the Tides

Harnessing 30 years of Landsat data, researchers have created the first three-dimensional model of Australia’s entire coastline.

Published Jul 2, 2019

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NASA Helps Warn of Harmful Algae in Lakes, Reservoirs
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NASA Helps Warn of Harmful Algae in Lakes, Reservoirs

With limited resources to monitor often-unpredictable blooms, water managers are turning to new technologies to detect and keep track of hazards.

Published Jun 22, 2019

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The Urbanization of Ulaanbaatar
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The Urbanization of Ulaanbaatar

The Mongolian capital is spreading outward as migrants from the countryside fill neighborhoods on the fringes of the city.

Published Jun 4, 2019

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Food Crisis Grows from Dry Soils
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Food Crisis Grows from Dry Soils

Drought is apparent across much of East Africa after seasonal rains failed to deliver much moisture to the region.

Published May 30, 2019

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Record-Setting Precipitation Leaves U.S. Soils Soggy
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Record-Setting Precipitation Leaves U.S. Soils Soggy

The continental United States recently finished its wettest twelve months in 124 years of modern recordkeeping.

Published May 24, 2019

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Lights Out after Cyclone Fani
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Lights Out after Cyclone Fani

The powerful storm, one of the worst to hit India since 1999, knocked out electricity across the state of Odisha.

Published May 8, 2019

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Tracking Peruvian Forest Loss from Space
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Tracking Peruvian Forest Loss from Space

The Madre de Dios region has a rich concentration of endemic species, but their habitats are being threatened by human activity.

Published Apr 19, 2019

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