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.

Shifting Cultivation in Laos
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Shifting Cultivation in Laos

A detailed analysis of satellite data reveals the expansion of land that has been converted from forest to impermanent farmland.

Published Aug 21, 2023

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Devastation in Maui
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Devastation in Maui

Strong winds and dry weather helped fuel destructive wildfires on Hawaii’s second-largest island.

Published Aug 10, 2023

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Fire Season Heats Up in the West
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Fire Season Heats Up in the West

Following a slow start to the fire season, several blazes burned across the western U.S. in early August.

Published Aug 3, 2023

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Canals in Ukraine are Drying Up
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Canals in Ukraine are Drying Up

After the breach of Kakhovka Dam and the flood that ensued, farmers in the area are coping with depleted water supplies.

Published Jul 27, 2023

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Fires Ignite on Greek Islands
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Fires Ignite on Greek Islands

Wildfires broke out on Rhodes and other islands amid record heat, forcing thousands to evacuate.

Published Jul 25, 2023

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Idaho’s Emerald Refuge
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Idaho’s Emerald Refuge

Plants are abundant along Baugh Creek, thanks to the ponded water from beaver dams.

Published Jul 24, 2023

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Watching a Hurricane Intensify
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Watching a Hurricane Intensify

Observations made by NASA’s newest storm-watching satellites captured the evolution of Hurricane Adrian’s structure as the storm strengthened.

Published Jul 21, 2023

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Water Woes in Doñana National Park
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Water Woes in Doñana National Park

Satellite data show wetlands in Spain desiccated by demands on groundwater and persistent drought.

Published Jun 26, 2023

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A Rough Harvest for Kansas Wheat
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A Rough Harvest for Kansas Wheat

Prolonged drought in Kansas set the stage for what may be one of the state’s smallest wheat harvests in decades.

Published Jun 22, 2023

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Satellites Show Gains in California Water
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Satellites Show Gains in California Water

Data from winter 2022-2023 show the greatest net gain of water in nearly 22 years, but groundwater levels still suffer from years of drought.

Published Jun 10, 2023

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California Reservoir Rebound
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California Reservoir Rebound

Shasta Lake refilled in spring 2023 after a season of heavy rain and snowmelt.

Published Jun 7, 2023

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Coastal Phytoplankton on the Rise
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Coastal Phytoplankton on the Rise

Blooms of the plant-like organisms near coastal areas have become more frequent in the 21st century.

Published May 30, 2023

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A Boreal Forest Awakens
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A Boreal Forest Awakens

Fieldwork in interior Alaska aimed to identify when evergreen trees resumed growth and started taking up carbon.

Published May 27, 2023

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Brighter Nights in Antakya
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Brighter Nights in Antakya

Lights have been steadily returning to southeast Türkiye after deadly earthquakes triggered power outages in February 2023.

Published May 15, 2023

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Tulare Lake Grows
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Tulare Lake Grows

Flooding in the California lakebed continues to spread as spring brings snowmelt from the Sierras.

Published May 4, 2023

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Freddy Brings Lean Times to Malawi
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Freddy Brings Lean Times to Malawi

Hunger is on the rise in Malawi after the tropical cyclone devastated crops in the southern part of the country.

Published May 3, 2023

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Shrinking Reservoirs in Catalonia
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Shrinking Reservoirs in Catalonia

Heat and drought have parched reservoirs in northeastern Spain.

Published Apr 26, 2023

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A Boom Year for Sierra Nevada Snow
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A Boom Year for Sierra Nevada Snow

Atmospheric rivers delivered a huge amount of snow to the California mountain range.

Published Apr 19, 2023

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Heavy Rains Hit Drought-Stricken Horn of Africa
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Heavy Rains Hit Drought-Stricken Horn of Africa

Water overtopped the banks of the Shabelle and Juba rivers, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Ethiopia and Somalia.

Published Apr 14, 2023

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A Massive Seaweed Bloom in the Atlantic
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A Massive Seaweed Bloom in the Atlantic

A belt of seaweed that stretches from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico is the largest on record for March.

Published Apr 7, 2023

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Return of Tulare Lake
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Return of Tulare Lake

Heavy precipitation has flooded communities and agricultural fields in the former lakebed.

Published Apr 4, 2023

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Battling Boll Weevils in Texas
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Battling Boll Weevils in Texas

Satellites are helping farmers in the Rio Grande Valley take on the cotton-loving beetles.

Published Apr 3, 2023

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Putting the Red in “Red Tide”
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Putting the Red in “Red Tide”

Scientists developed a way to detect the fine-scale features of harmful algae blooms that occur close to beaches and inside small bays.

Published Mar 29, 2023

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How Dust Affects the World’s Health
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How Dust Affects the World’s Health

NASA research finds that a combination of windblown dust and human-caused particle pollution was associated with nearly 3 million premature deaths in 2019.

Published Mar 17, 2023

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Nitrogen Dioxide in the Neighborhood
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Nitrogen Dioxide in the Neighborhood

A team of scientists mapped nitrogen dioxide in California’s air at the neighborhood scale and found hotspots of the air pollutant near high-rise buildings and food processing facilities.

Published Mar 7, 2023

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Landslides in São Paulo, Brazil
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Landslides in São Paulo, Brazil

After torrential rains, satellite images revealed widespread landslides in the Brazilian state’s coastal municipality of São Sebastião.

Published Mar 4, 2023

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Dark Nights in Antakya
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Dark Nights in Antakya

In the days after strong earthquakes struck Türkiye, significant destruction left many areas without electric power.

Published Feb 24, 2023

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Flooding Along the Orontes River
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Flooding Along the Orontes River

Some towns and farmland were flooded after powerful earthquakes and heavy rains struck areas of Türkiye and Syria.  

Published Feb 23, 2023

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Landslides in Türkiye
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Landslides in Türkiye

Scientists are using satellite images to locate landslides following the powerful earthquakes that struck in early February.

Published Feb 23, 2023

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Earthquake Damage in Türkiye
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Earthquake Damage in Türkiye

Scientists from NASA and other agencies are using satellites to map damage caused by the devastating earthquake.

Published Feb 9, 2023

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