For Earth Day 2021, we explore the connections of Earth systems and NASA’s ability to observe them in a changing world, highlighting the links between dust transport, vegetation, water quality, conservation and human health, the cryosphere, and disasters.
Music credits: “Ellipsis” and “Terrafirma” by Ben Niblett and Jon Cotton [PRS] Universal Production Music
Transcripts of EarthDay2021ConnectionsFinal
[pulsing music] Narrator: Our planet is the setting for dazzling and interconnected webs of energy, physical phenomena, and life. Amazing to behold from close up, and hypnotic when seen from above. From space, the fleet of Earth-observing satellites operated by NASA and its partners illuminate the links between these systems. Temperatures on the planet affect all of them, which means each one is impacted by a warming climate. During 2020 global temperatures matched the warmest year we’ve measured, and we experienced the most active hurricane season ever recorded, with many storms quickly intensifying — likely as a result of warmer seas. Heat in the oceans is like fuel that powers these massive storms. But incredibly, dust swept up from northern Africa actually plays a critical role in the formation of hurricanes. It’s also a key source of fertilization for the Amazon rainforest. Due to climate change, dust plumes are expected to decline, and then so will their impacts on vegetation an ocean away. Our satellites and field research allow us to pay close attention to the Amazon rainforest – and other vegetation across the world, helping us track how fires, deforestation, and disasters affect the world’s plant life. We can also study how those vegetation changes, in turn, impact air quality, waterways, and the climate. That same science helps the world’s farmers boost productivity and deal with extreme weather, including drought, early freezes, and heavy spring rains. The observations can also help track some unwanted biproducts of food production. Fertilizers used in farming contain high amounts of nutrients to help crops grow. But those same nutrients can cause sometimes-dangerous blooms of algae in waterways, which can affect local economies, recreation, fishing, and human health. They’re often so large, they’re easily viewed from space. Clean water and clean air are two cornerstones for maintaining healthy people … and wildlife. Satellite data and NASA funding help map how animal migrations are affected by water sources, as well as light pollution and habitat loss, and also help find solutions. The view from space is especially important in the Arctic and Antarctic, where animal habitats are rapidly changing due to climate change, and so is the ice itself, with Greenland and Antarctica losing enough ice in just 16 years to raise sea level by half an inch globally. We can also measure snow and ice farther from the poles, such as vital snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada and Rockies, and in the Himalayas where rapidly-draining glacial lakes can cause sudden and dangerous bursts of water downstream. Earth’s climate is changing, and with it has come a new intensity to weather events and hazards that can lead to disasters, including floods, fires, hurricanes, and heat waves. As disasters become more frequent and intense, NASA will use its satellites and resources to study the effects of climate change on natural systems, and to connect people to technology that can build a more resilient world.
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