Tag: Earth

NASA, Pacific Disaster Center Increase Landslide Hazard Awareness

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5 min read NASA, Pacific Disaster Center Increase Landslide Hazard Awareness Communities worldwide now have access to a powerful tool to increase their awareness of landslide hazards, thanks to NASA and the Pacific Disaster Center. A humanitarian worker from USAID observes the impacts of a landslide. USAID deployed an elite Disaster Assistance Response Team on Nov. 17, 2020, to lead the U.S. response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance After years of development and testing, NASA’s Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness model (LHASA) has been…

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The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting, and it’s too late to stop it

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It’s not looking good for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This body of ice is Antarctica’s largest contributor to global sea-level rise, and it’s only going to get worse from here. After running multiple simulations, researchers determined that increased melting of the sheet will be unavoidable throughout the rest of the century. Scientists previously hypothesized that a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions could mitigate the warming of the Amundsen Sea, which contributes to melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.  That hypothesis has now been put to the test. Related: Antarctic…

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Observing Storms from the International Space Station

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A storm is pictured in the Arabian Sea less than 700 miles off the coast of Oman as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above. NASA / Jasmin Moghbeli While the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above Earth on Oct. 20, 2023, astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli snapped this image of a storm in the Arabian Sea, less than 700 miles off the coast of Oman. In addition to photographing our planet from the space station, NASA also observes Earth with satellites. These satellites collect data on storms that scientists…

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How astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured the planet in ‘The Earth in Our Hands’

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Flipping through his new book of more than 200 photographs of Earth, or, if you are determined, the more than 245,000 images he took during his second mission aboard the International Space Station, you get the sense that Thomas Pesquet thoroughly captured the planet. In “The Earth in Our Hands: Photos from the International Space Station,” Pesquet, a French astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), curates his favorite views of our home world, showcasing its varied landscapes of both natural and human-made features. With a familiarity that only an…

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The Moon Casts a Shadow

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On October 14, 2023, the Moon aligned with the Sun and Earth to produce an annular solar eclipse. The spectacle bathed millions of Americans in a lunar shadow as the Moon blocked the Sun’s rays. The above image was acquired during the eclipse by NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera imager aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory, a joint NASA, NOAA, and U.S. Air Force satellite. NASA NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) captured the lunar shadow during the Oct. 14 annular solar eclipse. The…

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Seeing Baja California Sur From Space

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NASA The crew of the International Space Station saw this view of the north coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur as the space station orbited 258 miles above on Oct. 14, 2023. In 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets. The station’s orbital path takes it over 90 percent of the Earth’s population, with astronauts taking millions of images of the planet below. See more photos of our planet here. Image credit: NASA

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Future Mars astronauts may chomp on Earth’s tiniest flowering plant to survive

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The smallest flowering plant on Earth could have a huge role to play in humanity’s exploration of space. Watermeal, or Wolffia, is found floating on the surfaces of lakes and ponds in Asia, gathering in pinhead-sized clumps on our planet. When carried to space, watermeal could provide both food and oxygen for astronauts.  As humanity prepares for the next era of human-crewed space exploration, which will focus on longer missions and sojourns to the moon’s surface (and even Mars’), sustainability is key. That means a small sort of foodstuff that…

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China discovers never-before-seen ore containing a highly valuable rare earth element

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Scientists in China have unearthed a never-before-seen type of ore that contains a rare earth element sought after for its superconductive properties.  The ore, dubbed niobobaotite, is made of niobium, barium, titanium, iron and chloride, the South China Morning Post reported.  It’s the niobium that is causing excitement: This light-gray metal is currently used mostly in the production of steel, which it strengthens without adding significant weight. Niobium is also used in making other alloys (materials made of mixes of metals) and can be found in particle accelerators and other…

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What are different types of clouds and how do they form?

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Clouds are such a regular part of daily life in most places on the planet that it’s quite easy to forget about them — unless they’re about to rain on you or ruin your perfectly planned astrophotography shot! But clouds are crucially linked to temperature regulation on Earth, reflecting some of the sun’s energy to keep us cool and trapping some to keep us warm, according to NASA. Plus, clouds can be an indication of the weather that’s on the way. Related: Mars’ clouds are strangely Earth-like, despite wildly different…

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NASA’s Global Science Hackathon Attracts Thousands of Participants

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NASA More than 50,000 participants have registered for the 2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge Saturday, Oct. 7, to Sunday, Oct. 8, which is the largest annual worldwide hackathon. During the two-day event, participants form teams and use software development, engineering, art, storytelling, science, and other skills to solve science-related challenges written by NASA personnel. Teams can be in-person at local events held around the world, or participate virtually. This year’s theme celebrates the benefits and successes created through sharing open data: Explore Open Science Together. “NASA has a 60-year legacy…

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