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Terra Tracks Ten Years of Change
On December 18, 1999, NASA launched Terra, the first of a series of large satellites meant to monitor the health of our planet. Terra carries five instruments, including two from Japan and Canada, that together track Earth's land, atmosphere, and ocean. Terra's primary mission is to answer the question: How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences of change for life on Earth? Here are some of the changes Terra has observed.
The Shrinking Aral Sea
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August 19, 2000 | August 16, 2009 |
A massive irrigation project in the Kyzylkum Desert of central Asia has devastated the Aral Sea over the past 50 years. These images show the continued decline of the Southern Aral Sea in the past decade, as well as the first steps of recovery in the Northern Aral Sea in recent years. Full size, yearly images and caption at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.php
Amazon Deforestation
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July 30, 2000 | July 29, 2008 |
The state of Rondônia in western Brazil is one of the most deforested parts of the Amazon. This series shows deforestation on the frontier in the northwestern part of the state between 2000 and 2008. Full-size, yearly images and caption at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/deforestation.php
Mesopotamia Marshes
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February 28, 2000 | March 26, 2009 |
In the years following the Persian Gulf War, Iraqi residents began reclaiming the country’s nearly decimated Mesopotamian marshes. This series of images documents the transformation of the fabled landscape between 2000 and 2009. Full-size, yearly images and caption at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/iraq.php
Urbanization of Dubai
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November 11, 2000 | February 5, 2009 |
To expand the possibilities for beachfront tourist development, Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, undertook a massive engineering project to create hundreds of artificial islands along its Persian Gulf coastline. Full-size, yearly images and caption at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/dubai.php
Seasonal Changes in Vegetation
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July | January |
Scientists use global-scale patterns of vegetation to study changes in plant growth as a result of climate and environmental change as well as human activity. By monitoring changes in the timing or extent of seasonal variation over many years, scientists are beginning to see climate change. A decades-long record is essential for observing and understanding climate change.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/view.php?d1=MOD13A2_M_NDVI#
Seasonal Changes in Energy
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July | January |
Scientists track the total energy available to influence the climate. Energy comes in from the sun and leaves as reflected light or heat. Places where more energy is entering than leaving are orange, while areas that are radiating or reflecting more energy than they receive are blue. Long-term changes in the Earth's energy balance are a sign of climate change.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/view.php?d1=CERES_NETFLUX_M#
Contact:
| Mike Carlowicz michael.j.carlowicz@nasa.gov |
Holli Riebeek holli.riebeek@nasa.gov |
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New Results from a Terra-ific Decade in Orbit
Ecosystem, Vegetation Affect Intensity of Urban Heat Island Effect
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