Satellite scatterometer missions make essential measurements to support weather and marine forecasting. Learn more about how they work, why they measure ocean winds, and what the QuikScat mission accomplished during its time in orbit.

Video: Explore how scientists determine glacial speed from space.

Antes de la Revolución Industrial, el clima de la Tierra cambiaba debido a eventos naturales como la actividad volcánica y las variaciones de la energía solar.

Desde 1978, la NASA ha estado monitoreando los vientos oceánicos a través de la dispersometría, cuyos datos han mejorado los pronósticos meteorológicos y de huracanes y nos han ayudado a comprender mejor los patrones climáticos globales.

This animation shows the movement of carbon dioxide between the air and sea with the help of ocean surface winds from Jan. 3, 2012 to Aug. 15, 2012.

This animation shows how various temperature records and Arctic sea ice have changed between 1850 and 2018 from human and natural drivers of climate change.

Head into the field with first responders, fire scientists and forest managers to see what challenges they face and how NASA can help mitigate the effects of longer and more intense fire seasons.

An animation shows global sea level trends from 1993 to 2022 as observed by several satellite missions.

The past decade has been the hottest ever recorded since global temperature records began 150 years ago. This video discusses the impacts of the sun's energy, Earth's reflectance and greenhouse gasses on global warming.

This animated map shows monthly temperature anomalies (changes from an average) from summer 1880 to summer 2023 measured with respect to NASA's 1951-1980 baseline period.

Animation showing changes in Antarctic ice mass since 2002 based on satellite data.

Visualization of globally averaged July temperatures since 1880, with July 2023 being the warmest month on record.

This visualization shows carbon emissions from fires from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2018. The color bar reflects the quantity of carbon emitted.

Video: NASA scientists release the first new global map of Earth at night since 2012.

Video: Images created from GRACE data showing changes in Greenland ice mass since 2002.

This animation compares sea surface salinity (saltiness) data from two NASA datasets from 2015 to 2017.

This animation shows how global sea levels have risen more than 80 millimeters (3.15 inches) over the past three decades, which is like covering the U.S. in about 4 meters (about 13 feet) of water over that period.

Animación simplificada del efecto invernadero.

Visualization that captures sea surface temperature anomalies around the world from 1982 to 2017.

La fuerza de la gravedad no solo evita que nos alejemos flotando, sino que también permite a la NASA estudiar el agua y el hielo de la Tierra desde el espacio.

CO₂ emissions

An animation shows several high impact events across the globe between August 2019 and January 2020, including the Australian bushfires.

Fly in 360 degrees over Greenland’s craggy glaciers and other ice formations from NASA’s P-3 aircraft.

A video depicts all seven continents on Earth converging over 250 million years into one new supercontinent called Aurica.

Continuing key Earth observations is really important to see how our atmosphere, land, and ocean are changing over time. A long-term record, combined with cutting-edge observations from the new NASA Earth System Observatory, will continue to push boundaries to better understand our ever-changing planet.