ESA’s Earth Explorer Satellite SMOS Monitoring Droughts [Video]
In orbit for more than a decade, ESA’s Earth Explorer satellite SMOS has not only exceeded its planned lifespan, but also surpassed its original scientific…
Drought
Satellite Maps Shows Signs of Drought in European Groundwater
The 2019-20 winter in Europe was the warmest on record, with little snow. The spring was also drier and warmer than normal, with an historic…
Severe Drought in the Czech Republic Visible From Space
The prolonged period of dry weather in the Czech Republic has resulted in what experts are calling the ‘worst drought in 500 years.’ Scientists are…
Sesame Crop Yields Stable in Drought Conditions
Texas has a long history of growing cotton. It’s a resilient crop, able to withstand big swings in temperature fairly well. However, growing cotton in…
California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range Grew Taller During Drought
A new NASA study shows that a loss of water from the rocks of California’s Sierra Nevada caused the mountain range to rise nearly an…
California Valley Land Continues to Sink
California farmers have been forced to pump large amounts of groundwater in response to the historic drought, causing the land to sink and putting nearby…
Amazon Area Twice the Size of California Still Suffering from the Effects of a Megadrought
A new study from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory found that 700,000 square kilometers of forest in southwestern Amazonia is still suffering from a megadrought that…
Rising Temperatures & Persistent Drought Threaten to Create a Second Dust Bowl
Rising temperatures, persistent drought, and depleted aquifers could set the stage for a second Dust Bowl, a period of drought and dust storms that affected…
Effects of Drought in the U.S. are Now Visible from Space
Last year, the USA was hit with floods in the Mississippi River, caused by major storms and melting snow. More than 3,000 square miles were…
Birth Ratios Skew Towards More Females During Famine
In China, during the Chinese Great Leap Forward famine, the male to female birth ratios fell significantly. This implies that whenever food is in short…