Press Releases & Feature Stories Archive - Biospheric Sciences Laboratory

A Haircut for Puerto Rico’s Forests

02.03.2019

A research team has found that 40 to 60 percent of the tall trees surveyed on the island either lost large branches, were snapped in half, or were uprooted by strong winds from Hurricane Maria.

Innovative GEDI Instrument Now Gathering Forest Data

02.01.2019

The Global Ecosystems Dynamics Investigation, or GEDI — is now collecting data as a payload attached to the Japanese Experiment Module, the largest science facility on the International Space Station.

NASA Provides New Look at Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane Maria

12.10.2018

Two new NASA research efforts delve into Hurricane Maria's far-reaching effects on the island's forests and on its residents' energy and electricity access.

GEDI Scientists Share Space Laser Excitement

11.30.2018

Scientists are eagerly anticipating data on Earth's forests that GEDI — launching Dec. 4 — will gather.

Scars of the Somme

11.11.2018

Physical reminders are still etched on the French countryside more than 100 years after one of the bloodiest battle of World War I.

Flooding Along the Nueces River

11.09.2018

On Nov. 1, 2018, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured a false-color view of flooding along the Nueces River.

A New Hope: GEDI to Yield 3D Forest Carbon Map

11.07.2018

A new NASA laser instrument set to launch to the International Space Station in December will help scientists create the first three-dimensional map of the world’s temperate and tropical forests.

NASA Brings its Science and Supercomputing Advances to SC18

11.05.2018

From designing rocket launch pad components and safer rotorcraft to improving flood and drought forecasts to modeling the formation of planetary disks, NASA will highlight supercomputing advances at SC18, the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, Nov. 12 to 15 in Dallas.

A Blackwater River Meets the Sea

10.27.2018

A satellite image offers inky evidence of the organic-rich freshwater that the Suwannee River delivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

African Smoke-Cloud Connection Target of NASA Airborne Flights

10.12.2018

The ORACLES mission is gathering data on how aerosols such as smoke affect clouds and in turn Earth's climate.

Devastation in Palu After Earthquake, Tsunami

10.03.2018

Sobering satellite views reveal massive damage on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Landslides in Hokkaido

10.02.2018

A powerful earthquake triggered hundreds of landslides on the Japanese island.

Urban Growth of New Delhi

09.27.2018

The capital of India, New Delhi, has been experiencing one of the fastest urban expansions in the world.

Down to the Kernel: NASA Space Imaging Helps Predict Crop Yields

09.24.2018

Satellite imagery offers scientists new insights into our planet, but the daily snapshots from space also have an impact for business too—including helping predict just how much corn is growing down here on the ground.

Unexpected Future Boost of Methane Possible from Arctic Permafrost

08.17.2018

New NASA-funded research has discovered that permafrost's expected gradual thawing and the associated release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere may actually be sped up by a process called abrupt thawing.

NASA Goddard’s Science Jamboree Connects Disciplines and Interns

07.26.2018

The Goddard Science Jamboree provides an opportunity for interns and senior scientists alike to learn more about the science happening in other disciplines in one room.

Fires, Floods and Satellite Views: Modeling the Boreal Forest’s Future

07.25.2018

The 2014 megafires in Canada's Northwest Territories burned 7 million acres of forest, making it one of the most severe fire events in Canadian history.

NASA Surveys Hurricane Damage to Puerto Rico’s Forests

07.11.2018

Hurricane Maria barreled across Puerto Rico with winds of up to 155 miles per hour and battering rain that flooded towns, knocked out communications networks and destroyed the power grid.

Help NASA Track and Predict Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreaks

07.02.2018

Picnics, parades and fireworks are the attributes of a grand July Fourth celebration. So are the itch and scratch of mosquito bites.

3D View of Amazon Forests Captures Effects of El Niño Drought

06.12.2018

In the first high-resolution measurements of the central Brazilian Amazon's tree canopy, NASA researchers found that 65 percent more trees and large branches died due to an El Niño-driven drought.

NASA Scientist to Discuss 'Mapping the Blue Marble: Using Space-Based Observations for Improved Global Water Security and Sustainability' at Library of Congress Lecture

05.08.2018

The public is invited to a free talk called 'Mapping the Blue Marble: Using Space-Based Observations for Improved Global Water Security and Sustainability,' with Dr. John Bolten.