Local reporters can use NASA data for stories on weather events, groundwater, wildfires, conservation and more - Entrepreneur Generations

Data from NASA satellites can add reliable, science-based 
insights to local reporting. (NASA graphic)

Environmental journalists seeking data on planet Earth can dig into troves of NASA information. "NASA actually flies its own Earth-exploring satellites, which collect massive amounts of data in their own right," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

And while the Trump administration succeeded in hacking off a massive portion of the agency's budget, NASA has been busy improving its data site. . .anyway.

The agency now boasts a "nifty refurbished site called Earthdata. NASA says the upgrade — which they call the web unification project — will take the rest of 2026," Davis explains. "It looks better already, because it’s organized by what you are looking for. It’s no longer rocket science."

Davis adds the following "treasures" for reporters looking for environmental data that is gathered in space but grounded in science. 

• Groundwater: NASA offers several datasets that measure groundwater depletion. It also measures land subsidence from depletion.
• Cryosphere: NASA data tells about snow cover, sea ice extent, ice thickness, permafrost, snow and ice albedo (reflectivity), glacier loss, ice sheets and more.
• Land Surface: Satellites are telling us about shrinking forests, warming land, soil erosion, vegetation types, land use, topography, soil moisture, wildfires, floods and landslides.
• Atmosphere: Satellites tell us much about Earth’s 60-mile-thick atmosphere, including pollutants like particulates, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust and smoke. . . .weather-related data.
• Biosphere: Satellites measure vegetation types, vegetation extent and condition, canopy height, deforestation, habitat types and conditions, biomass types, conservation of protected areas, algal blooms, nighttime lights and more.
• Ocean: Most of what NASA satellites see is water. They send back data on sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean color, sea surface height (for ENSOs), nutrients, chlorophyll, ocean currents, sea level rise, biogeochemical cycles, waves and winds, nutrients and tsunamis.
• Human Dimensions: Satellites see what humans do to the planet, including agricultural practices, housing development, and land and water management.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/H9ombT0 Local reporters can use NASA data for stories on weather events, groundwater, wildfires, conservation and more - Entrepreneur Generations

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