From record-breaking heatwaves to pandemic-related events, Earth-observing satellites captured some compelling moments on our planet in 2021. A NASA Earth-curated image list showcases some of the beautiful and complex events that occurred on our planet in the past year, and demonstrates how Earth-observing technologies and missions provide valuable information to scientists, government agencies, and people around the world.
(And… there’s a lot of Landsat!)
Banner Image Caption: Some of the highest diurnal tides in the world—nearly 14 meters (46 feet)—have been recorded in the Sea of Okhotsk. In the Russian Far East, narrow bays funnel and amplify the incoming tides, making it a prime location for tidal power generation. The transition from smooth, laminar flow to mixed, turbulent flow is visible in this natural-color image of the western Sea of Okhotsk. The image of the Shantar Islands and Uda Bay was acquired on Sept. 24, 2021, by Landsat 8.
More frequent satellite observations, such as those of the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset, are needed to fully capture flood dynamics in regions experiencing short-lived, ephemeral flooding.
OSAM-1 Lead Systems Engineer Wendy Morgenstern discusses NASA’s On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 mission to robotically refuel Landsat 7, a satellite that wasn’t designed to be serviced.
Data collected by citizen scientists like you helps land cover scientists evaluate the quality of the maps produced from satellites like Landsat.
I use Landsat data alongside other satellite and field data to map where and when crops like wheat are growing, to analyze different management practices including when crops are planted and harvested, to assess crop health and to forecast end of season yields.
More frequent satellite observations, such as those of the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset, are needed to fully capture flood dynamics in regions experiencing short-lived, ephemeral flooding.
OSAM-1 Lead Systems Engineer Wendy Morgenstern discusses NASA’s On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 mission to robotically refuel Landsat 7, a satellite that wasn’t designed to be serviced.
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