From space and in the air, NASA'S fleet of satellites and aircraft are observing the effects of natural disasters and providing information to local governments to aid their recovery efforts. In addition to working with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide updates on hurricanes, NASA is tracking the extent of the burn areas and studying the chemistry of the record-setting wild fires in the Western United States.
For more than five decades, the agency has used the vantage point of space to understand and explore our home planet, improve lives and safeguard the planet's future. NASA brings together technology, science, and unique global Earth observations to provide societal benefits and strengthen our nation.
Fire and Smoke – NASA satellites image the wildfires from space, as scientists are flying over burn areas, using smoke-penetrating technology to better understand the damage. They fly their powerful Uninhabited Air Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) this month, beginning a science campaign to learn more about wildfires that have scorched vast areas of California.
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms – The Atlantic hurricane season has broken many records so far, and it still has two months to go. This week, five tropical storm systems were swirling in the Atlantic Ocean, and our Earth-observing satellites are carefully tracking this slew of storms.