Latest news with #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Nasa data reveals dramatic rise in intensity of weather events
New data from Nasa has revealed a dramatic rise in the intensity of weather events such as droughts and floods over the past five years. The study shows that such extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting and more severe, with last year's figures reaching twice that of the 2003-2020 average. The steepness of the rise was not foreseen. The researchers say they are amazed and alarmed by the latest figures from the watchful eye of Nasa's Grace satellite, which tracks environmental changes in the planet. They say climate change is the most likely cause of the apparent trend, even though the intensity of extremes appears to have soared even faster than global temperatures. A Met Office expert said increases in extremes have long been predicted but are now being seen in reality. He warned that people were unprepared for such weather events, which would be outside previous experience. The data is not yet peer-reviewed, and researchers said they would need another 10 or more years to confirm to conclusively call it a trend. The data has been co-produced by Dr Bailing Li, from the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center – affiliated with the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, who told the Guardian: 'We can't prove causation yet – we would need a much longer dataset. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's happening here, but other events suggest that (global) warming is the driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events round the world, so this is certainly alarming.' Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell, chief of hydrologic sciences at Goddard, also counselled caution over the latest data, but admitted that he too was worried about the apparent acceleration of a trend in destructive events. 'It's certainly scary,' he said. The earlier part of the Nasa time series was published in Nature Water in 2023. The researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate the total effect of a weather event in terms of severity measured by the total area affected, the duration of the event and how wet or dry it was. The paper warned that disturbance to the water system would be one of the most significant consequences of the climate crisis. The paper noted that the intensity of extremes was strongly correlated with global mean temperature, more so than with El Niño, the influential ocean current, or other climate indicators, suggesting that continued warming of the planet will cause more frequent, more severe, and longer and/or larger droughts and floods. The Nasa researchers produced the updated statistics at the request of the Oxford-based research organisation Global Water Intelligence, whose head, Christopher Gasson, said water companies were in the firing line of climate change – facing too much water or too little water – or both. He said most water companies were completely unprepared to cope with the changes under way. 'This is extremely scary,' he said. 'The industry needs to attract investment on a massive scale.' Prof Richard Betts, head of climate change impacts at the Met Office and Exeter University, said of the Nasa report: 'This is a stark reminder that a hotter planet means more severe floods and droughts. This has long been predicted, but is now being seen in reality. 'The world isn't prepared for the changes in intense rainfall and drought that are now occurring. All around the world people have built their ways of living around the weather that they and their forebears were used to, which leaves them vulnerable to more frequent and severe extremes that are outside past experience. As well as urgently ramping up efforts to reduce emissions to halt global warming, we need to catch up on adaptation to live better with the changes that are already happening.' A recent report by the charity WaterAid said extreme fluctuations between floods and droughts were devastating millions of lives, with many major cities experiencing 'whiplash' events from drought to flood or heat to cold – or vice versa. The Royal Meteorological Society warned that such sudden transitions from one extreme to the other caused more harm than the individual events alone, affecting agriculture, infrastructure, biodiversity and human health. Their report said: 'Rising temperatures are disrupting key drivers such as the jet stream and the polar vortex, changing our weather patterns.' Asher Minns, from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, said that their own unpublished UK-based studies also showed more intensification of both droughts and floods as well as abrupt shifts between extreme wet and dry conditions – called hydroclimatic whiplash events. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization's latest report calculates an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will top 2024 as the warmest year on record. It says global temperatures are set to continue to increase over the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies, and sustainable development. The unpredictability of extreme events revealed in the new data is likely to alarm the insurance industry, which bases current premiums on previous trend data. This could have widespread effects across entire economies.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Nasa data reveals dramatic rise in intensity of weather events
New data from Nasa has revealed a dramatic rise in the intensity of weather events such as droughts and floods over the past five years. The study shows that such extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting and more severe, with last year's figures reaching twice that of the 2003-2020 average. The steepness of the rise was not foreseen. The researchers say they are amazed and alarmed by the latest figures from the watchful eye of Nasa's Grace satellite, which tracks environmental changes in the planet. They say climate change is the most likely cause of the apparent trend, even though the intensity of extremes appears to have soared even faster than global temperatures. A Met Office expert said increases in extremes have long been predicted but are now being seen in reality. He warned that people were unprepared for such weather events, which would be outside previous experience. The data is not yet peer-reviewed, and researchers said they would need another 10 or more years to confirm to conclusively call it a trend. The data has been co-produced by Dr Bailing Li, from the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center – affiliated with the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, who told the Guardian: 'We can't prove causation yet – we would need a much longer dataset. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's happening here, but other events suggest that (global) warming is the driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events round the world, so this is certainly alarming.' Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell, chief of hydrologic sciences at Goddard, also counselled caution over the latest data, but admitted that he too was worried about the apparent acceleration of a trend in destructive events. 'It's certainly scary,' he said. The earlier part of the Nasa time series was published in Nature Water in 2023. The researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate the total effect of a weather event in terms of severity measured by the total area affected, the duration of the event and how wet or dry it was. The paper warned that disturbance to the water system would be one of the most significant consequences of the climate crisis. The paper noted that the intensity of extremes was strongly correlated with global mean temperature, more so than with El Niño, the influential ocean current, or other climate indicators, suggesting that continued warming of the planet will cause more frequent, more severe, and longer and/or larger droughts and floods. The Nasa researchers produced the updated statistics at the request of the Oxford-based research organisation Global Water Intelligence, whose head, Christopher Gasson, said water companies were in the firing line of climate change – facing too much water or too little water – or both. He said most water companies were completely unprepared to cope with the changes under way. 'This is extremely scary,' he said. 'The industry needs to attract investment on a massive scale.' Prof Richard Betts, head of climate change impacts at the Met Office and Exeter University, said of the Nasa report: 'This is a stark reminder that a hotter planet means more severe floods and droughts. This has long been predicted, but is now being seen in reality. 'The world isn't prepared for the changes in intense rainfall and drought that are now occurring. All around the world people have built their ways of living around the weather that they and their forebears were used to, which leaves them vulnerable to more frequent and severe extremes that are outside past experience. As well as urgently ramping up efforts to reduce emissions to halt global warming, we need to catch up on adaptation to live better with the changes that are already happening.' A recent report by the charity WaterAid said extreme fluctuations between floods and droughts were devastating millions of lives, with many major cities experiencing 'whiplash' events from drought to flood or heat to cold – or vice versa. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The Royal Meteorological Society warned that such sudden transitions from one extreme to the other caused more harm than the individual events alone, affecting agriculture, infrastructure, biodiversity and human health. Their report said: 'Rising temperatures are disrupting key drivers such as the jet stream and the polar vortex, changing our weather patterns.' Asher Minns, from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, said that their own unpublished UK-based studies also showed more intensification of both droughts and floods as well as abrupt shifts between extreme wet and dry conditions – called hydroclimatic whiplash events. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization's latest report calculates an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will top 2024 as the warmest year on record. It says global temperatures are set to continue to increase over the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies, and sustainable development. The unpredictability of extreme events revealed in the new data is likely to alarm the insurance industry, which bases current premiums on previous trend data. This could have widespread effects across entire economies.
Digital Trends
12-06-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Webb Telescope gets the star treatment in new NASA documentary
The pages of Digital Trends are filled with breathtaking images of deep space captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, including the beautiful Cosmic Tornado, the gorgeous Ring Nebula, the incredible Carina Nebula, and a stunning spiral galaxy. The Webb telescope — the most powerful ever built — launched in 2021 and has been scanning the far reaches of space ever since. Besides beaming back amazing infrared imagery, the telescope is also helping scientists to learn more about the universe's first stars and galaxies, the formation of numerous stars and planetary systems, and the origins of life itself, by exploring distant places with unprecedented clarity. To celebrate the ongoing work of the Webb telescope, NASA has just released a documentary — Cosmic Dawn — that chronicles its more than two decades of development, highlighting the telescope's careful assembly, rigorous testing, and successful launch nearly five years ago. Cosmic Dawn has a runtime of 96 minutes and is free to watch on YouTube. We've embedded it at the top of this page. 'At NASA, we're thrilled to share the untold story of our James Webb Space Telescope in our new film Cosmic Dawn, celebrating not just the discoveries, but the extraordinary people who made it all happen, for the benefit of humanity,' said Rebecca Sirmons, head of NASA+. The documentary also offers viewers an inside look at the successes and setbacks experienced by the team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland — the birthplace of Webb. You'll also get to enjoy plenty of Webb's groundbreaking work, including remarkable images of the faint light of the first stars and galaxies that formed more than 13.5 billion years ago. The documentary also shares Webb's findings on black holes, planets in our solar system and far beyond, and plenty of other cosmic phenomena. 'Webb was a mission that was going to be spectacular whether that was good or bad — if it failed or was successful,' said video producer Sophia Roberts, who filmed some of the happenings prior to Webb's deployment. Roberts added: 'It was always going to make history.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA continues building next-gen Roman Space Telescope despite budget worries
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA engineers have successfully completed testing on one half of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — a key step in making sure this future observatory will perform as expected once it reaches space. "This milestone tees us up to attach the flight solar array sun shield to the outer barrel assembly, and deployable aperture cover, which we'll begin this month," said Jack Marshall, who leads integration and testing for these Roman Space Telescope elements at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Then we'll complete remaining environmental tests for the flight assembly before moving on to connect Roman's two major assemblies and run the full observatory through testing, and then we'll be ready to launch!" he continued. Launch is expected to occur sometime in early 2027. That timeline, however, could still be up in the air as the White House plans to slash NASA's budget in 2026. The drastic 24% cut — the largest in NASA's history — would affect major projects like the Gateway moon-orbiting space station and Mars sample return, among others. Previously released "passback documents," which also describe possible White House fiscal year budget scenarios, suggested funding will be given for the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope but not other telescopes. However, the agency is still awaiting a finalized budget. For now, engineers are continuing their work on Roman. Back in January, before thermal testing could begin, engineers attached the telescope's visor-like sunshade called the "deployable aperture cover" to the telescope's outer barrel assembly, which will eventually house its powerful instruments. By March, they'd also added a set of test solar panels. In April, this entire setup was moved into the Space Environment Simulator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland — a giant chamber that mimics the harsh hot-and-cold temperatures Roman will face in space. Of note, those aforementioned passback documents had reportedly suggested the White House's possible cuts to NASA funding could see Goddard Space Flight Center shut down entirely. Related Stories: — NASA installs 'bulletproof' sunshade on powerful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (photos) — Trump's 2026 budget plan would cancel NASA's Mars Sample Return mission. Experts say that's a 'major step back' — Experts alarmed as White House proposes 'largest single-year cut to NASA in American history' "The test verifies the instruments will remain at stable operating temperatures even while the sun bakes one side of the observatory and the other is exposed to freezing conditions — all in a vacuum, where heat doesn't flow as readily as it does through air," said Jeremy Perkins, an astrophysicist serving as Roman's observatory integration and test scientist at NASA Goddard. Once Roman is out in orbit nearly a million miles from Earth, there's no easy way to send astronauts to fix it. That's why NASA engineers work tirelessly to make sure everything deploys and operates flawlessly. No second chances. Technicians are gearing up to connect Roman's two main sections this November. Once joined, the telescope will officially become a fully assembled observatory by the end of the year. After final testing is complete, Roman will be packed up and shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin launch preparations in summer 2026. NASA scientists say the mission remains on schedule, though they are working hard toward the possibility of an even earlier liftoff as soon as fall 2026.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Something is moving under the surface of Venus
Mysterious features on the surface of Venus might suggest that there is activity under its surface, scientists have suggested. Almost circular features on the surface might suggest that it has active tectonics, according to new research. Though the findings are new, the data used to discover them are actually more than 30 years old, originally found by Nasa 's Magellan mission. The behaviour is similar to the tectonic plates found on Earth, which are huge sections of crust that move on top of a viscous interior and are constantly changing the surface. Venus doesn't have tectonic plates, but researchers suggest that it is nonetheless being changed by molten material that is beneath the surface. To understand the deformations in the surface, researchers looked at coronae that are found on Venus. They can be anywhere from dozens to hundreds of miles across, there are hundreds of them on the planet, and they are thought to be formed when material rises from the planet's mantle and pushes against the crust above. The findings not only shed light on the nearby planet but might also tell us about the history of Earth. 'Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established,' said the study's lead author, Gael Cascioli, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 'By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus.' The data was gathered by the Magellan mission, which remains the best data on the gravity and topography of Venus despite having orbited the planet in the 1990s. That data includes details on the coronae, but at the time it was taken the cause of them remained mysterious. Researchers have proposed a number of explanations for them. But the new research involved creating detailed models that looked at what would happen if the coronae were formed by plumes from underneath – and then compared those simulations with the real data from the planet. They appeared to match up. Researchers found that of the 75 coronae in the study, 52 of them appeared to have floating mantle material underneath that is probably affecting the surface. Scientists hope that the Magellan data could soon be joined by Nasa's VERITAS mission, which will launch no earlier than 2031 and will provide new detail on the planet's gravity and other details. That could not only help understand those coronae but its geology more generally.
