The European Space Agency (ESA) released the first Sentinel-1 satellite images sent via the European Data Relay System (EDRS), also known as the SpaceDataHighway. The two radar images were taken over La Reunion Island and its coastal area.
Europe's Galileo Navigation System Adds Two Satellites
The European Union-funded Galileo satellite navigation system added its 13th and 14th satellites after a successful launch atop a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana on May 24, 2016. Nearly four hours after liftoff, the twin Galileos were deployed into orbit approximately 23,522 kilometers above Earth.
Canada's Fort McMurray Fire Continues to Rage
The Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reports that the Fort McMurray wildfire is now estimated to be more than 522,892 hectacres in size (1,292,094 acres”an area larger than the state of Rhode Island).
Despite Drought, Satellite Data Shows Rapid Recovery for Some California Forests
According to aerial surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in summer 2015, the recent California drought resulted in millions of dead trees, mainly in the state's Sierra Nevada mountain regions. NASA researchers found that years of California's drought conditions, however, have not slowed the regrowth of tree and shrub cover in some areas burned by wildfires.
Methane and Carbon Dioxide Levels Still Rising
Satellite readings show that atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide are continuing to increase despite global efforts to reduce emissions. Methane concentrations were somewhat constant until 2007, but since then have increased about 0.3 percent per year, whereas global carbon dioxide levels continue to rise at about 0.5 percent per year.
NAAMES Mission Studies Oceans and Atmosphere
The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES), a five-year NASA-funded study, is the first NASA Earth Venture-Suborbital mission focused on studying the coupled ocean ecosystem and atmosphere using ships and aircraft simultaneously.
Living Planet Symposium Begins in Prague
One of the largest Earth-observation conferences in the world began on May 9, 2016, as thousands of scientists from around the world gathered in the Czech Republic to present their latest findings on our changing planet.
Satellites Monitor Canada's Fort McMurray Wildfire
In early May 2016, a destructive wildfire burned through Canada's Fort McMurray in the Northern Alberta region, forcing the evacuation of more than 80,000 people.
Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo Wins Lightning Crown
Using data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) onboard NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission, a new study determined that Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is the new lightning capital of the world.
Mobile Mapping App Capturing Bat Data in Africa
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in conjunction with Colorado State University (CSU) and the Center of Disease Control (CDC), are funding a project to measure and monitor bats in Uganda. The bats are suspected of carrying pathogens in the area, and the catch-and-release program will record detailed measurements and statistics as part of ecological and bat-distribution research.
