NASA: Satellite Shows Effects Of Climate Change From Space

Photos taken by satellites in space clearly reveal the effects of climate change on Earth, indicating vital tools needed to protect our home planet, NASA chief Charles Bolden wrote on May 6.

Following the release of the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment report on May 5 by the White House, Bolden's comments were released on his NASA blog, Space.com reported.

More extreme weather events, longer and hotter summers and other extreme regional effects will result through the fallout from human-induced climate change, according to the report. More frequent wildfires and coastal flooding are also visible from space.

"We can already see the impacts of climate change around the world, especially through the lens of our satellites," Bolden wrote in the blog post. "The U.S. National Climate Assessment combined observations from NASA's incredible fleet of Earth observation satellites with surface-based and satellite data from our interagency and international partners, to help us understand what's going on globally in areas such as polar ice, precipitation extremes, temperature change, sea level rise and forest ecosystems."

Claiming that the space agency had big plans in 2014, Bolden wrote that NASA scientists and missions were vital to the National Climate Assessment report.

"Five NASA Earth Science missions will be launched into space in 2014 alone," Bolden wrote. "Together with NASA's existing fleet of satellites, airborne missions, researchers, and the unique platform of the International Space Station (ISS), these new missions will help answer some of the critical challenges facing our planet today and in the future."

The Soil Moisture Active Passive mission will also be launched in November to study soil moisture around the world, as well as monitor the timing of freeze thaws, Space.com reported.

"All of the data NASA collects is widely disseminated and helps many people to make wise decisions about how we care for our planet, as well as predict and cope with changes in climate and extreme weather events," Bolden wrote. "The National Climate Assessment is an example of how critical the NASA data and research are."

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