Tracking Snow: The Cryosphere in an Era of Climate Change

EarthzineAgriculture, Climate, Earth Observation, Ecosystems, Feature, Featured Article, Original, Technology, Water, Weather

A new generation of weather satellites is helping researchers gain insights into the complex relationship between the cryosphere ‰ÛÒ the planet’s cold regions ‰ÛÒ and the climate. With drinking water supplies dwindling around the world, understanding the cryosphere is becoming a front-burner issue.

Leveraging the Climate for Improved Malaria Control in Tanzania

EarthzineFeature, Featured Article, Health Theme, Original, Themed Articles

This article introduces the latest tools and services piloted by the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), with technical support from the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), in service to the national health community. A project called ‰ÛÏEnhancing National Climate Services‰Û (ENACTS) has been implemented in Tanzania with focus on users from the public health community.

Mapping and modelling urban growth and its impact on the hydrology of urban watersheds with satellite imagery

EarthzineEarth Observation, Feature, Featured Article, In-Depth, Original, Water

Figure 3: Average daily rainfall (shaded and units of millimeters) from June-August (200-2006) composited for days with weak atmospheric forcing (lef). The 5 mm contour is shown in blue and the yellow boxes represent the mean upwind (left box), city (center box), and downwind (right box) regions. Lightning flash anomalies (May to September, 1995‰ÛÒ2003) on days dominated by weak atmospheric forcing (right) in Atlanta, Georgia. Image sources: [4] and [5], respectively.

FIG4 A recently concluded research project called MAMUD investigated how high and moderate resolution satellite imagery can be used for mapping and modeling urban growth and its impact on the hydrology of the urban and suburban environment. The paper focuses on research methods, major findings, and work carried out on the Greater Dublin Area in Ireland.

GEOWOW: GEOSS Interoperability for Weather, Ocean and Water

EarthzineApplied Sciences Theme, Earth Observation, Feature, Featured Article, Original, Themed Articles

GEOWOW logo The GEOWOW project aims to improve data discovery, access and usage and evolve GEOSS in terms of interoperability, standardization and functionality while specifically addressing three key application areas: weather, water and, ocean-ecosystems. The project includes 15 international partners and is coordinated by the European Space Agency.

A new application to facilitate post-fire recovery and rehabilitation in Savanna ecosystems

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RECOVER Screenshot. Credit: Carroll, et al. None of the existing information services available to the wildfire community address the specific needs of post-fire stabilization and restoration planning and monitoring vegetation recovery for semiarid lands. To assist the effort to manage savanna fires, we are developing an automated decision support system called the Rehabilitation Capability Convergence for Ecosystem Recovery (RECOVER).

Rita Colwell: Keeping Her Aim on Cholera

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Photo of Rita Colwell

photo of rita colwellWhen cholera killed hundreds living in coastal towns and epidemics were linked with sea travel, newspaper cartoons at the turn of the century depicted the disease as a ferocious sea monster poised to attack fishermen resting on the docks. Today, the disease is still a scourge that claims hundreds of thousands of lives in developing countries every year.