Identifying drought-prone areas and developing an early warning system for crop damage. Protecting biologically diverse areas of the National Park System with a trail monitoring tool. Confirming flooded areas to better inform decision-makers during a disaster.
Each program area supports a variety of projects that utilize Earth observations to identify challenges around the world and create innovative solutions. Our portfolio demonstrates the benefits of using NASA Earth observations to enhance decision-making and improve life on Earth.
Sort by program area to find specific projects or explore them all below.
Principal Investigator
Caley Feemster
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is responsible for a large fraction of deforestation and disturbance in Amazonia. These activities cause severe impacts on the rainforest ecosystem and socioeconomic state of the region. NASA DEVELOP partnered with the Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca...
Principal Investigator
Zackary Werner
Fog and low clouds play an important role in providing moisture to coastal ecosystems. Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests are currently distributed along a narrow strip of coastline in California and Oregon and rely on the presence of marine fog for moisture availability during the...
Principal Investigator
Kathleen Lange
California’s Central Valley is one of the most productive agriculture regions in the United States, producing a fourth of the nation’s food supply. The water demand in this region is heavily dependent on groundwater resources, resulting in over pumping of aquifers at unsustainable rates during...
Principal Investigator
Trista Brophy
The Charles River watershed intersects 35 municipalities within the Boston Metropolitan Area and has a total population of 1.2 million, making it one of the most densely populated watersheds in New England. In recent years, the watershed has observed higher rates of flood inundation, mainly...
Principal Investigator
Henry Grover
In recent years, wildfires in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest have become increasingly common and more severe. Wildfires can have powerful impacts on hydrology and soil stability, including erosion, flooding, and debris-flows that threaten lives and infrastructure downstream. Vegetation restoration treatments like seeding and mulching...
Principal Investigator
Keolohilani Lopes Jr
Chondria tumulosa, a newly discovered red alga, was observed in low abundance in 2016 but has since proliferated and is now smothering and decimating vast expanse of coral reefs in Manawai, located in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). If the spread persists, the outbreak of...
Principal Investigator
Chloe Schneider
The Missouri River Basin provides irrigation water for a substantial part of the domestic agricultural sector within the United States. Drought events pose a significant threat to economic livelihoods of dependent individuals, industries, and ecosystems (e.g. farmers, local tribes, hydroelectric power, wildlife). In 2017 alone...
Principal Investigator
Nicole Keller
The combined effects of increasing urbanization and climate change have exacerbated the urban heat island (UHI) effect and heat-related risks for city dwellers. Vulnerability to heat-related illnesses is further compounded by risk factors such as demographics, socioeconomic status, and pre-existing health conditions. The City of...
Principal Investigator
Scott Cunningham
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is an important species for wildlife, watershed health, and ecosystem resilience across its range. Heavy ungulate browsing and factors influenced by a changing climate including seasonal temperature changes and moisture deficit has led to reduced post-fire aspen regeneration rates in Southern...
Principal Investigator
Ella Griffith
Wildfire smoke has long-lasting impacts on public and environmental health. Currently, agencies that monitor smoke base their decisions on a reactive analysis of how fires burn, the direction the smoke moves from the fire source, and unreliable mixing height predictions. Mixing heights describe the maximum...