ECOSTRESS combines global coverage with high spatial resolution. According to NASA, it resolves ocean features that do not appear in imagery from NOAA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite satellite and, unlike Landsat, covers the open ocean. Researchers see potential for the data in biological and physical oceanography. [S1]
The measurements can inform work on a shared concern: NASA says sea surface temperatures are rising across all oceans as a result of atmospheric warming caused by climate change. Satellites are a fundamental tool for measuring those temperatures. [S1]
Another station instrument, the European Space Agency’s Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor, studies thunderstorms. NASA says better understanding of how thunderstorms and lightning disturb the upper atmosphere could improve climate and weather predictions; high-altitude discharges also affect aircraft and spacecraft safety. [S1]
Source documents
- Station Science Top News: Feb. 14, 2025https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/station-science-top-news-feb-14-2025/