PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Ahead of Earth Day celebrations on April 22, NASA experts say over the decades, they have been tracking the effects of climate change on the planet, including extreme events in the Pacific Northwest.
While NASA may be more well known for studying the moon, Mars or gathering images of the solar system from the James Webb Telescope, NASA Program Manager for Health and Air Quality Applications, John Haynes, says they planet the agency studies the most is Earth.
“We have 25 satellites, including sensors on board the International Space Station, that are continuously monitoring Earth’s weather, climate and environment for research and application purposes,” Haynes said.
NASA has been tracking how the Earth responds to climate change from changes in the atmosphere and ice caps to annual sea level rise.
“Our satellites have been able to detect over the past 30-plus years that sea level is now rising at about four millimeters per year, far higher than it was in the 20th century,” Haynes said. “While that might not sound like a lot, it adds up over time. In fact, we estimate for every two and a half centimeters of sea level rise, we lose about eight feet of beach front property.”
In the Pacific Northwest, Haynes says the agency has been tracking events such as Oregon’s extreme heat wave in 2022 and wildfires — which NASA follows and gives data to the Forest Service to help attack.
Haynes says by tracking these events, NASA is able to give the data to other agencies and those who “make decisions on the ground.”