Satellite data that shows evidence of the Earth's changing climate also revealed a dangerous threat faced by coastal cities around the world.
What's happening?
As reported by Space.com earlier this month, the ongoing heating of the planet due to human-induced climate change has caused glaciers to melt "at unprecedented rates," which leads to rising sea levels that cause coastal communities to be "ravaged by storms" and animals to be displaced from their habitats.
Last month, Hurricane Helene destroyed communities across the southeastern coast of the United States, and Hurricane Milton brought another devastating impact to South Florida this month. The strength of these storms is directly connected to climate change.
NASA and other space agencies can use climate satellites to observe the way climate change has caused these drastic shifts in weather patterns. Satellite gravimetry, a technique that Space.com says "can precisely measure when ice mass is lost, how oceans are rising and even fluctuations in groundwater supply," shows the danger these changes pose to coastal towns.
"Satellites can see what we cannot with our own eyes: changes in deep underground water storage that would require us to dig deep in the ground to witness firsthand," Cedric David, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, told Space.com. "That's just mind-blowing."
Why is this important?
Scientists have been warning about the issue of rising sea levels and the threats they pose to coastal cities for quite some time. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that sea levels could rise by 1.4 feet to 2.8 feet by 2100, which could dramatically affect areas like the Carolinas, Florida, and Louisiana.
More climate scientists are needed to gather the data needed to prepare for the impending doom.
"The only way we can draw connections between the various phenomena that drive the complex functioning of our planet, tease out the natural and the human-driven, is to connect the dots among them," David told Space.com. "For this, we need an ongoing fleet of space sentinels up high in space. The same way we do annual checkups at the family doctor, we need to diagnose the health of our own planet."
What's being done about this?
Scientists can use the data gathered from climate satellites as evidence to influence climate-impacting decisions and convince officials that change is necessary to reduce pollution in hopes of slowing down the heating of the planet.
"We've had a series of radar altimetry satellites circling around our Earth in constant operation since 1992 that have allowed us to see the undeniable: Oceans are in constant rise," David told Space.com. "The 30-year-long curves of sea level rise are unquestionable evidence that our climate is changing."
You can help reduce your contributions to the changing climate by cutting down on the use of planet-warming gases. If you live in a coastal community, you can brace for the impact of extreme weather events by taking steps to build climate resistance in your home.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
