NASA: National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationEarth Observatory

NASA News: June 2002

  1. May 2002
  2. July 2002
  1. As Summer Starts, Next El Nino Is Slow to Grow June 27, 2002

    The Pacific Ocean doesn't show signs of anything that looks like the whopper El Nino of 1997-1998, according to the latest information from the U.S.-French ocean-observing satellite Topex/Poseidon.

  2. Space Station Crew Photographs Wildfires in Western U.S. June 27, 2002

    From the International Space Station, the crew of Expedition Five has had an ideal vantage point for photographing wildfires in the southwestern United States, including fires in Arizona and Colorado.

  3. Students Join Scientists in Search of Asthma Triggers June 26, 2002

    Students and teachers of more than 20 Baltimore, Md. middle and high schools will be helping NASA scientists, and doctors and researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine to better understand the causes of pediatric asthma in Baltimore City.

  4. Mixed Croplands May Make Some Areas Cooler, Wetter In Summer June 26, 2002

    The variety of the vegetation and crops in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states has helped maintain a cooler, wetter climate, according to a NASA-funded study using a computer climate model.

  5. Aqua Mission Status June 24, 2002

    NASA's newest Earth Observing System satellite, Aqua, is successfully providing data and engineering images. After more than six weeks on-orbit, the spacecraft and its six instruments are almost midway through their checkout period and are performing extremely well.

  6. NASA's Earth Observing Technology Satellite Proves a Success June 24, 2002

    The new Earth monitoring technology aboard NASA's Earth-Observing 1 (EO-1) satellite has proven itself invaluable in its clarity and ability to more accurately identify objects on the Earth's surface, and will become part of a long-term Earth monitoring mission on the next Landsat satellite.

  7. NOAA-17 (M) Environmental Satellite Successfully Launched June 24, 2002

    A new environmental satellite that will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world soared into space this morning after a picture-perfect launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

  8. NASA Internet Sites Honored June 21, 2002

    Two NASA Internet sites were honored this week with Webby Awards, sponsored by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards recognize Web sites that are both aesthetically exceptional and which utilize technology to help build communities.

  9. NOAA-M/TITAN II Rocket Ready for Launch June 24 June 21, 2002

    The launch of the NOAA-M polar-orbiting weather satellite for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aboard a U.S. Air Force Titan II rocket is scheduled to occur on Monday, June 24.

  10. Students Use Space Technology to Explore "From Sea to Shore" June 19, 2002

    In January 2003, with the help of cutting edge technology that NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., has used and developed, JASON Project students around the country will explore the Channel Islands to see the area in a way no one else has.

  11. NASA Satellite Confirms Urban Heat Islands Increase Rainfall Around Cities June 18, 2002

    NASA researchers have for the first time used a rainfall-measuring satellite to confirm that "urban heat-islands" create more summer rain over and downwind of major cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, San Antonio and Nashville.

  12. Greenland Ice Sheet Flows Faster During Summer Melting June 6, 2002

    New measurements show that the flow of ice in the Greenland ice sheet has been accelerating since 1996 during the summer melt season. The results suggest that the ice sheet may be responding more quickly to the warming climate than previously thought.

  13. Large Volcanic Eruptions Affect the "Greener Greenhouse" June 5, 2002

    Last year, scientists discovered that the northern hemisphere was becoming increasingly greener due to increased warming. Furthering that study, researchers have discovered that tremendous amounts of tiny pollutant particles thrust into the atmosphere by large volcanic eruptions slow plantgrowth, but still enhance the ability of lands to act as a sink for carbon, as reported in the May 31st issue of Science.

  14. Climate Change May Become Major Player in Ozone Loss June 4, 2002

    While industrial products like chlorofluorocarbons are largely responsible for current ozone depletion, a NASA study finds that by the 2030s climate change may surpass chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the main driver of overall ozone loss.