A prototype deep sea probe designed to explore the interior of volcanic vents underwent a test at the Monterey Bay (Calif.) Aquarium on July 28. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory sank the new package of underwater cameras, temperature sensors, optics, and a spectrometer into the controlled aquatic environment of the aquarium?s giant kelp forest.

More than 200 experts from NASA, other government agencies, universities, and research institutions are traveling this month to the remote Kwajalein atoll in the Pacific Ocean to better understand tropical rainfall and its role in weather forecasting and long-term climate modeling. The KWAJEX experiment is part of NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

Using weather satellites to spot the early signs of El Ni�o, scientists may be able to save East Africans and their livestock from Rift Valley Fever, a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal to humans and animals. According to new research published in the journal Science, satellite data can help predict outbreaks of the disease up to six months in advance.