Human Dimensions

Earth
Earth Science
Human Dimensions
Life at NASA
Oceans
What We Do
Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its ‘fingerprints.’ In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station.
Posted January 26, 2026
Earth
Goddard Space Flight Center
Human Dimensions
Landsat
Oceans
PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem)
Water on Earth
NASA satellites are helping Maine oyster farmers pick better sites and plan when oysters will be ready to harvest.
Posted January 15, 2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Earth
Goddard Space Flight Center
Human Dimensions
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Water on Earth
Wildfires
When wildfires scorch a landscape, the flames are just the beginning. NASA is helping U.S. communities foresee and prepare for what can follow: mudslides, flash flooding, and contaminated water supplies.
Posted September 24, 2025
EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation)
Earth
Earth Science Technology Office
Human Dimensions
International Space Station (ISS)
Oceans
Water on Earth
Proof-of-concept results from the mouth of the Tijuana River in San Diego County show how an instrument called EMIT could aid wastewater detection. An instrument built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory  to map minerals on Earth is now revealing clues about water quality.
Posted June 12, 2025
Climate Change
Earth
Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Goddard Space Flight Center
Human Dimensions
Landsat
Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)
As any urban dweller who has lived through a heat wave knows, a shady tree can make all the difference. But what happens when there’s no shade available? A recent study in Nature Communications used NASA satellite data to identify a major gap in global resilience to climate change: cities in the Global South have […]
Posted November 26, 2024
Applied Sciences Program
Earth
Earth Science Division
Earth's Atmosphere
Goddard Space Flight Center
Human Dimensions
NASA data about nitrogen dioxide, a harmful air pollutant, is available in EJScreen, EPA’s widely used environmental justice screening and mapping tool.
Posted August 5, 2024
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