Annually, the United Nations celebrates March 22nd as World Water Day. World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The day is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis, and remembering what a vital role water plays for all of humanity. This year, the theme of World Water Day is “SAVE OUR GLACIERS,” with a focus on glacier preservation. Therefore, no matter where we live, glaciers are critical to our water future.
“I don’t live near a glacier. Why should I care about glaciers?”
Glacier Facts: 70% of the Earth’s fresh water exists as snow or ice. Around 10% of the Earth’s land area is covered by glaciers or ice sheets.
Glaciers are part of the “cryosphere” which impacts every living being on the planet. The word “cryosphere” originates from the Greek word ‘kryos’ for frost or ice cold. The cryosphere extends across the globe and can appear seasonally (like snow in Iowa) or be permanently present in most parts of the world. The snow, glacier, permafrost, and frozen ground are significant storage and sources of freshwater, sustaining ecosystems and supporting livelihoods in and far beyond the regions where these are located. While you watch the video below you will learn about the cryosphere and how it’s changing.
Undeniably, all living beings depend directly or indirectly on the cryosphere. For example, as all major rivers originate from mountains, the mountain cryosphere plays an important role in providing and regulating freshwater resources for around half of the world’s population. Furthermore, alterations and loss of critical snow and ice are increasing the risk of other hazards.
The state of cryosphere is also a useful indicator for climate variability and change. Therefore, improved monitoring is critical to understand Earth’s weather, climate, and water cycles. The cryosphere, its changes, and its impacts have received increased attention in recent years, creating a demand for authoritative information on the state of the world’s snow and ice resources.
As shown above in the video, glaciers are extremely important to help regulate the earth’s temperature. Glaciers, snow, and ice reflect much of the sun’s radiation into space (keeping those areas cooler), unlike the bare ground or open ocean water, which absorb the radiation (making them warmer). Glaciers also store freshwater and are an essential part of the water cycle.
Happy Fall! Observe the changes across the landscape in seasonal images in Northeast Iowa. Snow, forest, farmland. Can you notice the areas of coniferous trees versus deciduous trees and where there is seasonal farmland compared to pasture areas? Also notice the changes along the Mississippi and Upper Iowa Rivers. Enjoy the changing seasons!
This year we are celebrating 50 years of the Landsat earth observing satellite mission. Landsat data helps us observe changes in our communities and environment over time.
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday. Today we are going back into the archives to compare imagery from the first five Landsat satellites (all images are featured in natural color). Click on each image for a closer view.
Try to notice the differences in resolution and image quality between the different years.
Another thing to note is the wide seasonal variation between the images. All the images were from the same three week period in April. Some images are have snow while other years are very green.
Observe that the Des Moines River is swollen in the Landsat 4 -1983 image.
Landsat 1 – April 5, 1976
Landsat 2 – April 3, 1975
Landsat 3 – April 21, 1980Landsat 4 – April 15, 1983Landsat 5 – April 12, 1985
You can explore the raw images using this web app: https://arcg.is/0XrG4f. Happy exploring.
This year we are celebrating 50 years of the Landsat earth observing satellite mission. Landsat data helps us observe changes in our communities and environment over time.
Thanks for stopping by and keep observing the world around you!
This year NASA’s Earth Day theme is #ConnectedByEarth. Visit the NASA Earth Day Poster website to watch a short video about the inspiration for the poster and discover the gems hidden within the poster. Download your copy of the poster to learn more about bees and our natural world.
As you look out your window you may be noticing that grass is beginning to green up, the lilac bushes are growing new leaves, and a robin is gathering material for a nest. These observations are scientifically termed phenology– the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena relating to climate, plant, and animal life.
As spring begins with many of us social distancing it is a good time to turn our attention towards nature and consider joining the National Phenology Network USA’s Nature’s Notebook program. Nature’s Notebook is a group of volunteer observers (students and citizen scientists) from around the USA who pick an observation site and commit to regularly recording data about it throughout a season. This data can then be used by scientists around the world to better understand changes in climate and plant/animal life around the country.
The Nature’s Notebook website has many useful resources for establishing your observation site as well as ideas for which species to observe. The website also has activities and lesson planning ideas for children and young people. Participating in Nature’s Notebook might be a good adventure during the weeks that school is closed and the days are getting nicer.
