Data in Action: GRACE and GRACE-FO are used by California's Department of Water Resources for Groundwater Management Information

US, Germany Partnering on Mission to Track Earth's Water Movement

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity mission will extend a decades-long record of following shifting water masses using gravity measurements. Read more ›

Google's ‘A Passage of Water' Brings NASA's Water Data to Life

This immersive experience leverages satellite data to illustrate how climate change is impacting Earth’s water cycle. Read more ›

US-German Satellites Show California Water Gains After Record Winter

Early data shows the greatest net gain of water over the winter in nearly 22 years, but the state’s groundwater levels still suffer from the effects of years of drought. Read more ›

Warming Makes Droughts, Extreme Wet Events More Frequent, Intense

Scientists have predicted that droughts and floods will become more frequent and severe as our planet warms and climate changes, but detecting this on regional and continental scales has proven difficult. Now a new NASA-led study confirms that major droughts and pluvials – periods of excessive precipitation and water storage on land – have indeed been occurring more often. Read more ›

TIME SINCE
LAUNCH

TIME SINCE LAUNCH

Countup Since Launch

QUICK
FACTS

Measuring Earth's Surface Mass and Water Changes

GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) is continuing GRACE’s legacy of tracking Earth’s water movement across the planet. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, the amount of water in large lakes and rivers, and changes in sea level provides a unique view of Earth’s climate and has far-reaching benefits for its people.

Measuring Earth's Surface Mass and Water Changes

GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) is continuing GRACE’s legacy of tracking Earth’s water movement across the planet. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, the amount of water in large lakes and rivers, and changes in sea level provides a unique view of Earth’s climate and has far-reaching benefits for its people.

More Headlines

June 13, 2018

Ramp-Up in Antarctic Ice Loss Speeds Sea Level Rise

Antarctic ice losses have tripled since 2012, raising global sea levels by 0.12 inch (3 millimeters) in that timeframe alone, finds a new NASA/ESA-funded climate assessment.
May 17, 2018

NASA Satellites Reveal Major Shifts in Global Freshwater

NASA scientists used GRACE data to identify regional trends of freshwater movement, and combined that information with data from other satellites, climate models and precipitation measurements to determine the causes of major regional trends in freshwater storage.
March 29, 2018

NASA Renews Focus on Earth's Frozen Regions

In 2018, NASA will intensify its focus on one of the most critical but remote parts of our changing planet with the launch of GRACE-FO and ICESat-2, and an array of airborne campaigns.

Featured Multimedia

GRACE-FO 3D Model

A 3D interactive model of NASA's GRACE-FO spacecraft.
Rocket Flames

Flames from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching GRACE-FO into orbit.
GRACE-FO Launch, Long Exposure

A long exposure of the GRACE-FO launch from Vandenberg