Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology

slide 1 - A visualization of a map of the United States with an overlay of GRACE forecasts of wet and dry conditions in the upcoming months.

Groundwater Maps and U.S. Drought Forecasts

NASA researchers have developed new satellite-based, weekly global maps of soil moisture and groundwater wetness conditions and one- to three-month U.S. forecasts of each product. Full story ›

slide 2 - Photo of a glacier from an airplane, with the sun glinting off the ice

GRACE, GRACE-FO Satellite Data Track Ice Loss at the Poles

During the exceptionally warm Arctic summer of 2019, Greenland lost 600 billion tons of ice - enough to raise global sea levels by nearly a tenth of an inch (2.2 millimeters) in just two months, a new study shows. Full story ›

slide 3 - GRACE Follow-On: Current Monthly Mass Change map (June-2019).

GRACE Follow-On Monthly Mass Change maps available

GRACE Follow-On monthly maps of terrestrial water storage and ocean bottom pressure changes (Level-3 'Tellus' grids) are now available from June-2018-2019. Get data ›

slide 4 - A map of North America shows how the midwest was almost entirely above its long-term average in mass in May 2019, due to Midwestern flooding, with the runoff raising the Great Lakes to record levels.

GRACE-FO Shows the Weight of Midwestern Floods

Data from the mission show a gain in water weight across the U.S. Midwest as well as rapid weight loss from ice melt in Greenland. Full story ›

slide 5 - Illustration of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission. GRACE-FO tracks the evolution of Earth's water cycle by monitoring changes in the distribution of mass on Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

GRACE-FO First Gravity Field Data Now Available

GRACE-FO releases first Level-2 data products, including nine monthly gravity fields and corresponding atmosphere and ocean model data. Full story ›

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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.
GRACE-FO Launch, Long Exposure

A long exposure of the GRACE-FO launch from Vandenberg
GRACE-FO Launch, Sky and Sea

The rocket carrying GRACE-FO lifts off into a blue sky, with the Pacific Ocean beneath it.