NASA's Landsat satellite looks for a cloud-free view
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 16:20
in Astronomy & Space
For decades, Landsat satellites have documented the desiccation of the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Once one of the largest seas in the world, it shrunk to a tenth of its original volume after Russia diverted its feeder rivers in the 1960s. Scientists studying the Aral Sea's changing ecology and retreating shoreline have looked to Landsat—and a new feature of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission will help ensure they get a clear, cloud-free view.