Earth Science & Technology

Using our unique expertise to better understand how Earth works as a system for the benefit of society

Features & News

Landslides cause loss of life and billions of dollars in damage each year. The ability to predict them accurately can reduce both.

This image shows the Slumgullion Landslide in southwestern Colorado

New 3D Mapping Technique Improves Landslide Hazard Prediction

Continuous monitoring of glaciers and ice caps has provided unprecedented insights to global ice loss that could have serious socioeconomic impacts on some regions.

A small glacier in the Arctic region of Norwegian archipelago Svalbard

Ice Melt Linked to Accelerated Regional Freshwater Depletion

Ice loss from Antarctica and Greenland account for roughly a half-inch of sea level rise between 2003 and 2019.

NASA Space Laser Missions Map 16 Years of Ice Sheet Loss

Earth Science Missions

Currently there are more than a dozen missions operationally and several more in development being managed by the Earth Science and Technology Directorate.

Airborne Missions

JPL's Earth Science Airborne Suborbital Instruments and Measurements consist of missions utilizing remote sensing instruments for suborbital studies which are flown on a variety of airborne systems.