The Twelve Days of Christmas – NASA Earth Science Edition

On the first day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me:
advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Who remembers the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900? SURPRISE! 8000 dead!
Who remembers the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 that surprised and killed 8000 people? Of course you don’t, because that was a time before we couldn’t forecast extreme weather. Now that NASA put earth science satellites out there, we can predict storms and safely evacuate vulnerable communities.

 

On the second day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me:
Two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Volcanic ash in jet engines is BAD. SO BAD. Good thing we can see them from space.
Personally, I prefer my jet airplanes airborne. In case you didn’t know Volcanic ash in jet engines is BAD. SO SO BAD. Data from NASA Earth Science satellites are used to monitor volcanic ash plumes. This information is then relayed back to groups like the FAA who can then reroute planes or even ground them. CRASH AVERTED.

 

On the third day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me:
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Coronal Mass Ejections. Good for Auroras, super bad for power grids.
Coronal Mass Ejections. Good for Auroras, super bad for power grids. Super big CME’s have been known to disrupt the electric grid. But don’t worry, NASA Earth Science is there for you. By knowing when CMEs are going to hit the earth, NASA coordinates with power companies. They reroute power to your home and you don’t lose the magic of the three prong outlet.

 

On the fourth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me:
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

rsz_goes-r_art_night_earth_2011
Bring an umbrella or not? Pack a sweater or not? Get hit by lightning or not? GOES-R is one of many satellites that helps you make all these perilous decisions. Seriously, without NASA weather satellites there would be no forecast. What would Jim Cantore do if he couldn’t find a storm to stand in front of? THINK OF THE WEATHER-PEOPLE PEOPLE.

 

On the fifth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

You know what's nice? Going out to see and not being pummeled by giant waves,
You know what’s nice? Going out to sea and not being pummeled by giant waves. Data from a slew of NOAA satellites are used to create maps of waves so your boat can remain relatively level. Unless you are a surfer, then BRING. IT. ON.

 

On the sixth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Harmful Algal Blooms are BLAH that can turn your oysters from delicious to deadly.
Oysters, that seafood that tastes like the essence of the sea with the texture of a booger. Harmful Algal Blooms and the toxins they produce can turn these delicacies from delicious to deadly. Good thing NASA monitors algal blooms. This info is relayed to local agencies, who decide whether these and other mollusks are safe to eat. Bet these guys would have appreciated that info.

 

On the seventh day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
seven seas to sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Sure, Titanic was a major blockbuster movie. But it was also a major disaster where 1500 people died. Imagine we had satellite ice-tracking in 1912, then we would never have had to ask whether Jack would have fit on that raft.
Sure, Titanic was a major blockbuster movie. But it was also a major disaster where 1500 people died. Imagine we monitored ice from space in 1912, then we would never have had to ask whether Jack would have fit on that raft.

 

On the eight day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
eight less viruses to die from,
seven seas to sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

zika_riskmap_us_ncar_ucar_2016_800
I think it’s pretty safe to say no one likes mosquitos and no one likes the serious diseases they transmit. Combining data from NASA earth satellites, public health officials are able to forecast outbreaks for diseases like Zika, West Nile, Malaria or even THE PLAGUE. No need to go out medieval style no more.

 

On the ninth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
nine giant zucchinis,
eight less viruses to die from,
seven seas to safely sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Farming. Seems simple. Get dirt, add seed, add water, add sun and voila!
Farming. Seems simple. Get dirt, add seed, add nutrients, add water, add sun and voila veggies! Turns out, it’s not so simple.  Precision farming uses NASA data products to increase crop yields by figuring out exactly how much of each ingredients goes into a field to create the perfect farm recipe. Of course I am imagining provides us with gargantuan veggies.

 

On the tenth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
ten cups of water,
nine giant zucchinis,
eight less viruses to die from,
seven seas to safely sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

How much water do you drink everyday? Well I drink a lot. So I am super thankful that using graviational data from NASA satellites we have identifyined where most underground water is in the world. The unfortunate part? About a third of those are losing wter radpidly.
How much water do you drink everyday? Well I drink a lot, so I am super thankful NASA satellite gravitational data has been able to locate and measure the world’s major underground reservoirs. The unfortunate part? About a third of those are losing water rapidly. Which of course means we should keep monitoring so we don’t use more water than can be replenished.

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
eleventh hour rescues,
ten cups of water,
nine giant zucchinis,
eight less viruses to die from,
seven seas to safely sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

With NASA, this doesn't have to be you.
With NASA, this doesn’t have to be you. Did you know that instruments on NASA satellites are used in search and rescues? NEITHER DID I. They’ve saved over 41,000+ people globally since 1982. Whether you get lost in the wilds or just in your ‘hood, NASA has your back.

 

On the twelfth day of Christmas NASA Earth Science gave to me
twelve hundred degree cooling,
eleventh hour rescues,
ten cups of water,
nine giant zucchinis,
eight less viruses to die from,
seven seas to safely sail in,
six non-toxic oysters,
five meter waves,
four weather satellites,
three prong power,
two working jet engines,
and advance warning of Hurricane Activity.

Stepping out of the path of a wildfire decreases your environmental temperature by 1200 degrees. And that is a very good thing. Without
Fun fact: stepping out of the path of a wildfire decreases your environmental temperature by a whopping 1200 degrees! NASA satellites track and monitor wildfires all over the word. This info is used to combat and contain wildfires, saving countless lives and billions in property damage. Cause there ain’t no SPF strong enough to prevent you from getting extra crispy if caught in a wildfire.

 

THE END.

We’ve reached the end of this song, but we have also may have reached the end of NASA Earth Science too. In case you haven’t heard, NASA Earth Science may be on the chopping block. Yeah NASA Earth Science studies change, but it also figures out how we can safely live and move about this complicated environmental system that exists on our planet. Our way of life has been ridiculously improved by pointing the science lens inward from space as well as outward. If we lose NASA earth science, we lose all the verses in this song. If these are products that make your life better and safer, then support NASA Earth Science by sharing all the good things it does for you.

Thanks! *steps off tiny soapbox*

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