NASA and Google, in their enduring partnership, have teamed up with artist Yiyun Kang and Google Arts & Culture to introduce an immersive digital experience called “A Passage of Water,” highlighting global freshwater resources. This innovative project utilizes data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites and the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to depict the impacts of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.
Scheduled for release online on Thursday, Nov. 30, just before the commencement of the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, “A Passage of Water” will also feature as a physical installation at COP 28’s Blue Zone.
Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and senior climate advisor, emphasized the agency’s commitment to disseminating crucial information about our planet: “NASA is the U.S. space agency that provides end-to-end research about our home planet, and it is our job to inform the world about what we learn. Highlighting our Earth science data in the installation of ‘A Passage of Water’ is a unique way to share information, in a digestible way, around the important connection between climate change and the Earth’s water cycle.”
Over the past sixty years, NASA has been diligently collecting data on various aspects of Earth’s systems, aiding decision-makers in devising strategies to address climate change. This wealth of Earth science data, including that utilized in “A Passage of Water,” is accessible to both scientists and the general public.
Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, stressed the importance of leveraging projects like “A Passage of Water” to increase awareness and empower individuals to make informed decisions: “‘A Passage of Water’ provides an opportunity to highlight the public availability of SWOT data and other NASA Earth science data to tell meaningful stories, improve awareness, and help everyday people who have to make real decisions in their homes, businesses, and communities.”
SWOT, a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES, offers unprecedented insights into Earth’s freshwater bodies, aiding in understanding how the ocean influences climate change and how climate change, in turn, impacts lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
Ben Hamlington, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted the transformative potential of SWOT’s detailed data: “The detail that SWOT is providing on the world’s oceans and fresh water is game-changing. We’re only just getting started with respect to data from this satellite, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the information takes us.”
In addition to SWOT, the project utilizes data from the GRACE and GRACE Follow-On missions, jointly conducted by NASA, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). These missions monitor changes in Earth’s mass distribution, water storage, sea level, and more, offering invaluable insights into the evolution of Earth’s water cycle and energy balance.
“A Passage of Water” is the latest addition to a series of digital experiences resulting from NASA’s Space Act Agreement with Google, aimed at sharing NASA’s content with the public in innovative ways. This collaboration underscores the commitment of both organizations to advancing scientific understanding and fostering global awareness of pressing environmental issues.