Mission

Geosphere studies processes and changes in the Earth’s core, mantle, and crust along with surface topography and geology, and the hazards they generate. Geosphere relies on essential measurements including gravity, GNSS, InSAR, lidar, stereo optical, and hyperspectral observations. Geosphere also contributes to geodesy and geodynamics research along with cross-Sphere research.

Overview

Geosphere research programs range from the Earth’s surface to interior with an emphasis on geodynamics and water. These dynamics are intricately linked with the Earth’s system components and interface with Earth system global cycles. For example, the Earth’s rotation contributes to powering the atmospheric circulation and the ocean circulation is the main driver of the Earth’s Chandler wobble: i.e., the Earth’s periodic polar motion. 

As NASA’s satellite gravity missions have demonstrated, mass redistribution measurements are a critical part of understanding the large-scale dynamics of the Earth as mass and particularly water is constantly redistributed. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, near-surface and underground water storage, large lakes and rivers, as well as changes in sea level and ocean currents provides an integrated global view of how Earth’s water cycle and energy balance are evolving. 

Many changes in the Earth’s surface are slow and may be imperceptible on seasonal to yearly scales. However, sustained observations from space can detect features such as the migration of magma beneath volcanoes, the movement of tectonic plates, land subsidence, the reshaping of the landscapes with shifting of rivers, landslides, and vegetation changes, the movement of ice sheets and glaciers, and critical minerals. The Geosphere also supports research into more abrupt landscape changes associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods that can be uniquely quantified using satellite observations. The research programs have wide interdisciplinary application including providing valuable insights in solid Earth processes, landscape dynamics and evolution, information for hydrologic and long-term weather patterns, ecosystem analysis, and data for hazard risk assessment and mitigation along with land management. 

Contacts

Gerald Bawden 
Geosphere Program Manager 
Crustal Dynamics, Geodetic Imaging, and Natural Hazards Research 
Contact | Bio 

Kevin Reath 
Geosphere Associate Program Scientist (ASRC Contractor) 
Earth Surface Characterization and Properties Research 
Contact | Bio 

Lucia Tsaoussi
Space Geodesy Program Manager 
Gravimetry Research  
Contact

Earth Action Embed 

Shanna McClain 
Disasters Program Manager 
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