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NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE, 2002 - 2017) mission, and its successor GRACE Follow-On (launched in 2018), map month-to-month changes in Earth's gravity field resulting from...
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NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE, 2002 - 2017) mission, and its successor GRACE Follow-On (launched in 2018), map month-to-month changes in Earth's gravity field resulting from the movement of mass, such as water, near the surface of the planet. This animation shows how the total amount of water (snow, surface water, soil moisture, and groundwater) varies in space and time, with the passage of dry seasons and wet seasons as well as with flooding, drought, and transport due to water management. Blue colors represent wetter than average conditions (relative to 2004-2010), while red colors represent drier than average conditions. The yellow line in the graph on the left shows the evolution of the long-term inter-annual variations for the area outlined in yellow on the map (note: the average seasonal cycle has been removed). The Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins are outlined in yellow, and rivers and tributaries are shown as blue lines. The basins include California's Central Valley, the most productive agricultural region in the U.S. Repeated drought conditions and increased water use in California have led to a long-term decline of terrestrial water, interspersed with above-average precipitation periods (e.g., 2015/2016; 2022/2023) that have allowed some recovery of the land water storage.
GRACE and GRACE-FO track California's land water changes
One of the twin GRACE spacecraft is seen during construction in Germany.
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One of the twin GRACE spacecraft is seen during construction in Germany.
GRACE Satellite Build
One of the twin GRACE satellites, Flight Model 1, is seen on a trolley during construction in Germany.
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Empty shell of GRACE satellite during construction.
GRACE Satellite Under Construction
This animation illustrates the highs and lows of the Earth's gravity field as water in the basins of the U.S. changes over time.
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GRACE data over the United States, 2003-2012
GRACE data over the United States, 2003-2012
The twin GRACE satellites are seen in a clean room in Germany in 2002.
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Two satellites are seen next to each other.
GRACE Satellites in Clean Room
This image shows the mean annual amplitude of total water storage on Earth in 2007 as measured by GRACE.
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Total water storage from GRACE, 2007
Total water storage from GRACE, 2007
Twin GRACE spacecraft being deployed from Breeze
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Twin GRACE spacecraft being deployed from Breeze
Twin GRACE spacecraft being deployed from Breeze
These images show the changes in gravity anomalies from GRACE over the Amazon Basin for each month of 2004. 
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Amazon Basin seasonal hydrology
Amazon Basin seasonal hydrology
GRACE satellites are mounted belly to belly at an IABG testing facility in Germany.
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GRACE satellites are mounted belly to belly at an IABG testing facility in Germany.
GRACE Satellites at IABG
Research based on GRACE observations indicates that between 2002 and 2021, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year.
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Research based on GRACE & GRACE-FO observations indicates that between 2002 and 2021, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year.
Greenland Ice Loss 2002-2021
GRACE contribution to atmospheric studies explained.
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GRACE contribution to atmospheric studies explained.
Atmos.mov
GRACE mission pre-launch poster
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GRACE mission pre-launch poster
GRACE mission pre-launch poster
GRACE being readied for launch - 1
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GRACE being readied for launch - 1
GRACE being readied for launch - 1
NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has measured significant groundwater depletion around the world in recent years. These animations show trends in total water storage from Jan....
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GRACE Sees Groundwater Losses Around the World
GRACE Sees Groundwater Losses Around the World
Accuracy of scaled GRACE terrestrial water storage estimates
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Accuracy of scaled GRACE terrestrial water storage estimates
GRACE Tellus Land TWS - Accuracy
One of the GRACE satellites undergoes thermal testing at IABG in Germany.
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Light shines on a GRACE satellite seen in a thermal chamber at IABG.
Thermal Testing for GRACE Satellite
GRACE on orbit
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GRACE on orbit
GRACE on orbit
GRACE on orbit - 1
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GRACE on orbit - 1
GRACE on orbit - 1
This animation shows the annual water storage changes over the U.S. from GRACE from 2003 - 2013.
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Annual water storage changes over the U.S. From GRACE
Annual water storage changes over the U.S. From GRACE
GRACE being readied for launch - 2
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GRACE being readied for launch - 2
GRACE being readied for launch - 2
Earth's gravity from space
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Earth's gravity from space
Earth's gravity from space
The original GRACE satellites in a clean room in Germany.
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Two GRACE satellites are next to each other in a clean room.
GRACE Satellites Under Construction
The GRACE satellites during component integration in a German clean room.
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The GRACE satellites are shown without solar panels during component integration in a German clean room.
GRACE Component Integration
The mass of the Polar ice sheets have changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-...
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The mass of the Polar ice sheets have changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018 - ) indicates that between 2002 and 2020, Antarctica shed approximately 150 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.4 millimeters per year; and Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year. These images, created from GRACE and GRACE-FO data, show changes in polar land ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002. The average flow lines (grey; created from satellite radar interferometry) of the icesheets converge into the locations of prominent outlet glaciers, and coincide with areas of highest mass loss. This supports other observations that warming ocean waters near polar icesheets play a key role in contemporary ice mass loss.
GRACE and GRACE-FO polar ice mass loss
This visualization of a gravity model was created with data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and shows variations in Earth’s gravity field.
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GRACE global gravity animation
GRACE global gravity animation

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