NASA Researchers Study Snow During Melt Season In Interior Alaska

FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - MAY 04: In an aerial view, NASA SnowEx researchers Dr. Kelly Gleason and master's student Sage Ebel haul science equipment on snowmobiles on their way to take measurements of snow albedo (reflectivity) in a section of boreal forest during the melt season on May 4, 2023 near Fairbanks, Alaska. Seasonal snowmelt provides a crucial water supply to more than one billion people worldwide and is the primary source of water in western North America, according to the University of Colorado Boulder. NASA's multi-year airborne and field SnowEx campaign is testing remote sensing technologies in diverse snowpack environments to prepare NASA for future satellite missions which will monitor the amount of water held in snowpacks worldwide amid a changing climate. According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the boreal forest covers 17 million square kilometers in the Northern Hemisphere, making up about one-third of the planet’s total forest area. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)