ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station
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Welcome to ECOSTRESS

December 18, 2018:  ECOSTRESS Science and Applications Team ROSES Released!

Download here

Click here to see where ECOSTRESS data has been acquired

Early Adopters: please be aware that you may experience some interruptions in accessing/downloading ECOSTRESS data from NASA Earthdata during the US government shutdown.  There are a few sample datasets available here:  ecostress.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery

 

Current Status

On December 5th 2018 ECOSTRESS switched to Mass Storage Unit Side-B and resumed science operations.

ECOSTRESS Data are now publicly available by signing up for the Early Adopter Program

Follow the latest updates using #ECOSTRESS on Twitter and Instagram.

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) will measure the temperature of plants and use that information to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stress.

ECOSTRESS will address three overarching science questions:

  • How is the terrestrial biosphere responding to changes in water availability?
  • How do changes in diurnal vegetation water stress impact the global carbon cycle?
  • Can agricultural vulnerability be reduced through advanced monitoring of agricultural water consumptive use and improved drought estimation?
The ECOSTRESS mission will answer these questions by accurately measuring the temperature of plants. Plants regulate their temperature by releasing water through tiny pores on their leaves called stomata. If they have sufficient water they can maintain their temperature but if there is insufficient water their temperatures rise and this temperature rise  can  be measured with a sensor in space. ECOSTRESS will use a multispectral thermal infrared radiometer to measure the surface temperature. The radiometer that will be delivered to Houston for deployment on the International Space Station in 2018. The radiometer will acquire the most detailed temperature images of the surface ever acquired from space and will be able to measure the temperature of an individual farmers field.
 
One of the core products that will be produced by ECOSTRESS team is the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI). ESI is a leading drought indicator - it can indicate that plants are stressed and that a drought is likely to occur providing the option for decision makers to take action. The figure below illustrates the ESI for the United States during the 2012 drought. The red areas indicate regions of high water stress.
 

stress map

Figure 1. Map of the 2012 drought in the United States showing differences in water stress. Red areas indicate high water stress (drought conditions) and green areas indication low water stress (non-drought conditions).