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GRACE

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description GRACE Overview

The GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission involved two identical satellites launched by NASA and DLR in 2002. It precisely measured variations in Earth’s gravity field using laser ranging technology. This allowed scientists to monitor changes in ice sheets, ocean mass distribution, and groundwater levels with unprecedented accuracy. The data continues to be valuable for researchers studying climate change and global hydrology.

help GRACE FAQ

How did the two GRACE satellites measure gravity?

GRACE tracked tiny changes in the distance between two satellites flying roughly 220 kilometers apart. Its primary ranging system used microwaves, while GPS and accelerometers helped scientists convert those changes into monthly gravity-field maps.

What did GRACE reveal about Greenland and Antarctica?

GRACE measured changes in mass rather than merely photographing the ice sheets. Its data documented substantial ice loss from both Greenland and Antarctica during the mission.

How could GRACE detect groundwater depletion?

Moving water changes Earth's local mass and therefore its gravity field. GRACE observations allowed researchers to track large-scale groundwater losses in regions including northern India and California.

What replaced the original GRACE mission?

The original NASA-DLR mission operated from 2002 until 2017. GRACE Follow-On launched in 2018 and added an experimental laser-ranging interferometer alongside microwave ranging.

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