(CBS News) — Our most complete picture of life on Earth is coming into focus, as a stunning new NASA time-lapse video crams 20 years into just a few minutes. It is helping scientists learn a lot more about global warming and how the earth is changing.
“It’s one of a kind. It’s never been done before and so being able to capture land, ocean, atmosphere, ice, over 20 years together — it’s insanely cool,” NASA oceanographer Dr. Jeremy Werdell told CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.
NASA launched this satellite in 1997, allowing them to track life on earth through 20 years of satellite imaging.
“Bottom line, what are you seeing, the planet getting warmer over these 20 years?” Reid asked.
“Absolutely,” Werdell said. He said the data points help show how our planet is changing.
“Generally speaking, ocean levels are rising. Now they rise slowly, it’s like watching ice cubes melt in a glass of soda,” Werdell said.
Read more, and see videos and pictures, here.
