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The greening of Earth’s northerly latitudes

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Deborah Byrd
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March 14, 2013
A 30-year record of land surface and satellite data sets suggests that vegetation growth at Earth's northern latitudes increasingly resembles more lush latitudes to the south. View larger.
A 30-year record of land surface and satellite data sets suggests that vegetation growth at Earth’s northern latitudes increasingly resembles more lush latitudes to the south. View larger. Map via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

The map above illustrates the results of a new 30-year NASA study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change earlier this week (March 10, 2013). The study suggests that – of the 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers) of northern vegetated lands – 34 to 41 percent showed increases in plant growth (green and blue). Meanwhile, 3 to 5 percent showed decreases in plant growth (orange and red), and 51 to 62 percent showed no changes (yellow) over the past 30 years.

Read more: Amplified greenhouse effect shifts northern latitude growing seasons

Bottom line: Over the past 30 years, 34 to 41 percent of vegetated lands at Earth’s northerly latitudes have gotten greener over the past 30 years, according to a NASA study published March 10, 2013 in Nature Climate Change.

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March 14, 2013
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Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

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