NASA ARSET Overview of Drought Monitoring Data and Tools using Earth Observations

Welcome to this comprehensive hydro-climatology episode of the NASA Live Video Podcast: "NASA ARSET: Overview of Drought Monitoring Data and Tools using Earth Observations."
In this episode, featured as part of NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) program, we provide a holistic overview of spaceborne Earth observation datasets, indices, and open-access analytical portals used to monitor, quantify, and track drought conditions globally. Drought is a complex, multi-faceted environmental hazard that manifests across atmospheric, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic domains—requiring multi-sensor satellite frameworks for effective assessment and early warning.
We explore the full spectrum of NASA Earth observation assets and parameter retrievals used in operational drought monitoring. Discover how precipitation anomalies (GPM / IMERG), soil moisture deficits (SMAP), evapotranspiration stress (MODIS / ECOSTRESS), and terrestrial water storage changes (GRACE-FO) are integrated to evaluate drought severity. Furthermore, we provide a guided tour of key NASA web-based portals and analytical tools—including NASA Worldview, Earthdata Search, Giovanni, and the Climate Engine—demonstrating how hydro-meteorologists, GIS specialists, and water resource managers can access, visualize, and extract operational drought indices without complex local computational infrastructure.
Whether you are an environmental scientist, a water management specialist, an agricultural planner, a GIS analyst, or a space enthusiast eager to leverage NASA's free and open-access Earth data resources, this episode offers an essential roadmap. Subscribe to the NASA Live Video Podcast to stay at the absolute forefront of space exploration, remote sensing data tools, and cutting-edge earth science!