Hurricane Maria transformed the forests of Puerto Rico

Today’s Video of the Day from NASA Goddard follows scientists as they survey the damage from Hurricane Maria across Puerto Rico’s tropical forests.

Measurements taken from the ground, the air, and from space will enable experts to identify and follow changes as the forests recover from the devastation.

Forests cover around half of the island, so the scientists used an airborne instrument called Goddard’s Lidar, Hyperspectral and Thermal Imager (G-LiHT) to obtain many measurements at once. G-LiHT is flown 1,000 feet over the trees to collect high-resolution photographs, surface temperatures, and vegetation data.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: NASA Goddard