NASA launches satellite to measure melting glaciers

NASA launched a satellite Saturday over the Pacific Ocean to measure changes in Earth’s ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and vegetation.

NASA Earth Science Division Director Michael Freilich told The Associated Press that the mission will advance knowledge on how melting ice sheets contribute to rising sea levels.

{mosads}Sea levels have risen by over 1 millimeter, or 0.04 inches per year, due to melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, according to NASA. 

The satellite will also take other measurements to research the amount of carbon stored in forests, flood and drought planning and wildfire behavior, among other areas. 

The launch is a follow-up to a satellite that was launched in 2003 and operated until 2009, the AP reported.