Plants interact with light in ways that reveal information about their condition. NASA’s PACE satellite observes visible and near-infrared light in 100 wavelengths. These detailed measurements let researchers detect subtle differences in leaf colour across the globe and study pigments connected with vegetation growth and stress.
PACE tracks chlorophyll, anthocyanins and carotenoids, rather than treating all vegetation as a single shade of green. The changing combination of these pigments can show seasonal cycles and may reveal when plants move from flourishing to stressed. Because the satellite revisits the globe every one to two days, a full year of observations provides a dynamic picture. This frequent coverage helps researchers compare changes across seasons and regions. NASA expects future applications to include forest monitoring and earlier detection of drought effects.