Morton Archives

NASA and Partners Expand Crucial Water Tracking Program

By DRI Communications | Jan 21, 2026 | Announcements

DRI’s Charles Morton, Associate Research Scientist of Geography, who had a key role in the expansion of OpenET said, "Delivering wall-to-wall evapotranspiration data across the contiguous United States at the field scale is a major milestone for OpenET, and it’s exciting for us to imagine the future research and practical applications this expanded coverage will unlock."

New study shows robust increases in atmospheric thirst across much of U.S. during past 40 years

A new study showed substantial increases in atmospheric thirst across much of the Western U.S. during the past 40 years, with the largest and most robust increases in an area centered around the Rio Grande and Lower Colorado rivers.