NASA's Aura Satellite (IMAGE)
Caption
NASA's Aura satellite, shown in this artist's depiction orbiting above Africa, collected data on hydrogen isotope ratios in water vapor close to Earth's surface as part of a University of Utah study showing the fate of rainwater and snowmelt that falls on land and doesn't flow to the sea. They found two-thirds of that water is taken up by plants and then transpired or "exhaled" to the atmosphere. That's less than previous estimates of more than 80 percent, suggesting plants globally are either less productive or make more efficient use of water than previously believed.
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NASA
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