Discovering the Charlotte Whale

The unexpected discovery of a whale skeleton hundreds of miles from the sea and more than 200 feet above sea level in 1849 is a reminder of how much sea level can change.

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NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), bathymetric data from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), ice sheet records courtesy of Dyke, A. S. (2004), and sea extent data from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Whale drawing courtesy of NOAA. Story by Adam Voiland.

Published May 19, 2021
Data acquired September 27, 2015

Sources:

In situ Measurement

Landsat 8 > OLI

Map

Collection:

Sea Level Rise