NASA Satellite Captures Massive Wastewater Flow off California Coast
Natalia Mesa – Gizmodo.com
June 13, 2025
In 2022, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory launched a satellite sensor to map minerals in the Earth’s dusty, arid regions. But that’s not all it’s useful for—in a new study, scientists used the spectroscopic tool to study massive amounts of sewage flowing into the sea off the Southern California coast.
Every year, millions of gallons of untreated and treated wastewater are unceremoniously dumped into the Tijuana River, ferrying pollution through communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border before reaching the ocean. In a study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers used Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), a hyperspectral imaging instrument aboard the International Space Station, to examine this nauseating wastewater plume at the Tijuana River delta.
Pollution from wastewater isn’t pretty. It can bring toxic chemicals, harmful algal blooms, and unfriendly bacteria, which can impact the health of beachgoers.