JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Climate Change
.

NASA Finds Each State Has Its Own Climatic Threshold for Flu Outbreaks

March 4, 2022

Your browser cannot play the provided video file(s).

A visualization of the AIRS instrument’s measurements of atmospheric water vapor around the globe during a few months of the flu study, which focused on data from 2003 to 2015. AIRS is on NASA’s Aqua satellite.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/AIRS

NASA satellite data illuminates a critical relationship between low humidity and the outbreak of flu in the U.S.

What triggers an outbreak of the influenza virus? A new study of the flu in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, using data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite, has found that the answer is closely tied to local weather – specifically, to low humidity – and varies from state to state.

Average humidity varies widely across the United States, but even in the most humid states, it begins to drop as winter approaches. Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the University of Southern California correlated AIRS measurements of water vapor in the lower atmosphere with flu case estimates for each week from 2003 to 2015. The researchers found that in each state, there is a specific level of low humidity that may signal a flu outbreak is imminent. When this threshold is crossed each year, a large increase in flu cases follows within two or three weeks, on average.

Water vapor by state

This chart shows low-humidity thresholds that signal flu outbreaks in 48 U.S. states. The color range from lighter to darker indicates lower to higher humidity thresholds, with the driest state, Wyoming, having the lowest threshold and Florida the highest. Units are kilograms of water per kilogram of air.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

These threshold levels of low humidity closely parallel each state’s average climate. Although all 48 states have different thresholds, states with humid climates, such as those in the Southeast, have higher threshold values than arid states, including those in the West and Southwest.

The study wasn’t designed to answer why lower humidity leads to flu outbreaks.

Get the Latest JPL News

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

News Media Contact

Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874

jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov

Written by Carol Rasmussen

2022-025

Related News

Earth .

Joint NASA, CNES Water-Tracking Satellite Reveals First Stunning Views

Climate Change .

NASA Uses 30-Year Satellite Record to Track and Project Rising Seas

Weather .

Ranking Atmospheric Rivers: New Study Finds World of Potential

Earth .

NASA and Italian Space Agency Join Forces on Air Pollution Mission

Earth .

NASA-ISRO Science Instruments Arrive in India Ahead of 2024 Launch

Climate Change .

NASA Space Mission Takes Stock of Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Countries

Earth .

Removing Traces of Life in Lab Helps NASA Scientists Study Its Origins

Earth .

Dynamic NASA-Built Weather Sensors Enlisted to Track Tropical Cyclones

Earth .

Scientists Track Tropical Landslide Creeping Below an African City

Climate Change .

NASA-ISRO Earth Science Instruments Get Send-Off Before Moving to India

Explore More

Image .

Mir Diamond Mine, Siberia

Image .

30 Years of Sea Level Rise

Image .

Chausey, French Channel Islands

Event April 20, 2023 .

Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) Mission

Image .

Poniente Almeriense, Spain

Image .

COWVR, TEMPEST Track Tropical Cyclone Mandous

Image .

Chaine des Puys, France

Image .

Satellites Assess Earthquake Damage in Turkey

Image .

London, England Parks

Mission .

Surface Water and Ocean Topography

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018