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A few decades ago, the idea of predicting a disease outbreak via satellite was science fiction. But today, researchers can use environmental data to predict when and where some diseases are likely to spread.
The category 1 hurricane caused flooding in southern parts of Teaxas.
Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Jul 28, 2020 in Earth Matters
A drought around South America’s second longest river has grounded ships and contributed to a rash of fire in the delta and floodplain.
Published Jul 28, 2020
Researchers can predict potential outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus months in advance by using satellite data.
Published Jul 27, 2020
The area is known for its extreme dryness and dangerous heat records. However, traces on the land indicate that water sometimes flows here.
Published Jul 24, 2020
Heavy rains and winds may result in flash flooding, landslides, and life-threatening surf conditions.
Published Jul 24, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Human Presence Remote Sensing
Tree and plant cover has deteriorated considerably in some areas, while advancing in other areas that previously burned or used to be frozen.
Published Jul 24, 2020
As water levels rise from excessive monsoon rainfall, dam operators discharge water through spillway gates.
Published Jul 23, 2020
By mid-July 2020, rainfall had triggered flooding and landslides that affected millions of people across South and East Asia.
Published Jul 22, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing
On July 17, 2020, strong winds blew dust out of the Namib Desert.
Published Jul 22, 2020
It is the largest estuary in the United States and third largest in the world. Once sculpted and changed by ice, water, and powerful geologic forces over tens of millions of years, today's Bay is shaped by human forces as well.
Published Dec 1, 2016
Snow and ice influence climate by reflecting sunlight back into space. When it melts, snow is a source of water for drinking and vegetation; too much snowmelt can lead to floods. These maps show average snow cover by month.
A wildfire in Fresno County, California has burned more than 28,000 acres.
Published Jul 20, 2020
Satellite images of Earth at night have been a curiosity for the public and a tool of fundamental research for at least 25 years. They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness.
Published Apr 12, 2017
Abnormally warm ocean temperatures and a potential La Niña set the stage for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.
Published Jul 17, 2020
In July 2020, sky gazers on Earth and on the International Space Station had a front row seat to one of the brightest comets in decades.
Published Jul 17, 2020
In addition to making rain and snow, clouds can have a warming or cooling influence depending on their altitude, type, and when they form. These maps show what fraction of an area was cloudy each month.
The wandering river is a boon to farming, but it has no interest in state borders.
Published Jul 17, 2020
Between 2019 and 2020, water levels went from barely there to the highest on record.
Published Jul 16, 2020
Ice that originated in the Arctic Ocean drifts hundreds of miles south, pulled along and shaped by the East Greenland Current.
Published Jul 16, 2020
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a different part of the world? What would the weather be like? What kinds of animals would you see? Which plants live there? By investigating these questions, you are learning about biomes.
Published Oct 5, 2000
Just a few months after an unusually warm winter with minimal ice, the surface temperatures of the lakes are now near or above records.
Published Jul 15, 2020
Ocean temperatures can influence weather, such as hurricane formation, and climate patterns, such as El Niño. These maps show the temperature at the surface of the world’s seas and oceans.
Rapid growth from 2008–2017 built upon the rise in the atmospheric concentration of the gas that has been happening for more than a century.
Published Jul 14, 2020
A race is on to figure out whether COVID-19 will wax and wane with the seasons. Atmospheric and hydrologic models produced by NASA and other institutions may be key to that research.
Published Jul 14, 2020
The Salmon River in Idaho, one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the United States, rushes through a geologic wonderland of wooded ridges, eroded bluffs, and stone towers and crags.
Published Jul 11, 2020
Von Kármán vortices make another appearance near the Canary Islands.
Published Jul 10, 2020
Net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere. It is the total energy available to influence climate after light and heat are reflected, absorbed, or emitted by clouds and land.
Synthetic Aperture Radar is offering scientists a new way to measure how much of the potent greenhouse gas is bubbling up from frozen Arctic lakes.
Published Jul 10, 2020
Greenness is an important indicator of health for forests, grasslands, and farms. The greenness of a landscape, or vegetation index, depends on the number and type of plants, how leafy they are, and how healthy they are.
In June 2020, just the right weather patterns were in place to provide a clear view of the snowy landscape.
Published Jul 10, 2020
One of the smaller lakes of the East African Rift is rich with mud, fish, and geologic beauty.
Published Jul 10, 2020
As scientists detect plant fluorescence in better detail, they inch closer to helping farmers respond to extreme weather and close in on understanding how carbon cycles through ecosystems.
Published Jul 9, 2020
Extremely cold and wet conditions in the mesosphere have led to abundant noctilucent clouds.
Published Jul 8, 2020
Irrigation from Lake Nasser, one of the world’s largest man-made lakes, has increased the amount of arable land and crop production in Egypt.
Published Jul 7, 2020
A young volcanic island in the western Pacific Ocean has been going through some growing pains.
Published Jul 6, 2020
The Olympic Peninsula, Cascade Mountains, and Salish Sea caught the eye of an astronaut on the space station.
Published Jul 3, 2020
Linear features in the Kulunda region of southwestern Russia look as if a large claw has scraped the land surface.
Published Jul 2, 2020
In Peru, a landslide damaged farmland and stopped the flow of an important local river.
Published Jul 2, 2020
Satellites may make it easier for nomadic herders in Senegal to survive the lean season.
Published Jul 1, 2020
Every month on Earth Matters, we offer a puzzling satellite image. Your challenge is to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Jun 30, 2020 in Earth Matters
Airborne aerosols can cause or prevent cloud formation and harm human health. These maps depict aerosol concentrations in the air based on how the tiny particles reflect or absorb visible and infrared light.
MOSAiC expedition scientists returned to the Arctic sea-ice pack, greeted by a surprisingly distinct boundary between the open ocean and pack ice.
Published Jun 29, 2020 in Notes From the Field
The web platform combines the collective scientific power of the agencies' Earth-observing satellites to document changes in the environment and society during the pandemic.
Published Jun 29, 2020 in Earth Matters
NASA satellites and sensors constantly take the pulse of our planet. Researchers apply those observations on local and regional scales to better manage things like food and water supplies, health, safety, land use, and ecosystems.
Published May 1, 2020
After five rounds and 56,000 votes, the readers have chosen their favorite. We have a Tournament Earth 2020 champion.
Published Apr 28, 2020
Vote for your favorite all-time Earth Observatory image. Help narrow the field from 32 nominees down to one champion in a five-round tournament.
Published Mar 26, 2020Atmosphere Land Life Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Videos
Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. Watch the glacier’s ice front as it retreats and sheds some notable icebergs over the past two decades.
Published Feb 13, 2020
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
