From their perch on the space station, astronauts have spent 20 years sharing a story about Earth as they see it from above. Like the directors of a film, those astronaut storytellers have a crew working behind the scenes to help them tell the story. Meet the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit.
The explosive event lofted ash high above the Indonesian island of Lembata.
About a month before the start of astronomical summer in the southern hemisphere, vast areas of sea ice were already painted blue with meltwater.
Published Dec 3, 2020
Dune fields of interest to scientists who study the Red Planet stand out in the Kobuk Valley amid a backdrop of green.
Published Dec 2, 2020
A flood in a glacial lake behind Lituya Glacier surprised an unsuspecting fisherman and reworked a young delta in Alaska.
Published Nov 30, 2020
Sea ice and waterways along the north side of Canada’s high-Arctic island reveal compelling patterns when viewed from above.
Published Nov 30, 2020
The river’s high sediment load contributes to the abrupt change in its shape as it exits the Himalayas and hits flatter land.
Published Nov 29, 2020
The region of rolling hills and valleys is part of a geologic formation known as the Ridge and Valley Province that stretches from New York to Alabama.
Published Nov 28, 2020
The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of a chain that stretches across three continents.
Published Nov 27, 2020
Sea salt, volcanic ash, dust, wildfire smoke, and industrial pollution are types of airborne aerosols. Natural aerosols tend to be larger than human-made aerosols. These maps show when and where aerosols come from nature, humans, or both.
These maps depict anomalies in land surface temperatures (LSTs); that is, how much hotter or cooler a region was compared to the long-term average. LST anomalies can indicate heat waves or cold spells.
A plume of mineral-rich dust filled the skies over Cyprus and the Mediterranean on a summer’s day.
Published Nov 26, 2020
Cyclone Gati became the strongest storm to hit the country on record, bringing more than a year’s worth of rain in two days.
Published Nov 25, 2020
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will extend a nearly 30-year continuous dataset on sea surface height.
Published Nov 24, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing
A towering thunder cloud stands at the intersection of moist tropical air and dry, dusty plumes.
Published Nov 22, 2020
One of the tallest tsunami waves known to science slammed this Alaskan bay in 1958.
Published Nov 20, 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 Aug 28, 2020
These maps show the ‘metabolism” of Earth’s plants and trees. Net primary productivity is the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis minus the amount released by respiration.
The satellite constellation has been approved to continue science operations through 2023.
Published Nov 9, 2020 in Notes From the Field
From their home on the International Space Station, astronauts have a view unlike anything most of us will ever see. Over 20 years, they have shot millions of photographs of Earth, and it is not just a hobby. It is an important scientific job, and one they need to be trained to do. Learn more about the challenges of watching Earth from above.
Published Nov 2, 2020
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
These maps show the average amount of water vapor in a column of atmosphere by month. Water vapor is the key precursor for rain and snow and one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
For 20 years, astronauts have been shooting photos of Earth from the space station. Like everything the astronauts do, they are trained for this job. And like everything they do, there is purpose and intention behind it.
Published Oct 20, 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
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.
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
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.
Published Jul 9, 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.
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
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
