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There is no award for completing the hike from Mexico to Canada through the western United States. But it is clear from the ground and space that the journey through 48 wilderness areas and demanding terrain will change you.
Satellites begin to detect heightened fire activity in July and August in the Amazon.
Your challenge is to tell us what we are looking at and why it is interesting.
Published Aug 19, 2019 in Earth Matters
Freshwater from the Yenisei River, stained brown with organic materials, mixes with Arctic seawater off the coast of Russia.
Published Aug 16, 2019
Originally named the Cape of Storms, it was later renamed to Good Hope in order to attract more people to the Cape Sea Route.
Published Aug 16, 2019
A common cloud pattern, known as von Kármán vortices, makes an appearance at night.
Published Aug 16, 2019
The science team gears up for a balloon launch from Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Published Aug 16, 2019 in Notes From the Field
In July 2019, a severe toxic algal bloom began spreading over the western basin of Lake Erie.
Published Aug 14, 2019Image of the Day Water Human Presence Remote Sensing Water Color
Land surface temperatures rise and fall with the heat of the Sun, and they represent how hot or cold the surface would feel to touch. These maps show daytime land temperatures as measured from space.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Western India and Burma (Myanmar) suffered through dramatic flooding and landslides in early August 2019.
Published Aug 14, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Drought Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Remote Sensing Temperature Extremes
Satellites observe and track fires (and what they leave behind) across the world.
Published Aug 14, 2019 in EO Kids
A succession of cold air masses blew in from Antarctica, leading to icy roads and measurable snowfall across parts of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.
Published Aug 13, 2019
NASA balloons carry world class telescopes, cosmic ray detectors, and Earth science instruments.
Published Aug 13, 2019 in Notes From the Field
A glorious winter morning view greeted astronauts as they passed over the rugged peaks of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca.
Published Aug 9, 2019
Twin typhoons continued to churn across the Western Pacific Ocean, threatening East Asian countries with destructive winds and rain.
Published Aug 9, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms Human Presence
A rare flight through a thunderstorm triggered by a wildfire has atmospheric scientists buzzing.
Published Aug 9, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Fires Human Presence Remote Sensing
The glacier atop Iceland’s Ok volcano was declared dead in 2014. Satellite images show the latter stages of its decline.
Published Aug 8, 2019
It is common for the Alaskan volcano to vent steam and gas, but the summit crater was warmer than usual in July.
Published Aug 8, 2019
The satellite-based atlas includes information about more than 13 million fires.
Published Aug 7, 2019
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.
When fuels such as coal, wood, and oil burn incompletely, they produce carbon monoxide. The gas is spread by winds and circulation. These maps show monthly averages of CO in the lower atmosphere.
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.
Dual storms marched across the Western Pacific Ocean in early August 2019.
Published Aug 7, 2019
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using NASA data to help the public better understand their UV exposure.
Published Aug 6, 2019
In a country rich with compelling geologic phenomena, even the rivers are connected to the landscape of fire and ice.
Published Aug 5, 2019
For many people, there is great joy and good summer business to be found on the widest beach in New Jersey and one of the widest on any coast.
Published Aug 2, 2019
The big dreams of a 1960s real estate developer have not materialized, but that has not stopped California City from pushing forward.
Published Aug 2, 2019
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
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
Roads, railways, and a mighty river meet in this longtime trading hub of the central United States.
Published Aug 2, 2019
Melting was provoked by a bubble of warm air that moved over Greenland after delivering unseasonably warm temperatures to Europe.
Published Aug 1, 2019Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
Fires in Alaska, Siberia, and Greenland have emitted large amounts of black carbon this summer.
Published Jul 31, 2019
As water levels drop in the Dead Sea, salt is piling up on the lakebed.
Published Jul 30, 2019
What do you do when presented with a new satellite image? Here's what the Earth Observatory team does to understand the view.
Published Nov 18, 2013
The pit near Phalaborwa and Kruger National Park is the most visible sign of a long history of mining in the region.
Published Jul 29, 2019
Researchers gathered in the western part of the Siberian boreal forest, where they collected the tree-ring data needed to reconstruct the area's fire history.
Published Jul 29, 2019 in Notes From the Field
Elevation data show the distinct topography of Mount Mazama and the crater lake that fills its caldera.
Published Jul 26, 2019
One month after experiencing record-breaking temperatures, Europe again is sweltering under a heatwave. And this one is more intense.
Published Jul 26, 2019Image of the Day Heat Land Human Presence Remote Sensing Temperature Extremes
Scientists have developed a new way to measure water cycle intensity over time.
Published Jul 25, 2019
In honor of our 20th anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from the past 20 years — one for each day of the calendar year.
Published Jun 19, 2019
Swirling white clouds, deep blue oceans, and multicolored landscapes come to life on the pages of NASA’s new photo essay Earth, a collection of dramatic images captured by satellites.
Published Jun 4, 2019
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.
Our world is constantly changing. We have evolved with it.
Published May 7, 2019
Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica. This timeline highlights the most notable calving events of the past two decades.
Published Apr 9, 2019
NASA has a unique vantage point for observing the beauty and wonder of Earth and for making sense of it. The images in this book tell a story of a 4.5-billion-year-old planet where there is always something new to see.
Published Feb 20, 2019
