Himalayan Snow Lines on the Rise
Image of the Day Feb 15, 2025

Himalayan Snow Lines on the Rise

More and more, mountain snow in the Mount Everest region is vanishing into thin air.
A Pair of Hearts
Image

A Pair of Hearts

One frozen, one salty, and hemispheres apart, two very different lakes share a Valentine shape.

Published Feb 14, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Smoke Billows From Bushfires in Tasmania
Image

Smoke Billows From Bushfires in Tasmania

Warm, dry conditions in February 2025 fueled fast-burning fires in the northwestern part of the Australian state.

Published Feb 12, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Fires

Fires Rage in Patagonia
Image

Fires Rage in Patagonia

Strong winds and high temperatures fueled summer fires in Argentina.

Published Feb 11, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Fires

Day One: AVUELO’S First Tropical Survey
Notes from the Field

Day One: AVUELO’S First Tropical Survey

Fieldwork in Panama is underway, as scientists began collecting airborne and ground-based data to aid studies of the region’s tropical ecosystems.

Published Feb 11, 2025

A Daily Boost in Dust Height
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A Daily Boost in Dust Height

Scientists are using the DSCOVR satellite to make more frequent measurements of the height of dust over the Atlantic Ocean.

Published Feb 11, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Los Angeles-Area Landslide Expands
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Los Angeles-Area Landslide Expands

NASA radar imagery revealed that the active area of a decades-old landslide has grown following periods of heavy rainfall in 2023 and early 2024.

Published Feb 10, 2025

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Snowcapped Mount Damavand
Image

Snowcapped Mount Damavand

The dormant volcano in northern Iran lies in the Alborz Mountains, which separate the region’s wet coastal lowlands from the deserts toward the south.

Published Feb 9, 2025

Image of the Day Land

A Super Stadium
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A Super Stadium

The white roof of the Superdome stands out against the surrounding neighborhoods in this satellite image of New Orleans.

Published Feb 8, 2025

Image of the Day Human Presence

Rainy, Stormy Days in Queensland
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Rainy, Stormy Days in Queensland

A slow-moving storm dropped unusually large amounts of rain on the Australian state in summer 2025.

Published Feb 5, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Floods

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies
Article

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

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

Remote Sensing

Nested Calderas of Zavaritskogo
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Nested Calderas of Zavaritskogo

Tucked away on a remote island in the Pacific, the volcano has recently been pinpointed as the likely source of a sunlight-dimming eruption.

Published Feb 5, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Jun 2002 — Sep 2011

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly

These maps depict how much hotter or cooler an ocean basin was compared to the long-term average. Temperature anomalies can indicate changes in ocean circulation or the arrival of patterns like El Niño and La Niña.

Heat Water

A Network of Dried Lakes
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A Network of Dried Lakes

Water levels—and the compositions of brines—have varied over time at Searles Lake and the adjacent lakes.

Published Feb 4, 2025

Image of the Day Land Remote Sensing

The Allure of Searles Lake Salts
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The Allure of Searles Lake Salts

Evaporite minerals from Searles Lake have similarities to minerals found on the asteroid Bennu.

Published Feb 3, 2025

Image of the Day Land Remote Sensing

World of Change
Article

World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Published Apr 29, 2009

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

Aerosol Size
Global Maps Jan 2005 — Sep 2016

Aerosol Size

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.

Atmosphere

January Puzzler
Earth Matters

January Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published Jan 28, 2025

Sea Surface Temperature
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Nov 2024

Sea Surface Temperature

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.

Heat Water

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Jan 2025

Cloud Fraction

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.

Atmosphere

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.

Published Jul 1, 2024

Atmosphere

Renewable and Alternative Energy
Article

Renewable and Alternative Energy

People have developed systems to harvest and store energy from sources such as wind, sunlight, and tidal action. Many of these installations are visible from orbit.

Published May 10, 2024

Land Human Presence

Blue Marble Next Generation
Article

Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Published Oct 13, 2005

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

Mission: Biomes
Article

Mission: Biomes

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

Land Life

Snow Cover
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Jan 2025

Snow Cover

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.

Snow and Ice

Air Quality
Article

Air Quality

From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.

Published Apr 8, 2024

Atmosphere Human Presence

Earth at Night
Article

Earth at Night

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

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Temperature Extremes 2024
Article

Temperature Extremes 2024

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Mar 26, 2024

Heat

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere
Article

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere

Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some areas as the world warms.

Published Feb 27, 2024

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

Temperature Extremes 2023
Article

Temperature Extremes 2023

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Aug 15, 2023

Heat

Chlorophyll
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Dec 2024

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is used by algae and other phytoplankton--the grass of the sea--to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars. These maps show chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean, revealing where phytoplankton are thriving.

Life Water