Los Angeles-Area Landslide Expands
Image of the Day Feb 10, 2025

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.
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
Image

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

La Niña Is Here
Image

La Niña Is Here

Cool water has welled up in the tropical Pacific in winter 2024–2025. But it may not stick around for long.

Published Feb 7, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Nested Calderas of Zavaritskogo
Image

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

A Network of Dried Lakes
Image

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
Image

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

Colorful Tampa Bay
Image

Colorful Tampa Bay

Florida’s largest open-water estuary is known for its shallow, calm, blue-green waters.

Published Feb 2, 2025

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

Not-so Snowy Alaska
Image

Not-so Snowy Alaska

Warmer-than-usual weather brought melting and a lack of snowfall to parts of the state in winter 2024–2025.

Published Feb 1, 2025

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

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

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

Fuel for California Fires
Image

Fuel for California Fires

The buildup of vegetation and a rapid shift from wet to dry conditions played a role in the destructive blazes.

Published Jan 30, 2025

Image of the Day Fires Remote Sensing

Bushfires Burn in Victoria
Image

Bushfires Burn in Victoria

Hot, dry, and windy weather fueled fires in two of Australia’s national parks.  

Published Jan 29, 2025

Image of the Day Land Fires

A Chill Over Chicagoland
Image

A Chill Over Chicagoland

Toward the end of a late-January cold spell, snow and lake ice blanketed the landscape.

Published Jan 29, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Snow and Ice

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

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

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

Sado Island’s Riches
Image

Sado Island’s Riches

On this Japanese island, fertile plains are sandwiched between mountain ranges that were mined for gold and silver.

Published Jan 28, 2025

Image of the Day Human Presence

Total Rainfall
Global Maps Jun 2000 — Jan 2025

Total Rainfall

These maps depict monthly total rainfall around the world. Rainfall is the primary source of fresh water for humans, plants, and animals. Rain also moves heat between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.

Atmosphere

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

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

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

Aerosol Optical Depth
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Jan 2025

Aerosol Optical Depth

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.

Atmosphere

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

Fire
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Dec 2024

Fire

Whether started by humans (farming, logging, or accidents) or by nature (lightning), fires are always burning somewhere on Earth. These maps show the locations of fires burning around the world each month.

Land

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

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

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

Water Vapor
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Dec 2024

Water Vapor

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.

Atmosphere

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