The iconic trees and shrubs of the Florida Everglades are under increased stress due to more frequent, intense hurricanes.
A NASA analysis shows that global temperatures in 2024 were 1.28 degrees Celsius (2.30 degrees Fahrenheit) above the agency’s 20th-century baseline.
The older and newer cities of the Greater Cairo region look very different at night when viewed from above.
Published Jan 12, 2025
The Kumani Bank mud volcano in the Caspian Sea suddenly manifested an island in early 2023 that had nearly disappeared by the end of 2024.
Published Jan 10, 2025
Powerful Santa Ana winds and dry conditions contributed to the rapid spread of several brush fires in the county.
Published Jan 8, 2025
The first major, widespread winter storm of 2025 delivered snow, ice, and frigid temperatures to a large swath of the country.
Published Jan 7, 2025Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms Snow and Ice Temperature Extremes
Lush green hillsides turned brown after Cyclone Chido hit the islands in December 2024.
Published Jan 6, 2025
We are kicking off 2025 with much to look forward to but also much to look back on.
Published Jan 6, 2025
Logging, farming, and fires have contributed to the loss and degradation of forest reserves in the West African country.
Published Jan 6, 2025
The volcano, located on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, displays numerous depressions that collect meltwater during the warmer months of the year.
Published Jan 5, 2025
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.
Microscopic floating organisms proliferated to turn surface waters bright green and milky blue around the Falkland Islands.
Published Jan 3, 2025
The construction of a small hydroelectric power station in the northern part of the state helped form this V-shaped lake.
Published Jan 3, 2025
An impact crater in western Finland is a bucolic setting for agriculture and migratory birds—and its geometric shape resembles that of craters on other planets and moons.
Published Jan 2, 2025
In November 2024, an astronaut captured a striking photo of the Moon as it lingered just above Earth’s horizon.
Published Jan 1, 2025
Fountains of lava burst from the Hawaiian volcano’s summit caldera during a December 2024 eruption.
Published Dec 30, 2024
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Dec 17, 2024
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 2024
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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
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
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Mar 26, 2024
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
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
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
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
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
