Cool water has welled up in the tropical Pacific in winter 2024–2025. But it may not stick around for long.
A small island in Tonga built by an underwater volcano in 2022 has grown larger.
One frozen, one salty, and hemispheres apart, two very different lakes share a Valentine shape.
Published Feb 14, 2025Warm, dry conditions in February 2025 fueled fast-burning fires in the northwestern part of the Australian state.
Published Feb 12, 2025Strong winds and high temperatures fueled summer fires in Argentina.
Published Feb 11, 2025Fieldwork 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
Scientists are using the DSCOVR satellite to make more frequent measurements of the height of dust over the Atlantic Ocean.
Published Feb 11, 2025NASA 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, 2025The 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, 2025The white roof of the Superdome stands out against the surrounding neighborhoods in this satellite image of New Orleans.
Published Feb 8, 2025A slow-moving storm dropped unusually large amounts of rain on the Australian state in summer 2025.
Published Feb 5, 2025What 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, 2013Tucked 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, 2025These 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.
Water levels—and the compositions of brines—have varied over time at Searles Lake and the adjacent lakes.
Published Feb 4, 2025Evaporite minerals from Searles Lake have similarities to minerals found on the asteroid Bennu.
Published Feb 3, 2025NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009Sea 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.
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Jan 28, 2025
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.
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.
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 2024People 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, 202412 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005Have 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, 2020Snow 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.
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, 2024Satellite 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, 2017Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Mar 26, 2024Whether 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, 2024Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023Chlorophyll 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.