The average global temperature has increased by a little more than 1° Celsius (2° Fahrenheit) since 1880. Two-thirds of the warming has occurred since 1975.
Several Earth-observing satellites collected data during and after the potent blast spurred a tsunami and lofted volcanic material high into the stratosphere.
Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Volcanoes Human Presence Remote Sensing
With an average elevation of 4500 meters above sea level, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of Earth’s highest geographic features.
Published Jan 23, 2022
The island off the northeast coast of Taiwan is surrounded by dozens of hydrothermal vents.
Published Jan 22, 2022
The lakes, wetlands, and glacial landscape of Manitoba were shaped by glaciers and ice sheets.
Published Jan 21, 2022
For students who want to take atmospheric science as literally as possible, it doesn’t get much better than flying in a NASA aircraft.
Published Jan 20, 2022
The event, known locally as “la calima,” turned skies orange and degraded air quality in Gran Canaria and neighboring islands.
Published Jan 20, 2022
The rise and fall of these basins depend on fluctuations in the flow of the Nile River.
Published Jan 18, 2022
Winter winds can create long, thin cloud bands that stretch hundreds of kilometers across the sky.
Published Jan 17, 2022Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing
A summer heatwave knocked out power in Argentina, while heat in Western Australia likely tied the hottest temperature ever measured south of the equator.
Published Jan 14, 2022Image of the Day Land Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Temperature Extremes
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.
The public is invited to help NASA investigate clouds during this GLOBE program challenge.
Published Jan 14, 2022
The past eight years have been the warmest in the global record.
Published Jan 14, 2022Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Land Water Human Presence Remote Sensing
After months of severe drought, a burst of rain is causing problems.
Published Jan 13, 2022Image of the Day Land Water Drought Floods Severe Storms Remote Sensing Temperature Extremes
A dark, rainy spring gave way to a vast, long-lived phytoplankton bloom off the coast of Brazil.
Published Jan 12, 2022
Increasing vegetation in the Himalaya may have implications for water supplies.
Published Jan 12, 2022
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.
Clouds parted for a glimpse of one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth.
Published Jan 10, 2022
Greenness is an important indicator of health for forests, grasslands, and farms. The greenness of a landscape, or vegetation index, depends on the number and type of plants, how leafy they are, and how healthy they are.
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
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.
The new missions will examine fundamental climate systems and processes, including extreme storms, surface water and oceans, and atmospheric dust.
Published Dec 30, 2021
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
As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color the Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.
Published Oct 26, 2021
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
These maps show the ‘metabolism” of Earth’s plants and trees. Net primary productivity is the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis minus the amount released by respiration.
50 Years. 9 million scenes. One champion.
Published Sep 7, 2021
Summer is beach season in the northern hemisphere. But even if you're a regular at your local swimming hole, you probably haven't seen too many beaches from this perspective. See the satellite and space-station views of various shorelines from across the United States. No sunblock necessary.
Published Jul 22, 2021
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.
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
Clouds can be a nuisance when scientists are trying to observe features on Earth's surface. But at other times, clouds are exactly what they want to see. These images highlight some of the more unusual and beautiful clouds observed in recent years from space.
Published Jun 21, 2021
Since 1999, Earth Observatory has published images and stories from all over our planet. Now you can explore more than 11,000 images in a different way: by location.
Published Jun 2, 2021
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 Apr 28, 2021
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
