Ice cores and satellite images are helping preserve the history of a disappearing ice cap in the Peruvian Andes.
Storms brought flooding to Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in November 2023, continuing a trend of wet weather in the region.
Stuck on the seafloor for decades, Iceberg A-23A now freely drifts northward toward warmer, iceberg-destroying waters.
Published Dec 1, 2023
Many cities have shortages of air quality monitors. NASA scientists have developed a tool called GEOS-CF that can help.
Published Nov 30, 2023
The fiery and icy upper reaches of the Antarctic volcano pierced through a canopy of clouds.
Published Nov 29, 2023
A winter storm plowed across several U.S. states after Thanksgiving.
Published Nov 28, 2023
The causeway and its blocky “islands” off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia make oil drilling possible in the region’s shallow waters.
Published Nov 26, 2023
An unexpected color palette reveals the features of an iconic glacial landscape in southeastern Alaska.
Published Nov 25, 2023
Fluid dynamics put on a spectacular show around Norway’s remote Bear Island.
Published Nov 24, 2023
The Alaskan city received record snowfall in November 2023.
Published Nov 23, 2023
Heavy rainfall in the Horn of Africa submerged entire towns in floodwater.
Published Nov 21, 2023
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
Even with fewer fires than normal in fall 2023, poor air quality plagued the region.
Published Nov 20, 2023
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Nov 20, 2023
A scientist spotted a jade hue in the sea ice fastened to the coast of East Antarctica.
Published Nov 18, 2023
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.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
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.
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.
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.
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
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
The 2023 season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity generally occurring in September.
Published Jun 1, 2023
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.
Wildland fires in 2023 brought hazy skies and poor air quality to several countries north of the equator.
Published May 22, 2023
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
From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.
Published Feb 28, 2023
Over the years, astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory have snapped spectacular photographs of Earth’s snow and ice in both hemispheres.
Published Dec 21, 2022
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.
In honor of our site anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from 23 years online — one image for each day of the calendar year.
Published Apr 26, 2022
