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Scientists create maps of forest cover to understand where the composition and structure of Pacific Northwest forests are sufficient for the threatened species to nest and roost.
In January 2020, three days of heavy rain led to flash floods across provinces in southern Iran.
More jaw-dropping images of the extreme weather in Australia have come in from astronauts and satellites.
Published Jan 16, 2020 in Earth Matters
Sand dunes and outcrops add color and dimension across the Namib Sand Sea.
Published Jan 11, 2020
As satellites track Australian wildfire smoke from above, GLOBE Observer citizen scientists have been keeping tabs on hazy skies from the ground.
Published Jan 10, 2020 in Earth Matters
An astronaut captured this view of the Front Range, the San Juan Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Published Jan 10, 2020
Skeiðarárjökull is known for flooding caused by volcanic eruptions underneath the ice.
Published Jan 10, 2020
Nearly one-third of the island appears to have burned.
Published Jan 9, 2020
Fires are burning so fiercely that they are lofting smoke to unusual heights.
Published Jan 9, 2020Image of the Day Atmosphere Heat Drought Fires Remote Sensing
Satellite observations show how far winds normally spread North African dust particles before rain and gravity pull them down to the ocean.
Published Jan 8, 2020
Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Jan 7, 2020 in Earth Matters
In January 2020, Jakarta experienced its worst rainfall in more than a decade.
Published Jan 7, 2020
When it comes to getting around in Antarctica, McMurdo Station is like an off road testing facility of continental-sized proportions.
Published Jan 7, 2020 in Notes From the Field
At the boundary between Earth and space, particles and gases and energy do an intricate and colorful dance that varies daily.
Published Jan 6, 2020
As predicted, the weekend brought extreme fire weather.
Published Jan 6, 2020
Geologically young, dark lava flows stand out from older, lighter rocks and the sands of the central Sahara.
Published Jan 3, 2020
Carried by the wind, dust and ash particles from Australia have painted some South Island glaciers with a brown-orange tint.
Published Jan 3, 2020
The coolest thing about spending the New Year at the South Pole is the ceremony to place a geodetic benchmark on the geographic South Pole, or 90°S.
Published Jan 3, 2020 in Notes From the Field
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
Scientists prepare for the third Antarctic traverse, where they will collect ground-based data to validate elevation measurements from NASA's ICESat-2 satellite.
Published Jan 2, 2020 in Notes From the Field
Fires keep raging through an intense and deadly fire season.
Published Jan 2, 2020
While everyone waits for the ball to drop in Times Square, scientists are working to send balloons up in Antarctica.
Published Dec 31, 2019 in Notes From the Field
The signs of economic activity around this Brazilian city are easy to see from space.
Published Dec 31, 2019
A fast-moving storm dropped a heavy dose of winter—and even a tornado—on the region.
Published Dec 31, 2019
These maps depict anomalies in land surface temperatures (LSTs); that is, how much hotter or cooler a region was compared to the long-term average. LST anomalies can indicate heat waves or cold spells.
The world’s largest reservoir now stands at its lowest level since 1996.
Published Dec 30, 2019
Namibia’s sea of sand is bounded on its northern side by the impermanent Kuiseb River.
Published Dec 30, 2019
The rare type of freshwater bog shares space with red wolves and bomb targets on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in North Carolina.
Published Dec 27, 2019
The winter scene includes icy shorelines and frozen landscapes around Hudson Bay under thin, wrinkled clouds.
Published Dec 26, 2019
Satellites are shedding new light on the invisible processes and rhythms at play at the intersection between Earth and space.
Published Dec 24, 2019
The dry, volcanic terrain of this Canary Island is suitable for lichen and crops … and for training astronauts.
Published Dec 23, 2019
The deep channels through Hampton Roads have made the surrounding cities important hubs of shipping, trade, and defense.
Published Dec 23, 2019
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.
It is unclear who created the giant geoglyph or why, but the large earthen figure has drawn attention to a remote part of South Australia for two decades.
Published Dec 23, 2019
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.
Myths about these Australian islands seem to provide an ancient explanation for sea level rise.
Published Dec 23, 2019
Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us what we are looking at, where it is, and why it is interesting.
Published Dec 23, 2019 in Earth Matters
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
Industrialization has brought incredible societal advances and difficult pollution problems. From space, we can see skies clearing in some regions and darkening in others. The thin blue line of our atmosphere is still quite vulnerable.
Published Jun 24, 2014
2019 brought many memorable events on Planet Earth. Here are a few highlights from around the globe.
Published Dec 20, 2019
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 Oct 5, 2000
Satellites have played a key role in monitoring and reducing the rate of deforestation in the rainforest.
Published Dec 19, 2019
Sunlight highlights details around Rio Paraná, Rio Tiete, and Rio Paranapanema.
Published Dec 19, 2019
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.
Scientists in Antarctica launched a balloon-borne instrument to help them find out how the solar system was made.
Published Dec 18, 2019 in Notes From the Field
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.
Satellites like Terra have given scientists a detailed view of Earth that didn't exist 20 years ago.
Published Dec 18, 2019 in Earth Matters
It measures about half the size of a football field and it is so small that you cannot see it on Google maps. This barren bit of rock off the coast of Canada has an unusual namesake: the Landsat 1 satellite. Hear about the discovery in the words of the woman who found it in satellite imagery.
Published Oct 23, 2019
In honor of our 20th anniversary, we offer a selection of some of the most beautiful, newsworthy, interesting, and scientifically important images from the past 20 years — one for each day of the calendar year.
Published Sep 24, 2019
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 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 Aug 28, 2019
There is no award for completing the hike from Mexico to Canada through the western United States. But it is clear from the ground and space that the journey through 48 wilderness areas and demanding terrain will change you.
Published Aug 1, 2019
