Arctic Sea Ice Below Average in Winter 2023
Image of the Day Mar 22, 2023

Arctic Sea Ice Below Average in Winter 2023

The end-of-winter sea ice extent in March 2023 was the fifth lowest in the satellite record.
The Widening of Neptune Pass
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The Widening of Neptune Pass

The pass now has a flow five times that of New York’s Hudson River.

Published Mar 20, 2023

Image of the Day Water

Evaporation from Laguna Ojo de Liebre
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Evaporation from Laguna Ojo de Liebre

An astronaut spotted colorful evaporation ponds in Mexico while in orbit over the Baja Peninsula.

Published Mar 19, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water

Precipitation Piles on in California
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Precipitation Piles on in California

Successive atmospheric rivers in March dropped even more rain and snow throughout the state.

Published Mar 17, 2023

Image of the Day Water Severe Storms Human Presence

How Dust Affects the World’s Health
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How Dust Affects the World’s Health

NASA research finds that a combination of windblown dust and human-caused particle pollution was associated with nearly 3 million premature deaths in 2019.

Published Mar 17, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches Another Record Low
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Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches Another Record Low

The long-term trend for sea ice in the south is still flat, while the global trend points downward.

Published Mar 16, 2023

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine
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Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine

The mountains of southeastern California are home to a large rare-earth element mine.

Published Mar 15, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Low Water Level on Lake Kariba
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Low Water Level on Lake Kariba

As water dropped to critically low levels, electricity production suffered and power outages plagued Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Published Mar 14, 2023

Image of the Day Water

Muddy Water and a Wide Floodplain
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Muddy Water and a Wide Floodplain

The mighty Amazon River carries a huge amount of sediment and occasionally delivers muddy water to nearby lakes.

Published Mar 13, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water

Potosí and Cerro Rico
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Potosí and Cerro Rico

The Bolivian mining city—one of the highest cities in the world—grew at the foot of an eroded volcano riddled with silver.

Published Mar 12, 2023

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Floods Swamp Australia’s Northern Territory
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Floods Swamp Australia’s Northern Territory

Days of rain have swollen rivers and lakes in the sparsely populated territory.

Published Mar 10, 2023

Image of the Day Water Floods

Flooded Rice Fields in Louisiana
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Flooded Rice Fields in Louisiana

The low-lying alluvial plain of the Mississippi River Valley is home to much of the nation’s rice farms.

Published Mar 10, 2023

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Earth at Night
Article

Earth at Night

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

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

For the Longest Time
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For the Longest Time

Tropical Cyclone Freddy, an unusually long-lived storm, wandered in the Indian Ocean for more than a month.

Published Mar 8, 2023

Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms

Total Rainfall
Global Maps Jun 2000 — Jan 2023

Total Rainfall

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.

Atmosphere

Blue Marble Next Generation
Article

Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Published Oct 13, 2005

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies
Article

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

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

Remote Sensing

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Jan 2023

Cloud Fraction

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.

Atmosphere

Mission: Biomes
Article

Mission: Biomes

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

Land Life

February Puzzler
Earth Matters

February Puzzler

Your challenge is to use the comments section to tell us where it is, what we are looking at, and why it is interesting.

Published Feb 23, 2023

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Nov 2022

Land Surface Temperature Anomaly

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.

Heat Land

Carbon Monoxide
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Sep 2022

Carbon Monoxide

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.

Atmosphere

Winter from the International Space Station
Article

Winter from the International Space Station

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

Snow and Ice

World of Change
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World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Published Apr 29, 2009

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

EO On This Day
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EO On This Day

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

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Water Snow and Ice

Tournament Earth: Elemental Edition—Finals
Article

Tournament Earth: Elemental Edition—Finals

For the third time in a decade, the winner hails from the Canary Islands.

Published Mar 1, 2022

Human Presence Remote Sensing

Fire
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Jan 2023

Fire

Whether started by humans (farming, logging, or accidents) or by nature (lightning), fires are always burning somewhere on Earth. These maps show the locations of fires burning around the world each month.

Land

Vegetation
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Jan 2023

Vegetation

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.

Land Life

Fall Colors Around the Planet
Article

Fall Colors Around the Planet

As green chlorophyll fades from trees and plants each autumn, other pigments color Earth’s landscapes. Satellites take leaf-peeping to a whole new level.

Published Oct 26, 2021

Land Life

NASA Earth Observatory Goes to the Beach
Article

NASA Earth Observatory Goes to the Beach

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

Land Videos