MODIS Rapid Response

Signs of Ships in the Clouds
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Signs of Ships in the Clouds

Under the right environmental conditions, pollution from ships can make long, bright tracks amidst the clouds.

Published Jan 21, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Human Presence

Plumes Over the Kamchatka Peninsula
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Plumes Over the Kamchatka Peninsula

Shiveluch and Klyuchevskaya volcanoes were busily puffing away in early January 2018.

Published Jan 17, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Volcanoes

Papua New Guinea Plumes
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Papua New Guinea Plumes

Kadovar volcano erupts for the first time.

Published Jan 16, 2018

Atmosphere Land Volcanoes

Urban Patterns in Snow and Light
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Urban Patterns in Snow and Light

In central China, the human footprint brightens the night and dulls the snowscape.

Published Jan 16, 2018

Image of the Day Land Life Human Presence

Ice on Lake Erie
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Ice on Lake Erie

In early January, ice covered most of the lake and prevented the formation of extensive lake-effect clouds.

Published Jan 10, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Snow and Ice Sea and Lake Ice

Tropical Cyclone Ava Strikes Madagascar
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Tropical Cyclone Ava Strikes Madagascar

Forecasters expect the storm to move south along the island’s east coast.

Published Jan 5, 2018

Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms

Cloud Streets Over the Yellow Sea
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Cloud Streets Over the Yellow Sea

Cold and dry air from Siberia typically produce this cloud formation over the sea from November through January.

Published Jan 7, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land

A Chilly End to 2017 for the Northeast
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A Chilly End to 2017 for the Northeast

Blasts of Arctic air spilling into the Midwest and Northeast are poised to make New Year’s Eve frigid for many Americans.

Published Dec 29, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Temperature Extremes

Smoke from the Thomas Fire
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Smoke from the Thomas Fire

The Thomas fire is now the fourth largest wildfire on record in California.

Published Dec 15, 2017

Atmosphere Heat Land Fires

A Band of Snow in the Southeast
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A Band of Snow in the Southeast

An unusual storm blanketed parts of the Deep South with snow.

Published Dec 12, 2017

Land Unique Imagery Snow and Ice

Smoke and Fire in Southern California
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Smoke and Fire in Southern California

In December 2017, thick smoke streamed from several fires burning in southern California.

Published Dec 7, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Fires Human Presence

Cyclone Ockhi
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Cyclone Ockhi

The storm system kicked up dust, stirred up smog, and brought heavy rainfall to the Arabian Sea coast of India.

Published Dec 6, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Severe Storms

Dust in the Dasht-e Kavir
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Dust in the Dasht-e Kavir

Winds lofted sand and dust particles over northern Iran’s Great Salt Desert.

Published Dec 1, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Dust and Haze

Stirring Up Adriatic Waters
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Stirring Up Adriatic Waters

Discolored water near the Italian coast suggests either a phytoplankton bloom or suspended sediment.

Published Nov 29, 2017

Land Water Water Color

Ash at Agung
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Ash at Agung

Mount Agung continues to erupt, ejecting a volcanic plume of gas and ash over the Indonesian island of Bali.

Published Nov 29, 2017

Atmosphere Land Volcanoes

Bloom off of New Zealand
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Bloom off of New Zealand

Phytoplankton bloomed in springtime waters off of South Island.

Published Nov 15, 2017

Life Water Water Color

Connecting the Dots Between Dust, Phytoplankton, and Ice Cores
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Connecting the Dots Between Dust, Phytoplankton, and Ice Cores

Researchers keep a close watch on dust storms around the Gulf of Alaska because the nutrients in that dust may affect marine ecosystems.

Published Nov 15, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Dust and Haze

Dust Blankets the Middle East
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Dust Blankets the Middle East

An October dust storm darkened skies over much of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Published Nov 2, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Dust and Haze

Crop Fires in Northern India
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Crop Fires in Northern India

Many farmers in India set fire to their fields to clear them before planting, a practice known as stubble burning.

Published Oct 27, 2017

Heat Land Fires

 Autumn Colors in North America
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Autumn Colors in North America

Peak autumn colors have arrived in some parts of the eastern United States and Canada.

Published Oct 26, 2017

Land Unique Imagery

End of the Iceberg Life Cycle
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End of the Iceberg Life Cycle

Scientists rely on satellites to piece together the life stories of icebergs from Antarctica, some of which have been adrift for decades.

Published Oct 27, 2017

Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice

Typhoon Lan
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Typhoon Lan

The storm was expected to intensify significantly and might make landfall on the Japanese mainland.

Published Oct 21, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Severe Storms

A Closer Look at Rapidly Intensifying Hurricanes
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A Closer Look at Rapidly Intensifying Hurricanes

Aircraft campaigns have the potential to help scientists answer one of the toughest challenges in hurricane forecasting.

Published Oct 17, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Ophelia Hits Ireland
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Ophelia Hits Ireland

No longer a hurricane, Ophelia still delivered severe weather to Ireland and parts of the United Kingdom.

Published Oct 16, 2017

Atmosphere Land Severe Storms Human Presence

Explosive Fires in Northern California
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Explosive Fires in Northern California

Blazes that started on a few hundred acres around Napa Valley were fanned by strong northeasterly winds into more than 100,000 acres of burned land in just two days.

Published Oct 10, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Fires Human Presence

Australian Winter Was Unusually Warm and Dry
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Australian Winter Was Unusually Warm and Dry

A combination of very warm days, unusually frosty nights, and little rainfall have turned the landscape brown for the start of spring.

Published Oct 1, 2017

Image of the Day Land

Bloom Persists in Lake Erie
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Bloom Persists in Lake Erie

While leaves and crops on land took on typical fall colors of orange and brown, the lake displayed vivid shades of green.

Published Sep 26, 2017

Image of the Day Water Water Color

Typhoon Talim
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Typhoon Talim

Forecasters expect the storm to strike Japan.

Published Sep 16, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Severe Storms

Two Cyclones Stir Up Asian Waters
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Two Cyclones Stir Up Asian Waters

Typhoon Talim and tropical storm Doksuri are heading toward Japan and Vietnam.

Published Sep 13, 2017

Atmosphere Severe Storms

Hurricane Irma Strikes Florida
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Hurricane Irma Strikes Florida

The storm moved toward the west coast of the peninsula, though effects were being felt along both coasts and across the interior.

Published Sep 11, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Severe Storms Human Presence