MODIS Image of the Day

Idalia Roars Into the Gulf of Mexico
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Idalia Roars Into the Gulf of Mexico

Fueled by unusually warm waters, the hurricane is forecast to rapidly intensify before barreling into Florida.

Published Aug 29, 2023

Image of the Day Severe Storms Human Presence

Fire Marches Across the Okavango Delta
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Fire Marches Across the Okavango Delta

Amid seasonal flooding, satellites observed a burn scar growing in Botswana.

Published May 30, 2018

Image of the Day Land

 An Eye-Catching Circle of Cloud
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An Eye-Catching Circle of Cloud

Sometimes the atmosphere churns up peculiar-looking cloud formations that are as notable for aesthetic reasons as they are for scientific ones.

Published May 29, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water

West Coast Panorama
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West Coast Panorama

Stunning natural phenomenon in the water and atmosphere are revealed in this wide view of the western coastline of the United States.

Published May 19, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Remote Sensing

Sediment Plume off the Louisiana Coast
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Sediment Plume off the Louisiana Coast

A pulse of flood water from the central United States spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

Published Mar 9, 2018

Image of the Day Land Water Floods Human Presence

Making Sense of Whiting Events
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Making Sense of Whiting Events

Researchers analyzed more than a decade of satellite imagery to better understand why patches of light-colored water emerge along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Published Mar 7, 2018

Image of the Day Water

Flooding in the Central and Southern U.S.
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Flooding in the Central and Southern U.S.

In late February 2018, heavy rains gave rise to damaging floods along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

Published Feb 27, 2018

Image of the Day Land Water Floods Human Presence Remote Sensing

An Intersection of Land, Ice, Sea, and Clouds
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An Intersection of Land, Ice, Sea, and Clouds

Cold winter winds helped paint a lovely scene off the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland.

Published Feb 26, 2018

Image of the Day Land Water Snow and Ice

Snow Drought in the Rockies
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Snow Drought in the Rockies

A below-normal snowpack in the Southern Rockies could spell trouble for water managers if the deficit continues into late winter and spring.

Published Feb 23, 2018

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Gita Batters the South Pacific
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Gita Batters the South Pacific

The tropical cyclone was one of the strongest on record to make a direct hit on Tongapatu.

Published Feb 16, 2018

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Severe Storms Human Presence

Curvy Contrails
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Curvy Contrails

An aircraft sketched designs in the sky over Florida and Georgia.

Published Dec 20, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Human Presence

Waves in the Sky Behind the Auckland Islands
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Waves in the Sky Behind the Auckland Islands

This distinctive V-shaped wave pattern can emerge behind mountains, ships, and ducks.

Published Dec 17, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water

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

 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

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

Plankton Abloom in Washington’s Hood Canal
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Plankton Abloom in Washington’s Hood Canal

Water in this Pacific Northwest fjord resembles the color of the Caribbean Sea.

Published Aug 4, 2017

Image of the Day Water Remote Sensing Water Color

Cyclonic Rotation off Portugal
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Cyclonic Rotation off Portugal

In summer, the slow-moving systems often form clouds without any precipitation.

Published Jul 25, 2017

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Water Remote Sensing

Raised by Fire, Felled by Ice
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Raised by Fire, Felled by Ice

Events on Earth’s surface can affect the development and shape of clouds in the sky.

Published Jan 3, 2017

Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing

Hurricane Matthew Hits Haiti
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Hurricane Matthew Hits Haiti

At the time of landfall on October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew became the strongest storm to hit Haiti in more than 50 years.

Published Oct 5, 2016

Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms Human Presence

The Evolution of Hurricane Hermine
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The Evolution of Hurricane Hermine

After hitting Florida as a tropical cyclone, Hermine transitioned into a very different type of storm.

Published Sep 9, 2016

Image of the Day Atmosphere Severe Storms

Stubble Burning in Punjab, India
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Stubble Burning in Punjab, India

As they do every fall, farmers in northern India burned crop residue following the harvest.

Published Nov 13, 2015

Image of the Day Land

Canadian Wildfires Produce River of Smoke
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Canadian Wildfires Produce River of Smoke

Smoke from fires in Canada streamed into the United States.

Published Jul 1, 2015

Image of the Day Atmosphere Fires

At the Intersection of Coastal Peru and a Cloud Bank
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At the Intersection of Coastal Peru and a Cloud Bank

Tendrils of fog outline river valleys as the Andes Mountains block advancing banks of ocean clouds.

Published Jun 14, 2015

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Phytoplankton Bloom off the Pacific Northwest
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Phytoplankton Bloom off the Pacific Northwest

Upwelling currents and summer weather promoted a large bloom of floating, microscopic plants off the coast of Oregon and Washington.

Published Jul 31, 2014

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Cyclone Ita Approaching Australia
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Cyclone Ita Approaching Australia

At the time of this image, the potent storm was headed for landfall in Queensland.

Published Apr 12, 2014

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Severe Storms

Swirls in the Waters off France
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Swirls in the Waters off France

An ongoing phytoplankton bloom has painted the sea surface in jewel tones.

Published May 12, 2013

Image of the Day Life Water

Dust Storm in the Great Plains
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Dust Storm in the Great Plains

Severe winds kicked up dust across the central United States on October 18, 2012, closing highways and reminding locals of the Dust Bowl days.

Published Oct 20, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Drought Dust and Haze

An Australian “Anti-storm”
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An Australian “Anti-storm”

A high near Tasmania left a gaping hole in the clouds.

Published Jun 8, 2012

Image of the Day Atmosphere

Sunny Skies over the Antarctic Peninsula
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Sunny Skies over the Antarctic Peninsula

Acquired April 24, 2012, these images show part of the Antarctic Peninsula, enjoying sunny skies and warm temperatures after a bout of cloudy weather.

Published May 1, 2012

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Spring Paints the Piedmont Green
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Spring Paints the Piedmont Green

The timing of seasons in North America is changing.

Published Apr 19, 2012

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