Rising seas have redistributed cyanobacterial mats blanketing part of Andros Island and restructured the island’s marshes and mudflats.
Global temperatures have soared in recent years and climate scientists are trying to understand why.
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Nov 19, 2024
The volcano’s first snow of the season fell in early November 2024—the latest in a 130-year record—only to apparently vanish within a few days.
Published Nov 19, 2024
The exceptionally long high-mountain glacier in Central Asia ranges from snowy white near the mountain peaks to dusty brown at lower elevations.
Published Nov 17, 2024
The blue underbellies of icebergs were spotted floating near the Amery Ice Shelf.
Published Nov 16, 2024
A series of explosive eruptions from Mount Lewotobi lofted ash to the cruising altitudes of jets.
Published Nov 14, 2024
Four storms swirled in the basin, many of which set their sights on the storm-ravaged Philippines.
Published Nov 13, 2024
November snows piled up on the plains and peaks of Colorado and New Mexico.
Published Nov 12, 2024Image of the Day Severe Storms Snow and Ice Temperature Extremes
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.
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
Sea salt, volcanic ash, dust, wildfire smoke, and industrial pollution are types of airborne aerosols. Natural aerosols tend to be larger than human-made aerosols. These maps show when and where aerosols come from nature, humans, or both.
Satellite data show the shape of a wave as water sloshed around Dickson Fjord after a rockslide triggered a tsunami in September 2023.
Published Nov 12, 2024
Veterans Day falls on November 11 because of a World War I armistice signed in the Forest of Compiègne in France in 1918.
Published Nov 11, 2024
Windswept sand formations known as star dunes, or pyramid dunes, are a distinctive feature of the Sahara Desert in northern Africa.
Published Nov 10, 2024
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.
Chlorophyll is used by algae and other phytoplankton--the grass of the sea--to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars. These maps show chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean, revealing where phytoplankton are thriving.
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
Strong Santa Ana winds carried the Mountain fire’s plume westward over the Pacific Ocean.
Published Nov 7, 2024
The latest major storm in 2024’s active hurricane season brought heavy rain and storm surge to Cuba as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico.
Published Nov 7, 2024
Scientists “fueled the love for science” among students during a field campaign for NASA’s plankton and aerosol observing satellite.
Published Oct 31, 2024
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Published Oct 22, 2024
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 2024
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
People have developed systems to harvest and store energy from sources such as wind, sunlight, and tidal action. Many of these installations are visible from orbit.
Published May 10, 2024
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
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
From ground-level ozone to particulate matter to nitrogen dioxide, an array of gasses and particles can affect the air people breathe, with implications for human health.
Published Apr 8, 2024
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Mar 26, 2024
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.
Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some areas as the world warms.
Published Feb 27, 2024
Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Published Aug 15, 2023
