NASA scientists employed a pixel-tracking method to reveal how much the ground shifted during one of the largest documented surface ruptures of its type.
A thick dust plume in the Middle East dimmed skies and sent thousands to the hospital in April 2025.
The large metropolis, fringed by scenic coastline, stretches across two continents.
Published Apr 20, 2025
Despite its stately and serene appearance, the Alaskan volcano has shown signs of activity since spring 2024.
Published Apr 19, 2025
Folds of rusted rock neighbor the Bighorn Canyon’s deep scar in the western United States.
Published Apr 17, 2025
A major embayment in West Antarctica saw new sea ice growth in autumn 2025 amid older sea ice that had survived the austral summer melt season.
Published Apr 16, 2025
Winds interacted with mountainous terrain to produce long, sharp-edged standing wave clouds.
Published Apr 14, 2025
An astronaut orbiting over Southeast Asia captured a colorful photo of the lights from boats, ports, and other lit infrastructure.
Published Apr 13, 2025
One of the largest islands in the Mediterranean, this region of Italy has developed a cultural and natural heritage all its own over the millennia.
Published Apr 12, 2025
The colorful North Atlantic waters visible around the archipelago in April 2025 are likely due to a mix of phytoplankton and suspended sediment.
Published Apr 10, 2025
Signs of urban expansion cover parts of Tennessee’s “scenic city,” which is nestled along the meandering Tennessee River.
Published Apr 10, 2025
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.
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.
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
A slow-moving storm system dumped heavy rain across the Midwest and Southeast and fueled major floods along several of the river’s tributaries.
Published Apr 8, 2025
Following destructive fires in March 2025, satellite imagery showed burned land stretching more than 80 kilometers toward the coastline in the country’s southeast.
Published Apr 8, 2025
Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.
Published Jul 1, 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
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.
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
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.
12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.
Published Oct 13, 2005
NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.
Published Apr 29, 2009
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.
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.
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
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
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
