Fall Colors

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.

Watching for Color in the Wasatch Back
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Watching for Color in the Wasatch Back

The eastern side of the Wasatch Range in autumn displays abundant reds and oranges, followed by vibrant yellows.

Published Nov 13, 2023

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Fall Color in the Cuyahoga Valley
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Fall Color in the Cuyahoga Valley

Forests of maples and oaks show their brilliant autumn hues in northeast Ohio’s national park.

Published Nov 6, 2023

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Warm Autumn Hues on Kodiak Island
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Warm Autumn Hues on Kodiak Island

The Alaskan tundra puts on a fleeting display of color before the snows fall and bears hibernate.

Published Oct 11, 2023

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Snow on the Upper Peninsula
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Snow on the Upper Peninsula

A snowstorm dropped a temporary blanket of white in Michigan amid the region’s colorful fall foliage.

Published Oct 24, 2022

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Autumn in the Adirondacks
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Autumn in the Adirondacks

Vibrant leaf color in northeast New York has not disappointed leaf-peepers.

Published Oct 15, 2022

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Autumn Transformation in Southern Norway
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Autumn Transformation in Southern Norway

On the final day of summer, much of the region’s vegetation had already turned from green to autumnal brown and gold.

Published Sep 22, 2022

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Leaf Hunting in Japan
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Leaf Hunting in Japan

Momijiari can last into early December in the country’s southern regions.

Published Nov 30, 2021

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Falling For Corn
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Falling For Corn

More than one third of the world’s maize (corn) crop is grown in the United States, and the largest share comes from a swath of land across the Midwest.

Published Nov 4, 2021

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Russia’s Golden Autumn
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Russia’s Golden Autumn

Primorsky Krai, in the Russian Far East, displays some of the planet’s most striking fall color.

Published Oct 22, 2021

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Autumn in Sault Ste. Marie
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Autumn in Sault Ste. Marie

The oldest city in North America’s Great Lakes region is surrounded by areas of stunning seasonal color.

Published Oct 11, 2021

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Painting Pennsylvania Hills
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Painting Pennsylvania Hills

The region of rolling hills and valleys is part of a geologic formation known as the Ridge and Valley Province.

Published Nov 28, 2020

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Fall Color in Ottawa
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Fall Color in Ottawa

Trees have long been cherished here for timber and for the colors they bring to “the Fall Rhapsody.”

Published Oct 24, 2020

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Winter is Coming
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Winter is Coming

Long blue shadows on the snow portend frigid days ahead in this far eastern corner of Siberia.

Published Oct 21, 2020

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Superior Fall Colors
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Superior Fall Colors

In autumn, the leaves on deciduous trees change colors as they lose chlorophyll, the molecule that plants use to synthesize food.

Published Sep 29, 2020

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Before the Leaves Fall
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Before the Leaves Fall

Beneath a collection of contrails, colorful foliage spreads across a mountain landscape in the eastern U.S.

Published Nov 2, 2019

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A Transylvanian Transect for Halloween
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A Transylvanian Transect for Halloween

ICESat-2 collected some perspective on the legendary landscape of Vlad and Dracula.

Published Oct 31, 2019

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Massive Muddy Tides in the Bay of Fundy
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Massive Muddy Tides in the Bay of Fundy

High tides in the funnel-shaped bay are anything but a bore when they collide with river water flowing in the opposite direction.

Published Oct 28, 2019

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Autumn Along the Amur
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Autumn Along the Amur

Orange and yellow foliage paint the banks of this river in the Russian Far East.

Published Oct 10, 2019

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Mountains of Fall Color
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Mountains of Fall Color

Leaves are changing color along the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

Published Oct 20, 2018

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Autumn Comes to Ogden
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Autumn Comes to Ogden

Deciduous trees in northern Utah paint the mountains in shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple.

Published Oct 15, 2018

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Check Out These Colors, Maine!
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Check Out These Colors, Maine!

In October, the state transitions form north to south with vibrant displays of peak autumn foliage.

Published Oct 22, 2017

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A Blaze of Color in Alaska
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A Blaze of Color in Alaska

Changing deciduous trees and shrubs came together with evergreens to make this spectacular fall scene.

Published Oct 8, 2017

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Contrasting Ridges in Virginia
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Contrasting Ridges in Virginia

Despite being quite close to each other, two mountain ridges in western Virginia have very different origins.

Published Mar 15, 2017

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A Blaze of Yellow
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A Blaze of Yellow

In northern Sweden, bursts of fall color fill valleys before the darkness of winter descends.

Published Oct 22, 2016

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Fall Color Arrives in the U.S. and Canada
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Fall Color Arrives in the U.S. and Canada

Leaves change from green to orange and brown across the United States and Canada.

Published Oct 15, 2015

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Fall Colors in Eastern Siberia
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Fall Colors in Eastern Siberia

As temperatures cool, deciduous trees in Siberia are making their annual transformation.

Published Sep 12, 2015

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Fall Colors Arriving
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Fall Colors Arriving

A process that occurs on a micro scale in trees shows up on a macro scale in satellite imagery.

Published Sep 30, 2014

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Fall Colors in Pennsylvania
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Fall Colors in Pennsylvania

Cooler temperatures and shorter days have transformed Pennsylvania’s forests.

Published Oct 30, 2013

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Fall Colors in the Mid-Atlantic
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Fall Colors in the Mid-Atlantic

Fall colors swept across the Mid-Atlantic during October 2012.

Published Oct 26, 2012

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From Green to Brown
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From Green to Brown

In a span of just 11 days, fall colors swept over the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia.

Published Oct 4, 2012

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