Farming on the Straight, Curved, and Narrow
Image of the Day Mar 19, 2025

Farming on the Straight, Curved, and Narrow

Repeated land divisions over centuries have created a complex mosaic of ribbon-like fields in southern Poland.
Baja California’s Arid Delta
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Baja California’s Arid Delta

A salt-encrusted landscape surrounds the Colorado River where it once emptied into the Gulf of California.

Published Mar 16, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Swirling Skies and Melting Icebergs
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Swirling Skies and Melting Icebergs

The remote South Sandwich Islands can disrupt passing clouds in ways that shed alternating rows of cloud spirals. 

Published Mar 15, 2025

Image of the Day Remote Sensing

Bahía Blanca Inundated
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Bahía Blanca Inundated

Torrential rains set off dangerous flash flooding in the Argentinian port city.

Published Mar 14, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Water Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes

Nyamulagira Brings the Heat
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Nyamulagira Brings the Heat

Clouds parted to reveal fresh lava flows on the slopes of the East African Rift volcano.

Published Mar 12, 2025

Image of the Day Volcanoes Remote Sensing

A Small Blue-Gray Marble
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A Small Blue-Gray Marble

A digital camera on the Blue Ghost lander looked back at Earth and captured this ethereal image.

Published Mar 12, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere

March Puzzler
Earth Matters

March Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published Mar 11, 2025

Spotting Disruptions to Earth’s Vegetation
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Spotting Disruptions to Earth’s Vegetation

Using NASA data, researchers can track vegetation changes around the planet, not just in forests but also in grasslands and savannas like the Brazilian Cerrado.

Published Mar 11, 2025

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

What Was Behind Idalia’s Rapid Intensification?
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What Was Behind Idalia’s Rapid Intensification?

A new analysis suggests that a large freshwater plume in the hurricane’s path helped fuel its extraordinary growth.

Published Mar 10, 2025

Image of the Day Heat Water

Snow Cover
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Feb 2025

Snow Cover

Snow and ice influence climate by reflecting sunlight back into space. When it melts, snow is a source of water for drinking and vegetation; too much snowmelt can lead to floods. These maps show average snow cover by month.

Snow and Ice

Carbon Monoxide
Global Maps Mar 2000 — Oct 2024

Carbon Monoxide

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.

Atmosphere

Land Surface Temperature
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Jan 2025

Land Surface Temperature

Land surface temperatures rise and fall with the heat of the Sun, and they represent how hot or cold the surface would feel to touch. These maps show daytime land temperatures as measured from space.

Heat Land

A Bejeweled Plateau
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A Bejeweled Plateau

The turquoise waters of Ngangla Ringco add vivid color to the otherwise brown landscape in this part of the Tibetan Plateau.

Published Mar 9, 2025

Image of the Day Land

Alfred’s Strange and Destructive Journey
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Alfred’s Strange and Destructive Journey

The tropical cyclone took a sharp turn toward Australia’s east coast, bringing flooding and other hazards to an area that rarely sees this type of storm.

Published Mar 7, 2025

Image of the Day Drought Fires Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Temperature Extremes

Iceberg Grinds to a Stop off South Georgia Island
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Iceberg Grinds to a Stop off South Georgia Island

Antarctic iceberg A-23A has slowed its drift and appears stuck in the shallow waters off the British overseas territory.

Published Mar 7, 2025

Image of the Day Snow and Ice

Storm Brings a Potpourri of Hazards to the U.S.
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Storm Brings a Potpourri of Hazards to the U.S.

A powerful mid-latitude storm fueled dust storms, tornadoes, blizzards, and downpours across the country.  

Published Mar 5, 2025

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Dust and Haze

Adventures and Preparing To Be On the Land
Notes from the Field

Adventures and Preparing To Be On the Land

"Leaf-to-orbit" activities began as the campers arrived in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Published Mar 4, 2025

Mission: Biomes
Article

Mission: Biomes

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

Land Life

A Colorful Scientific Homecoming
Notes from the Field

A Colorful Scientific Homecoming

After 31 years, scientist Joaquin Chaves returned to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for another international expedition.

Published Feb 27, 2025

Water

World of Change
Article

World of Change

NASA satellites document how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—changes over months, seasons, and years.

Published Apr 29, 2009

Atmosphere Heat Land Life Human Presence Snow and Ice

Blue Marble Next Generation
Article

Blue Marble Next Generation

12 months of high-resolution global true color satellite imagery.

Published Oct 13, 2005

Atmosphere Land Water Snow and Ice

Earth at Night
Article

Earth at Night

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

Atmosphere Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Preparing for an On-The-Land Camp
Notes from the Field

Preparing for an On-The-Land Camp

A new camp in Canada’s Northwest Territories would allow youth to view wetland environments from a ‘leaf-to-orbit’ perspective.

Published Feb 25, 2025

February Puzzler
Earth Matters

February Puzzler

Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.

Published Feb 25, 2025

Day 12: A Whirlwind Journey
Notes from the Field

Day 12: A Whirlwind Journey

AVUELO's many moving parts has made time fly by by for the campaign’s project scientist.

Published Feb 21, 2025

Net Radiation
Global Maps Jul 2006 — Jan 2025

Net Radiation

Net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere. It is the total energy available to influence climate after light and heat are reflected, absorbed, or emitted by clouds and land.

Heat

Waiting for Better Weather
Notes from the Field

Waiting for Better Weather

What does AVUELO have in common with a Joni Mitchell song? The answer lies in the clouds.

Published Feb 19, 2025

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article

2024 North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in the basin runs from June 1 to November 30.

Published Jul 1, 2024

Atmosphere

Renewable and Alternative Energy
Article

Renewable and Alternative Energy

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

Land Human Presence

Cloud Fraction
Global Maps Feb 2000 — Feb 2025

Cloud Fraction

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.

Atmosphere

Air Quality
Article

Air Quality

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

Atmosphere Human Presence

Water Vapor
Global Maps Jul 2002 — Feb 2025

Water Vapor

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.

Atmosphere

Temperature Extremes 2024
Article

Temperature Extremes 2024

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Mar 26, 2024

Heat

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere
Article

2024 Fires in the Northern Hemisphere

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

Atmosphere Land Human Presence

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies
Article

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

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

Remote Sensing

Temperature Extremes 2023
Article

Temperature Extremes 2023

Warmer-than-average temperatures are showing up locally and globally, with consequences for people, landscapes, and ecosystems.

Published Aug 15, 2023

Heat