Earth Observatory Image of the DayNASA's view of the Earth from the Earth Observatory.NASA’s newest Earth science satellite captured a striking image of swirling bands of phytoplankton. View the full storyA May storm dumped over two feet of snow in one day on parts of the California mountain range. View...The peak of the blooming season brought vibrant colors to the Dutch landscape. View the full storyMonths before the arrival of tourists and migrating birds, this high-elevation lake on the Tibetan Plateau was glazed with ice....NASA citizen scientists collected thousands of photographs and temperature readings that are being used to study the relationship between total...NASA satellites are helping track tiger habitat, offering hope and new insights for conservation as these predators face the consequences...Exacerbated by El Niño, heavy rains in spring 2024 caused severe flooding in Tanzania’s Rufiji district, among other areas in...Severe drought in Zambia jeopardizes electricity supplies and food security for millions of people. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152746/parched-kafue-flatshttps://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152742/global-accounting-of-earths-rivers. View the full storyOver the past two and a half decades, EO has published more than 18,000 image-driven stories. This video highlights some...Agricultural plots are carpeted in yellow when rapeseed or canola plants bloom. View the full storyClouds and haze crash into high-elevation ridges in this oblique photograph, taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station....Every spring, satellites observe thick plumes of dust streaming from the Gobi Desert over East Asia. View the full storyAmid prolonged drought, wet spring weather flooded marshes and greened vegetation in southern Spain. View the full storyThe powerful eruption lofted ash high into the atmosphere and spread tephra and other volcanic debris across the small island...One of the driest growing seasons in decades has decimated crops and left millions hungry. View the full storyNew analysis of a round depression in the salty plains of the Kutch Basin revealed telltale signs of a prehistoric...In the country’s southeast, towering table-top mountains known as tepuis host unique species of flora and fauna. View the full...A powerful storm system battered major cities in the Arabian Peninsula. View the full storyWith the help of icebreaking vessels, Saimaa’s icy waters remain navigable for much of the year. View the full storyMajor cities in northwestern Europe shine bright in this nighttime photo, taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station....Rivers overtopped their banks and submerged thousands of homes in Russia and Kazakhstan. View the full storyResearchers used satellite data to calculate the depth of water in this transient freshwater body. View the full storyPoppies are sparse, but yellow wildflowers are blooming in Southern California. View the full storyThis reddish “burning mountain” of granite is the highest point in Namibia. View the full storyAstronauts and photographers captured unforgettable views of Earth and the Sun as the Moon’s shadow swept across North America. View...The amount of snow in the California-Nevada mountain range was about average in April 2024—a rare occurrence. View the full...Human-made lakes along the western U.S. river were drained as part of the world’s largest dam removal project to date....Satellites gathered striking views of the Moon’s shadow from above as observers on the ground were awed by the Sun’s...Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand popular with tourists, faces seasonal spikes in air pollution. View the full storyDistinct textures stand out in this winter scene around Bositeng Lake in China’s Xinjiang region. View the full storySigns of structural weaknesses may signal a shift in this Antarctic ice shelf’s stability. View the full storyStrong winds that race across Lago Colhué Huapi have exposed ancient artifacts amid the dusty surface. View the full storyThe latest fissure eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula was the largest of four recent bouts of activity near the town...More than 100 active fires burned across the country in late-March 2024, including this blaze near the border of Oaxaca...Landsat satellites have begun regularly acquiring images of ice at the poles during the winter, with enlightening results. View the...Rectangular ponds for shrimp farming line the coast of northern Peru. View the full storyMeandering waterways distribute sediments across a foothill valley in Argentina. View the full storyNASA scientists are part of an international effort to collect air quality data in Southeast Asia. View the full storyDrought and heat have fueled unusually high numbers of fires in the South American country during the first three months...Skies turned orange and snowy slopes were stained brown as Saharan dust reached Europe. View the full storySweltering temperatures led to power cuts and school closures in South Sudan. View the full storySea ice at the top of the planet continued to shrink and thin in 2024, consistent with an ongoing 46-year...The large coral islands off the African coast are home to giant tortoises and unique birdlife. View the full storySmoke billowed from multiple wildfires in the eastern U.S., fueled by dry and windy weather. View the full storyLights, snow, and clouds brighten this wintery scene of Earth’s northern latitudes. View the full storyIt’s not a forecast, but this map of historical cloud cover will tell you how often skies on April 8...A potent storm pushed snowpack levels above normal across Colorado.View the full storyRecent data from the previously unstudied Ruki River in the Congo Basin shows that it carries a heavy load of...The Arctic and North Atlantic oceans have seen an increasing number of days when precipitation falls as rain, not snow....A Landsat satellite acquired this image of discolored water drifting from the active underwater volcano. View the full storyAn astronaut’s photograph reveals the myriad features of a remote glacier high in the Karakoram mountains of central Asia. View...Weeks of warmer-than-average ocean temperatures caused extensive bleaching in the world’s largest coral reef system. View the full storyA cycle of rapid advance and retreat at Sortebræ, a glacier in eastern Greenland, built pi-shaped tongues of ice before...The storm dropped a substantial amount of rain as it moved across Mozambique. View the full storyResearchers are leveraging troves of data collected by animal-borne sensors to complement satellite observations, expand weather measurements, and better understand...A volcano on Fernandina, an uninhabited island dense with wildlife, is lighting up the night sky with the glow of...This wide-angle photo offers the feeling of looking out over the Persian Gulf from an altitude of about 250 miles....The large reservoir in Catalonia shrank to 1 percent of capacity in March 2024. View the full storySome of the world’s largest deposits of this useful metal lie in the high plains of the Central Andes. View...Ranchers in the Texas Panhandle recently faced a fire that charred more than 1 million acres. View the full storyThe Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite provides a new view of water on land, at the coast, and in...Scientists’ annual checkup on Earth’s carbon cycle found that burning oil, coal, and natural gas is impeding progress to limit...Huge understory fires are spreading throughout the state in northern Brazil as drought and heat turn the rainforest into tinder....This city in southern Arizona is surrounded by mountains, national forest, and conservation areas. View the full storyWetlands in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary are used by millions of migrating birds. View the full storyThe effects of a warm winter in the upper Midwest are evident in the lack of lake ice. View the...The blaze near Quetzaltenango was one of several burning across the country. View the full storyNew research shows that while some Antarctic ice shelves have been thinning since at least the 1970s, widespread thinning accelerated...A distinct plume of suspended sediment is a persistent winter feature off China’s coast. View the full storyLakes and lava flows fill the depression atop this geologically young stratovolcano in eastern Türkiye. View the full storyScientists speculated about these holes for decades, but it’s now well understood that cavum clouds are caused by airplanes. View...The future site of Indonesia’s new capital saw rapid change between 2022 and 2024. View the full storyAkará is only the third such storm recorded in the region since 2015. View the full storyHarriet Tubman preferred to navigate the woods and waterways of Maryland’s Eastern Shore on winter nights when guiding enslaved people...The setting Sun illuminates the western faces of sand dunes across this low-lying basin in northwestern China. View the full...The barrier island that protects the mouth of Mobile Bay has a history of shifting and merging with nearby islands....Critical infrastructure is threatened as sinking land amplifies global sea level rise. View the full storyRefreshed by precipitation from an atmospheric river, a temporary lake in Death Valley is extending its stay. View the full...An astronaut and satellite sensors captured eye-catching patterns in sea ice. View the full storyThe mountain lake survived the catastrophic events surrounding the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and gained a new shoreline...For the third time since December 2023, fresh lava has flowed across parts of the Reykjanes peninsula. View the full...A large stadium contributes to the nighttime illumination of Las Vegas, which hosts the Super Bowl for the first time...Bright white water surfaces and cloud tops contrast with the darker landscape of this Caribbean island. View the full storyHeat, drought, and winds fueled wildland fires that raged into parts of Viña del Mar and Quilpué. View the full...NASA’s PACE satellite lifted off from Florida and headed for orbit, from where it will observe microscopic organisms in Earth’s...Torrential rain fell on southern parts of the state, the product of an intense atmospheric river. View the full storyFueled by a summer heatwave, the blazes scorched entire neighborhoods in the city of Viña del Mar. View the full...An analysis of satellite data found that most of the island’s glaciers have retreated significantly, with Zachariæ Isstrøm and Sermeq...This coastal stretch of South Africa’s Western Cape province supports industry, fishing, farming, tourism, and a nature reserve. View the...Hot, windy weather has fueled outbreaks of fire in South Africa’s Western Cape. View the full storyA moisture measurement tool known as OpenET is improving the way farmers, ranchers, and water resource managers steward one of...Once covered in palms and mangroves, about half of this wetland has been converted for aquaculture. View the full storyThe towering volcano has been erupting for decades, with near constant gas emissions venting from the crater punctuated by bursts...Sustained winds carried desert dust over the ocean, where it engulfed island groups and then streamed toward the United Kingdom....Clouds trailing the remote island in the South Atlantic appeared brighter than usual because of volcanic aerosols. View the full...The iconic volcano of Northern California is home to seven glaciers that become buried in a blanket of snow during...The large Coast Range glacier is one of thousands in western Canada that have shrunk in recent decades as temperatures...Located in northern Chile, one of the deepest open-pit mines in the world has transitioned underground to extract valuable metals....Some parts of the peninsula rose up to 4 meters (13 feet), shifting the position of coastlines and leaving some...More than a week of wintry weather left a band of snow from Mississippi to Maine. View the full storyResting atop a shingled sandstone landscape, the Norwegian glacier has been in decline since the late 1990s. View the full...Tectonic forces over millions of years have folded the region’s layers of colorful rock. Erosion has since exposed them. View...The latest round of eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula destroyed homes in the town of Grindavík. View the full storyWinter fog in Pakistan and northern India has reduced visibility on the ground and caused transportation challenges. View the full...Dangerously cold temperatures lingered over large swaths of the country for several days in mid-January 2024. View the full storyRéunion and Mauritius, islands in the southwest Indian Ocean, were lashed by the basin’s strongest storm system so far in...In Alaska, streams are turning orange as permafrost thaws. View the full storyCool, upwelling water supports an array of marine life and draws the occasional filmmaker to the Bonney Coast region. View...The populous Argentinian city lies along the Paraná River, an important waterway for trade and resource transportation. View the full...What caused the year to be so hot? Here is a breakdown of the primary factors that scientists considered. View...A sprawling low-pressure system swept across the eastern half of the U.S., delivering high winds, heavy rain and snow, and...A blanket of morning fog in January made the Nile Delta look like a tuft of cotton. View the full...In the aftermath of consecutive winter storms, rivers in central England overflowed their banks. View the full storyThe burst of turquoise and tan hues in Alaskan waters is in stark contrast to the snowy shoreline. View the...Infrastructure, aquaculture, and an artificial island are found along this coastal stretch of southwest India. View the full storySeasonal melting produced striking hues atop the sea ice before it broke away from the coast. View the full storyParallel rows of cumulus clouds streamed from icy domains out over open water. View the full storyFeatures in this northern British Columbia volcanic area draw their names from a few of our favorite wintry things. View...Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are uniquely positioned to capture striking photos of the Sun and Earth. View the...The terrain near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers is topographically varied compared to the relatively flat Midwest....The highest point in the Indian Ocean, this 2-million-year-old volcano is rarely snowy. View the full storyThe Antarctic island served as a winter base for early 20th century polar explorers. View the full storyPeople have long noticed that the waters around Cabo Frio are unusually cool. View the full storyIn ancient Greek and Roman times, the lush emerald isle of Ireland was called out for its long frosty seasons....The Alaskan stratovolcano has not come to life in thousands of years. View the full storyThe name “icicle” frequently shows up in and around the Bavarian-inspired town of Leavenworth in Washington state. View the full...The Labrador Current transports ice southward, where it melts in warmer open water. View the full storyThe state’s balmy winter weather influenced the names of multiple central Florida communities. View the full storyReelfoot Lake in Tennessee formed as a result of shifts in Earth’s surface. View the full storyAn early summer heatwave contributed to the country’s already active fire season. View the full storyAfter weeks of warnings, a new fissure has opened on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland. View the full storyA spate of solar activity produced widespread auroras across Canada. View the full storyThe array of turbines is an example of Uruguay’s rapid adoption of wind power. View the full storyTwo years after the eruption of Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands, some roads have been reconstructed. View the full...After a hunting trip in 1883, young Theodore Roosevelt was drawn to the desolate beauty of Dakota Territory badlands. View...Sea-faring vessels waited off the shores of one of Brazil’s busiest ports. View the full storyA high-intensity prescribed burn in south-central Utah will help restore the region’s aspen trees. It could also improve the lives...The first storm of the Australian tropical cyclone season aimed for Port Douglas. View the full storyOutbursts from Glacial Lake Missoula carved the Channeled Scablands in Washington state. View the full storyBoth the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins were unusually active in 2023—and some storms had unpredictable bouts of rapid intensification....Stark contrasts between light and dark indicate the interface between urban and natural areas in the Greek capital. View the...Aínos National Park on Greece’s largest Ionian island became a dark sky park in 2023. Read the full storyThe tropical cyclone caused widespread flooding and crop damage in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. View the full...Ice cores and satellite images are helping preserve the history of a disappearing ice cap in the Peruvian Andes. View...Snow lingered on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa after a storm brought copious precipitation to the island chain. View the...A warm, moisture-laden weather system soaked western Washington and Oregon. View the full storyAnak Krakatau is a small, unimposing volcanic island between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. However, its frequent blasts...Storms brought flooding to Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in November 2023, continuing a trend of wet weather...Water-carved canyons and wind-sculpted dunes adorn the desert landscape. View the full storyErta Ale, in the East African Rift, is Ethiopia’s most active volcano. Read the full storyStuck on the seafloor for decades, Iceberg A-23A now freely drifts northward toward warmer, iceberg-destroying waters. Read the full storyNASA research finds that a combination of windblown dust and human-caused particle pollution was associated with nearly 3 million premature...The fiery and icy upper reaches of the Antarctic volcano pierced through a canopy of clouds. Read the full storyA winter storm plowed across several U.S. states after Thanksgiving. Read the full storyThe Alaskan city received record snowfall in November 2023. Read the full storyFluid dynamics put on a spectacular show around Norway’s remote Bear Island. Read the full storyAn unexpected color palette reveals the features of an iconic glacial landscape in southeastern Alaska. Read the full storyThe causeway and its blocky “islands” off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia make oil drilling possible in the region’s...Ice cores and satellite images are helping preserve the history of a disappearing ice cap in the Peruvian Andes. Read...Heavy rainfall in the Horn of Africa submerged entire towns in floodwater. Read the full storyEven with fewer fires than normal in fall 2023, poor air quality plagued the region. Read the full storyThese freshwater tidal wetlands have been shaped by centuries of floods and the efforts to control them. Read the full...A scientist spotted a jade hue in the sea ice fastened to the coast of East Antarctica. Read the full...The white sands of Florida’s Emerald Coast beaches are primarily comprised of quartz grains from the southern Appalachian Mountains. Read...Residents of the Australian opal-mining town of Coober Pedy beat the heat by living underground. Read the full storyA wet winter in western states provided a short-term reprieve to the decades-long drought in the reservoir. Read the full...The extent of the Iraqi city has increased in recent decades, alongside rising water levels in nearby wetlands. Read the...Flanked by mountain ranges on three sides, the basin in northwestern China sees frequent dust storms. Read the full storyCurtains of colorful light danced across the sky after solar storms sent energized particles crashing into Earth’s upper atmosphere. Read...The Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington is the oldest continually operating retirement home for military personnel in the United...Ancient geologic processes created a Saharan landscape full of contrasts. Read the full storyThe eastern side of the Wasatch Range in autumn displays abundant reds and oranges, followed by vibrant yellows. Read the...Record rainfall associated with Hurricane Hilary in August 2023 created a large temporary lake in Death Valley. Read the full...One branch of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier seems to have retreated as far as it can, while the other still has...Wind and rain from a powerful storm lashed Western Europe in early November, causing widespread flooding in central Italy. Read...Heat and drought caused seasonal fires to flare up amidst rising rates of deforestation. Read the full storyForests of maples and oaks show their brilliant autumn hues in northeast Ohio’s national park. Read the full storyThe Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes rise like twins along the Chile-Bolivia border, but close inspection reveals distinct differences in their...Eurasia’s tallest active volcano spewed ash that drifted hundreds of kilometers. Read the full storyResearchers found that the depleted area of the ozone layer over the South Pole was slightly improved this year. Read...Wind and rain from the ferocious hurricane damaged infrastructure and turned forests brown. Read the full storySatellite observations show that students of color in the U.S. attend public schools with higher concentrations of air pollution than...Past volcanic eruptions and salt deposits from present-day hot springs left this distinctive “face” in northern Chad. Read the full...Shifting rainfall patterns are projected to leave millions of people without consistent access to food in late 2023 and early...Despite their rusty color, these arteries of water in Bolivia and Madagascar are important for biodiversity. Read the full storyThousands of endemic plant species flourish in one of the planet’s hottest biodiversity hotspots. Read the full storyHomes were destroyed by blazes in eastern Australia, fueled by unusually hot and dry conditions. Read the full storyOtis went from tropical storm to major hurricane in a matter of hours before barreling into Mexico’s Pacific Coast as...A new system that draws upon active fire data from satellites is making it easier for scientists to track the...The storm threatens to bring heavy rains to Yemen and Oman. Read the full storyPoor harvests stemming from a prolonged dry spell have exacerbated food insecurity in northeastern Uganda. Read the full storyOblique photographs can provide a unique perspective on the planet’s topographic highs, including Europe’s most active volcano. Read the full...Eruptions on Russia’s active Kamchatka Peninsula made for a dramatic display of steam, snow, and shadows. Read the full storyWith an El Niño brewing in the Pacific, uncontrolled fires are burning beneath the canopy in some parts of the...A storm brought wintry weather and the first significant snowfall of the season to the Rocky Mountains. Read the full...The water level of the largest tributary of the Amazon River has hit a record low. Read the full storyAs the Moon crossed between the Sun and Earth during the 2023 annular eclipse, its shadow darkened skies across the...The seas around Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas saw large accumulations of heat stress beginning in summer 2023, with implications...The seas around Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas saw large accumulations of heat stress beginning in summer 2023, with implications...A patchwork of farmland along the Snake River abuts a flow of hardened lava. Read the full storyThe cultural and political hub of El Salvador lies along the Central American Volcanic Arc. Read the full storyThe sum of Earth's plants, on land and in the ocean, changes slightly from year to year as weather patterns...A warm, dry September set the stage for increased fire risk in Australia. Read the full storyDry conditions brought on by El Niño likely intensified the 2023 fire season, following several years of relative quiet. Read...This animation highlights the density of black carbon particles—commonly called soot—in smoke as it moved across North America between September...Lidia quickly strengthened from a tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane before making landfall near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Read...The Alaskan tundra puts on a fleeting display of color before the snows fall and bears hibernate. Read the full...June, July, and August were 0.23°C (0.41°F) warmer than any other summer in NASA’s record. Read the full storyStrong tides create laminar and turbulent flow patterns in waters off far eastern Russia. Read the full storyIntertidal flats, mangroves, and artificial islands surround the populous capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Read the full storyWildland fires usually wind down in autumn, but this year they continued to rage into October. Read the full storyThe powerful storm intensified as it tracked toward the island’s southern tip. Read the full storyAn influx of nutrients in recent decades has contributed to the proliferation of algae in the large Canadian lake. Read...Dry conditions brought on by El Niño likely intensified the 2023 fire season, following several years of relative quiet. Read...An oblique-angle photo taken from above the Middle East captures the Moon peeking over Earth’s atmospheric limb. Read the full...Indigenous people are protecting carbon-rich forests in South America, and satellites are helping. Read the full storyA few years after a fresh influx of water raised its levels, the large lake has nearly gone dry. Read...Two decades of satellite measurements show that the sea surface is shading toward green. Read the full storyIn September, low water levels made it more challenging to ship goods down the river and allowed a wedge of...After passing the Antarctic Peninsula, Iceberg D-30A grazed the much smaller Clarence Island, spun around, and drifted north. Read the...Satellite data shows that Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on September 19, 2023. Read the full...Dust from the ephemeral Hamun wetlands streamed over parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in September. Read the full storySatellite data shows that Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum extent on record on September 10, 2023. Read the...Cities and towns darkened after a cyclone unleashed torrential flooding along the country’s coast. Read the full storyScientists have some ideas about what might have caused a thin arc that spanned a fjord in Western Greenland. Read...Swirls of phytoplankton and sediment brightened Vancouver Island’s coastal waters in July 2023.Following a slow start to the fire season, several blazes burned across the western U.S. in early August.Lava is once again spilling from the volcano in southwest Iceland, only this time it is igniting moss fires. Read...False-color images from Channel Country in the Australian Outback reveal a barren landscape transformed.Ice breaking up off the Russian coast whirled at the whims of winds and currents.Prolonged drought in Kansas set the stage for what may be one of the state’s smallest wheat harvests in decades.A complex system of dunes displays an array of patterns in the Rub’ al Khali sand sea in southeast Saudi...Protecting carbon stored in ecosystems could be a powerful tool in tackling climate change.In Germany's smallest national park, European beech trees are perched atop precipitous chalk cliffs.Infrastructure new and old glows across the Czech Republic's capital city.