Oceans

How the Tide Turns at the Mouth of the Elbe

The ocean’s ebbs and flows reveal dynamic tidal flats and a well-traveled shipping route along the coast of Germany.

El Niño Is Underway

Satellite observations of sea surface height indicated that the 2026 event continued to strengthen in early June.

Color Off the Mid-Atlantic Coast

Something is brewing in shallow waters offshore of Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

Record-Setting Retreat of Hektoria Glacier

Scientists relied on satellite data to understand how the Antarctic glacier lost so much ice so rapidly.

Satellite Spots a Spawn

The activity of herring around Vancouver Island in British Columbia brightened coastal waters enough to be detectable from space.

Cañon Fiord’s Whirling Waters

During the 2022 summer melt season, sediment plumes and fractured sea ice traced swirling eddies in a branch of the…

Showy Swirls Around Jeju Island

Winds blowing past the volcanic landmass near the Korean Peninsula created a trail of spiraling clouds, while murky water churned…

Arctic Blast Brightened the West Florida Shelf

A cold snap in the southern U.S. stirred up a dazzling display of sediment in coastal waters.

Blooming Seas Around the Chatham Islands

A vibrant display of phytoplankton encircled the remote New Zealand islands.