Massive Antarctic Iceberg – Twice the Size of New York City – on the Move
After breaking from the Brunt Ice Shelf, Iceberg A-81 and other pieces of ice drift south with the Weddell Gyre. On January 22, 2023, the…
Earth Observatory News
Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf Finally Breaks – Spawns Iceberg Twice the Size of New York City
A long-watched rift has spawned an iceberg about twice the size of New York City. In February 2019, a rift spanning most of the Brunt…
Mysteries Remain About Puzzling Bahamas Whiting Events
Researchers used satellite imagery to reveal where and when the discolored patches of water appeared between 2003 and 2020 and found a puzzling temporary increase…
World’s Longest Conveyor Belt System – 61 Miles Long
The conveyor belt helps transport an essential agricultural fertilizer from the remote reaches of Western Sahara to farmlands across the world. On the western edge…
Climate Change: NASA Reveals How Earth’s Global Temperatures Stacked Up in 2022
In 2022, Earth was about 1.11°C (2°F) warmer than the late 19th century average. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the…
“Pineapple Express” – Atmospheric River Drenches California, Blasting Hazardous Winds
The latest in a series of atmospheric rivers drenching the state was accompanied by hazardous winds and left thousands of people without power. Just four…
Polar Vortex Unleashed Winter Weather Whiplash in the US
The configuration of the polar vortex may have played a role in unleashing bitter cold followed by record warmth in North America. December 2022 and…
Floodwater Inundates North-Central California: Heavy Rain and Levee Breaches Triggers Flooding
Heavy rain and levee breaches triggered flooding in parts of Sacramento and the Bay Area. On New Year’s Eve 2022, heavy rain hit parts of…
Stunning View of Great Lakes Dressed for Winter Captured by NASA Astronaut
Land and water were decorated with snow and ice when astronauts looked down on the region in February 2022. A strong winter storm brought snow,…
Intense Explosions at Mount Semeru – One Year After Unleashing Deadly Eruption
Intense explosions at the summit sent avalanches of ash and mud racing down the southeastern flank of the Indonesian volcano. In early December 2022, the…
Satellite Reveals Larger Wheat Harvest in Ukraine Than Expected – And Barren Boundary of War
A satellite-based analysis indicates that nearly 27 million tons of wheat were harvested from Ukraine’s farms this year, but the country won’t reap all of…
Stunning Satellite Image: Lava Flows North on Mauna Loa
The Landsat 9 satellite acquired this image of the volcanic eruption as lava flowed past the Mauna Loa Observatory toward Saddle Road. On December 2,…
Wetlands of Adair Bay – Stunning Photo Captured by Space Station Astronaut
The estuary system marks the transition between the Great Altar Desert in northwestern Mexico and the Gulf of California. The wetlands of Adair Bay (also…
Mauna Loa Awakens – Satellites View World’s Largest Active Volcano
During Mauna Loa’s first eruption in nearly four decades, satellites observed the volcano’s nighttime glow and sulfur dioxide plume. Hawaii’s Mauna Loa—the world’s largest active…
Incredible View of Stadium City Qatar From Landsat 9
Several new stadiums were built in and around Doha for the World Cup. Thirty-two teams and more than 1 million football (soccer) fans headed to…
Eroded Beauty in the Sahara Desert Revealed in Stunning Astronaut Photo
Dark, flat-topped mesas stand out amid the surrounding lighter-toned landscape in northwest Sudan. This detailed photograph, taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS),…
Chasing Ghostly Faces in Earth’s Stratosphere
A pair of NASA scientists have an unconventional hobby—searching through atmospheric data to find the rare moment when faces swirl up in their data. By…
Antarctic Volcano: A Mountain of Terror?
Mount Terror might sound like a place to avoid. But this Antarctic volcano is not as terrifying as its name implies. From a geological perspective,…
