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,…
Earth Observatory News
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,…
Good News: Ozone Hole Continues Shrinking in 2022
The depleted area of the ozone layer over the South Pole was slightly smaller than last year and generally continued the overall shrinking trend of…
Low Water Levels Are Causing Barge Backups on the Mississippi River
Low water levels are making it difficult to ship goods down the Mississippi River and allowing a wedge of saltwater to move upstream. In the…
South African Town Covered in Mining Waste After Dam Collapse
Nearly one month after the collapse of a tailings dam, the South African mining town Jagersfontein and nearby water systems remained capped with muddy debris….
Autumn in the Adirondacks – Vibrant Fall Colors Pop In Satellite Photos
Vibrant leaf color in northeast New York has not disappointed leaf-peepers. Dry conditions in the summer of 2022 dulled autumn foliage in many parts of…
Satellite Images Reveal a Rough Year for Rice in California
The ongoing drought has cut rice acreage in the Sacramento Valley in half. Normally the largest rice-growing region in California, the Sacramento Valley produces hundreds…
Gorgeous Watercolor Seas in the Wake of Hurricane Ian
Storm-stirred sediment produced colorful swirls along the western coast of Florida. Hurricane Ian barreled into Florida’s southwestern coast on September 28, 2022, as a powerful…
Dramatic Satellite Images Show Power Outages After Hurricane Ian
Several cities on the west coast of Florida lost much of their electric power for days after the storm. Hurricane Ian roared across Florida over…
Staring Into Hurricane Ian’s Eye: NASA Scientists Are Analyzing the Forces That Made the Storm So Catastrophic
NASA scientists are studying the latest satellite imagery of Hurricane Ian and analyzing the forces that made the storm so catastrophic. As Hurricane Ian headed…
Fuel for Hurricane Ian: Fearsome Power Comes From the Ocean
Warm seas provide fuel for extreme storms, and can then be cooled by them. Even though tropical cyclones are atmospheric phenomena, much of their fearsome…
Hurricane Ian Enters the Gulf of Mexico – Headed Toward the West Coast of Florida
After making landfall in Cuba, the category 3 storm entered the Gulf of Mexico and appeared headed toward the west coast of Florida. On September…
Deadly Super Typhoon Noru Strikes the Philippines
After making landfall in the Polillo Islands and Luzon, the storm strengthened again as it headed toward Vietnam. “Rapid intensification” of a tropical cyclone, according…
