Ice Persists in the Northwest Passage, Despite Global Warming
The decline of sea ice in the Arctic has made the passage increasingly viable for ships, but it’s still not always smooth sailing. For centuries,…
Earth Observatory News
Movie Mars on Earth: Wadi Rum as a Stand-In for the Red Planet
Several filmmakers have used the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum as a stand-in for the Red Planet. Wadi Rum looks like few other places on…
Lake Mead – The Largest Reservoir in the United States – Drops to a Record Low
The reservoir stands at its lowest level since the 1930s. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States and part of a system…
Climate Change Is Pushing Fires to Higher Ground
Wildfires in the western United States have been spreading to higher elevations due to warmer and drier conditions. Scientists have known for decades that climate…
Stunning Astronaut Photo From the Space Station Captures Tokyo’s Lights at Night
Strings of light emanate from the Imperial Palace in the city’s center and follow the expressway system outward. Months before the world turned its eye…
Arc of Fires in the U.S. West – Many Fierce Fires Still Actively Burning
The Caldor fire, nearing the south end of Lake Tahoe, is one of many potent fires still burning at the end of August 2021. As…
Flash Floods From Ida Swamp the Northeast – Areas Hit With 6-10″ of Rain Fall in Just a Few Hours
August 27 – September 2, 2021 Many of the worst-hit areas in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York saw 6 to 10 inches of…
Smoky Skies in the Western Amazon – Fire Activity Driven Primarily by Deforestation Fires
Increasing numbers of deforestation fires are darkening skies in Rondônia and Amazonas. Since the 1970s, tree clearing in the Amazon basin has reduced the size…
NASA Satellite Observes Massive Power Outages in New Orleans
Three days after Hurricane Ida, many people in Louisiana are going without electric power due to downed power lines and damaged transmission towers. Three days…
Hurricane Ida Batters Louisiana: 5th-Strongest Storm Ever To Make Landfall in the Continental U.S.
Preliminary reports suggest it is the fifth-strongest storm ever to make landfall in the continental U.S. Exactly 16 years after Katrina made landfall, another major…
Devastating Rain Leads to Catastrophic Flash Floods in Tennessee
Flash floods occur when persistent heavy rain causes small creeks, channels, and streams to swell rapidly. On August 21, 2021, a burst of severe and…
Underwater Volcano Fukutoku-Okanoba Explodes
The eruption of an underwater volcano near South Iwo Jima sent a plume soaring into flight paths and created an expansive raft of floating rock….
Tropical Storm Henri Soaks the Northeast With Intense Rain
Intense rain fell on Northeast U.S. soils that were already saturated. Henri did not reach the northeast U.S. coast at hurricane force, but the slow-moving…
Meteors Great and Small: NASA Map Shows Detected Fireballs and Their Impact Energy
While the major meteor showers draw the most attention, large and bright fireballs can blaze through the sky at any time of year. Abundant streaks…
Rain and Warmth Trigger Intense Melting in Greenland
The island’s vast ice sheet underwent multiple bouts of widespread melting this summer, exacerbated in August 2021 by rain. The Greenland Ice Sheet underwent two…
California Is Burning – And the Emissions From Destructive Fires Are Adding Up
Several destructive fires have charred landscapes in northern California, and their emissions are adding up. The worst of California’s fire season typically comes in autumn,…
Tropical Storm Henri Continues To Strengthen
The strengthening storm could reach southern New England with hurricane or near-hurricane strength winds. Heavy winds, rain, and storm surge threaten the U.S. Northeast this…
Greece Fire: Large Swaths of Greece Consumed by Wildfire
In the first two weeks of August 2021, Greece has endured a series of wildland fires that have charred a large swath of the island…
