Earth Observatory

Earth Observatory
Extreme Weather Events
Snow
Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)
Satellites observed a frozen landscape across much of the country after a massive winter storm.
Posted January 28, 2026
Earth Observatory
Floods
Weeks of intense rain overwhelmed rivers and reservoirs, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Posted January 27, 2026
Clouds
Earth Observatory
Extreme Temperatures
Extreme Weather Events
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
Snow
Terra
A blanket of snow spanned Michigan and much of the Great Lakes region following a potent cold snap.
Posted January 23, 2026
Earth Observatory
Extreme Weather Events
Snow
December and January brought a series of intense winter storms to the peninsula in far eastern Russia.
Posted January 22, 2026
Earth Observatory
Wildfires
Tens of thousands of people fled to safety as blazes spread throughout the country’s Biobío and Ñuble regions.
Posted January 21, 2026
Earth Observatory
After marching from Selma, Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, and called for nonviolence in the fight for equality and justice for all Americans.
Posted January 19, 2026
Earth Observatory
Oceans
Water Blooms
A vibrant display of phytoplankton encircled the remote New Zealand islands.
Posted January 16, 2026
Clouds
Earth Observatory
A collection of fish-shaped clouds hovered above the glacial lake in Patagonia in December 2025.
Posted January 15, 2026
Carbon Cycle
Cryosphere
Earth Observatory
Ice & Glaciers
Land Cover
Wildfires
An increasingly flammable landscape combined with more lightning strikes is leading to larger, more frequent, and more intense fires than the landscape is adapted for.
Posted January 14, 2026
Earth Observatory
Earth Visualization & Mapping
Satellite-based maps show northern wildland fires becoming more frequent and widespread as temperatures rise and lightning reaches higher latitudes.
Posted January 14, 2026
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