Topography

Earth Observatory
Human Dimensions
Landsat 9
Oceans
Topography
The ocean’s ebbs and flows reveal dynamic tidal flats and a well-traveled shipping route along the coast of Germany.
Posted August 6, 2026
Earth Observatory
Ice & Glaciers
Surface Water
Topography
Snow-capped mountains carved by deep river valleys preside over northwestern Washington state.
Posted July 23, 2026
Earth Observatory
Landsat 9
Topography
Differences in the underlying bedrock and how rivers distribute sediment make the coastlines west of Portland look unlike those northeast of the city.
Posted July 21, 2026
Earth Observatory
Topography
The hills and basins of Seattle, Washington, have been sculpted by glaciers and modified by humans.
Posted July 20, 2026
Earth Observatory
Ice & Glaciers
Landsat 9
Surface Water
Topography
Sediment eroded from ice-capped mountains splays out across a broad river valley on Russia’s Severny Island.
Posted July 14, 2026
Apollo
Earth Observatory
Landsat 9
Planetary Analogs
Topography
Apollo astronauts previewed their roles as lunar field geologists in Alaska’s Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
Posted June 24, 2026
Earth Observatory
Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)
Topography
The Nebraska Sandhills—the largest system of sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere—stretch across about one-quarter of the state.
Posted June 16, 2026
Earth Observatory
Human Dimensions
Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)
Topography
Volcanoes
From a geothermal hotspot to the one-time “Lighthouse of the Pacific,” the heat is on beneath the volcanic landscape of western El Salvador.
Posted May 5, 2026
Earth Observatory
Ice & Glaciers
Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)
Remote Sensing Technology
Sea Level Rise
Topography
Scientists relied on satellite data to understand how the Antarctic glacier lost so much ice so rapidly.
Posted May 4, 2026
Earth Observatory
Land Cover
Land Use
Landsat 8 / LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission)
Topography
The coastal province features striking tropical karst landscapes and sandy beaches alongside a mix of natural land cover and developed areas.
Posted April 20, 2026
Sign up for our newsletter:

Categories

198
354
1
1
3
6
1
1
1
11
2
1
4
2
13
18
2
21
56
15
1
14
62
38
3
4
14
17
2
3
25
110
13
3
6
4
13
1
6
271
12
1
5
Io
5
5
1
1
155
10
227
10
10
10
1
1
8
14
1
3
2
30
4
641
45
2
1
2
10
378
1
2
1
29
7
6
3
1
6
1
17
1
1
203

Recent Posts

Newsletter Archive