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This ASTER image, acquired on July 23, 2001, shows Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier of Europe. (Image by NASA Earth Observatory Team, based on data provided by the ASTER Science Team)

Sizing up Earth's Glaciers

In the Alps, glaciers are retreating and disappearing every year, much to the dismay of mountain climbers, tourist agencies, and environmental researchers.
Feature Article
July 28, 2020
The image above shows cloud cover over Zaire

Shadows of Doubt: Modeling Cloud Effects

Understanding the complex interplay between clouds and radiation is critical for developing general circulation models that simulate the global climate.
Feature Article
July 28, 2020
In 1990, slow-moving pahoehoe lava from Kilauea Volcano gradually spread through the community of Kalapana, burning homes and covering parks, roads, and gardens. (Image courtesy of USGS)

Sensing Remote Volcanoes

In October 2001, a volcano in the remote South Sandwich Islands began spewing ash and lava. Less than 24 hours after the eruption began, a research team nearly 9,000 miles away was estimating how much energy the volcano was producing.
Feature Article
July 28, 2020
The false-color image above is a MODIS image, captured on January 2, 2001, shows the extent of snow cover over the north-central United States.

Scientist for a Day

More than 1,750 children in the U.S. Upper Midwest had the chance to become scientists for a day thanks a program at the University of Toledo.
Feature Article
July 28, 2020
The abandoned Copper River and Northwestern Railway near Strelna in south-central Alaska illustrates how building a railroad on permafrost thaw can cause the railroad bed to settle unevenly.

Riding the Permafrost Express

Researchers use innovative techniques to protect the newly constructed Qinghai-Xizang railroad across the Tibetan Plateau from permafrost.
Feature Article
July 28, 2020
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