Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:05:17 +0000
Happy 2025 from NASA Earth Observatory!
We are kicking off 2025 with much to look forward to but also much to look back on.

We are kicking off 2025 with much to look forward to but also much to look back on. In 2024, over 7.5 million readers visited our website to read our stories, and many millions more viewed our imagery on the NASAEarth social media channels and elsewhere. Since our founding in 1999 (2024 marked our 25th anniversary), we have produced text and imagery for over 15,700 stories.

Notable events

A new fissure opened on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland near Grindavík in December 2023 and continued erupting throughout 2024.
Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildland fires are burning longer and more often in some southern latitudes as the world warms.
Auroras and a total solar eclipse darkened our days and lit our nights.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated portions of the Southeast U.S. with winds, rain, and storm surge.

Unique visualizations

Global temperatures soared in 2023 and continued through 2024; climate scientists are trying to understand why.
Methane emissions may be higher than previously thought, especially from landfills.
Insufficient rainfall in 2023-2024 has taken a toll on rivers and groundwater and upended daily life in several South American countries.
Satellite data show the shape of a wave as water sloshed around Dickson Fjord in Greenland after a rockslide triggered a tsunami.

Tracking animals

Animals – elephants in Africa (top) and tuna, sharks, and birds in the remote Pacific (bottom) – provide data that complement satellite observations, helping us better understand wildlife ecology in our changing climate.

Human footprint

From growing fruits and vegetables in China and flowers in the Netherlands to building new capital cities in Egypt and Indonesia, people have transformed the land.

Beautiful Earth

Tidal currents stir up colorful swirls off the Kimberley Coast of Western Australia.
Filaments of sea ice trace ocean currents, creating swirls visible along the coast of Labrador, in eastern Canada.
Contrasting colors of lava and ash reveal the geologic origins of Harrat Khaybar’s volcanic cones.
A burgeoning cumulus congestus displays dramatic structure near the shore of the Persian Gulf.