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A V-shaped fjord cuts through barren brown land, with one patch of swirling water marked by white sea ice and another one colored turquoise by suspended sediment. Glacial ice flows into the fjord in several places.
The upper slopes of Mayon volcano appear brown, with several narrow channels radiating from the crater. A red infrared heat signature appears near the summit, with red streaks extending east and southeast. The lower slopes are green and forested. Farmland and towns are visible in the lower part of the image.
A thick layer of white snow blankets the Kamchatka Peninsula. Layers of clouds surround the peninsula, framing it but leaving its coastlines and a narrow portion of ocean visible around it. On land, several large, circular volcanoes dot the rugged landscape.

Earth Observatory

NASA's Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day – the images, stories, and discoveries about the environment, Earth systems, and climate that emerge from NASA research.

Image of the Day
Sensing the Poles’ Hidden Heat
3 min read

New animations from NASA's PREFIRE mission reveal two years of seasonal temperature swings at the Arctic and Antarctic.

Aug 7, 2026
How the Tide Turns at the Mouth of the Elbe
4 min read

The ocean’s ebbs and flows reveal dynamic tidal flats and a well-traveled shipping route along the coast of Germany.

Aug 6, 2026
The Paradox of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
5 min read

The coastal dune field in Brazil looks like a desert but fills with freshwater lagoons every year.

Aug 5, 2026
View the full Image of the Day archive

What is an El Niño?

If you want to understand how interconnected our planet is—how patterns and events in one place can affect life half a world away—study El Niño.

Learn more about What is an El Niño?

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The World Cup From 250 Miles Up

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