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Deep Space Mapping of Saharan Dust Height

Researchers used four years of measurements from a deep space satellite to calculate the average monthly heights of Saharan dust clouds.

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physical geography

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Map showing areas of increased artificial lighting in the Arctic, with increases in yellow, decreases in purple, and no change in green, using data from the U.S. DMSP satellites. Map: NASA, public domain.

Increased Light Pollution in the Arctic

Satellite data shows rising Arctic nighttime lights, driven by growing industrial activity in oil, gas, and infrastructure.

This 2024 Landsat 8 image shows Yakutat, Alsek, and Grand Plateau Glaciers have retreated up to 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles), with lakes filling the void. Over 40 years, the lakes more than doubled in size to 240 square kilometers—larger than New York’s Seneca Lake.

The Rise of Proglacial Lakes

Glacial retreat in Alaska’s Yakutat Foreland has fueled rapid growth of proglacial lakes, doubling their size in 40 years as seen in Landsat imagery.

Satellite image of a piedmont glacier in Alaska with the different lobes labeled.

Largest Piedmont Glacier in North America

The largest piedmont glacier in North America is found in southeastern Alaska and is known as the Malaspina Glacier.

Lenticular clouds over a mountain range.

Lenticular Clouds

Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped formations that form over mountains when moist air cools and condenses, creating smooth, often UFO-like cloud patterns.

Taken at about 30,000 feet (9 kilometers) over eastern Washington, the smoke plume (gray) feeds the pyrocumulonimbus cloud (white). Photo: David Peterson (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory), public domain, August 8, 2019.

Understanding the Increase in PyroCbs: Wildfire Thunderstorms

The phenomenon of fire-triggered thunderstorms is called pyroCbs, which is short for pyrocumulonimbus clouds.

Human Geography

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The Diomedes Islands mark the closest point between Russia and the United States.

These Two Countries are Separated by 2.4 Miles and 21 Hours

There exists a geographic point where two of the largest countries in the world are only separated by a 2.4 miles but are 21 hours apart.

A small child riding a kids red play scooter on a sidewalk.

Using GIS to Design Child-Friendly Cities

Using GIS, cities can design child-friendly pedestrian pathways that prioritize children’s interests and safety, promoting urban living and sustainability.