Articles

Two world maps shaded in green for 10% and 30% forest area.

Defining How Much of the World is Covered by Forests

Caitlin Dempsey

With no universal definition, mapping and comparing forest coverage around the world is challenging.

A satellite image of a peninsula with a turquoise lake.

Glacial Flour Makes Some Lakes Turquoise

Caitlin Dempsey

Glacial flour, the fine dust created as glaciers move over land, turns lakes a turquoise color by reflecting blue and green light.

Geography Printables

Caitlin Dempsey

GeographyFun features maps, crosswords, and word searches for educators, students, and geography enthusiasts who love exploring the world through words.

A massive plume of sand and dust was pushed northward from the Sahara desert by the calima, a warm southeasterly wind prevalent in North Africa in the winter, as seen in a satellite view of Spain and Portugal. Image: February 21, 2016, NASA.

Deep Space Mapping of Saharan Dust Height

Caitlin Dempsey

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

Map showing the NDVI anomaly in 2024 compared to average levels from 1991 to 2020). After a couple of years of above average precipitation in Southern California, vegetations levels in the summer of 2024 were 30% greener than average. Map: NASA, public domain.

Hydroclimate Whiplash: the Impact on California Wildfires

Caitlin Dempsey

Hydroclimate whiplash - the rapid swing between drought and heavy precipitation - plays a role in the increasing intensity of California wildfires.