Sulfates kept the eastern United States from warming as much as other regions, but cleaning up the air has changed the equation.

Since 1980, the volume of a glacier that spills into the Prince William Sound has shrunk by half.

Satellites show the effects of the ongoing eruption at Papua New Guinea’s most active volcano.

This color-coded map shows rainfall amounts in and around southern China May 10–16, 2012.

A wildfire north of Phoenix threatened the historic mining community of Crown King.

A plume stretched across the far northern Pacific in May 2012, likely the result of fires in eastern Russia.

Satellite images show a volcanic plume spreading from one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes.

A blanket of haze, likely fueled in part by wildfires in Russia, hung over China in early May.

Acquired May 11, 2012, this natural-color image shows a dust storm over parts of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

One of the Kamchatka Peninsula’s most active volcanoes continues to erupt.

The past few weeks have been rough on Earth-observing satellites. But there was some good news and some engineering prowess to go along with the troubles.

We often see our images and stories pop up in different places...

Since 1980, the volume of this glacier that spills into the Prince William Sound has shrunk by half. Climate change may have nudged the process along, but mechanical forces have played the largest role in the ice loss.

Wheat production is poised to drop 20 percent after a dry winter.

Steady emissions of steam and sulfur dioxide continue at North Pagan Volcano, Mariana Islands.

Acquired May 10, 2012, and May 9, 2009, these false-color images compare conditions in southeastern Kenya, affected by floods in 2012.

Preventive management fires can prevent even larger fires later.

Acquired May 1, 2012, this natural-color image shows a haze of dust extending from western Africa past Cape Verde.

Launched on May 4, 2002, NASA's Aqua satellite and its six instruments have provided a decade's worth of unprecedented views of our planet. Here are a few of our favorites.