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#           Earth As Art 6      

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As always, our newest collection of Earth As Art relies on the interplay of visible and invisible light across the electromagnetic spectrum made possible by satellite sensors. The stunning views seen in Earth As Art 6 carry on that two decade tradition, but also include high-resolution imagery captured by Unmanned Aircraft Systems - commonly referred to as drones - for the first time.

Earth As Art Gallery

Re-entry

## Re-entry

Deep Blue Cubism

## Deep Blue Cubism

Fanned out

## Fanned out

Irritated

## Irritated

Desert Ribbons

## Desert Ribbons

Sand Waves

## Sand Waves

Rapid Ice Movement

## Rapid Ice Movement

Wondrous Wetlands

## Wondrous Wetlands

Painting the Desert

## Painting the Desert

Blue Ice

## Blue Ice

Watching Wetlands

## Watching Wetlands

Torn Apart

## Torn Apart

Outburst

## Outburst

Palmyra

## Palmyra

A Study in Algae

## A Study in Algae

Facing the Tide

## Facing the Tide

Luminescence

## Luminescence

Mezen Mixing

## Mezen Mixing

Copper and Blue

## Copper and Blue

Salty Desolation

## Salty Desolation

## Related Content

                  -              Multimedia           
                  -              Publications           
                  -              News           

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

Satellites capture an incredible variety of views of Earth. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk with the three engineers at USGS EROS who started the USGS Earth As Art project. The Earth As Art origin story is an example of the initiative and creativity of EROS staff.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

Satellites capture an incredible variety of views of Earth. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk with the three engineers at USGS EROS who started the USGS Earth As Art project. The Earth As Art origin story is an example of the initiative and creativity of EROS staff.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

In this bonus material for episode 97 of the Eyes on Earth podcast, the three guests, all engineers at USGS EROS who started the Earth As Art project, talk about their favorite Earth As Art images.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

In this bonus material for episode 97 of the Eyes on Earth podcast, the three guests, all engineers at USGS EROS who started the Earth As Art project, talk about their favorite Earth As Art images.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

This is an Audio Described version of this video. Audio Descriptions are provided for visually impaired audiences. The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Land Resources, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

This is an Audio Described version of this video. Audio Descriptions are provided for visually impaired audiences. The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Land Resources, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Earth as Art 6

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6

link

The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6

link

#### Earth as Art 6

link

The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Facing the Tide

September 16, 2019

#### Facing the Tide

link

Rupert Bay, an arm of James Bay, extends into Quebec, Canada. Many rivers carry sediment into the bay and combine with seawater coming in from the tide. A prominent sediment stream extends past Stag Island and a vortex curls off Stag Rock in the middle of the bay.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

September 16, 2019

#### Facing the Tide

link

#### Facing the Tide

link

Rupert Bay, an arm of James Bay, extends into Quebec, Canada. Many rivers carry sediment into the bay and combine with seawater coming in from the tide. A prominent sediment stream extends past Stag Island and a vortex curls off Stag Rock in the middle of the bay.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Re-Entry

April 19, 2019

#### Re-Entry

link

Jebel Kissu, in northwestern Sudan, emerges abruptly like an island in the vast Sahara Desert. The plateau is the eroded remnant of a granite dome. The bright linear features are truck tracks, common in the Sahara where there are no paved roads.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

April 19, 2019

#### Re-Entry

link

#### Re-Entry

link

Jebel Kissu, in northwestern Sudan, emerges abruptly like an island in the vast Sahara Desert. The plateau is the eroded remnant of a granite dome. The bright linear features are truck tracks, common in the Sahara where there are no paved roads.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Deep Blue Cubism

February 22, 2019

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

A bit of blue cubism in southern Uzbekistan highlights the intensive irrigation that is common along rivers that flow into the Aral Sea. However, so much water is used for irrigation that very little actually reaches the Aral Sea.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 22, 2019

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

A bit of blue cubism in southern Uzbekistan highlights the intensive irrigation that is common along rivers that flow into the Aral Sea. However, so much water is used for irrigation that very little actually reaches the Aral Sea.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Fanned Out

February 22, 2019

#### Fanned Out

link

Water from the Balkh River fans out into an agricultural area toward an arid region in northern Afghanistan, near the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Part of an ancient region called Bactria, extensive irrigation produces melons, almonds, apricots, and grains. Mazar-e Sharif is the urban area that dominates the lower right corner of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 22, 2019

#### Fanned Out

link

#### Fanned Out

link

Water from the Balkh River fans out into an agricultural area toward an arid region in northern Afghanistan, near the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Part of an ancient region called Bactria, extensive irrigation produces melons, almonds, apricots, and grains. Mazar-e Sharif is the urban area that dominates the lower right corner of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Irritated

February 6, 2019

#### Irritated

link

This natural landscape might appear more like a medical illustration of itchy nerve endings. In Western Sahara, Africa, an intense network of wadis drains toward the west, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. These drainage courses are almost always dry in this remote part of the Sahara Desert.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 6, 2019

#### Irritated

link

#### Irritated

link

This natural landscape might appear more like a medical illustration of itchy nerve endings. In Western Sahara, Africa, an intense network of wadis drains toward the west, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. These drainage courses are almost always dry in this remote part of the Sahara Desert.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Desert Ribbons

February 6, 2019

#### Desert Ribbons

link

Rock folding on a tectonic scale occurred in northwestern Africa. These motley ribbons dancing across the desert in Morocco are folds caused by the prolonged collision of tectonic plates. The long continuous line is Jbel Ouarkziz, a ridge that rises 200–300 meters above the valley floors.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 6, 2019

#### Desert Ribbons

link

#### Desert Ribbons

link

Rock folding on a tectonic scale occurred in northwestern Africa. These motley ribbons dancing across the desert in Morocco are folds caused by the prolonged collision of tectonic plates. The long continuous line is Jbel Ouarkziz, a ridge that rises 200–300 meters above the valley floors.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Sand Waves

July 5, 2018

#### Sand Waves

link

Resembling choppy waters in a rough sea, this image is an infrared exposition of a sand sea in Namibia. Sand dunes surround a crescent-shaped rocky hill. This inselberg is hard rock that resisted the erosion that took place over time around it. The inselberg disrupts the deposition of sand, changing the dune pattern.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

July 5, 2018

#### Sand Waves

link

#### Sand Waves

link

Resembling choppy waters in a rough sea, this image is an infrared exposition of a sand sea in Namibia. Sand dunes surround a crescent-shaped rocky hill. This inselberg is hard rock that resisted the erosion that took place over time around it. The inselberg disrupts the deposition of sand, changing the dune pattern.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Rapid Ice Movement

June 24, 2018

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

One glacier on Russian islands in the Arctic Ocean surprised scientists with its rapid change. After decades of normal, slow movement, a glacier draining Vavilov Ice Cap sprang forward, accelerating rapidly after 2013. This fast movement is extremely rare for cold-based glaciers. In 5 years, the ice tongue doubled in size.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

June 24, 2018

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

One glacier on Russian islands in the Arctic Ocean surprised scientists with its rapid change. After decades of normal, slow movement, a glacier draining Vavilov Ice Cap sprang forward, accelerating rapidly after 2013. This fast movement is extremely rare for cold-based glaciers. In 5 years, the ice tongue doubled in size.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Wondrous Wetlands

May 10, 2018

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

Seventeen rivers flow into the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia, but only one drains out. Green tendrils randomly sweep through the image, a landscape dominated by various grasslands, open water, and dense Papyrus grass and Phragmites reeds. The entire wetland covers an area about the size of Connecticut.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

May 10, 2018

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

Seventeen rivers flow into the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia, but only one drains out. Green tendrils randomly sweep through the image, a landscape dominated by various grasslands, open water, and dense Papyrus grass and Phragmites reeds. The entire wetland covers an area about the size of Connecticut.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Painting the Desert

April 25, 2018

#### Painting the Desert

link

The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the driest places in Australia. But this image features a rare green flush to this otherwise parched landscape. Streams and creeks that drain into the basin are usually dry, but storms in March 2018 delivered water to these braided channels. By April, the floodwater had receded and left a green expanse behind.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

April 25, 2018

#### Painting the Desert

link

#### Painting the Desert

link

The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the driest places in Australia. But this image features a rare green flush to this otherwise parched landscape. Streams and creeks that drain into the basin are usually dry, but storms in March 2018 delivered water to these braided channels. By April, the floodwater had receded and left a green expanse behind.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Blue Ice

February 18, 2018

#### Blue Ice

link

Near the Queen Fabiola Mountains, also called the Yamato Mountains, is a classic example of blue ice in Antarctica. Blue ice emerges where wind scours glaciers clean of snow and forms when air bubbles are squeezed out of layers of partially compacted snow left over from previous seasons. The ice appears blue because red and yellow wavelengths of light are absorbed.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 18, 2018

#### Blue Ice

link

#### Blue Ice

link

Near the Queen Fabiola Mountains, also called the Yamato Mountains, is a classic example of blue ice in Antarctica. Blue ice emerges where wind scours glaciers clean of snow and forms when air bubbles are squeezed out of layers of partially compacted snow left over from previous seasons. The ice appears blue because red and yellow wavelengths of light are absorbed.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Watching Wetlands

August 15, 2017

#### Watching Wetlands

link

Wetlands have a unique beauty when viewed from above. This natural color drone image shows the intricate interactions of forest and surface water in this high-altitude wetland called a fen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Wetlands enhance water quality and provide habitats for diverse plant and animal species.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

August 15, 2017

#### Watching Wetlands

link

#### Watching Wetlands

link

Wetlands have a unique beauty when viewed from above. This natural color drone image shows the intricate interactions of forest and surface water in this high-altitude wetland called a fen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Wetlands enhance water quality and provide habitats for diverse plant and animal species.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Torn Apart

March 31, 2017

#### Torn Apart

link

A frantic-looking scene in northeastern Ethiopia shows the location of three tectonic plates shifting away from each other. In this region, Earth’s crust is rifting at 1 to 2 centimeters per year. New fissures opened in the Erta Ale shield volcano in January 2017, and this image from March 2017 shows the locations of the fresh lava.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

March 31, 2017

#### Torn Apart

link

#### Torn Apart

link

A frantic-looking scene in northeastern Ethiopia shows the location of three tectonic plates shifting away from each other. In this region, Earth’s crust is rifting at 1 to 2 centimeters per year. New fissures opened in the Erta Ale shield volcano in January 2017, and this image from March 2017 shows the locations of the fresh lava.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Outburst

March 22, 2017

#### Outburst

link

Red and black seem to mar the icy glacial landscape of southern Iceland. The gray-black filaments are past glacial melting outbursts called jökulhlaups. These abrupt flooding events gush down this outwash plain called Skeiðarársandur, one of the world’s largest. The Skeiðarárjökull Glacier reaches down from the top left of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

March 22, 2017

#### Outburst

link

#### Outburst

link

Red and black seem to mar the icy glacial landscape of southern Iceland. The gray-black filaments are past glacial melting outbursts called jökulhlaups. These abrupt flooding events gush down this outwash plain called Skeiðarársandur, one of the world’s largest. The Skeiðarárjökull Glacier reaches down from the top left of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Palmyra

October 21, 2016

#### Palmyra

link

Palmyra Atoll is an ancient volcanic remnant located about 1,000 miles from Hawaii. The Nature Conservancy, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages the atoll as a science and research station. Multispectral sensors on drones efficiently capture high-resolution images of land and coral reefs.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 21, 2016

#### Palmyra

link

#### Palmyra

link

Palmyra Atoll is an ancient volcanic remnant located about 1,000 miles from Hawaii. The Nature Conservancy, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages the atoll as a science and research station. Multispectral sensors on drones efficiently capture high-resolution images of land and coral reefs.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

A Study in Algae

September 14, 2016

#### A Study in Algae

link

Algal blooms occur annually on Milford Lake in the summer and can be harmful to fragile wetland ecosystems. The USGS Kansas Water Science Center uses multispectral sensors on board drones to identify harmful algal blooms and study how they affect local businesses and human and animal health.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

September 14, 2016

#### A Study in Algae

link

#### A Study in Algae

link

Algal blooms occur annually on Milford Lake in the summer and can be harmful to fragile wetland ecosystems. The USGS Kansas Water Science Center uses multispectral sensors on board drones to identify harmful algal blooms and study how they affect local businesses and human and animal health.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Luminescence

February 20, 2015

#### Luminescence

link

A mesmerizing plume creates a paradox of light and dark, brilliant and murky. The dark water of the Suwannee River flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. The river’s inky color comes from decaying vegetation at the river’s swampy source.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 20, 2015

#### Luminescence

link

#### Luminescence

link

A mesmerizing plume creates a paradox of light and dark, brilliant and murky. The dark water of the Suwannee River flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. The river’s inky color comes from decaying vegetation at the river’s swampy source.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

#### Pagination

-                Current page            1 
-                Page            2 
-  Next page›› 
-  Last pageLast » 

December 23, 2019

####                 Earth as art 6              

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

New Earth As Art Collection Now Available

October 9, 2019

####   New Earth As Art Collection Now Available

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center is proud to announce the 6th addition to Earth As Art.

Read Article

## Related Content

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

Satellites capture an incredible variety of views of Earth. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk with the three engineers at USGS EROS who started the USGS Earth As Art project. The Earth As Art origin story is an example of the initiative and creativity of EROS staff.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art

link

Satellites capture an incredible variety of views of Earth. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk with the three engineers at USGS EROS who started the USGS Earth As Art project. The Earth As Art origin story is an example of the initiative and creativity of EROS staff.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

In this bonus material for episode 97 of the Eyes on Earth podcast, the three guests, all engineers at USGS EROS who started the Earth As Art project, talk about their favorite Earth As Art images.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Thumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As ArtThumbnail logo image for EoE Episode 97 EROS 50th Earth As Art

July 3, 2023

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

#### Eyes on Earth Episode 97 – EROS 50th: Earth As Art Bonus

link

In this bonus material for episode 97 of the Eyes on Earth podcast, the three guests, all engineers at USGS EROS who started the Earth As Art project, talk about their favorite Earth As Art images.

Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

This is an Audio Described version of this video. Audio Descriptions are provided for visually impaired audiences. The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Land Resources, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

#### Earth as Art 6 (w/ Audio Descriptions)

link

This is an Audio Described version of this video. Audio Descriptions are provided for visually impaired audiences. The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Land Resources, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Earth as Art 6

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6

link

The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 11, 2019

#### Earth as Art 6

link

#### Earth as Art 6

link

The Earth As Art project began in the early 2000s, and its original intent remains the same: to produce images that do not look like satellite images at first glance.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Facing the Tide

September 16, 2019

#### Facing the Tide

link

Rupert Bay, an arm of James Bay, extends into Quebec, Canada. Many rivers carry sediment into the bay and combine with seawater coming in from the tide. A prominent sediment stream extends past Stag Island and a vortex curls off Stag Rock in the middle of the bay.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

September 16, 2019

#### Facing the Tide

link

#### Facing the Tide

link

Rupert Bay, an arm of James Bay, extends into Quebec, Canada. Many rivers carry sediment into the bay and combine with seawater coming in from the tide. A prominent sediment stream extends past Stag Island and a vortex curls off Stag Rock in the middle of the bay.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Re-Entry

April 19, 2019

#### Re-Entry

link

Jebel Kissu, in northwestern Sudan, emerges abruptly like an island in the vast Sahara Desert. The plateau is the eroded remnant of a granite dome. The bright linear features are truck tracks, common in the Sahara where there are no paved roads.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

April 19, 2019

#### Re-Entry

link

#### Re-Entry

link

Jebel Kissu, in northwestern Sudan, emerges abruptly like an island in the vast Sahara Desert. The plateau is the eroded remnant of a granite dome. The bright linear features are truck tracks, common in the Sahara where there are no paved roads.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Deep Blue Cubism

February 22, 2019

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

A bit of blue cubism in southern Uzbekistan highlights the intensive irrigation that is common along rivers that flow into the Aral Sea. However, so much water is used for irrigation that very little actually reaches the Aral Sea.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 22, 2019

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

#### Deep Blue Cubism

link

A bit of blue cubism in southern Uzbekistan highlights the intensive irrigation that is common along rivers that flow into the Aral Sea. However, so much water is used for irrigation that very little actually reaches the Aral Sea.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Fanned Out

February 22, 2019

#### Fanned Out

link

Water from the Balkh River fans out into an agricultural area toward an arid region in northern Afghanistan, near the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Part of an ancient region called Bactria, extensive irrigation produces melons, almonds, apricots, and grains. Mazar-e Sharif is the urban area that dominates the lower right corner of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 22, 2019

#### Fanned Out

link

#### Fanned Out

link

Water from the Balkh River fans out into an agricultural area toward an arid region in northern Afghanistan, near the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Part of an ancient region called Bactria, extensive irrigation produces melons, almonds, apricots, and grains. Mazar-e Sharif is the urban area that dominates the lower right corner of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Irritated

February 6, 2019

#### Irritated

link

This natural landscape might appear more like a medical illustration of itchy nerve endings. In Western Sahara, Africa, an intense network of wadis drains toward the west, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. These drainage courses are almost always dry in this remote part of the Sahara Desert.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 6, 2019

#### Irritated

link

#### Irritated

link

This natural landscape might appear more like a medical illustration of itchy nerve endings. In Western Sahara, Africa, an intense network of wadis drains toward the west, eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean. These drainage courses are almost always dry in this remote part of the Sahara Desert.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Desert Ribbons

February 6, 2019

#### Desert Ribbons

link

Rock folding on a tectonic scale occurred in northwestern Africa. These motley ribbons dancing across the desert in Morocco are folds caused by the prolonged collision of tectonic plates. The long continuous line is Jbel Ouarkziz, a ridge that rises 200–300 meters above the valley floors.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 6, 2019

#### Desert Ribbons

link

#### Desert Ribbons

link

Rock folding on a tectonic scale occurred in northwestern Africa. These motley ribbons dancing across the desert in Morocco are folds caused by the prolonged collision of tectonic plates. The long continuous line is Jbel Ouarkziz, a ridge that rises 200–300 meters above the valley floors.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Sand Waves

July 5, 2018

#### Sand Waves

link

Resembling choppy waters in a rough sea, this image is an infrared exposition of a sand sea in Namibia. Sand dunes surround a crescent-shaped rocky hill. This inselberg is hard rock that resisted the erosion that took place over time around it. The inselberg disrupts the deposition of sand, changing the dune pattern.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

July 5, 2018

#### Sand Waves

link

#### Sand Waves

link

Resembling choppy waters in a rough sea, this image is an infrared exposition of a sand sea in Namibia. Sand dunes surround a crescent-shaped rocky hill. This inselberg is hard rock that resisted the erosion that took place over time around it. The inselberg disrupts the deposition of sand, changing the dune pattern.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Rapid Ice Movement

June 24, 2018

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

One glacier on Russian islands in the Arctic Ocean surprised scientists with its rapid change. After decades of normal, slow movement, a glacier draining Vavilov Ice Cap sprang forward, accelerating rapidly after 2013. This fast movement is extremely rare for cold-based glaciers. In 5 years, the ice tongue doubled in size.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

June 24, 2018

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

#### Rapid Ice Movement

link

One glacier on Russian islands in the Arctic Ocean surprised scientists with its rapid change. After decades of normal, slow movement, a glacier draining Vavilov Ice Cap sprang forward, accelerating rapidly after 2013. This fast movement is extremely rare for cold-based glaciers. In 5 years, the ice tongue doubled in size.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Wondrous Wetlands

May 10, 2018

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

Seventeen rivers flow into the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia, but only one drains out. Green tendrils randomly sweep through the image, a landscape dominated by various grasslands, open water, and dense Papyrus grass and Phragmites reeds. The entire wetland covers an area about the size of Connecticut.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

May 10, 2018

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

#### Wondrous Wetlands

link

Seventeen rivers flow into the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia, but only one drains out. Green tendrils randomly sweep through the image, a landscape dominated by various grasslands, open water, and dense Papyrus grass and Phragmites reeds. The entire wetland covers an area about the size of Connecticut.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Painting the Desert

April 25, 2018

#### Painting the Desert

link

The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the driest places in Australia. But this image features a rare green flush to this otherwise parched landscape. Streams and creeks that drain into the basin are usually dry, but storms in March 2018 delivered water to these braided channels. By April, the floodwater had receded and left a green expanse behind.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

April 25, 2018

#### Painting the Desert

link

#### Painting the Desert

link

The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the driest places in Australia. But this image features a rare green flush to this otherwise parched landscape. Streams and creeks that drain into the basin are usually dry, but storms in March 2018 delivered water to these braided channels. By April, the floodwater had receded and left a green expanse behind.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Blue Ice

February 18, 2018

#### Blue Ice

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Near the Queen Fabiola Mountains, also called the Yamato Mountains, is a classic example of blue ice in Antarctica. Blue ice emerges where wind scours glaciers clean of snow and forms when air bubbles are squeezed out of layers of partially compacted snow left over from previous seasons. The ice appears blue because red and yellow wavelengths of light are absorbed.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 18, 2018

#### Blue Ice

link

#### Blue Ice

link

Near the Queen Fabiola Mountains, also called the Yamato Mountains, is a classic example of blue ice in Antarctica. Blue ice emerges where wind scours glaciers clean of snow and forms when air bubbles are squeezed out of layers of partially compacted snow left over from previous seasons. The ice appears blue because red and yellow wavelengths of light are absorbed.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Watching Wetlands

August 15, 2017

#### Watching Wetlands

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Wetlands have a unique beauty when viewed from above. This natural color drone image shows the intricate interactions of forest and surface water in this high-altitude wetland called a fen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Wetlands enhance water quality and provide habitats for diverse plant and animal species.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

August 15, 2017

#### Watching Wetlands

link

#### Watching Wetlands

link

Wetlands have a unique beauty when viewed from above. This natural color drone image shows the intricate interactions of forest and surface water in this high-altitude wetland called a fen in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Wetlands enhance water quality and provide habitats for diverse plant and animal species.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Torn Apart

March 31, 2017

#### Torn Apart

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A frantic-looking scene in northeastern Ethiopia shows the location of three tectonic plates shifting away from each other. In this region, Earth’s crust is rifting at 1 to 2 centimeters per year. New fissures opened in the Erta Ale shield volcano in January 2017, and this image from March 2017 shows the locations of the fresh lava.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

March 31, 2017

#### Torn Apart

link

#### Torn Apart

link

A frantic-looking scene in northeastern Ethiopia shows the location of three tectonic plates shifting away from each other. In this region, Earth’s crust is rifting at 1 to 2 centimeters per year. New fissures opened in the Erta Ale shield volcano in January 2017, and this image from March 2017 shows the locations of the fresh lava.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Outburst

March 22, 2017

#### Outburst

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Red and black seem to mar the icy glacial landscape of southern Iceland. The gray-black filaments are past glacial melting outbursts called jökulhlaups. These abrupt flooding events gush down this outwash plain called Skeiðarársandur, one of the world’s largest. The Skeiðarárjökull Glacier reaches down from the top left of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

March 22, 2017

#### Outburst

link

#### Outburst

link

Red and black seem to mar the icy glacial landscape of southern Iceland. The gray-black filaments are past glacial melting outbursts called jökulhlaups. These abrupt flooding events gush down this outwash plain called Skeiðarársandur, one of the world’s largest. The Skeiðarárjökull Glacier reaches down from the top left of the image.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Palmyra

October 21, 2016

#### Palmyra

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Palmyra Atoll is an ancient volcanic remnant located about 1,000 miles from Hawaii. The Nature Conservancy, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages the atoll as a science and research station. Multispectral sensors on drones efficiently capture high-resolution images of land and coral reefs.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

October 21, 2016

#### Palmyra

link

#### Palmyra

link

Palmyra Atoll is an ancient volcanic remnant located about 1,000 miles from Hawaii. The Nature Conservancy, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages the atoll as a science and research station. Multispectral sensors on drones efficiently capture high-resolution images of land and coral reefs.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

A Study in Algae

September 14, 2016

#### A Study in Algae

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Algal blooms occur annually on Milford Lake in the summer and can be harmful to fragile wetland ecosystems. The USGS Kansas Water Science Center uses multispectral sensors on board drones to identify harmful algal blooms and study how they affect local businesses and human and animal health.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

September 14, 2016

#### A Study in Algae

link

#### A Study in Algae

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Algal blooms occur annually on Milford Lake in the summer and can be harmful to fragile wetland ecosystems. The USGS Kansas Water Science Center uses multispectral sensors on board drones to identify harmful algal blooms and study how they affect local businesses and human and animal health.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

Luminescence

February 20, 2015

#### Luminescence

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A mesmerizing plume creates a paradox of light and dark, brilliant and murky. The dark water of the Suwannee River flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. The river’s inky color comes from decaying vegetation at the river’s swampy source.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

February 20, 2015

#### Luminescence

link

#### Luminescence

link

A mesmerizing plume creates a paradox of light and dark, brilliant and murky. The dark water of the Suwannee River flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. The river’s inky color comes from decaying vegetation at the river’s swampy source.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

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December 23, 2019

####                 Earth as art 6              

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

New Earth As Art Collection Now Available

October 9, 2019

####   New Earth As Art Collection Now Available

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center is proud to announce the 6th addition to Earth As Art.

Read Article

### Geospatial Information

### Contacts

#### Michelle Bouchard

##### Communications and Outreach

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

mbouchard@usgs.gov

605-594-6168