Discover real natural events happening around our amazing planet right now!
Earth Explorer tracks 13 types of natural events in real time, using live data from NASA EONET and USGS satellites and scientific monitoring networks around the world.
A wildfire is a large fire that spreads through forests, grass, or dry land. Wildfires can start from lightning, very hot weather, or human activity. They can move faster than a person can run and are very hard to stop.
Learn more →An earthquake happens when huge pieces of Earth's outer shell suddenly move. These pieces are called tectonic plates. When they get stuck and then slip, energy shoots through the ground and makes it shake — sometimes for just a few seconds, sometimes for a whole minute.
Learn more →A volcano is a mountain with an opening where hot melted rock called lava can burst out from deep inside the Earth. An eruption can throw ash high into the sky and send rivers of lava flowing down the hillside. Some volcanoes have been quiet for hundreds of years before suddenly waking up.
Learn more →A flood happens when water overflows its normal boundaries and covers land that is usually dry. Floods can happen after very heavy rain, when a river rises too high, or when snow melts too quickly. They can move with great force and carry cars and trees.
Learn more →A severe storm is a huge spinning storm that forms over warm ocean water with very strong winds and lots of rain. These storms have different names depending on where they form — typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean, hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, and cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
Learn more →A landslide is when a large mass of rock, soil, or mud suddenly slides down a hillside or mountain. They often happen after heavy rain soaks into the ground, or after an earthquake shakes a slope loose. A big landslide can move faster than a car and bury everything in its path.
Learn more →A drought is a long stretch of time — weeks, months, or even years — without enough rain. When there isn't enough water, crops die, rivers and lakes shrink, and animals struggle to find enough to drink. Droughts can affect millions of people by making food and water scarce.
Learn more →Temperature extremes happen when the weather gets dangerously hot or cold. During a heatwave, temperatures can soar so high that roads melt and it becomes dangerous to go outside. During extreme cold snaps, temperatures can drop far below freezing, turning even rivers into solid ice.
Learn more →A dust or haze event is when tiny particles of dust, sand, or smoke float high into the air and travel long distances. Dust storms can turn the sky orange or brown and carry sand from one continent to another. The tiny particles can make it hard to breathe and even block sunlight.
Learn more →Heavy snowfall events can pile snow up very quickly — sometimes faster than people can clear it away. A single powerful storm can drop over a metre of snow, burying cars and blocking roads for days. In some places, the weight of the snow can even cause roofs to collapse.
Learn more →In very cold places, the surface of oceans and lakes can freeze solid. This ice is a home for animals like polar bears, seals, and penguins. Scientists watch sea ice very carefully because changes in how much ice there is tell us a lot about how our planet's climate is changing.
Learn more →Sometimes the water in a lake, river, or part of the ocean suddenly changes colour — turning bright green, red, orange, or brown. This can happen when tiny plants called algae grow so fast they cover the surface, or when pollution flows in. Some algae blooms can be toxic to fish and other wildlife.
Learn more →Not all environmental events are caused by nature. Oil spills, factory fires, and other human activities can release harmful substances into the air, water, and soil. Scientists track these events to help clean up the damage and protect people, animals, and the environment.
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