NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory

National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service

NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory

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Featured Animation

The Dead Zone

Hypoxic zones are areas in the ocean of such low oxygen concentration that animal life suffocates and dies, and as a result are sometimes called "dead zones." One of the largest dead zones forms in the Gulf of Mexico every spring. This data visualization discusses the causes of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Recent Animations

	Satellite Data Detects Ozone Hole The ozone layer protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation. Ozone is a gas made of three oxygen atoms, and just like any other gas it circulates in the atmosphere. During the fall months, chemical reactions combine with circulation patterns high in the atmosphere to reduce the concentratio (more...)
	The Watchful Eye of GOES The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) is one of NOAA’s most useful tools for understanding our planet. Situated 35,000km above the equator in outer space, the satellite provides a constant stream of data and imagery back to Earth as it observes clouds, ocean temperatures, winds, (more...)
	Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 3rd Lowest Minimum Extent On Sept 12, 2009, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic reached the third lowest level ever recorded since satellite records began in 1979. The National Snow and Ice Data Center estimates that the overall extent dropped to 5.1 million square kilometers, well below the average minimum extent of 6.71 millio (more...)
	August 2009: One of the warmest on record The world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest for any August on record, and the warmest on record averaged for any June-August summer season, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. World-wide records began in 1880. Shown here is a visualization of the August glo (more...)
	Satellite Monitoring of California Wildfires Monitoring the spread of wildfires is important, not just from the standpoint of saving lives and property but also to know how smoke and ash will affect air quality miles away. Measurements from the GOES satellite allow scientists to detect particulates in the air and issue air quality guidance. This (more...)
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Viewing the Animations

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