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Kapilapura mound
This view of the Kapilapura
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2/12/98
| Date |
2/12/98 |
| Description |
This view of the Kapilapura mound on the perimeter of the ancient Cambodian site of Angkor Wat shows how nondescript this feature is at ground level. Detailed topography data collected by NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) instrument enabled JPL scientists to spot the mound and, subsequently, provide ground verification in December 1997. Inscriptions and temple remains on the mound date to the 10th century, long before the mid-12th century construction of Angkor Wat. The existence of Kapilapura shows that Angkor Wat was a sacred place long before the famous temple was built. Both sites are dedicated to the same Hindu deity, which may point to rituals specific to this spot at Angkor. (Photograph courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Department of Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.) |
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Kapilapura mound/AIRSAR
This pair of images was crea
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2/12/98
| Date |
2/12/98 |
| Description |
This pair of images was created with data taken by NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) of the Angkor Wat temple area in Cambodia. The image on the left is a false-color radar image, while the image on the right shows topography data made while AIRSAR was being flown in its interferometric mode. Every tourist to the ancient city visits Angkor Wat but close by, yet unknown, is this Kapilapura mound shown in the upper right corner. The mound was spotted by JPL scientists using the radar data and led archaeologists to survey the area, which is now a deserted forest. The Angkor Wat temple (center of each image) and surrounding moat (large dark rectangle) show up clearly on both images. Forested areas appear yellow on the radar image, cleared areas, including the vegetation-free moat and the area around the temple, appear blue. On the topography image (right), each color cycle, for example from green to green, represents a 20-meter (66-foot) change in elevation. The Kapilapura mound is the bright yellow-purple spot in the upper right. These data show that the Angkor Wat temple is approximately 27 meters (81 feet) high whereas the mound is only 6 meters (19 feet) high. Field checks of the mound area in December 1997 revealed the remains of several temples neglected since cursory French visits in 1904 and 1911 to record inscriptions. The 10th-century inscriptions testify to long term occupation of Angkor. In the same way, villagers occupied the site, which became the city of Angkor before the first temple was built in the 7th century AD. The area shown in both images is 1.25 kilometers by 1.3 kilometers (0.7 miles by 0.8 miles). These data were collected on December 6, 1996 as part of AIRSAR's mission to the Pacific Rim. The AIRSAR instrument flies onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft. ##### |
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3-D/AIRSAR
This three-dimensional image
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2/12/98
| Date |
2/12/98 |
| Description |
This three-dimensional image was created with data taken by NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) of the Angkor Wat temple area in Cambodia. Height data generated using radar interferometry, a technique pioneered by JPL that combines two radar images, was used to simulate this perspective view. Every tourist to the ancient city visits Angkor Wat but close by, yet unknown, is this Kapilapura mound shown in the bottom right corner. The mound, a slight but natural rise in the flat terrain, was spotted by JPL scientists using the radar data and led archaeologists to survey the now deserted forest. Temple remains on the mound formed part of the city or 'pura'. Occupational debris undoubtedly increased the height of the mound over time. The Angkor Wat temple is in the center. Its surrounding moat is the wide dark rectangular band. The city moat of Angkor Thom, 'great city', is on the right. In the upper right of the image is the 99 meter- high (325 feet) sacred mountain, Phnom Bakheng. Forested areas appear yellow on the radar image, cleared areas, including the vegetation-free moat and the area around the temple, appear blue. These data show that the Angkor Wat temple is approximately 27 meters (81 feet) high whereas the mound is only 6 meters (19 feet) high. Field checks of the mound area in December 1997 revealed the remains of several temples neglected since cursory French visits in 1904 and 1911 to record inscriptions. The 10th century inscriptions testify to long term occupation of Angkor. In the same way, villagers occupied the site which became the city of Angkor before the first temple was built in the 7th century AD. These data were collected on December 6, 1996 as part of AIRSAR's mission to the Pacific Rim. The AIRSAR instrument flies onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft. ##### |
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Pasadena, California
This three-dimensional image
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8/13/98
| Date |
8/13/98 |
| Description |
This three-dimensional image of western section of Pasadena, California was created with data from NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Topographic heights were generated using radar interferometry, a technique that combines two radar images to simulate this perspective view. The San Gabriel Mountains provide a backdrop for this perspective view of western part of Pasadena. The Arroyo Seco, home of the Brookside Golf Course and the Rose Bowl, is the dark patch in the center. Scholl Canyon Landfill in the Verdugo Hills is the dark patch left of the Arroyo. This type of high-resolution topographic information can provide important information to urban planners. Colors correspond to topographic heights above sea level with white being the highest and purple the lowest. This elevation information is draped over a radar image. Overall, the elevations in the image range from 300 to 2000 meters above sea level. These data were collected in early June 1996. |
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San Fernando Valley, Califor
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This three-dimensional image
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8/13/98
| Date |
8/13/98 |
| Description |
This three-dimensional image of the San Fernando Valley, California was created with data from NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Topographic heights were generated using radar interferometry, a technique that combines two radar images to simulate this perspective view. The promient dark features are the runways of the Van Nuys (dark line in the valley center) and the Burbank airports (V shape along right/east side of valley). The Santa Monica Mountains that separate the valley from Los Angeles are shown near the bottom of the image. This type of high-resolution topographic map can provide important information (like what?) to urban planners. The elevations range from 100 to 2000 meters (330 to 6600 feet). Colors correspond to topographic heights above sea level with white being the highest and purple the lowest. This elevation information is draped over a radar image. Overall, the elevations in the image range from 300 to 2000 meters (990 to 6600 feet) above sea level. These data were collected in early June 1996. ##### |
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Operations Manager Tim Mille
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| Photo Description |
Tim Miller checks out software for the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). He was the AIRSAR operations manager for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The AIRSAR produces imaging data for a range of studies conducted by the DC-8. |
| Project Description |
NASA used a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, was based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collected data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community were NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing has been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology. |
| Photo Date |
26 Mar 1998 |
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Operations Manager Tim Mille
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| Title |
Operations Manager Tim Miller checks out software for the Airborne Synthetic Aperature Radar (AIRSAR |
| Description |
Tim Miller checks out software for the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). He was the AIRSAR operations manager for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The AIRSAR produces imaging data for a range of studies conducted by the DC-8. NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology. |
| Date |
03.26.1998 |
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Radar Image with Color as He
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PIA03871
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
| Title |
Radar Image with Color as Height, Nokor Pheas Trapeng, Cambodia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Nokor Pheas Trapeng is the name of the large black rectangular feature in the center-bottom of this image, acquired by NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Its Khmer name translates as "Tank of the City of Refuge". The immense tank is a typical structure built by the Khmer for water storage and control, but its size is unusually large. This suggests, as does "city" in its name, that in ancient times this area was far more prosperous than today. A visit to this remote, inaccessible site was made in December 1998. The huge water tank was hardly visible. From the radar data we knew that the tank stretched some 500 meters (1,640 feet) from east to west. However, between all the plants growing on the surface of the water and the trees and other vegetation in the area, the water tank blended with the surrounding topography. Among the vegetation, on the northeast of the tank, were remains of an ancient temple and a spirit shrine. So although far from the temples of Angkor, to the southeast, the ancient water structure is still venerated by the local people. The image covers an area approximately 9.5 by 8.7 kilometers (5.9 by 5.4 miles) with a pixel spacing of 5 meters (16.4 feet). North is at top. Image brightness is from the C-band (5.6 centimeters, or 2.2 inches) wavelength radar backscatter, which is a measure of how much energy the surface reflects back toward the radar. Color is used to represent elevation contours. One cycle of color represents 20 meters (65.6 feet) of elevation change, that is, going from blue to red to yellow to green and back to blue again corresponds to 20 meters (65.6 feet) of elevation change. AIRSAR flies aboard a NASA DC-8 based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. In the TOPSAR mode, AIRSAR collects radar interferometry data from two spatially separated antennas (2.6 meters, or 8.5 feet). Information from the two antennas is used to form radar backscatter imagery and to generate highly accurate elevation data. Built, operated and managed by JPL, AIRSAR is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise program. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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