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Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar of California from 1998
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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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Radar Image with Color as He
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PIA03871
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
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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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