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Aqua and Earth of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and China
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Floods in Southern China
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Floods in Southern China |
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Three days of heavy rain caused widespread flooding across China's Jiangxi Province in early June 2007. The floods destroyed about 2,000 houses, and caused an economic loss of approximately $13 million, reported Reuters. [ http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSPEK67549._CH_.2400 ] The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding around Poyang Lake, a reservoir in northern Jiangxi, on June 6, 2007. Compared to conditions a few weeks earlier, on May 19 (lower image), the reservoir is swollen, and its shores have been pushed out by several kilometres. Both images were made with a combination of infrared and visible light, which makes water appear black or dark blue. Plant-covered land is bright green, bare earth is tan, and clouds are light blue and white. Similar images as well as photo-like images of southeast China [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China6/2007157 ] are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System on a daily basis. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Southern China
| Title |
Floods in Southern China |
| Description |
Three days of heavy rain caused widespread flooding across China's Jiangxi Province in early June 2007. The floods destroyed about 2,000 houses, and caused an economic loss of approximately $13 million, reported Reuters. [ http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSPEK67549._CH_.2400 ] The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding around Poyang Lake, a reservoir in northern Jiangxi, on June 6, 2007. Compared to conditions a few weeks earlier, on May 19 (lower image), the reservoir is swollen, and its shores have been pushed out by several kilometres. Both images were made with a combination of infrared and visible light, which makes water appear black or dark blue. Plant-covered land is bright green, bare earth is tan, and clouds are light blue and white. Similar images as well as photo-like images of southeast China [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China6/2007157 ] are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System on a daily basis. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Haze along the Himalaya Fron
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Haze along the Himalaya Front Range |
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A film of haze hangs over northern India along the dark green curve of the Himalaya Mountains in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, taken on November 10, 2004, by NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The haze is probably being caused by widespread agricultural fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12558 ] burning along the mountain front. The fires have been marked with small red dots. Urban pollution and industry may also have contributed to the pollution. This pattern of haze is common in India and Nepal because the southern air mass cannot pass over the barrier formed by the Himalaya. The mountains also seem to be blocking clouds from moving from China, top right, to India and Pakistan, lower left. China is cloudy, but the areas southwest of the mountains are mostly clear. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Drought in Southeast Asia
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Drought in Southeast Asia |
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Southeast Asia?s rainy season came to an early end in October 2004, and since that time, little rain has fallen on the Indochina Peninsula and parts of southern China. The dry spell has launched the region into the worst drought it has seen in years, with wells and reservoirs drying, crops withering, and, for some, food shortages. The effects of the drought are clearly visible in this image, generated from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites between February 18 and March 5, 2005. The image shows vegetation anomaly, a measure of plant density and health over a wide area. To determine the state of vegetation this year, the data are compared to the average of vegetation measurements collected during the same period in 2000 to 2004. Regions that are drier, where plants are less dense and healthy than normal, are brown, while areas with denser-than-average vegetation are green. In the latter half of February 2005, Southeast Asia was very dry, with plants showing clear signs of drought stress. Clouds, masked out in grey, covered much of southern China, central Vietnam, Laos, and parts of Thailand and Cambodia during this two-week period. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the joint Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ]. |
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Dust and Haze Blow Across Ch
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Dust and Haze Blow Across China |
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Thick clouds of dust blow east from China's Gobi Desert through the mountains passes of the Luliang Shan and the Yellow River Valley and over the North China Plain in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image. The image, acquired on March 28, 2005, by NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, captures one of the first yellow dust storms of 2005. Such storms are common in the spring, and can occasionally be powerful enough to carry dust across the Pacific Ocean into North America. In this case, haze from industry and fires burning in Southeast Asia may also be contributing to the opaque veil seen in this image. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC |
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Dust and Haze Blow Across Ch
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Dust and Haze Blow Across China |
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Blowing desert dust adds to existing haze in the eastern basin of China. The grayish haze spread across most of the center of the image is likely a mixture of urban, industrial, and residential air pollution, possibily mingling with smoke from agricultural and other fires. Around Beijing, in the top center of the image, the haze includes a large, yellowish-tan plume of dust. Spring brings numerous dust storms to eastern China from the interior deserts, such as the Gobi Desert. According to regional news, this combination of air quality problems caused the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau to lower the air quality index to its most unhealthy level and to advise people to stay indoors until the air clears. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on April 6, 2005. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Dust in Northern China
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Dust in Northern China |
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A late-spring dust storm skirted the China-Mongolia border on May 26, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust storm appears as a beige blur over a buff-colored landscape, and the plume remains close to but south of the border. You can download a 250-meter-resolution dust storm KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/May2007/mongolia_amo_2007146.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Dust Storm in Taklimakan
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Dust Storm in Taklimakan |
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*Dust Storm in Taklimakan* Almost the entire expanse of the Taklimakan Desert, situated in northwest China, is covered by a massive dust storm in this true-color image acquired on March 10, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Aqua satellite. The tan color of the dust provides some contrast with the much brighter, white clouds in this scene. The dust is being swept slightly westward. Image by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, using data courtesy MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] |
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Dust Storm in the Russian Fa
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Dust Storm in the Russian Far East |
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A dust plume hovered over the border between Russia's Far East and China on April 30, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust plume appears as a tan blob over the border between Russia and China. The dust plume likely originated in the arid west, perhaps in Mongolia. The dust particles enjoy plenty of company as they cloud the skies over eastern Asia. Surrounding the dust are not only white clouds but also dingy gray haze, likely resulting from fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14238 ] in the region. Just east of the dust plume are three distinct fingers of smoke that blow toward the northwest in a counterclockwise direction. The high-resolution image shows a burn scar (dark brown areas) at the southeastern base of these smoke plumes. South of the dust plume, the haze may result from pollution. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Dust Storm in the Taklimakan
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Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert |
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A large dust storm struck China's Taklimakan Desert in early December 2005. Big, dry, hot, and about as far from the ocean as anyplace on Earth, the Taklimakan Desert provides plenty of material for dust storms. Such storms have been on the rise in the region, posing a health hazard for China's people. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, took this picture on December 3, 2005. In this image, the dust storm appears in pale beige, and sweeps toward the northeast. Clouds hover to the northwest and southwest, and mountains fringe the sandy basin where the dust storm originated. The Taklimakan Desert occupies the Tarim Basin between the Tien Shan Mountains in the north, and Kunlun Mountains in the south. The lowest point of this basin is about 150 meters below sea level, and because the area has no drainage, a great deal of salt has collected in the basin. The mountains to the north block cold air from the Arctic, and the location's distance from the ocean eliminates monsoon-related precipitation, so the area remains warm and dry. This desert is one of the largest shifting-sand deserts on Earth, and it supports very little vegetation. Dust storms from this region can spread all over the world, turning up in places as far away as Greenland. Closer to home, the dust poses risks to the Chinese. As reported in the scientific magazine Nature, between AD 300 and 1949, northwestern China witnessed a major dust storm on average every 31 years. Since 1990, the same region has seen a major dust storm almost every year. Besides posing visibility hazards, these storms cause respiratory illness. The storms have become more common at the same time that roughly 75 percent of China's urban population lives below the country's air-quality standard. In some areas China is taking aggressive steps to combat people's exposure to dust, including the investment of several billion dollars in a reforestation effort in the terrain around the outskirts of Beijing. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
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Dust Storm over Eastern China |
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According to Chinese news reports, a dust storm had been predicted for northern and central China between March 9 and March 12, 2006, and the prediction proved correct. On March 10, a dust storm struck the region of Beijing. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on March 10, 2006. In this mage, dust mingles with clouds over northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula. The dust cloud appears as a pale tan, slightly lighter than the underlying landscape. Dust clouds obscure the view of the city of Beijing. According to Reuters News Service, the dust resulted in a rare phenomenon in South Korea: yellow snow. Snow laced with dust can pose a health hazard, and the Korean weather bureau issued a dust warning. In northeastern China and Mongolia, the storm posed the usual hazards to respiratory tracts and eyes. The Gobi Desert was the likely source of at least some of this dust. Dust storms are far from rare in the Gobi Desert in March. Dust storms in March and April can actually exceed the number of storms for all other months combined. This storm resulted from cold air from Siberia combined with low pressure from Mongolia. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
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Dust Storm over Eastern China |
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Another dust storm moved across eastern China on March 27, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, tan dust (in image center), white clouds, and grayish smog mix in the atmosphere over northeastern China. At least some of the dust might have originated in the Gobi Desert as Gobi dust storms are common in March. Dust storms in March and April can actually exceed the number of storms for all other months combined for that region. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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New Island and Pumice Raft,
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New Island and Pumice Raft, Tonga |
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August 2006 brought two new things to the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific. One was a raft of lightweight, frothy volcanic rock—pumice—floating on the ocean surface. The other was a new island emerging out of the water. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the aftermath of the eruption on August 10, 2006 (top), at 1:30 UTC (2:30 p.m. local time). For comparison, the bottom image shows the same area on September 15, 2005. In the top image, the emerging volcanic island is partially hidden by its own plume. Volcanic plumes often appear drab gray or beige compared to clouds, and plumes from the emerging island move away from it in different directions, one to the southeast, and some to the north. The bright white spot directly over the island may be cloud cover, or it could be steam resulting from volcanic emissions. The raft of pumice appears to the northeast of the emerging island, and it actually connects, via a thin thread, to neighboring Late Island. The blue-green color of the water around the raft and the new island is probably fine sediment that is making the deep blue water more reflective. The pumice raft gained international attention when a news report [ http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/natural_events/tonga_eruption_081106.shtml ] from Tonga Online described the experience of a yacht crew that inadvertently encountered the pumice raft. The "sea of stone" clogged the yacht's engine-cooling system, forcing the vessel to turn back. Pumice rafts are not an everyday occurrence, but they have been observed before. In 1986, a pumice raft [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/vol_extra.cfm?name=China%20Sea%20Pumice ] of unknown origin caused engine trouble for a Dutch vessel in the South China Sea. Biologists have also proposed pumice rafts as a way to explain how plants and animals spread from island to island in marine environments. A 250-meter-resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/tonga_amo_2006222.kmz ] of the new volcanic island in the Tonga Islands is available for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA images by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory (top), and Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team (bottom), based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response System, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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New Island and Pumice Raft,
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New Island and Pumice Raft, Tonga |
| Description |
August 2006 brought two new things to the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific. One was a raft of lightweight, frothy volcanic rock—pumice—floating on the ocean surface. The other was a new island emerging out of the water. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the aftermath of the eruption on August 10, 2006 (top), at 1:30 UTC (2:30 p.m. local time). For comparison, the bottom image shows the same area on September 15, 2005. In the top image, the emerging volcanic island is partially hidden by its own plume. Volcanic plumes often appear drab gray or beige compared to clouds, and plumes from the emerging island move away from it in different directions, one to the southeast, and some to the north. The bright white spot directly over the island may be cloud cover, or it could be steam resulting from volcanic emissions. The raft of pumice appears to the northeast of the emerging island, and it actually connects, via a thin thread, to neighboring Late Island. The blue-green color of the water around the raft and the new island is probably fine sediment that is making the deep blue water more reflective. The pumice raft gained international attention when a news report [ http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/natural_events/tonga_eruption_081106.shtml ] from Tonga Online described the experience of a yacht crew that inadvertently encountered the pumice raft. The "sea of stone" clogged the yacht's engine-cooling system, forcing the vessel to turn back. Pumice rafts are not an everyday occurrence, but they have been observed before. In 1986, a pumice raft [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/vol_extra.cfm?name=China%20Sea%20Pumice ] of unknown origin caused engine trouble for a Dutch vessel in the South China Sea. Biologists have also proposed pumice rafts as a way to explain how plants and animals spread from island to island in marine environments. A 250-meter-resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/tonga_amo_2006222.kmz ] of the new volcanic island in the Tonga Islands is available for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA images by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory (top), and Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team (bottom), based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response System, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
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This true-color image reveals much of eastern China covered by a thick blanket of smog, on September 12, 2004. The gray-colored haze, easily distinguished in this scene from the brighter white clouds, extends from the province of Mongolia (top center) all the way south to the Hunan Province (bottom center). Such intense, long-lived pollution events are particularly concerning in light of new research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health which shows that air pollution can reduce children's lung function. [ http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2004/niehs-08a.htm ] According to the researchers' findings, published in the "New England Journal of Medicine," "Children who live in polluted communities are five times more likely to have clinically low lung function—less than 80 percent of the lung function expected for their age." The researchers conducted their study over an 8-year period in some of the most polluted areas across the greater Los Angeles area. They tracked levels of air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, acid vapor, elemental carbon, and particulate matter in areas where children live and found that children living in the most polluted areas showed "significant reductions in the volume of air that they could exhale after taking a deep breath as compared to children living in areas with cleaner air." This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. The high-resolution copy available here is 250 meters per pixel. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Team |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
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A large pocket of polluted air was hanging over eastern China on September 28, 2004. The air flow pattern that would typically sweep this polluted air eastward over the Pacific Ocean has been halted by Typhoon Meari [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12468 ] which is advancing northward up China?s east coast. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Aqua satellite. Click the image above to access the high-resolution copy, which is 250 meters per pixel. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Eastern China
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Fires in Eastern China |
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In eastern China in mid-June 2005, fires were burning in the northern part of Jiangsu province on the coast of the Yellow Sea. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite, red dots mark the location of actively burning fires that MODIS detected. The fires had been burning for several days before this image was collected on June 13, and the smoke was filling the skies over the Yellow Sea, the Korean Peninsula (top right), and approaching Japan (right edge). Jiangsu is an agricultural powerhouse in China, with large areas being cultivated much of the year. The widespread nature of the fires, their location, and the time of year suggest that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Although the fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such widespread burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Myanmar
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Fires in Myanmar |
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In Southeast Asia, fires are common and widespread throughout the dry season, which roughly spans the northern hemisphere winter months. People set fires to clear crop stubble and brush and to prepare grazing land for a new flush of growth when the rainy season arrives. These intentional fires are too frequently accompanied by accidental fires that invade nearby forests and woodlands. The combination of fires produces a thick haze that alternately lingers and disperses, depending on the weather. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows fire activity on March 19, 2007, across eastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and China. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red on the image. The darker green areas are generally more wooded areas or forests, while the paler green and tan areas are agricultural land. Smoke pools over low-lying areas of the hilly terrain in gray pockets. The green tops of rolling hills in Thailand emerge from a cloud of low-lying smoke. According to news reports from Thailand, the smoke blanket created air quality conditions that were considered unhealthy for all groups, and it prompted the Thai Air Force to undertake cloud-seeding attempts in an effort to cleanse the skies with rain. Commercial air traffic was halted due to poor visibility. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in North Korea, Russia
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Fires in North Korea, Russia |
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Fires were scattered along the coast of Asia in late April 2007, likely the result of agricultural burning to prepare for the upcoming growing season. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on April 29, 2007, shows locations where the sensor detected actively burning fires marked in red. Fires extend from North Korea up into southeastern Russia. A few fires were also detected in China. Grayish smoke lingers over the coast of North Korea. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of East Asia [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Apr2007/korea_amo_2007119.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Russia and China ne
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Fires in Russia and China near the Amur River |
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Scores of fires were burning along the Russian border with China on May 8, 2006. The fires, marked with red, are sending up brown smoke that is so thick that it entirely masks the land underneath it. The land around the fires is charred dark brown where the fires have already burned. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image on May 8. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Russia and China ne
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Fires in Russia and China near the Amur River |
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In Russia's Far East, numerous fires were burning along the border with China on May 23, 2006. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires marked in red. Thick smoke pours from many fires and spreads over a wide area. According to a Russian news report, [ http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=8487522&PageNum=1 ] forest fire activity in the Far East was more than 3.5 times higher in spring 2006 than in spring 2005. The Amur region, which takes up most of the right side of the scene, has suffered the most. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Russia's Far East
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Fires in Russia's Far East |
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In far eastern Russia on October 25, 2005, scores of fires were burning near the border with China when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead and collected this image. Actively burning fires detected by the sensor are marked in red. The fires are occurring in two dominant areas. The northwestern concentration of fires is in the Zeya River region, while the dense concentration of fires at image right is in the Amur River region. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
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Fires in Southeast Asia |
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Across Southeast Asia, many fires were burning on December 12, 2004. At top right, fires are burning in southern China, and what may be a mixture of smoke and air pollution from energy production pools in low-lying areas of the mountainous topography. Moving counterclockwise around the scene from China, the image shows parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In the bottom left corner is the Gulf of Thailand, with Thailand along the left edge. The red dots in the image show the locations of fires detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
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Fires in Southeast Asia |
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On February 17, 2005, seasonal burning in Southeast Asia was widespread. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed over head, the sensor detected scores of active fires (locations marked in red) across (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although seasonal agricultural burning is common this time of year, it is not possible to know if all of these fires are agricultural in purpose. Some may be fires that escaped into forest or other non-agricultural areas from adjacent agricultural land. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
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Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The climate of Southeast Asia is controlled by the monsoon, a climate characterized by two seasons: a wet phase, where winds blow inland from over the ocean, bringing frequent rains, and a dry phase, where winds blow from the continent out to sea. In April, the dry phase of the monsoon is drawing to a close, and agricultural burning has been underway for several months, as farmers prepare their fields and pastures for the upcoming growing season. In 2005, Southeast Asia's annual dry season was being magnified by an intense drought. On April 10, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this scene of intense burning in Myanmar, Thailand, northern Laos, Vietnam and China. The number of actively burning fires (marked in red) is particularly high in northern Laos. Thick, brownish-gray smoke spreads eastward from the fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
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Fires in Southeast Asia |
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Smoke from hundreds of fires mingles with clouds over Southeast Asia on March 14, 2006. Late winter is the peak time for agricultural burning in the area. This image of the area captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows fires (locations marked in red) across northeastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Laos. Although these fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such widespread burning can have a strong influence on air quality and human health, natural resources, and climate. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
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Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Widespread fires continued throughout Southeast Asia in mid-April 2006. This image of the area was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on April 11, 2006. Locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Blue-gray smoke hangs over much of the area, filling the topography. Many of these fires are probably agricultural in nature, but some may be accidental as well. This time of year is part of the area's dry season. The image shows (clockwise from upper left) India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]. |
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Smoke over the Sea of Okhots
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Smoke over the Sea of Okhotsk |
| Description |
Throughout mid- to late October 2005, scores of fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13235 ]were burning in Russia's Far East and along the border with China. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image on October 31, a swirling cloud of smoke hung over Sakhalin Island and the Sea of Okhotsk. Two fires (marked in red) were detected in the scene by MODIS, but they are probably not solely responsible for the smoke. Fires farther west, outside the frame of the image, are likely contributing to the haze, as well. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). |
|
Super Typhoon Cimaron
| Title |
Super Typhoon Cimaron |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Cimaron struck the northernmost large island in the Philippines, Luzon, on October 29, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was the most powerful to strike the island chain since 1998, lashing Luzon with 200-kilometer-an-hour (125-mile-per-hour) winds and torrential rain. After passing through the island chain, Cimaron weakened significantly, falling below Category 3 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] strength (the threshold seperating a typhoon from a super typhoon). The typhoon then picked up power over the South China Sea as it headed towards Vietnam. On November 1, Reuters reported a projected landfall in Vietnam on November 3, with an expected strength of Category 1, though predictions of storm strength are challenging to make accurately. Residents of Vietnam were preparing for possible evacuations, as were residents of the Chinese coastal areas, including the island of Hainan and Hong Kong. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 31, 2006, at 1:35 p.m. local time (5:35 UTC). At this time, Typhoon Cimaron was in the center of the South China Sea. Winds were around 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006305-1101/Cimaron.A2006305.0535 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Cimaron KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Nov2006/cimaron_amo_2006305.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Super Typhoon Durian
| Title |
Super Typhoon Durian |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Durian came ashore in the Philippines on November 30, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was quite powerful, with sustained winds as high as 230 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour). The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia. The twelfth typhoon of the season, Durian was projected as of November 30 to follow a track through the Philippines very similar to typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi, which all crossed the northern part of the island chain, bringing heavy rain and causing substantial damage. As with those other storms, Durian was expected to continue its eastward track and to cross the South China Sea, striking mainland Asia in Vietnam. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 30, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. local time (5:00 UTC). At this time, Typhoon Durian was well over the island chain, with the cloud-filled eye over the land and the spiral arms of clouds covering almost the entire northern Philippines. Sustained winds were around 230 kilometers/hour (140 mph), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] These speeds were the peak strength projected for the storm, which was predicted to lose power as it traveled over the islands. Forecasts for its fate as it crossed the South China Sea were uncertain, but since the typhoon season was waning, sea surface temperatures in the South China Sea were not optimal for storm intensification, and forecasters were expecting the typhoon to gradually lose power well before coming ashore in southern Vietnam. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006334-1130/Durian.A2006334.0500 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Durian KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Nov2006/Durian.A2006334.0500.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Super Typhoon Durian
| Title |
Super Typhoon Durian |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Durian crossed the Philippines on November 30, 2006. According to BBC News Service, [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] the typhoon was quite powerful, with sustained winds as high as 230 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour). The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, however, the typhoon was called Reming. The twelfth typhoon of the season, Durian followed a track through the Philippines very similar to typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi earlier in the year. Durian caused substantial damage and triggered landslides and flooding. According to the Red Cross, as of December 3, 2006, some 406 people in the Philippines had died from various causes directly linked to the typhoon, with some 398 people missing. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 3, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. local time (5:30 UTC). By this time, Typhoon Durian had passed through the island chain of the Philippines and crossed most of the South China Sea. The storm system was a well-defined, spiraling ball of clouds with an open eye at its center. Sustained winds were around 165 km/hr (105 mph), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] Residents of southern Vietnam were bracing for the coming storm, which was expected to bring significant wind damage and flooding from heavy rains even though the typhoon had lost considerable power from its traverse through the Philippines. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Super Typhoon Haitang
| Title |
Super Typhoon Haitang |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Haitang is shown here on the morning of July 20, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 05:15 UTC (3:15 p.m. local time), well after it come ashore onto mainland China and lost much of its power and been downgraded to a tropical storm. Four deaths in Taiwan are attributed to the storm as it passed over the island, and as many as 1 million people have been evacuated in mainland China. All flights out of the cities of Fuzhou and Quanzhou were cancelled in view of the danger of the storm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Super Typhoon Haitang
| Title |
Super Typhoon Haitang |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Haitang is shown here bearing down on Taiwan on the afternoon of July 17, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 04:40 UTC (12:40 p.m. Taipei time). At this time, the typhoon had built into a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, sufficient for it to be dubbed a super typhoon. Sustained winds were around 230 kilometers per hour (125 knots) with peak gusts as high as 280 km/hr (150 knots). The super typhoon by this time was projected to change course and come ashore in Taiwan. As it crosses the island, the storm will lose some of its strength, but may then rebuild as it crosses the Taiwan Straits and comes ashore again in eastern China. Projections call for it to land in Taiwan early on July 18, and then make landfall in mainland China on July 19. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Super Typhoon Wipha
| Title |
Super Typhoon Wipha |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Wipha was approaching the coast of China on the afternoon of September 18, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image. At the time (12:40 p.m. local time, 4:40 UTC), Wipha had winds between 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour or 135 knots) and 240 km/hr (150 mph or 130 knots), making it a strong Category 4 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] storm and a Super Typhoon (a typhoon with winds of at least 130 knots). The storm weakened shortly after this image was taken and was forecast to weaken further before making landfall over the densely populated East China coast late on September 18 or early on September 19. Though the storm was weakening, it was anticipated to be the strongest storm to hit China in a decade, reported Xinhua, China's news agency. In preparation for the storm, the government evacuated about two million people in three provinces, said Xinhua. The storm had already started to soak Taiwan with heavy rains by the time this image was taken. The spiraling bands of rain clouds cover the island in this image, though the dark, well-defined eye remains offshore to the north. The image also reveals just how large Wipha was. Including its outer bands, which stretch from the Philippines (visible in the large image) in the south to the East China coast in the north, Wipha sprawls over several hundred kilometers. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. You can also download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Super Typhoon Wipia [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Sep2007/Wipha.A2007261.0440.250m.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
| Title |
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra |
| Description |
On the island of Borneo between the South China Sea to the north and the Java Sea to the south, a number of smoky fires (marked in red) were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite on September 27, 2004. The fires are clustered along the swampy, southern coastline of the Kalimantan region of the island, which may account for the thick smoke. According to news reports, smoke was so thick that island residents were being forced to wear respirators. Illegal agricultural burning may be resposible for the widespread problem. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Tropical Storm Wukong
| Title |
Tropical Storm Wukong |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Wukong formed in the western Pacific on August 12, 2006, as a tropical depression. Within a day, it had become organized enough to be classified as a tropical storm and earn its name. Wukong is the name of the Monkey King in a Chinese legend, "Journey to the West." On August 17, the storm came ashore on the island of Kyushu at the southern end of the Japanese Islands. As of August 17, it was expected to bring rain and wind to southern Japan and southern Korea for several days. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on August 16, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. local time (04:30 UTC). Tropical Storm Wukong at the time of this image was a very large system with a well-defined but unstructured ball of clouds. In the large image, which shows a wider area around the storm, clear air is visible around the storm, which is pushing smog and dust-laden air from China to the north and east of the storm system. Tropical Storm Wukong had sustained winds of around 90 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour) near the time of this image, according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/tropical.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Typhoon Chanchu
| Title |
Typhoon Chanchu |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Chanchu formed in the western Pacific on May 8, 2006, roughly 500 miles east of the Philippines. The storm had been gradually building strength and size, but as of May 11, 2006, it remained a slow-moving storm with only hints that is was developing a stronger cyclonic structure. The storm was not expected to build strength until crossing the Philippines, after which it was forecast to gain power and size as it continued on a westbound track across the South China Sea. Chanchu could eventually pose a significant threat to Southeast Asia. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on May 10, 2006, at 12:35 p.m. local time (04:35 UTC). Chanchu had clearly developed a weak spiral form, but did not have tightly wound spiral arms or any apparent eye structure. Sustained winds in the storm system were estimated to be around 100 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Typhoon Matsa
| Title |
Typhoon Matsa |
| Description |
Typhoon Matsa is shown here on the morning of August 2, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 04:40 UTC (2:40 p.m. local time). The typhoon had only just been upgraded from a tropical storm at that time, with steady winds of around 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour). It was not predicted to make landfall in the coming days, but isntead was predicted to travel northward into the Yellow Sea towards the Korean Peninsula and northern China. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Typhoon Matsa
| Title |
Typhoon Matsa |
| Description |
Typhoon Matsa is shown here on the morning of August 4, 2005. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite at 04:30 UTC (2:30 p.m. local time). The typhoon was a well-organized, mature storm by that point, with steady winds of around 150 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour). As of August 4, it was predicted to head into northern China, making landfall around Wenzhou and bringing substantial rain to areas only just recently drenched by Super Typhoon Haitang. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Typhoon Utor
| Title |
Typhoon Utor |
| Description |
Typhoon Utor struck the Philippines on December 9, 2006. Coming just a week after Super Typhoon Durian passed through the island chain on a parallel path to the north, Utor brought heavy rain and strong winds to sodden ground and swollen rivers. Typhoons Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi earlier in the year had also followed very similar tracks to Utor. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 9, 2006, at 12:55 p.m. local time (4:55 UTC), just hours before the storm's center crossed the shoreline. The storm system did not have the well-defined shape of a powerful typhoon, with no clear eye. But powerful thunderstorm clouds (clouds that appear to be "boiling") can be discerned in the heart of the storm, and the spiral arms also show towering thunderheads casting shadows on the clouds below. Sustained winds were around 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/tropical.html ] The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported evacuations of over 60,000 people from provinces in or near the storm's track. The problems were particularly bad in areas where rain from Durian had already caused mudslides. As of December 10, the Associated Press was reporting that no deaths in the mudslide areas had been recorded, though Typhoon Utor was responsible for some loss of life elsewhere as trees fell on houses. Like Durian before it, Utor was expected to cross the South China Sea and come ashore in mainland Asia along the Vietnam coast. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006343-1209/Utor.A2006343.0455 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Durian KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Dec2006/Utor.A2006343.0455.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Typhoon Xangsane
| Title |
Typhoon Xangsane |
| Description |
Typhoon Xangsane formed on September 25, 2006, in the western Pacific near the coast of the Philippine Islands. Over the next 36 hours, it grew from a tropical depression (area of low air pressure) to a typhoon. As of September 27, it was right on the eastern edge of the Philippines, with the eye of the storm sitting just offshore. Winds had reached 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) near the core of the storm, according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/tropical.html ] This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 27, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. local time (05:00 UTC). Xangsane at the time of this image was a well-defined, spiraling swirl of clouds, with a distinct, but cloud-filled ("closed") eye. The arm structure was not tightly wound, a trait of a moderately young storm. According to news reports, the Philippine Coast Guard had suspended ferry traffic at ports across the region due to strong winds and high waves, leaving thousands of passengers temporarily stranded. Heavy rains triggered flash flooding that had trapped perhaps 100 families in their homes in the central Philippines. Storm track projections on September 27 suggested that the typhoon would lose power as it crossed the islands and rebuild only slightly as it continued west across the South China Sea. The storm was predicted to come ashore on the Asian mainland in central Vietnam on or around October 2. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006270-0927/Xangsane.A2006270.0500 ] You can also download a 250 m resolution Typhoon Xangsane KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/Xangsane.A2006270.0500.250m.kmz ] (6.4 MB) for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Typhoon Xangsane
| Title |
Typhoon Xangsane |
| Description |
Typhoon Xangsane formed on September 25, 2006, in the western Pacific near the coast of the Philippine Islands. Over the next 36 hours, it grew from a tropical depression (area of low air pressure) to a typhoon. The typhoon crossed the Philippines and was credited for causing 76 deaths there before crossing the South China Sea and coming ashore in central Vietnam on October 1, according to the Agence France-Presse news service. As the storm came ashore in central Vietnam, it packed winds of 148 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour), causing another six deaths and many injuries. Vietnamese authorities called Typhoon Xangsane the biggest storm to hit the country in several decades. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 1, 2006, at 10:10 a.m. local time (03:10 UTC). Xangsane at the time of this image was a well-defined spiral of clouds, but other typhoon characteristics were not obvious. It lacked a well-defined eye, and the spiral arms of the storm did not have sharp edges or evidence of strong thunderstorms. Much of the initial power of the storm had apparently been sapped as the typhoon came over land. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidresponse.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Typhoon Fung-wong: Natural H
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Typhoon Fung-Wong was lashin
…
fungwong_amo_2008210
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-07-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
fungwong_amo_2008210 |
|
Floods in Southern China: Na
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Poyang_AMO_2007157
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-06-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Poyang_AMO_2007157 |
|
Super Typhoon Durian: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Super Typhoon Durian crossed
…
durian_amo_2006337
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-12-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
durian_amo_2006337 |
|
Super Typhoon Durian: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Super Typhoon Durian came as
…
durian_amo_2006334
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-11-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
durian_amo_2006334 |
|
Typhoon Utor: Natural Hazard
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Typhoon Utor struck the Phil
…
utor_amo_2006343
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-12-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
utor_amo_2006343 |
|
Super Typhoon Cimaron: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Super Typhoon Cimaron struck
…
cimaron_amo_2006305
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-31 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
cimaron_amo_2006305 |
|
Super Typhoon Wipha: Natural
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Super Typhoon Wipha was appr
…
wipha_amo_2007261
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-09-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
wipha_amo_2007261 |
|
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI
…
PIA08652
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AIRS |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This is an infrared image of Typhoon Saomai from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 10, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the typhoon. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Figure 1 is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. In figure 3, Typhoon Saomai is captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, the Typhoon Saomai was nearly on-shore in China with winds of 130mph, and the storm has a well developed eye. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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