|
|
National Map Showing Habitat
…
| Title |
National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion |
| Abstract |
The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
National Map Showing Habitat
…
| Title |
National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion |
| Abstract |
The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
National Map Showing Habitat
…
| Title |
National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion |
| Abstract |
The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
National Map Showing Habitat
…
| Title |
National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion |
| Abstract |
The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
National Map Showing Habitat
…
| Title |
National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion |
| Abstract |
The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
Habitat Suitability for Tama
…
| Title |
Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion in the State of Nevada |
| Abstract |
The Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) is a partnership between NASA and The US Geological Survey (USGS). The ISFS combines NASA Earth observations and statistical models to enhance USGS capabilities to map, monitor and predict the spread of significant invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the state of Nevada. Tamarisk spreads quickly along riverbeds and when it's leaves shed they secrete salt on the soil, thereby hindering other plant growth. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable for Tamarisk. Yellow indicates areas which are less suitable, and grey are areas which are not suitable. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
Habitat Suitability for Tama
…
| Title |
Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion in the State of Nevada |
| Abstract |
The Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) is a partnership between NASA and The US Geological Survey (USGS). The ISFS combines NASA Earth observations and statistical models to enhance USGS capabilities to map, monitor and predict the spread of significant invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the state of Nevada. Tamarisk spreads quickly along riverbeds and when it's leaves shed they secrete salt on the soil, thereby hindering other plant growth. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable for Tamarisk. Yellow indicates areas which are less suitable, and grey are areas which are not suitable. |
| Completed |
2005-10-18 |
|
Angora Fire
| Title |
Angora Fire |
| Description |
South of Lake Tahoe, which straddles the Nevada-California state line, a large fire destroyed at least 165 homes over the weekend of June 23, 2007. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows the Angora Fire on June 24. The area in which MODIS detected actively burning fire is outlined in red. A plume of brownish-gray smoke spreads northeast. According to the June 25 report from the National Interagency Fire Center, the Angora Fire was burning in timber and grass, was about 1,800 acres, and was zero percent contained. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that makes the burned area stand out from the surrounding, unburned vegetation. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Chance Fire, Nevada
| Title |
Chance Fire, Nevada |
| Description |
The Chance Fire raced rapidly across sagebrush and juniper woodlands in northeastern Nevada near the Ruby Mountains on August 29, 2005. This image of the blaze was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite, the active fire perimeter that MODIS detected is outlined in red. The fire is burning very close to the I80 interstate northeast of the town of Elko, Nevada. Many people voluntarily evacuated their homes as the winds drove the fire quickly across the hilly terrain. As of August 30, firefighters estimated the 17,500-acre blaze was about 30 percent contained. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Railroad_Valley ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Charleston Fire, Northern Ne
…
| Title |
Charleston Fire, Northern Nevada |
| Description |
In northeastern Nevada, a 20,000-acre fire was racing through sagebrush, grass, and juniper on August 16, 2006. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, [ http://www.nifc.gov/information.html ] a power line, residences, and grazing allotments were being threatened by the Charleston Fire. The fire was exhibiting extreme behavior according to the August 17 report. This pair of images of the Charleston Fire, burning in the area between Nevada's Matterhorn and the Marys River, was captured on August 16 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. The photo-like, "natural-color" image on top shows places where MODIS detected active fire outlined in red. Thick smoke pours northeastward into Idaho. The bottom image has been enhanced using MODIS' observations of shortwave and near-infrared light to penetrate the smoke, to emphasize extremely hot areas (bright pink), and to distinguish burned vegetation (brick red) from unburned vegetation (bright green). In this kind of false-color image, the bright pink glow inside some of the active-fire perimeters often indicates open flame. According to the Western Great Basin Coordination Center of the National Interagency Fire Center, the region was primed for big fires in summer 2006 because of poor snowfall over the winter. A prolific grass crop from 2005, which normally would have been flattened and compacted by winter's heavy snow, remained standing across grasslands in spring 2006. In addition, a wet spring produced luxuriant new growth, which dried as the summer progressed. The standing grass from 2005 combined with the abundant early-2006 growth created a dangerously high load of fuel for summer fires. In July, the agency issued a fuel and fire behavior advisory, [ http://gacc.nifc.gov/wgbc/safetywarning/FireAdvisory_GB-05Jul06%5b1%5d.pdf ] warning that the accumulation of such large amounts of "fine fuels" like grass had increased the risk of intense, severe, and rapidly spreading fires across much of the Western Great Basin, including northern Nevada. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides twice-daily images of the entire western United States at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1 ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Late Season Fires in Califor
…
| Title |
Late Season Fires in California |
| Description |
On Monday afternoon, November 25, 2002, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of fires (red outlines) burning in California. At upper right is Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. At lower left is San Francisco. Plumes of smoke stream westward from the fires, which are burning in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Other fires are scattered across the state, and in the full scene, what could be a mixture of smoke and urban air pollution is nestled into the San Joaquin Valley. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Levee Break Floods Central C
…
| Title |
Levee Break Floods Central California |
| Description |
A broken levee near the San Joaquim-Sacramento River delta flooded nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in Central California on June 3, 2004. According to news reports, about 300 people were evacuated from the flood region. An intricate series of levees and canals channel the fresh water from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the farmland in California?s Central Valley. A break on one levy can affect the distribution of water to others. In this case, up to one million acres of farmland may receive less water during June, the typical peak irrigation month. Additionally, the change in the water level could draw salty water from the San Francisco Bay into the freshwater delta, threatening to contaminate the drinking water of many of California?s cities. The levee that broke is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Stockton, and the breach allowed water from the Middle River to create a vast lake, visible in imagery taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on June 5. A false-color MODIS image taken on June 2 shows the water network before the levee broke. In both scenes, tan and bright green squares are agricultural fields. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution. Both the June 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004157-0605/California.A2004157.2110.721 ] and June 2 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004154-0602/California.A2004154.1900.721 ] images are available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Levee Break Floods Central C
…
| Title |
Levee Break Floods Central California |
| Description |
A broken levee near the San Joaquim-Sacramento River delta flooded nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in Central California on June 3, 2004. According to news reports, about 300 people were evacuated from the flood region. An intricate series of levees and canals channel the fresh water from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the farmland in California?s Central Valley. A break on one levy can affect the distribution of water to others. In this case, up to one million acres of farmland may receive less water during June, the typical peak irrigation month. Additionally, the change in the water level could draw salty water from the San Francisco Bay into the freshwater delta, threatening to contaminate the drinking water of many of California?s cities. The levee that broke is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Stockton, and the breach allowed water from the Middle River to create a vast lake, visible in imagery taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on June 5. A false-color MODIS image taken on June 2 shows the water network before the levee broke. In both scenes, tan and bright green squares are agricultural fields. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution. Both the June 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004157-0605/California.A2004157.2110.721 ] and June 2 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004154-0602/California.A2004154.1900.721 ] images are available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Levee Break Floods Central C
…
| Title |
Levee Break Floods Central California |
| Description |
A broken levee near the San Joaquim-Sacramento River delta flooded nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in Central California on June 3, 2004. According to news reports, about 300 people were evacuated from the flood region. An intricate series of levees and canals channel the fresh water from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the farmland in California?s Central Valley. A break on one levy can affect the distribution of water to others. In this case, up to one million acres of farmland may receive less water during June, the typical peak irrigation month. Additionally, the change in the water level could draw salty water from the San Francisco Bay into the freshwater delta, threatening to contaminate the drinking water of many of California?s cities. The levee that broke is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Stockton, and the breach allowed water from the Middle River to create a vast lake, visible in imagery taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on June 5. A false-color MODIS image taken on June 2 shows the water network before the levee broke. In both scenes, tan and bright green squares are agricultural fields. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution. Both the June 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004157-0605/California.A2004157.2110.721 ] and June 2 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004154-0602/California.A2004154.1900.721 ] images are available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Murphy Complex Fire
| Title |
Murphy Complex Fire |
| Description |
When two large, previously separate wildfires (Rowland and Elk Mountain) near the Idaho-Nevada state line merged over the July 21 weekend, fire management officials renamed the incident as the Murphy Complex Fire. According to the morning report from the National Interagency Fire Center on July 23, 2007, the blaze had consumed more than 560,000 acres and was 15 percent contained. This image of the Murphy Complex Fire was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on July 22. Places where the sensor detected actively burning fire are outlined in red. The dry grassland and sagebrush terrain appears olive-tan, while the sprawling burned area appears deep brown. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1 ] images of the western United States in additional resolutions. Images of the separate fires were previously published in the Fires in Idaho and Eastern Oregon [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14398 ] event. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Northern California Floods
| Title |
Northern California Floods |
| Description |
Northern California ushered in 2006 with a series of major storms that inundated the area and left many towns awash in water, mud, and debris. According to a report from the USATODAY.com Website, at least two levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region were unable to handle the rising waters and strong winds, and residents nearby evacuated as the water-control structures began leaking. In the wine-country town of Napa perhaps as many as 1,000 homes were flooded along with thousands of acres of rural and agricultural land. The governor declared several counties in the region flood disaster areas. This pair of images shows flooding in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley region inland of San Francisco Bay. The image on the left was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on December 10, 2005, while the image at right was captured on January 4, 2006, just days after the severe storms passed through. Dark blue pools of water swamp far larger areas of ground in January than they did in December. The Sacramento River is very wide and turbid, the sediment in the water is reflective and gives the river its lighter blue appearance. Flood control channels alongside the river help carry the additional flows. The northern reaches of San Francisco Bay are also bright with sediment, which may be a mixture of river run-off and churning of the Bay by storm winds. Vegetation is bright green, snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is bright blue (upper right), and bare or sparsely vegetated ground appears pinkish or reddish tan. The rain-producing storms that passed through the state became blizzards as they crossed the mountains. A wider-area image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1/2006004/USA1.2006004.aqua.721 ] produced by the MODIS Rapid Response Team shows snow cover on the Sierra Nevada Mountains and across the Great Basin. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in California
| Title |
Fires in California |
| Description |
The combined smoke from the Freds and Power Fires in northern California southwest of Lake Tahoe was filling in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley on October 14, 2004. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite in the afternoon, when smoke had become so thick the actively burning areas of the fire that MODIS on the Terra satellite detected during its morning overpass [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Fresno/2004288/AERONET_Fresno.2004288.terra ] could no longer be picked up. Southwest of Lake Tahoe, the northernmost band of thick smoke is associated with the Freds Fire, while the central and southern ones are associated with the Power Fire. The smoke has risen far enough into the air to be casting a shadow onto another, thinner layer of smoke below. Smoke nestles into the ravines and canyons of the many rivers that run off the Sierra Nevada Mountains, causing them to stand out from the forested terrain. Other landmarks in the scene include San Francisco Bay, along the bottom edge to the left of center, Clear Lake, in the upper left quadrant, the southern end of Nevada?s Pyramid Lake, at upper right, and the gray-colored rock of Yosemite National Park, to the west of Mono Lake at bottom right. A small fire was detected by MODIS in that area and is outlined in red. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in Idaho and Eastern O
…
| Title |
Fires in Idaho and Eastern Oregon |
| Description |
MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, Strong winds fanned wildfires across the western United States on July 19, 2007. The hot, dry, windy conditions led the National Interagency Fire Center to move to a National Preparedness Level [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/pl_desc.html ] of 5 on a five-point scale, indicating that the fires were numerous, large, and widespread enough to potentially exhaust fire-fighting resources. More than a million acres were burning across the United States in 72 large wildfires on July 19, 2007, said the National Interagency Fire Center. [ http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm ] Among the largest fires were the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires burning in southwestern Idaho. The active fronts of these fires are outlined in red in this pair of photo-like images acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on July 19, 2007. The top image was taken at 12:25 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, when the MODIS on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite passed over head. The active parts of the Elk Mountain fire surround a dark brown oval of charred land. The fast-moving flames had consumed much of this area in the previous 24 hours. A MODIS image taken on the afternoon of July 18, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14396 ] reveals that the fire had been relatively small the previous day, and little land around the fire was charred. The Rowland fire, by contrast, was smaller on July 19 than it had been on July 18. At 2:05 p.m. on July 19, less than two hours after the top image was taken, the MODIS sensor aboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the lower image. In the two-hour period between images, winds and fire activity picked up substantially. By the time of the second image, the fires were racing through grass and sagebrush and pumping out dense plumes of smoke. The smoke obscures the burned land and the surrounding desert landscape. Strong winds were pulling the smoke north in long plumes that stretch over the green and gold Snake River Plain. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that both the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires exhibited extreme fire behavior, [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/glossary.html#E ] with fast-moving or unpredictable flames, and that it threatened structures and power lines. On July 20, the Rowland fire had burned 95,000 acres and was 15 percent contained, while the Elk Mountain fire had burned 160,000 acres (up from 25,000 acres the day before) and was 10 percent contained, said NIFC. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. They stretch south to include much of Nevada and Utah. Both the 12:25 and 2:05 images are available in a variety of resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System. Images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, |
|
Fires in Idaho and Eastern O
…
| Title |
Fires in Idaho and Eastern Oregon |
| Description |
MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, Strong winds fanned wildfires across the western United States on July 19, 2007. The hot, dry, windy conditions led the National Interagency Fire Center to move to a National Preparedness Level [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/pl_desc.html ] of 5 on a five-point scale, indicating that the fires were numerous, large, and widespread enough to potentially exhaust fire-fighting resources. More than a million acres were burning across the United States in 72 large wildfires on July 19, 2007, said the National Interagency Fire Center. [ http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm ] Among the largest fires were the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires burning in southwestern Idaho. The active fronts of these fires are outlined in red in this pair of photo-like images acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on July 19, 2007. The top image was taken at 12:25 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, when the MODIS on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite passed over head. The active parts of the Elk Mountain fire surround a dark brown oval of charred land. The fast-moving flames had consumed much of this area in the previous 24 hours. A MODIS image taken on the afternoon of July 18, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14396 ] reveals that the fire had been relatively small the previous day, and little land around the fire was charred. The Rowland fire, by contrast, was smaller on July 19 than it had been on July 18. At 2:05 p.m. on July 19, less than two hours after the top image was taken, the MODIS sensor aboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the lower image. In the two-hour period between images, winds and fire activity picked up substantially. By the time of the second image, the fires were racing through grass and sagebrush and pumping out dense plumes of smoke. The smoke obscures the burned land and the surrounding desert landscape. Strong winds were pulling the smoke north in long plumes that stretch over the green and gold Snake River Plain. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that both the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires exhibited extreme fire behavior, [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/glossary.html#E ] with fast-moving or unpredictable flames, and that it threatened structures and power lines. On July 20, the Rowland fire had burned 95,000 acres and was 15 percent contained, while the Elk Mountain fire had burned 160,000 acres (up from 25,000 acres the day before) and was 10 percent contained, said NIFC. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. They stretch south to include much of Nevada and Utah. Both the 12:25 and 2:05 images are available in a variety of resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System. Images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, |
|
Fires in Idaho and Eastern O
…
| Title |
Fires in Idaho and Eastern Oregon |
| Description |
MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, Strong winds fanned wildfires across the western United States on July 19, 2007. The hot, dry, windy conditions led the National Interagency Fire Center to move to a National Preparedness Level [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/pl_desc.html ] of 5 on a five-point scale, indicating that the fires were numerous, large, and widespread enough to potentially exhaust fire-fighting resources. More than a million acres were burning across the United States in 72 large wildfires on July 19, 2007, said the National Interagency Fire Center. [ http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm ] Among the largest fires were the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires burning in southwestern Idaho. The active fronts of these fires are outlined in red in this pair of photo-like images acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on July 19, 2007. The top image was taken at 12:25 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, when the MODIS on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite passed over head. The active parts of the Elk Mountain fire surround a dark brown oval of charred land. The fast-moving flames had consumed much of this area in the previous 24 hours. A MODIS image taken on the afternoon of July 18, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14396 ] reveals that the fire had been relatively small the previous day, and little land around the fire was charred. The Rowland fire, by contrast, was smaller on July 19 than it had been on July 18. At 2:05 p.m. on July 19, less than two hours after the top image was taken, the MODIS sensor aboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the lower image. In the two-hour period between images, winds and fire activity picked up substantially. By the time of the second image, the fires were racing through grass and sagebrush and pumping out dense plumes of smoke. The smoke obscures the burned land and the surrounding desert landscape. Strong winds were pulling the smoke north in long plumes that stretch over the green and gold Snake River Plain. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that both the Rowland and Elk Mountain fires exhibited extreme fire behavior, [ http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/glossary.html#E ] with fast-moving or unpredictable flames, and that it threatened structures and power lines. On July 20, the Rowland fire had burned 95,000 acres and was 15 percent contained, while the Elk Mountain fire had burned 160,000 acres (up from 25,000 acres the day before) and was 10 percent contained, said NIFC. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. They stretch south to include much of Nevada and Utah. Both the 12:25 and 2:05 images are available in a variety of resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System. Images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, |
|
Fires in Nevada
| Title |
Fires in Nevada |
| Description |
Fire activity ramped up across the U.S. West near the end of the third week of July 2007. Dry thunderstorms (lightning and winds, but no rain) ignited hundreds of fires in a matter of days, and many of these became large blazes that raced through dry grass, sagebrush, and forests. This image of Nevada was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on July 18. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fire are outlined in red. Dark brown burn scars dot the buff-colored landscape, while thick smoke stretches north from the fires. Many of the fires are burning along the Interstate 80 corridor, the highway is dotted with small towns that fall along its path: Wells, Elko, Beowawe, Battle Mountain. A few of the largest fires are labeled. Ridgelines appear faint green, lightly covered in vegetation, while dry valleys in between are tan. Rare patches of intensely green vegetation are irrigated fields. South of Wells, Nevada, the forested Ruby Mountains are deep green. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/fas/?USA1 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that makes burned landscapes stand out in brick red. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in Nevada
| Title |
Fires in Nevada |
| Description |
Fire activity ramped up across the U.S. West near the end of the third week of July 2007. Dry thunderstorms (lightning and winds, but no rain) ignited hundreds of fires in a matter of days, and many of these became large blazes that raced through dry grass, sagebrush, and forests. This image of Nevada was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on July 18. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fire are outlined in red. Dark brown burn scars dot the buff-colored landscape, while thick smoke stretches north from the fires. Many of the fires are burning along the Interstate 80 corridor, the highway is dotted with small towns that fall along its path: Wells, Elko, Beowawe, Battle Mountain. A few of the largest fires are labeled. Ridgelines appear faint green, lightly covered in vegetation, while dry valleys in between are tan. Rare patches of intensely green vegetation are irrigated fields. South of Wells, Nevada, the forested Ruby Mountains are deep green. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/fas/?USA1 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that makes burned landscapes stand out in brick red. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in Nevada and Idaho
| Title |
Fires in Nevada and Idaho |
| Description |
In northern Nevada, two large fires were racing through sagebrush and grass on July 18, 2005, when this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. Active fire locations that MODIS detected are marked in red. Both the Esmerelda and Wilson Complex Fires were damaging livestock forage areas, as well as native animal habitat. To the north, in Idaho, the Clover Fire was burning in a southeast direction, creating a dark brown burn scar that looks much like the lava rocks of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. As of July 19, 2005, the Clover Fire was estimated to have burned 183,000 acres, the Wilson Fire: 57,500 acres, and the Esmerelda Fire: 75,000 acres. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of Oregon State University?s MODIS Direct Broadcast data facility. |
|
Santa Ana Wind Event Over Ca
…
| Title |
Santa Ana Wind Event Over California |
| Description |
On January 6, 2002, Santa Ana winds blew dust from interior deserts and other dry areas out over California and the Pacific Ocean. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite shows streamers of dust blowing southwestward over the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is roughly centered in the top half of the image. Santa Ana winds occur below mountain passes and in canyons in Southern California, and result from high atmospheric pressure forming over the Great Basin (between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains). In the northern hemisphere air moves clockwise around areas of high pressure, so winds blow down slope from the Great Basin toward the Pacific. The air is already dry and warm, having originated over the desert regions of the Great Basin, and it becomes warmer and drier as it rushes down the slopes of the mountains. To qualify as a Santa Ana wind event, speeds must generally exceed 25 knots (28 miles per hour). These events pose great fire hazards, and in this image MODIS detected a few active fires, which are marked with red outlines. A smaller bushfire that has forced the evacuation of hundred of homes near Malibu had not reached detectable levels yet, but a plume of smoke is visible mingling with the dust over Santa Monica Bay, northwest of Los Angeles. For more on Santa Ana winds, visit the San Diego National Weather Service web site. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Santa Ana Wind Event Over Ca
…
| Title |
Santa Ana Wind Event Over California |
| Description |
On January 6, 2002, Santa Ana winds blew dust from interior deserts and other dry areas out over California and the Pacific Ocean. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite shows streamers of dust blowing southwestward over the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is roughly centered in the top half of the image. Santa Ana winds occur below mountain passes and in canyons in Southern California, and result from high atmospheric pressure forming over the Great Basin (between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains). In the northern hemisphere air moves clockwise around areas of high pressure, so winds blow down slope from the Great Basin toward the Pacific. The air is already dry and warm, having originated over the desert regions of the Great Basin, and it becomes warmer and drier as it rushes down the slopes of the mountains. To qualify as a Santa Ana wind event, speeds must generally exceed 25 knots (28 miles per hour). These events pose great fire hazards, and in this image MODIS detected a few active fires, which are marked with red outlines. A smaller bushfire that has forced the evacuation of hundred of homes near Malibu had not reached detectable levels yet, but a plume of smoke is visible mingling with the dust over Santa Monica Bay, northwest of Los Angeles. For more on Santa Ana winds, visit the San Diego National Weather Service web site. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Snow Across the Western Unit
…
| Title |
Snow Across the Western United States |
| Description |
As much as 18 inches of snow coated the Sierra Nevada Mountains on November 27 and 28, 2004, stranding thousands of holiday travelers. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]), captured by NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 28, 2004, the mountains seem to have acted as a barrier to the storm, which moved in from the northwest, according to the National Weather Service. The east side of the mountains and the Great Desert Basin are white with snow, while the west side remains green. After this image was acquired, the storm moved east, blanketing Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska with heavy snow. NASA image courtesy Liam Gumley, University of Wisconsin-Madison from data acquired by direct broadcast at Oregon State University |
|
Springtime Heat Wave Bakes S
…
| Title |
Springtime Heat Wave Bakes Southern California |
| Description |
Record-breaking temperatures broiled much of California on May 2, 2004, as an ongoing spring heat wave continued to plague the region. According to the Associate Press, sixteen areas in Southern California set new record highs for the day, including downtown Los Angeles, which reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 C). The new record in Long Beach, 102 degrees F (39 C), outpaced the previous record by 10 degrees F. Baked in the summer sun, the land had reached sizzling hot temperatures, nearing 150 degrees F (70 C) when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) flew over on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 2:20 pm, US Pacific time. Land temperatures are often higher than air temperatures. A sandy beach can be painfully hot even though the air temperature is comfortable, for example. This image shows the extreme high temperatures in Southern California and Nevada in dark red. The Sierra Nevada Mountains, still capped with snow, form a cool blue line down the eastern edge of the state. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004123-0502/California.A2004123.2120.lst ]. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres and Ana Pinheiro, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in the Southwest
| Title |
Fires in the Southwest |
| Description |
The Southern Nevada Complex Fire has scorched more than 500,000 acres in the area between the White and Virgin Rivers in the U.S. Southwest. The fires in the complex were started by lightning and are burning in juniper-pinyon woodlands and grass. This image of southern Nevada (left), Utah (upper right), and Arizona (lower right), shows the huge area involved in the Southern Nevada Fire as well as numerous smaller fires burning on June 30, 2005. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA'a Aqua satellite. Active fire locations are outlined in red. Vegetation is bright green, naturally bare or thinly vegetated soil is tan or pink, and burned areas are deep reddish-brown. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in the Southwest
| Title |
Fires in the Southwest |
| Description |
On June 27, 2005, the Southern Nevada Complex Fire was still raging in Clark and Lincoln Counties in Nevada. Other fires were burning in Utah and Arizona, as well. This infrared-enhanced image of the region shows vegetation in bright green, naturally bare ground in tan and pink, and burned area in reddish-brown. The bright pink spots within the red fire perimeters show actively flaming portions of the fire. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ], NASA-GSFC |
|
Fires in the Southwest
| Title |
Fires in the Southwest |
| Description |
Fire season in the U.S. West got off to a roaring start in the third week of June 2005. Fires triggered by ?dry? lightning (lightning without rain) sprang up in several Western states and grew explosively in a matter of days. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite, fires (outlined in red) are burning in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Among the largest are the Cave Creek Fire to the northeast of Phoenix, Arizona, the Good Springs Fire in Nevada, to the southwest of Las Vegas, and the Hackberry Fire in California. To read more about these fires, visit the Current Wildland Fire Information [ http://www.nifc.gov/information.html ] Webpage on the National Interagency Fire Center Website. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ], NASA-GSFC |
|
Fires in the Southwest
| Title |
Fires in the Southwest |
| Description |
On Friday, June 24, 2005, fires continued to spread in the desert Southwest. Unusually thick vegetation, a result of a wet winter, is fueling the fires, which are burning in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.ov ], NASA-GSFC |
|
Fires in the Western United
…
| Title |
Fires in the Western United States |
| Description |
The western United States was wilting under widespread hot temperatures in late July 2006. In blazing heat, firefighters were working to contain numerous wildfires in several Western states, including Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Idaho. This image of the area was captured on July 27 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Four of the largest blazes (as of July 28) have been labeled: the 12,000-acre Tripod Fire in Washington, the 28,958-acre Foster Gulch Complex near the Oregon-Idaho state line, the 4,550-acre Sage Fire in California, and the 30,000-acre Winters Fire in northern Nevada. For more information on fires in the United States, visit the National Interagency Fire Center [ http://www.nifc.gov/information.html ] Website. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions, including MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in the Western United
…
| Title |
Fires in the Western United States |
| Description |
Clear skies over most of the western United States on the afternoon of September 6, 2006, revealed numerous large fires burning in several states. This image of the area from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows places where the sensor detected actively burning fires marked in red. Numerous fires were burning in the mountains of north-central Washington, including the Tripod Complex Fire, which had grown to nearly 165,000 acres, according to the September 7 report from the National Interagency Fire Center. [ http://www.nifc.gov/nicc ] In the state's southeastern corner, another large fire, the Columbia Complex, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13804 ] had grown to just over 96,000 acres. In northern Nevada, a season of heightened fire activity [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13786 ] continued with the Sheep Fire, which was over 129,000 acres as of September 7. (To the northeast, clouds hide the 80,000-acre Amazon Fire, which was visible in the previous day's [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13837 ] image.) Meanwhile, a line of fires stretches across the mountains of northern California. The Pigeon Fire and the Bar Complex were both burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Pigeon Fire was smaller—5,300 acres—but extremely active, forcing evacuations and road closures. The Bar Complex was nearly 33,000 acres and threatening structures and watersheds. Previous images of these fires are also available in the Fires in Northern California [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13825 ] event. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1 ] of the area in a variety of resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that highlights burned areas. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Winter Storms Lash the Weste
…
| Title |
Winter Storms Lash the Western United States |
| Description |
Between late December 2004 and mid-January 2005, many places in the U.S. West received snowfall daily. The area around Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, for example, received snow every day from December 24 through January 11, and had accumulations around 19 feet. The rapid accumulation of such large amounts of snow increases avalanche risk, and land managers at ski resorts and state and national parks have been busy assessing snow pack stability and setting off explosives at avalanche- prone locations to release snow and to test the stability of the snow layers. This pair of images uses visible and short-wave infrared observations form the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites to show the widespread snow cover in California, Nevada, and Utah on January 12, 2005 (top), compared to December 23, 2004 (bottom). Snow appears bright blue, water appears deep blue, vegetation appears bright green, and clouds appear white. In addition to the widespread blanket of snow stretching all the way across the January 12 image, a few areas of standing water appear more clearly than in the December image. Water on the ground increased in the northern end of the California Central Valley, as well as in the salt pans to the west-southwest of the Great Salt Lake. The high-resolution image provided above is the January 12 image at a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides both images at additional resolutions and color combinations: January 12, 2005, and December 23, 2004. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1/2004358 ] Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Winter Storms Lash the Weste
…
| Title |
Winter Storms Lash the Western United States |
| Description |
Heavy snow covered most of the western United States on January 12, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. Much of the snow has fallen in a series of storms that started at the end of December. Between December 27 and January 3, 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 meters) of snow fell on the Sierra Nevada around Lake Tahoe, and additional snow has fallen since that time. Heavy snow has also fallen on the mountains of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. As this image shows, the snow is not confined to the mountains. The valleys are also draped in white. Tucked between two mountain ranges, Cache Valley in northern Utah received up to 20 inches (0.51 m) of snow between January 8 and January 12?enough snow to cause trees and power lines to topple and roofs to bow. Not all of the white seen in the true-color image (top) can be attributed to snow. Clouds also cover parts of the region. The false-color image helps distinguish between cloud and snow. Created using visible and infrared wavelengths of energy, the image shows snow and ice as a turquoise blue and warmer water clouds as white. High ice clouds, such as those covering southwestern Colorado, are also turquoise. Vegetation is bright green, and water is dark blue and black. Because water stands out more clearly in the false-color image, floods are also visible. In this image, water has accumulated on the Bonneville Salt Flats west of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. Formerly part of a massive lake bed, the Salt Flats consist of a broad, flat plain that is crusted with a deposit of salty minerals and devoid of vegetation. Winter precipitation typically covers the plain with a light layer of water that evaporates in the spring and summer. The ground is bare in the southwest, where the precipitation has fallen as rain. Devastating floods have raged along the rivers of southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada, destroying bridges, roads, and homes. In southern California, the rain has triggered widespread floods and a deadly mudslide. Destructive though the floods may be, they are not clearly visible in this image. Despite the problems the storms have caused, the snowfall is a boon to the parched west, where a prolonged drought has drained reservoirs over the past four years. In the western United States, as in many semi-arid regions, the water supply depends on snow melt flowing down from the mountains during the summer. Currently, the snowpack water content (the amount of water stored in mountain snow) is 150 percent of normal in much of the Southwest, reports a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. [ http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2364.htm ], The snow could start to relieve the drought as long as a warm spring does not melt the snow too early. NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The images are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/mosaic.php?USA.2005012.aqua.721.4km ]. |
|
Winter Storms Lash the Weste
…
| Title |
Winter Storms Lash the Western United States |
| Description |
Heavy snow covered most of the western United States on January 12, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. Much of the snow has fallen in a series of storms that started at the end of December. Between December 27 and January 3, 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 meters) of snow fell on the Sierra Nevada around Lake Tahoe, and additional snow has fallen since that time. Heavy snow has also fallen on the mountains of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. As this image shows, the snow is not confined to the mountains. The valleys are also draped in white. Tucked between two mountain ranges, Cache Valley in northern Utah received up to 20 inches (0.51 m) of snow between January 8 and January 12?enough snow to cause trees and power lines to topple and roofs to bow. Not all of the white seen in the true-color image (top) can be attributed to snow. Clouds also cover parts of the region. The false-color image helps distinguish between cloud and snow. Created using visible and infrared wavelengths of energy, the image shows snow and ice as a turquoise blue and warmer water clouds as white. High ice clouds, such as those covering southwestern Colorado, are also turquoise. Vegetation is bright green, and water is dark blue and black. Because water stands out more clearly in the false-color image, floods are also visible. In this image, water has accumulated on the Bonneville Salt Flats west of the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah. Formerly part of a massive lake bed, the Salt Flats consist of a broad, flat plain that is crusted with a deposit of salty minerals and devoid of vegetation. Winter precipitation typically covers the plain with a light layer of water that evaporates in the spring and summer. The ground is bare in the southwest, where the precipitation has fallen as rain. Devastating floods have raged along the rivers of southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada, destroying bridges, roads, and homes. In southern California, the rain has triggered widespread floods and a deadly mudslide. Destructive though the floods may be, they are not clearly visible in this image. Despite the problems the storms have caused, the snowfall is a boon to the parched west, where a prolonged drought has drained reservoirs over the past four years. In the western United States, as in many semi-arid regions, the water supply depends on snow melt flowing down from the mountains during the summer. Currently, the snowpack water content (the amount of water stored in mountain snow) is 150 percent of normal in much of the Southwest, reports a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. [ http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2364.htm ], The snow could start to relieve the drought as long as a warm spring does not melt the snow too early. NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The images are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/mosaic.php?USA.2005012.aqua.721.4km ]. |
|
Murphy Complex Fire: Natural
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
When two large, previously s
…
murphy_AMO_2007203
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-22 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
murphy_AMO_2007203 |
|
Fires in the Southwest: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Fire season in the U.S. West
…
WesternFires.AMOA2005174
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-06-23 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
WesternFires.AMOA2005174 |
|
Fires in the Southwest: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On June 27, 2005, the Southe
…
Western_fires.AMOA2005178
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-06-27 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Western_fires.AMOA2005178 |
|
Levee Break Floods Central C
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
California_TMO2004157
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-06-05 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
California_TMO2004157 |
|
Fires in Idaho and Eastern O
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Idaho_amo_tmo_2007200
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-19 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Idaho_amo_tmo_2007200 |
|
Fires in Nevada: Natural Haz
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Fire activity ramped up acro
…
nevada_fires_AMO_200719
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
nevada_fires_AMO_200719 |
|
Fires in Nevada: Natural Haz
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Fire activity ramped up acro
…
nevada_fires_AMO_200719
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
nevada_fires_AMO_200719 |
|
Fires in Northern California
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
The combined smoke from the
…
Power_Fire.AMOA2004288
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-14 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
Power_Fire.AMOA2004288 |
|
Fires in California: Natural
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In the Sierra Nevada Mountai
…
telegraph_AMO_2008210
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-07-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
telegraph_AMO_2008210 |
|
Snow Across the Western Unit
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
As much as 18 inches of snow
…
Sierra_AMO_2004333
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-11-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Sierra_AMO_2004333 |
|
Charleston Fire, Northern Ne
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In northeastern Nevada, a 20
…
USA1_AMO_2006228
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-08-16 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
USA1_AMO_2006228 |
|
Chance Fire, Nevada: Natural
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The Chance Fire raced rapidl
…
Railroad_Valley.AMOA2005241
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-08-29 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Railroad_Valley.AMOA2005241 |
|
Northern California Floods:
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Northern California ushered
…
ge_06181
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-12-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
ge_06181 |
|
Northern California Floods:
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Northern California ushered
…
ge_06181
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-12-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
ge_06181 |
|
|
