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Earth of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and China from 2006
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Rise of the Three Gorges Dam
| Title |
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam |
| Abstract |
Some call it the eighth wonder of world, others say it's the next Great Wall of China. Upon completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam will be the world's largest hydroelectric power generator. One of the few man-made structures so enormous that it's actually visible to the naked eye from space, NASA's Landsat satellite has had a closer look, providing detailed, vivid views of the dam since its inception in 1994. The dam is built along the Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, stretching more than 3,900 miles across China before reaching its mouth near Shanghai. Historically, the river has been prone to massive flooding, overflowing its banks about once every ten years. During the 20th century alone, Chinese authorities estimate that some 300,000 people were killed from Yangtze River floods. The dam is designed to greatly improve flood control on the river and protect the 15 million people and 3.7 million acres of farmland in the lower Yangtze flood plains. Observations from the NASA-built Landsat satellites provide an overview of the dam's construction. The earliest data set, from 1987, shows the region prior to start of construction. By 2000, construction along each riverbank was underway, but sediment-filled water still flowed through a narrow channel near the river's south bank. The 2004 data shows development of the main wall and the partial filling of the reservoir, including numerous side canyons. By mid-2006, construction of the main wall was completed and a reservoir more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) across had filled just upstream of the dam. To read more about the Three Gorges Dam, please click here. This animation was designed in three parts: Part 1: The first part of this animation zooms in to the Three Gorges Dam and travels backward and foreward through time emphasizing the dam construction and filling of the reservoir. This animation then continues seemlessly into Part 2. Part 2: Starting where Part 1 leaves off, the camera flies up the 2006 data showing the high water levels that have already filled the multiple gorges upstream. Part 3: Identical to Part 2, except showing the 1987 data prior to the dam construction. |
| Completed |
2007-05-28 |
|
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam
| Title |
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam |
| Abstract |
Some call it the eighth wonder of world, others say it's the next Great Wall of China. Upon completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam will be the world's largest hydroelectric power generator. One of the few man-made structures so enormous that it's actually visible to the naked eye from space, NASA's Landsat satellite has had a closer look, providing detailed, vivid views of the dam since its inception in 1994. The dam is built along the Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, stretching more than 3,900 miles across China before reaching its mouth near Shanghai. Historically, the river has been prone to massive flooding, overflowing its banks about once every ten years. During the 20th century alone, Chinese authorities estimate that some 300,000 people were killed from Yangtze River floods. The dam is designed to greatly improve flood control on the river and protect the 15 million people and 3.7 million acres of farmland in the lower Yangtze flood plains. Observations from the NASA-built Landsat satellites provide an overview of the dam's construction. The earliest data set, from 1987, shows the region prior to start of construction. By 2000, construction along each riverbank was underway, but sediment-filled water still flowed through a narrow channel near the river's south bank. The 2004 data shows development of the main wall and the partial filling of the reservoir, including numerous side canyons. By mid-2006, construction of the main wall was completed and a reservoir more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) across had filled just upstream of the dam. To read more about the Three Gorges Dam, please click here. This animation was designed in three parts: Part 1: The first part of this animation zooms in to the Three Gorges Dam and travels backward and foreward through time emphasizing the dam construction and filling of the reservoir. This animation then continues seemlessly into Part 2. Part 2: Starting where Part 1 leaves off, the camera flies up the 2006 data showing the high water levels that have already filled the multiple gorges upstream. Part 3: Identical to Part 2, except showing the 1987 data prior to the dam construction. |
| Completed |
2007-05-28 |
|
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam
| Title |
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam |
| Abstract |
Some call it the eighth wonder of world, others say it's the next Great Wall of China. Upon completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam will be the world's largest hydroelectric power generator. One of the few man-made structures so enormous that it's actually visible to the naked eye from space, NASA's Landsat satellite has had a closer look, providing detailed, vivid views of the dam since its inception in 1994. The dam is built along the Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, stretching more than 3,900 miles across China before reaching its mouth near Shanghai. Historically, the river has been prone to massive flooding, overflowing its banks about once every ten years. During the 20th century alone, Chinese authorities estimate that some 300,000 people were killed from Yangtze River floods. The dam is designed to greatly improve flood control on the river and protect the 15 million people and 3.7 million acres of farmland in the lower Yangtze flood plains. Observations from the NASA-built Landsat satellites provide an overview of the dam's construction. The earliest data set, from 1987, shows the region prior to start of construction. By 2000, construction along each riverbank was underway, but sediment-filled water still flowed through a narrow channel near the river's south bank. The 2004 data shows development of the main wall and the partial filling of the reservoir, including numerous side canyons. By mid-2006, construction of the main wall was completed and a reservoir more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) across had filled just upstream of the dam. To read more about the Three Gorges Dam, please click here. This animation was designed in three parts: Part 1: The first part of this animation zooms in to the Three Gorges Dam and travels backward and foreward through time emphasizing the dam construction and filling of the reservoir. This animation then continues seemlessly into Part 2. Part 2: Starting where Part 1 leaves off, the camera flies up the 2006 data showing the high water levels that have already filled the multiple gorges upstream. Part 3: Identical to Part 2, except showing the 1987 data prior to the dam construction. |
| Completed |
2007-05-28 |
|
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam
| Title |
Rise of the Three Gorges Dam |
| Abstract |
Some call it the eighth wonder of world, others say it's the next Great Wall of China. Upon completion in 2009, the Three Gorges Dam will be the world's largest hydroelectric power generator. One of the few man-made structures so enormous that it's actually visible to the naked eye from space, NASA's Landsat satellite has had a closer look, providing detailed, vivid views of the dam since its inception in 1994. The dam is built along the Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, stretching more than 3,900 miles across China before reaching its mouth near Shanghai. Historically, the river has been prone to massive flooding, overflowing its banks about once every ten years. During the 20th century alone, Chinese authorities estimate that some 300,000 people were killed from Yangtze River floods. The dam is designed to greatly improve flood control on the river and protect the 15 million people and 3.7 million acres of farmland in the lower Yangtze flood plains. Observations from the NASA-built Landsat satellites provide an overview of the dam's construction. The earliest data set, from 1987, shows the region prior to start of construction. By 2000, construction along each riverbank was underway, but sediment-filled water still flowed through a narrow channel near the river's south bank. The 2004 data shows development of the main wall and the partial filling of the reservoir, including numerous side canyons. By mid-2006, construction of the main wall was completed and a reservoir more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) across had filled just upstream of the dam. To read more about the Three Gorges Dam, please click here. This animation was designed in three parts: Part 1: The first part of this animation zooms in to the Three Gorges Dam and travels backward and foreward through time emphasizing the dam construction and filling of the reservoir. This animation then continues seemlessly into Part 2. Part 2: Starting where Part 1 leaves off, the camera flies up the 2006 data showing the high water levels that have already filled the multiple gorges upstream. Part 3: Identical to Part 2, except showing the 1987 data prior to the dam construction. |
| Completed |
2007-05-28 |
|
Haze along the Himalaya
| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya |
| Description |
Haze hugged the Himalaya Mountains on November 28, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, dingy gray haze clings to the southern side of the mountain range. North of the mountains are opaque white clouds in otherwise clear skies. Atmospheric pressure could be responsible for trapping haze at the base of the mountains and keeping it from moving north. Like China, India is industrializing rapidly, having tripled its energy consumption in the past 25 years, according to Forbes.com. India currently meets roughly half of its energy needs by burning coal, so it's possible that the haze just south of the mountain range results from industrial smog. Another possible source of the haze is agricultural burning. 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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Hazy Skies over Southeast As
…
| Title |
Hazy Skies over Southeast Asia and Southern China |
| Description |
Dust and smoke mingled in the skies over Southeast Asia and eastern China on March 28, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, white clouds hang in smoggy skies. The tiny red dots splattered over the landscape are thermal anomalies, areas where the satellite sensor detected temperatures much warmer than the surroundings. These thermal anomalies are likely agricultural fires, which are common in this area at this time of year. The yellowish haze near the top of the image may be dust, perhaps from a Gobi Desert dust storm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Heavy Rain in Southeastern C
…
| Title |
Heavy Rain in Southeastern China |
| Description |
Southeastern China was hit hard in May and early June 2006, when heavy rains and flooding killed dozens of people. The problems began when Typhoon Chanchu made landfall along the central southeastern coastline on May 18, 2006. The storm, which had earlier passed through the central Philippines, dumped several inches of rain and battered southern coastal regions leaving 11 people dead. Later in the month and into June, heavy monsoon rains hit the area, leaving many more dead or missing, and forcing numerous evacuations as a result of flooding, say news reports. The provinces of Fujian, Guizhou, and Guangdong were the hardest hit. This image shows rainfall totals over southeastern China as seen by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (known as TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]), from May 16 to June 1, 2006. The highest rainfall totals for the period (shown in red) are on the order of 500 millimeters (20 inches) and occur near the coast in the area around Hong Kong in the province of Guangdong. A widespread area of 450-millimeter (8-inch) rainfall totals (green) covers most of southeastern China, with locally heavier amounts of a foot or more (yellow and orange areas). TRMM was placed into service in November 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been measuring rainfall over the global Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global Tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Drought in Northern China
| Title |
Drought in Northern China |
| Description |
A mild drought set in over the Yellow River Basin and parts of the North China Plain during the first five months of 2006. Dry weather and warmer-than-average temperatures in February, March, and much of April left soil dry, reported the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service. The effect of the dry weather on crops and other vegetation is apparent in this vegetation anomaly (difference from normal) image. The image was created from data taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite between April 23 and May 8, and it shows the relative health of plants in 2006 compared to the average for 2000-2005. Wide pockets of brown indicate regions where plants were growing more slowly than average, while brushes of green show more growth than average. The cream-colored background reveals where plants were growing normally, and regions that were cloud-covered during the entire sixteen-day period are gray. According to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the drought-affected region accounts for about 38 percent of China's winter wheat production. Despite the drought, the FAS predicted that the winter wheat harvest in the country as a whole, scheduled to peak in early June, would be slightly larger than it was in 2004 or 2005. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/glam.cfm ] between NASA, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. |
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Heavy Snows in Central Asia
| Title |
Heavy Snows in Central Asia |
| Description |
The bitter cold of winter settled ferociously over the interior of Asia during the first week of 2006. A large mass of Siberian air swept as far south as India and as far east as Japan, enveloping much of Asia with uncommonly low temperatures. In many places, the cold weather was accompanied by crippling snow. Among the most severely affected were the 200,000-plus people stranded in northwestern China when heavy snow fell over the region, reported United Press International. The cold snap also levied a heavy toll on northern India, where an estimated 200 had died of the cold as of January 9, said the BBC. The effect of the cold air on the land can be seen in these land surface temperature images, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) between January 1 and January 8. Unlike the air temperatures given in weather reports, which tell how cold the air near the Earth is, land surface temperature measurements record how cold the ground is. In these images, land temperatures are represented with color, deep blue being the coldest temperatures and yellow being the warmest. In January 2006 (top), large sections of China were significantly colder than they had been in 2005 (bottom). The Taklimakan Desert formed a warm pink and purple oval surrounded by the cold blue of the Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan mountain ranges in the 2005 image. One year later, the desert is the dark blue of intense cold. To the north of the desert, where most of the people affected by snow in China live, the warmer purple tones that marbled the region in 2005 are gone, replaced with colder blue tones. In both images, areas that were cloudy throughout the eight-day period are gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Z. Wan, MODIS Land Science Team. |
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Heavy Snows in Central Asia
| Title |
Heavy Snows in Central Asia |
| Description |
The bitter cold of winter settled ferociously over the interior of Asia during the first week of 2006. A large mass of Siberian air swept as far south as India and as far east as Japan, enveloping much of Asia with uncommonly low temperatures. In many places, the cold weather was accompanied by crippling snow. Among the most severely affected were the 200,000-plus people stranded in northwestern China when heavy snow fell over the region, reported United Press International. The cold snap also levied a heavy toll on northern India, where an estimated 200 had died of the cold as of January 9, said the BBC. The effect of the cold air on the land can be seen in these land surface temperature images, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) between January 1 and January 8. Unlike the air temperatures given in weather reports, which tell how cold the air near the Earth is, land surface temperature measurements record how cold the ground is. In these images, land temperatures are represented with color, deep blue being the coldest temperatures and yellow being the warmest. In January 2006 (top), large sections of China were significantly colder than they had been in 2005 (bottom). The Taklimakan Desert formed a warm pink and purple oval surrounded by the cold blue of the Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan mountain ranges in the 2005 image. One year later, the desert is the dark blue of intense cold. To the north of the desert, where most of the people affected by snow in China live, the warmer purple tones that marbled the region in 2005 are gone, replaced with colder blue tones. In both images, areas that were cloudy throughout the eight-day period are gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Z. Wan, MODIS Land Science Team. |
|
Heavy Snows in Central Asia
| Title |
Heavy Snows in Central Asia |
| Description |
The bitter cold of winter settled ferociously over the interior of Asia during the first week of 2006. A large mass of Siberian air swept as far south as India and as far east as Japan, enveloping much of Asia with uncommonly low temperatures. In many places, the cold weather was accompanied by crippling snow. Among the most severely affected were the 200,000-plus people stranded in northwestern China when heavy snow fell over the region, reported United Press International. The cold snap also levied a heavy toll on northern India, where an estimated 200 had died of the cold as of January 9, said the BBC. The effect of the cold air on the land can be seen in these land surface temperature images, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) between January 1 and January 8. Unlike the air temperatures given in weather reports, which tell how cold the air near the Earth is, land surface temperature measurements record how cold the ground is. In these images, land temperatures are represented with color, deep blue being the coldest temperatures and yellow being the warmest. In January 2006 (top), large sections of China were significantly colder than they had been in 2005 (bottom). The Taklimakan Desert formed a warm pink and purple oval surrounded by the cold blue of the Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan mountain ranges in the 2005 image. One year later, the desert is the dark blue of intense cold. To the north of the desert, where most of the people affected by snow in China live, the warmer purple tones that marbled the region in 2005 are gone, replaced with colder blue tones. In both images, areas that were cloudy throughout the eight-day period are gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Z. Wan, MODIS Land Science Team. |
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Dust Over Japan
| Title |
Dust Over Japan |
| Description |
Something more than clouds hovered over Japan on April 18, 2006. Dust filled the skies as well. The dust traveled to the island nation from the Gobi Desert. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on April 18. In this image, the eastward-moving, tan dust mingles with white clouds. An especially thick plume of dust heads toward the Korean Peninsula and the island of Japan from the west coast of China. The same day this picture was taken, Japan's Meteorological Agency announced that the dust storm reached Tokyo, the first such weather event in that city in six years. The agency predicted reduced visibility but no health hazards. Research results published in 2005, however, suggested that dust storms may carry bacteria from China to Japan. If the Japanese hoped others could understand the frustrations this dust storm caused, they needed to look no further than Beijing. Spring is the season for Gobi Dust storms, but this storm appeared to be unusually hard on China's citizens. According to news reports, it was the worst in five years, dumping some 300,000 tons of dust on Beijing. It was also the second dust storm to hit that city in a week. According to some reports, Chinese officials planned to seed clouds in hopes of bringing some relief. In 2005, a Nature paper examined China's changing environment. Partially worsened by human actions such as overgrazing and grassland degradation, dust storms began to increase in the 20th century. Between AD 300 and 1949, northwestern China saw a dust storm on average every 31 years. After 1990, the average jumped to one such storm per year. According to news reports, at the time this storm hit, the average rate of dust storms for the Beijing region (in northeastern China) was five or six a year. This storm was the eighth to hit the region in 2006. 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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Dust Storm in Taklimakan Des
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| Title |
Dust Storm in Taklimakan Desert |
| Description |
A dust storm struck the western portion of the Taklimakan Desert in western China on September 9, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows most of the Taklimakan Desert where a dust storm is pushing up from the south. Compared to the slightly darker tan of the desert floor, the dust appears as wisps of grey-beige. 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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Dust Storm in the Taklimakan
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| Title |
Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert |
| Description |
Another dust storm swept across the Taklimakan Desert on March 19, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, pale beige dust obscures the view of the desert basin. Overlying the dust storm are white clouds. Clouds also fringe the basin to the northwest, southwest, and southeast. According to a news report in the Mail & Guardian Online in February 2006, China was starting to see positive results from its tree-planting campaign to alleviate desertification. The Chinese government estimated that 30 percent of the country's population, or 400 million people, faced threats to their livelihoods from the spread of the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Dust Storm in the Taklimakan
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| Title |
Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert |
| Description |
A blur of thin clouds stretches over the western edge of the Taklimakan Desert in western China, while swaths of pale dust span the center and far eastern corner of the desert in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite from March 31, 2006. The rugged mountains that line the basin are snow-covered, but the dust storm itself is a sign of spring, when such events are most common. Dust storms from the Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts spread over large parts of Asia and cause health and transportation problems as far away as Korea and Japan. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, usind data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
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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| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
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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Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
Alhough spring dust storms are common in eastern China, 2006 surpassed the average year in the frequency and intensity of storms. On May 7, 2006, yet another dust storm swept across the North China Plain and veiled the Bo Hai from view. One reason the dust storms have been so frequent in 2006 is that drought has settled over northern China. Hebei Province and the Yellow River basin, both south of Beijing in the lower left corner of the image, received little rain between February and early May, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2006/04/china_18apr2006/ ]. Dry soil is easily lifted in the wind, and frequent dust storms have resulted. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of the dust storm on May 7, 2006. 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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New Island and Pumice Raft,
…
| Title |
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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New Island and Pumice Raft,
…
| Title |
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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Fires in Russia and China ne
…
| Title |
Fires in Russia and China near the Amur River |
| Description |
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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| Title |
Fires in Russia and China near the Amur River |
| Description |
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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Smog and Sand over Beijing
| Title |
Smog and Sand over Beijing |
| Description |
Thick smog hung over the Beijing region on April 10, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, smog appears as a hazy cloud of grey that obscures the view of the land surface. Immediately east of the smog are white clouds. According to news reports, unrest over pollution was on the rise in China in the spring of 2006. The Chinese government took steps to curb the problem, implementing a five-year economic plan aimed at improved energy efficiency, including a tax on luxury cars with large engines. 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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Smog and Sand over Beijing
| Title |
Smog and Sand over Beijing |
| Description |
Thick sand from one of China's famed sandstorms clouded the air over Beijing on April 17, 2006. The storm swept east from the border region between China and Mongolia and blanketed cities across China with gritty yellow sand. The storm was the eighth and worst such storm of 2006, reported the BBC. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on the morning of April 17. In this image, a thick band of tan dust obscures the view of the land surface below. Immediately east of the sandstorm are thick clouds, colored tan by the airborne dust. Along the coastlines, brownish sediments from both China and the Korean Peninsula cloud the Yellow Sea. As Terra captured this image, The Korea Times predicted that the storm would strike Korea on the evening of April 17, 2006. 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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Smog over the Bay of Bengal
| Title |
Smog over the Bay of Bengal |
| Description |
Against the arcing backdrop of the Himalaya Mountains (top of image), rivers of grayish haze follow the courses of the Ganges River and its tributaries (left) and the Brahmaputra River (right) on February 1, 2006. The plumes appear to combine like their watery counterparts and flow out together over the Bay of Bengal past the Mouths of the Ganges, the multi-pronged delta of the river along the Bangladesh coast. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Scientists studying the cloud of haze that frequently lingers over parts of Asia from Pakistan to China and even the Indian and Pacific Oceans have called the pollution the "Asian Brown Cloud." The mix of aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the air) includes smoke from agricultural and home heating and cooking fires, vehicle exhaust, and industrial emissions. In addition to the respiratory problems the persistent haze can cause, it also appears to hinder crops by blocking sunlight and could be altering regional weather. 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
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
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
| Title |
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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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Super Typhoon Durian
| Title |
Super Typhoon Durian |
| Description |
Super Typhoon Durian crossed the Philippines on November 30, 2006. The storm's name comes from a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia, but in the Philippines, 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. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14008 ] 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. The typhoon lost considerable power as it crossed the island chain and regained only a little strength as it crossed the South China Sea before coming ashore on mainland Asia in southern Vietnam. 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 December 4, 2006, at 10:10 a.m. local time (3:10 UTC), about three hours before the storm's center crossed the shoreline. The storm system had lost much of its shape and definition by the time. Although the storm lacked a clear eye, powerful thunderstorm clouds ("boiling" clouds) are visible in the heart of the storm. Sustained winds were around 133 kilometers/hour (82 mph), according to the Associated Press. Residents of southern Vietnam were bracing for the coming storm, which was expected to bring significant wind damage and flooding from heavy rain. Authorities evacuated about 14,000 people from the coastal section of Vietnam where the storm had been expected to hit. Ships at sea were ordered into coastal waters for safety. 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. |
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Flooding in Southern Siberia
| Title |
Flooding in Southern Siberia |
| Description |
Springtime flooding in southern Siberia is not unusual. Melting snow fills the north-flowing rivers in the south even as upstream sections of the river are still frozen. Floods build up behind dams of ice, or simply build under the fast flow of spring runoff. Spring of 2006 was not exceptional. The Ob River of southern Siberia bulged with melted snow when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on May 7, 2006. A little over two weeks earlier, lower image, the river was still partially frozen, as evidenced by the strips of light blue ice on the river. Snow, pale blue here, was just beginning to melt on April 21. By May 7, most of the snow was gone, and the river had expanded out over its flood plain. Under the clouds along the right edge of the image is the city of Biysk, where 1,350 houses were flooded, according to news reports. Approximately 5,000 people had evacuated from the region. The Ob forms near Biysk where two smaller rivers converge. The smaller rivers flow out of the Altay Mountains of southern Russia and Mongolia near the borders of China and Kazakhstan. From the segment of the river shown here, the Ob will flow 3,700 kilometers (2,260 miles) north to the Kara Sea, a branch of the Arctic Ocean. NASA images created Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 it crossed 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 Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on May 11, 2006, at 10:15 a.m. local time (02:15 UTC). Chanchu had clearly developed a weak spiral form, but did not have tightly wound arms or any apparent eye structure. Sustained winds in the storm system were estimated to be around 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. The storm was traveling directly through the Philippines at this time, straddling the Pacific Ocean and the Sulu Sea, which surrounds the islands. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Typhoon Shanshan
| Title |
Typhoon Shanshan |
| Description |
Shanshan (known as Luis in the Philippines) began as a tropical depression (area of low air pressure) on September 10, 2006, in the central Philippine Sea. Within 36 hours, the depression organized into a Category 1 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] typhoon and was given the name "Shanshan." According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, [ https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html ] Shanshan then tracked to the north, running roughly parallel to the China coast. By September 15, the storm had built to Category 4 strength, with winds of 220 kilometers per hour (138 miles per hour). Shanshan then moved off to the northeast towards southern Japan, weakening as it did so. Typhoon Shanshan made landfall on western Kyushu as a Category 1 storm. Heavy rains from the typhoon triggered mudslides, and the severe weather was responsible for 9 deaths and hundreds of injuries, said news reports. This image, taken by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, shows Typhoon Shanshan at 5:31 p.m. (08:31 UTC) on September 17, 2006, just as the storm was making landfall on Kyushu. Specifically, the image shows how much rain the storm was producing (measured in millimeters per hour) as it made landfall. An area of intense rain (darker red) is located near the center, over the western tip of Kyushu. A broad area of light (blue) to moderate (green) rain extends out ahead of the storm. The TRMM satellite was placed into service in November 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM provides valuable images and information on storm systems around the tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Typhoon Shanshan
| Title |
Typhoon Shanshan |
| Description |
Typhoon Shanshan formed on September 10, 2006, in the western Pacific well off the coast of the Philippine Islands. Over the course of the next 36 hours, it grew from a tropical depression (area of low pressure) to a typhoon. As of September 14, it was projected to travel northwest towards China, but to veer off to the northeast well before reaching Taiwan. It was not predicted to come ashore or strike any major urban centers, though it might bring high winds and rain to Vladivostok in Russia on September 19 if predictions held true. 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 14, 2006, at 10:25 a.m. local time (02:25 UTC). Shanshan at the time of this image was a well-defined, spiraling swirl of clouds, with a distinct but cloud-filled ("closed") eye. Shanshan had sustained winds of around 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour) at the time this satellite image was acquired, 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. |
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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. |
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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. Xangsane, Cimaron, and Chebi earlier in the year had also followed very similar tracks to Utor. Like Durian before it, Utor crossed the South China Sea and come ashore in mainland Asia along the Vietnam coast. 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 December 13, 2006, at 10:05 a.m. local time (3:05 UTC), while the storm's center was still far off the Vietnam coast. The storm system had the well-defined shape of a powerful typhoon, with a cloud-filled but distinct eye. Utor brought strong winds and rain over a wide area from southern China to Thailand and beyond, even though the typhoon's center was well offshore. Sustained winds were around 175 kilometers per hour (110 miles per hour), according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/tropical.html ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Typhoon Utor KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Dec2006/utor_tmo_2006347.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Typhoon Xangsane
| Title |
Typhoon Xangsane |
| Description |
After forming just east of the central Philippines, Tropical Storm Xangsane ("elephant" in Lao) intensified into a typhoon and battered the central Philippines with high winds and heavy rains on September 27 and 28, 2006. At least 110 people were reported killed, with many still missing as a result of flooding and mudslides brought on by the storm as of early October. After passing through the Philippines and out into the South China Sea, Xangsane headed for the central coast of Vietnam, where it made landfall on October 1. The storm caused widespread damage and flooding in Vietnam, and at least 59 people were reported to have died there as a result. This image shows rainfall totals estimated in part from data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM). TRMM data are part of the near-real-time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which monitors rainfall over the global Tropics. MPA rainfall totals for Southeast Asia for September 25-October 2, 2006, are shown in the image. Storm symbols mark Xangsane's path. Rainfall totals of over a foot are shown over Samar in the east-central Philippines (red areas). A broad area of 4- to 8-inch totals (green) stretches from the central Philippines to the coast of Vietnam. TRMM was placed into service in November of 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been measuring rainfall over the global Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC). Caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
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. |
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Volcanic Activity on Suwanos
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| Title |
Volcanic Activity on Suwanose-jima |
| Description |
On September 20, 2006, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite caught the Suwanose-jima Volcano in the East China Sea in the process of emitting volcanic ash and steam. In this image, the volcano's emissions blow northward, gradually fanning out over the ocean. The volcanic plume's dingy hue distinguishes it from the nearby white clouds.Suwanose-jima [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0802-03= ] is one of Japan's most active volcanoes. This tiny volcanic island, only 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and sparsely populated, is a stratovolcano consisting of alternating layers of hardened lava, ash, and volcanic rocks ejected by previous eruptions. The volcano has two craters that have shown activity during recorded history. One of the craters, named Otake, underwent intermittent eruptions between 1949 and 1996. These eruptions were strombolian, named after the Stromboli Volcano in Italy, ejecting hot cinders and lava bombs. After 1996, the volcano showed longer periods of quiet. The volcano's biggest historical eruption was in 1813-1814, when lava flows reached the coast. 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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Super Typhoon Durian: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Super Typhoon Durian crossed
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durian_tmo_2006338
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-12-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
durian_tmo_2006338 |
|
Typhoon Xangsane: Natural Ha
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
xangsane_trmm_2006275
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
xangsane_trmm_2006275 |
|
Super Typhoon Cimaron: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The northern Philippines Isl
…
cimaron_trmm_2006302
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-29 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
cimaron_trmm_2006302 |
|
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 |
|
Heavy Rain in Southeastern C
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Southeastern China was hit h
…
China_TRM_2006152
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-06-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
China_TRM_2006152 |
|
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 |
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