|
|
Luna 1
| title |
Luna 1 |
| date |
01.02.1959 |
| description |
Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the Moon, and the first of a series of Soviet automatic interplanetary stations successfully launched in the direction of the Moon. The spacecraft was sphere-shaped. Five antennae extended from one hemisphere. Instrument ports also protruded from the surface of the sphere. There were no propulsion systems on the Luna 1 spacecraft itself. Because of its high velocity and its announced package of various metallic emblems with the Soviet coat of arms, it was concluded that Luna 1 was intended to impact the Moon. On 2 January 1959, after reaching escape velocity, Luna 1 separated from its 1472 kg third stage. The third stage, 5.2 m long and 2.4 m in diameter, travelled along with Luna 1. On 3 January, at a distance of 113,000 km from Earth, a large (1 kg) cloud of sodium gas was released by the spacecraft. This glowing orange trail of gas, visible over the Indian Ocean with the brightness of a sixth-magnitude star, allowed astronomers to track the spacecraft. It also served as an experiment on the behavior of gas in outer space. Luna 1 passed within 5995 km of the Moon's surface on 4 January after 34 hours of flight. It went into orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars. The spacecraft contained radio equipment, a tracking transmitter, and telemetering system, five different sets of scientific devices for studying interplanetary space, including a magnetometer, geiger counter, scintillation counter, and micrometeorite detector, and other equipment. The measurements obtained during this mission provided new data on the Earth's radiation belt and outer space, including the discovery that the Moon had no magnetic field and that a solar wind, a strong flow of ionized plasma emmanating from the Sun, streamed through interplanetary space. *Image Credit*: NASA |
|
Clouds and Sunglint over Ind
…
| Title |
Clouds and Sunglint over Indian Ocean |
| Full Description |
Clouds and sunglint as seen during the STS-96 mission from the Space Shuttle Discovery. |
| Date |
06/01/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Galileo Earth Views (WMS)
| Title |
Galileo Earth Views (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Galileo spacecraft was launched from the Space Shuttle Atlantis on October 18, 1989 on a six-year trip to Jupiter. On the way, the trajectory of the spacecraft took it past Venus once and Earth twice. Galileo took the Earth images in this animation just after the first flyby of the Earth, on December 11 and 12, 1990. This six-hour sequence of images taken two minutes apart clearly shows how the Earth looks from space and how fast (or slow) the cloud features change when looked at from a distance. The path of the sun can be seen crossing Australia by its reflection in the nearby ocean, and the terminator region between night and day can be seen moving across the Indian Ocean. In the original images, the Earth's rotation is so dominant that cloud movement is hard to see, but these images have been mapped to the Earth is such a way that a viewer can watch just the clouds move in the ocean around Antarctica or across the Austrailian land mass. In this animation, New Zealand can ony be seen as a stationary disturbance under a moving cloud bank. The black area with the sharp boundary to the north and east of Australia is the side of the Earth that could not be seen from Galileo's position. |
| Completed |
2004-08-06 |
|
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozon
…
| Title |
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozone and Aerosol Index |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2000-10-19 |
|
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozon
…
| Title |
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozone and Aerosol Index |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2000-10-19 |
|
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozon
…
| Title |
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozone and Aerosol Index |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2000-10-19 |
|
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozon
…
| Title |
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozone and Aerosol Index |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2000-10-19 |
|
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozon
…
| Title |
Indonesian Tropospheric Ozone and Aerosol Index |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2000-10-19 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean to Indonesia Zoom |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indian Ocean to Indonesia Zoom |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke
…
| Title |
Tropospheric Ozone and Smoke from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia |
| Abstract |
Researchers have discovered that smoke and smog move in different ways through the atmosphere. A series of unusual events several years ago created a blanket of pollution over the Indian Ocean. In this animation, significant smog or tropospheric ozone is represented by red and green and regions of significant smoke index are in shades of white and gray. |
| Completed |
2001-03-06 |
|
Orbital View of Solar Eclips
…
| Name of Image |
Orbital View of Solar Eclipse |
| Date of Image |
2002-12-04 |
| Full Description |
International Space Station (ISS) crew members were able to document a rare occurrence. The dark area near the center of the frame is actually a shadow cast by the moon during the total solar eclipse of December 4, 2002. The shadow obscures an area of cloud cover. The Station, with three Expedition Six crew members aboard, was over the Indian Ocean at the time of the eclipse. |
|
Agricultural Fires in Northw
…
| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northwest India |
| Description |
On October 27, 2004, a thick curtain of aerosols hung over parts of northwestern India and Pakistan. A tight cluster of agricultural fires (marked in red) was burning and contributing smoke, which may have mixed with dust from nearby arid terrain and urban pollution from regional cities. Air pollution is a serious environmental problem for the region. In 1999, an international team of scientists conducted an intensive field campaign to study the air pollution and its possible impacts on regional and global climate. Called the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), [ http://www-indoex.ucsd.edu/ ] the effort provided worrisome evidence that the aerosol (particle) pollution existed in a layer as thick as 3 kilometers and spread thousands of kilometers away from the source. It persisted for weeks at a time throughout the winter. In addition to the impact on public health, the "brown cloud" may be diminishing the monsoon-related rainfall in southern Asia and reducing crop yields through the filtering of sunlight. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite on October 27, 2004. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Floods in Southern India
| Title |
Floods in Southern India |
| Description |
Days of persistent rain caused widespread flooding in Southern India's Tamil Nadu state in late November 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured these two images, which contrast conditions before the floods on November 18, lower image, and during the floods on November 27, top. The images are shown in false color to make water easier to see. In this color combination, water is dark blue or black, plant-covered land is green, clouds are pale blue and white, and bare earth is tan. The images focus on the mouth of the Kollidam River, though the floods extend over a much larger region. Swollen with water, the river and other streams emptying into the Bay of Bengal spread across a wide section of the coast. This same section of coast was also impacted by the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. According to the United Nations Development Program, well over 2 million people have been affected by flooding in Tamil Nadu. The floods have disrupted transportation and destroyed crops across the state. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images of India in a variety of resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Floods in West Africa
| Title |
Floods in West Africa |
| Description |
Sandwiched between the vast Sahara Desert of northern Africa and the equatorial forest of central Africa is the semi-arid, but fertile Sahel grassland. One of Africa's most significant crop areas, the Sahel swings between frequent drought and frequent floods. In September 2007, floods dominated. Unusually heavy and persistent rains hammered much of the Sahel, swelling rivers from Senegal on the Atlantic coast to Kenya on the Indian Ocean coast. As many as 17 countries across the Sahel were flooded, affecting more than a million people, reported BBC News [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6994995.stm#anchor ] on September 17. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods in Nigeria on September 14, 2007. The lower image, taken by Aqua MODIS on May 25, 2007, shows the region under normal conditions and is provided here for reference. On September 14, both the Niger River and its tributary, the Benue River, were running over their banks. Pools of water, dark blue to black in this false-color image, line the swollen rivers. The large image reveals that the floods extend along the full length of both rivers. Smaller tributaries are also notably flooded in the large image. The combination of infrared and visible light used in this image gives clouds a pale blue tint. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. A photo-like, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257/NAfrica_3_04.2007257.aqua ] true-color version of the image is available from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257 ] of Nigeria. The floods took a heavy toll on Nigeria. As of September 14, 41 people had died in floods in northern and central Nigeria, reported Agence France-Presse. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/TBRL-772N8M?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000123-NGA ] NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in West Africa
| Title |
Floods in West Africa |
| Description |
Sandwiched between the vast Sahara Desert of northern Africa and the equatorial forest of central Africa is the semi-arid, but fertile Sahel grassland. One of Africa's most significant crop areas, the Sahel swings between frequent drought and frequent floods. In September 2007, floods dominated. Unusually heavy and persistent rains hammered much of the Sahel, swelling rivers from Senegal on the Atlantic coast to Kenya on the Indian Ocean coast. As many as 17 countries across the Sahel were flooded, affecting more than a million people, reported BBC News [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6994995.stm#anchor ] on September 17. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods in Nigeria on September 14, 2007. The lower image, taken by Aqua MODIS on May 25, 2007, shows the region under normal conditions and is provided here for reference. On September 14, both the Niger River and its tributary, the Benue River, were running over their banks. Pools of water, dark blue to black in this false-color image, line the swollen rivers. The large image reveals that the floods extend along the full length of both rivers. Smaller tributaries are also notably flooded in the large image. The combination of infrared and visible light used in this image gives clouds a pale blue tint. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. A photo-like, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257/NAfrica_3_04.2007257.aqua ] true-color version of the image is available from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257 ] of Nigeria. The floods took a heavy toll on Nigeria. As of September 14, 41 people had died in floods in northern and central Nigeria, reported Agence France-Presse. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/TBRL-772N8M?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000123-NGA ] NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Gravity Waves Ripple over Ma
…
| Title |
Gravity Waves Ripple over Marine Stratocumulus Clouds |
| Description |
In this natural-color image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), a fingerprint-like gravity wave feature occurs over a deck of marine stratocumulus clouds. Similar to the ripples that occur when a pebble is thrown into a still pond, such "gravity waves" sometimes appear when the relatively stable and stratified air masses associated with stratocumulus cloud layers are disturbed by a vertical trigger from the underlying terrain, or by a thunderstorm updraft or some other vertical wind shear. The stratocumulus cellular clouds that underlie the wave feature are associated with sinking air that is strongly cooled at the level of the cloud-tops—such clouds are common over mid-latitude oceans when the air is unperturbed by cyclonic or frontal activity. This image is centered over the Indian Ocean (at about 38.9° South, 80.6° East), and was acquired on October 29, 2003. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. The MISR Browse Image Viewer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/MISRBR/ ] provides access to low-resolution true-color versions of these images. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 20545. The image covers an area of 245 kilometers x 378 kilometers, and uses data from blocks 121 to 122 within World Reference System-2 path 134. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Raytheon/JPL). |
|
Cyclone Adeline-Juliet
| Title |
Cyclone Adeline-Juliet |
| Description |
Cyclone Adeline-Juliet was moving west through the Indian Ocean on April 6, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The image was acquired at 04:00 UTC, near the height of the storm. At that time, Adeline-Juliet had winds of 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) with gusts to 260 kph (160 mph), and was producing ocean waves that reached up to 14 meters or 45 feet high. The storm gradually weakened after the image was acquired and is not expected to affect any landmass. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
|
Haze along the Himalaya Fron
…
| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya Front Range |
| Description |
A river of haze follows the course of the Ganges River in northern India, flowing eastward along the base of the towering, snow-capped Himalaya Mountains (upper right) before turning south over Bangladesh and then spreading out in gray streamers over the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean (lower right). Although the pollution comes from human activities,?agricultural fires, home heating sources that rely on wood, kerosene, or dung, and industrial and vehicle emissions?it lingers because of topography and atmospheric circulation patterns. In the winter phase of the Indian Ocean Monsoon, winds typically blow seaward, which carries the large, thick "brown cloud" of pollution far out over the ocean. Recently, NASA scientists announced that the visible particles of soot that give the polluted air its name aren't the only component of the brown cloud that the atmosphere transports over long distances. The plume also contains ozone, which is beneficial to humans when it is located way above the Earth in the stratosphere, but harmful when it is located closer to the Earth in the troposphere. Ozone spreads even farther away from the original source than the soot particles. Convection over the ocean sucks the ozone high into the air where it enters wider-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. These patterns spread the ozone westward across the Indian Ocean, Africa, and onward to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, the ozone from the Asian brown cloud gets mixed together with ozone from agricultural fires in Africa, as well as with ozone from the stratosphere which occasionally gets mixed down to lower altitudes. The long-range transport of ozone from these sources explains why such high levels of tropospheric ozone are observed in the air over the South Atlantic Ocean, far from the source of the emissions. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
|
Cyclone Jacob
| Title |
Cyclone Jacob |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Jacob was in the eastern Indian Ocean off the shore of Western Australia on March 10, 2007. This storm had been moving towards the Pilbara coast of northwestern Australia for several days, coming in from the northeast after forming south of Java several days earlier. This photo-like image of Jacob was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 10, 2007, at 2:10 p.m. local time (06:10 UTC). The storm was a moderate-strength tropical cyclone with an irregular shape and no obvious eyewall (ring of towering clouds) at its center. According to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center, [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] Cyclone Jacob has sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) around the time this image was acquired. Jacob was forecast to come ashore near Port Hedland, not far from where Cyclone George [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14163 ] made landfall days earlier. Jacob was not expected to be nearly as powerful, but it will hinder efforts to recover from George. 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/?2007069-0310/Jacob.A2007069.0610 ] You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Cyclone Jacob KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/Jacob.A2007069.0610.250m.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. |
|
Heard Island Volcano
| Title |
Heard Island Volcano |
| Description |
Closer to Antarctica than any other major landmass, Heard Island sits in the far southern Indian Ocean two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. At the center of the remote, ice-covered island are the Big Ben massif, a large section of the Earth's crust that has been pushed up into a dense, rocky mountain by tectonic action, and an active volcano, Mawson Peak. The geologic activity that formed these features continues in the form of frequent eruptions from Mawson Peak. The volcano's current phase of activity began in May 2006, and it continued through December 2006, when the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. Made with both infrared and visible light, the image shows signs of volcanic activity on December 8, 2006. A glowing dot of red on Mawson Peak is thought to be a small lava lake in the summit crater. A fresh lava flow extends 700 meters east of the crater, creating a dark blue smudge on the otherwise even field of snow, which is blue-green in this false-color image. The rocky Big Ben Massif south of Mawson Peak similarly wrinkles the surface of the snow, though some of the apparent roughness may actually be icy clouds. Previous volcanic episodes, including those in 2000-2001 and 2003-2004, have lasted about a year. Due to its isolated location, Heard Island is rarely visited, and satellite imagery provides the only regular information on eruptive activity. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]. Image interpretation provided by Matt Patrick and Anna Colvin, Michigan Technological University. [ http://www.mtu.edu/ ] |
|
Earthquake Raises Reefs in t
…
| Title |
Earthquake Raises Reefs in the Solomon Islands |
| Description |
When people talk about change happening on a geologic time scale, most of the time, they mean that the change happens over the course of millions of years: the Colorado River gradually cuts through the soft rock of the Colorado Plateau until it has made a 4,000-foot-deep chasm, the Grand Canyon, continents drift centimeters at a time, slowly changing the shape and position of landmasses on the Earth. Most of the time, change is slow, but sometimes, geologic change happens all at once. This was the case on Ranongga Island in the Solomon Islands. In the early morning hours of April 2, 2007, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake shook the Solomon Islands, its epicenter southwest of Ranongga Island. The huge quake pushed much of the island up, raising the coral reefs that ringed the island above the water. In the course of a few minutes, Ranongga Island acquired several meters of new beach. The newly exposed reef forms a gray rim along the eastern shore of the island in the left image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on April 12, 2007. In the right image, taken on March 31, 2006, the shallowly submerged reefs color the water a lighter shade of blue. The uplift may be more dramatic than the images show. When ASTER took the 2007 image, the tide was 29.4 centimeters higher than it was when the 2006 image was taken, and yet the uplift is still visible. The lush vegetation that covers the tropical island is bright red in this image, which is made from both visible and infrared light. Out of its aquatic environment, the reef died, becoming the foundation of new land. Such evolution is common in earthquake zones in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the December 26, 2004, earthquake that generated the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, Simeulue Island was lifted as much as 150 centimeters (4.9 feet), exposing the reef that surrounded it. A similar set of exposed fossilized reefs on the shores of Papua New Guinea, near the Solomon Islands, provided proof that wobbles in the Earth's orbit trigger ice ages. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]Thanks to Aron Meltzner, California Institute of Technology, for help with image interpretation. |
|
Earthquake Raises Reefs in t
…
| Title |
Earthquake Raises Reefs in the Solomon Islands |
| Description |
When people talk about change happening on a geologic time scale, most of the time, they mean that the change happens over the course of millions of years: the Colorado River gradually cuts through the soft rock of the Colorado Plateau until it has made a 4,000-foot-deep chasm, the Grand Canyon, continents drift centimeters at a time, slowly changing the shape and position of landmasses on the Earth. Most of the time, change is slow, but sometimes, geologic change happens all at once. This was the case on Ranongga Island in the Solomon Islands. In the early morning hours of April 2, 2007, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake shook the Solomon Islands, its epicenter southwest of Ranongga Island. The huge quake pushed much of the island up, raising the coral reefs that ringed the island above the water. In the course of a few minutes, Ranongga Island acquired several meters of new beach. The newly exposed reef forms a gray rim along the eastern shore of the island in the left image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on April 12, 2007. In the right image, taken on March 31, 2006, the shallowly submerged reefs color the water a lighter shade of blue. The uplift may be more dramatic than the images show. When ASTER took the 2007 image, the tide was 29.4 centimeters higher than it was when the 2006 image was taken, and yet the uplift is still visible. The lush vegetation that covers the tropical island is bright red in this image, which is made from both visible and infrared light. Out of its aquatic environment, the reef died, becoming the foundation of new land. Such evolution is common in earthquake zones in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the December 26, 2004, earthquake that generated the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, Simeulue Island was lifted as much as 150 centimeters (4.9 feet), exposing the reef that surrounded it. A similar set of exposed fossilized reefs on the shores of Papua New Guinea, near the Solomon Islands, provided proof that wobbles in the Earth's orbit trigger ice ages. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]Thanks to Aron Meltzner, California Institute of Technology, for help with image interpretation. |
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Earthquake Raises Reefs in t
…
| Title |
Earthquake Raises Reefs in the Solomon Islands |
| Description |
When people talk about change happening on a geologic time scale, most of the time, they mean that the change happens over the course of millions of years: the Colorado River gradually cuts through the soft rock of the Colorado Plateau until it has made a 4,000-foot-deep chasm, the Grand Canyon, continents drift centimeters at a time, slowly changing the shape and position of landmasses on the Earth. Most of the time, change is slow, but sometimes, geologic change happens all at once. This was the case on Ranongga Island in the Solomon Islands. In the early morning hours of April 2, 2007, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake shook the Solomon Islands, its epicenter southwest of Ranongga Island. The huge quake pushed much of the island up, raising the coral reefs that ringed the island above the water. In the course of a few minutes, Ranongga Island acquired several meters of new beach. The newly exposed reef forms a gray rim along the eastern shore of the island in the left image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on April 12, 2007. In the right image, taken on March 31, 2006, the shallowly submerged reefs color the water a lighter shade of blue. The uplift may be more dramatic than the images show. When ASTER took the 2007 image, the tide was 29.4 centimeters higher than it was when the 2006 image was taken, and yet the uplift is still visible. The lush vegetation that covers the tropical island is bright red in this image, which is made from both visible and infrared light. Out of its aquatic environment, the reef died, becoming the foundation of new land. Such evolution is common in earthquake zones in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the December 26, 2004, earthquake that generated the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, Simeulue Island was lifted as much as 150 centimeters (4.9 feet), exposing the reef that surrounded it. A similar set of exposed fossilized reefs on the shores of Papua New Guinea, near the Solomon Islands, provided proof that wobbles in the Earth's orbit trigger ice ages. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]Thanks to Aron Meltzner, California Institute of Technology, for help with image interpretation. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
The Earth?s solid surface floats on a layer of softer rock as a collection of interlocking, movable puzzle pieces called tectonic plates. At 7:58 a.m. (local time), on December 26, 2004, beneath the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, Indonesia, pent-up energy from the compressional forces of one tectonic plate grinding under another found a weak spot in the overlying rock. The rock was thrust upward, and the Earth shook as a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent its vibrations out into the ocean. Tsunamis spread out in all directions, the massive waves washed over islands and crashed against coastlines in Sri Lanka, Southern India, and even the east coast of Africa. Tens of thousands of people were killed, millions are homeless. The image above shows how the tectonic puzzle pieces fit together around Indonesia. The epicenter of the recent quake is marked with a red star in the image. It is located just to the east of the Sunda Trench, where the India Plate begins to get subducted beneath (forced under) the Burma Plate. The blue arrows along the plate boundary show the direction of subduction. As the India Plate slides beneath the Burma Plate, it meets pockets of resistance, which causes compressional forces to build up. Weakened overlying rock gets forced upward. Based on the location of aftershocks (red shaded circles on the image), the United States Geological Survey reports that approximately 1,200 kilometers of the plate boundary probably slipped as a result of the quake. The initial rupture was likely more than 100 kilometers wide, and probably produced an average vertical displacement along the fault plane (the slope along which the two plates meet) of 15 meters. When the bottom of the ocean is deformed by this type of ?megathrust? quake, the upward force acts like a fist rising up from underwater. Water rolls down off the sides of the ?fist,? creating massive waves that can travel as fast as an airplane. The waves can move across the ocean and barely disturb the surface, but when they reach shallow coastal water, the earthquake?s energy thrusts them tens of meters into the air. The tsunami created by this earthquake reached India and Sri Lanka in about four hours. The wave eventually reached Africa, the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, and the west coast of North and South America. For more information about this earthquake and plate tectonics, visit the Website of the USGS. [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/ ] Image courtesy United States Geological Survey [ http://www.usgs.gov/ ] |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
*Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis*, Nearly three weeks after an earthquake triggered the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, satellite analysis continues to illustrate the magnitude of the disaster. This pair of ASTER images contrasts before and after views of a portion of the western coastline of Thailand in the Phang-Nga province, about 50 kilometers north of the island of Phuket. In these images, vegetation is dark red, while bare earth is grey. On December 31, five days after the waves swept ashore, large sections of the shoreline are grey, stripped of vegetation or covered in mud and sand. Water has broken through several places along the northern beach. Tiny fingers of blue water slice into the land where no inlet existed in the image on the right. Like Phuket, this region of coastline is a tourist mecca, and beachfront on the Andaman Sea (left edge of both images) is dotted with golf courses, resorts, and other tourist-centered development, as well as national marine and terrestrial parks, including the Khao Lak-lam Ru National Park. Most of the land in the park is found in the mountainous region away from the shore, just to the south of the center of the images. However, the park?s terrain also includes the forest-covered cape that extends westward into the Andaman Sea. The image acquired before the tsunami is actually a composite of two separate ASTER images. The left third of the image was acquired on November 15, 2002, while the right two-thirds of the image was taken on February 28, 2003. Neither scene covered the same area as the December 31 image, but by combining the two, a comparison image can be made. The comparison shows an interesting pattern of damage along the coast. It is the long, smoothly curving beaches that have been devastated by the tsunami, not the land that juts into the ocean. Several factors probably contributed to this pattern. First, elevation is certainly a factor. The headland in the center of the image is probably a high rocky point that would not be easily inundated by a large wave. The wrinkle of inland mountains appears to curve out to the coast between the two damaged beaches. The beaches, on the other hand, probably have a low elevation that gently slopes toward the ocean, allowing any water that comes ashore to sweep further inland. Second, the headland itself may have contributed to the damage on its flanks. Waves approaching the point would tend to be diffracted, or broken up, sending additional energy into the beaches on either side of the point. This would amplify the waves along the beaches. By the same principle, the concave shape of the beach to the south focuses wave energy and wave run-up. Another contributing factor to the pattern of damage seen here is ocean bathymetry, the shape and depth of the ocean floor. Tsunami height and run-out (the horizontal distance the wave travels) are larger where the ocean floor has a gentle slope. Rocky coastlines that drop into deep ocean are not as affected. Finally,, vegetation patterns may have altered the type of damage the wave created when it came ashore. The forested cape appears to be untouched, possibly because the trees served as a break. The developed beach land probably had less dense vegetation to cushion the wave?s impact. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Image interpretation courtesy Tim Gubbels, SSAI. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
*Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis*, Nearly three weeks after an earthquake triggered the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, satellite analysis continues to illustrate the magnitude of the disaster. This pair of ASTER images contrasts before and after views of a portion of the western coastline of Thailand in the Phang-Nga province, about 50 kilometers north of the island of Phuket. In these images, vegetation is dark red, while bare earth is grey. On December 31, five days after the waves swept ashore, large sections of the shoreline are grey, stripped of vegetation or covered in mud and sand. Water has broken through several places along the northern beach. Tiny fingers of blue water slice into the land where no inlet existed in the image on the right. Like Phuket, this region of coastline is a tourist mecca, and beachfront on the Andaman Sea (left edge of both images) is dotted with golf courses, resorts, and other tourist-centered development, as well as national marine and terrestrial parks, including the Khao Lak-lam Ru National Park. Most of the land in the park is found in the mountainous region away from the shore, just to the south of the center of the images. However, the park?s terrain also includes the forest-covered cape that extends westward into the Andaman Sea. The image acquired before the tsunami is actually a composite of two separate ASTER images. The left third of the image was acquired on November 15, 2002, while the right two-thirds of the image was taken on February 28, 2003. Neither scene covered the same area as the December 31 image, but by combining the two, a comparison image can be made. The comparison shows an interesting pattern of damage along the coast. It is the long, smoothly curving beaches that have been devastated by the tsunami, not the land that juts into the ocean. Several factors probably contributed to this pattern. First, elevation is certainly a factor. The headland in the center of the image is probably a high rocky point that would not be easily inundated by a large wave. The wrinkle of inland mountains appears to curve out to the coast between the two damaged beaches. The beaches, on the other hand, probably have a low elevation that gently slopes toward the ocean, allowing any water that comes ashore to sweep further inland. Second, the headland itself may have contributed to the damage on its flanks. Waves approaching the point would tend to be diffracted, or broken up, sending additional energy into the beaches on either side of the point. This would amplify the waves along the beaches. By the same principle, the concave shape of the beach to the south focuses wave energy and wave run-up. Another contributing factor to the pattern of damage seen here is ocean bathymetry, the shape and depth of the ocean floor. Tsunami height and run-out (the horizontal distance the wave travels) are larger where the ocean floor has a gentle slope. Rocky coastlines that drop into deep ocean are not as affected. Finally,, vegetation patterns may have altered the type of damage the wave created when it came ashore. The forested cape appears to be untouched, possibly because the trees served as a break. The developed beach land probably had less dense vegetation to cushion the wave?s impact. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Image interpretation courtesy Tim Gubbels, SSAI. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
|
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
This series of images shows tsunami damage in the Aceh Province of northern Sumatra. Located immediately west of the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, this region was both the first to be impacted by the massive wave and the most severely damaged. The images show sections of the western shoreline of Aceh, between Banda Aceh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12647 ] in the north and Meulaboh [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12671 ] in the south. The images were taken by the Ikonos satellite on January 18, 2005, a little over 3 weeks after the tsunami hit. Like the above image, many of the images show the effect of elevation on the battered shore. The low-lying valleys cut by streams that drain into the Indian Ocean have been entirely stripped of vegetation, whereas islands of trees reveal higher ground. The trees themselves may have prevented some damage. Notice the grid-like pattern in the bare earth in the center of the image. This suggests that the land may have been cleared and divided, possibly for agriculture. Without trees to buffer the wave and anchor soil, the water traveled far inland, leaving a track of mud and destruction. The shape of the shoreline may have also contributed to the pattern of damage seen in this image. Concave beaches tend to focus wave energy, which results in larger waves breaking on the shore. The points of land that jut into the ocean on either side of the beach diffuse waves. This, combined with their higher elevation and tree cover, may have helped to minimize the damage. The images also reveal why it has been so difficult for aid to reach the people who live along Aceh?s northwest coast. The coastal road that connects the villages has been covered with sand and other debris in several places in the above image. In the bottom center of the image where the road crosses an inlet, a white point?the support?is all that remains of the bridge. Similar road damage can be seen in most of the images in this series. Images copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]. |
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Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
| Title |
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis |
| Description |
On December 26, 2004, a large (magnitude 9.0) earthquake occurred off the western coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake was caused by the release of stresses accumulated as the Burma tectonic plate overrides the India tectonic plate. Movement of the seafloor due to the earthquake generated a tsunami, or seismic sea wave, that affected coastal regions around the Indian Ocean. The northwestern Sumatra coastline in particular suffered extensive damage and loss of life. These astronaut photographs illustrate damage along the southwestern coast of Aceh Province in the vicinity of the city of Lho? Kruet, Indonesia. Large areas of bare and disturbed soil (brownish gray) that were previously covered with vegetation are visible along the coastline in the near-nadir (top) image. Embayments in the coastline were particularly hard hit, while adjacent headlands were less affected. The oblique (lower) astronaut photograph was acquired 45 seconds after the near-nadir photograph, and captures sunglint illuminating the Indian Ocean and standing water inland (light gray, yellow). Distortion and scale differences in the images are caused by increased obliquity of the view from the International Space Station. Arrows on the photographs indicate several points of comparison between the two images. Standing bodies of seawater may inhibit revegetation of damaged areas and act as sources of salt contamination in soil and groundwater. Astronaut photographs ISS010-E-13079 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13079 ] (top) and ISS010-E-13088 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13088 ] (bottom) were acquired January 15, 2005 with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and are provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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