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Central Sumatra, Indonesia
This is a radar image of the …
9/21/95
Date 9/21/95
Description This is a radar image of the central part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia that shows how the tropical rainforest typical of this country is being impacted by human activity. Native forest appears in green in this image, while prominent pink areas represent places where the native forest has been cleared. The large rectangular areas have been cleared for palm oil plantations. The bright pink zones are areas that have been cleared since 1989, while the dark pink zones are areas that were cleared before 1989. These radar data were processed as part of an effort to assist oil and gas companies working in the area to assess the environmental impact of both their drilling operations and the activities of the local population. Radar images are useful in these areas because heavy cloud cover and the persistent smoke and haze associated with deforestation have prevented usable visible-light imagery from being acquired since 1989. The dark shapes in the upper right (northeast) corner of the image are a chain of lakes in flat coastal marshes. This image was acquired in October 1994 by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) onboard the space shuttle Endeavour. Environmental changes can be easily documented by comparing this image with visible-light data that were acquired in previous years by the Landsat satellite. The image is centered at 0.9 degrees north latitude and 101.3 degrees east longitude. The area shown is 50 kilometers by 100 kilometers (31 miles by 62 miles). The colors in the image are assigned to different frequencies and polarizations of the radar as follows: red is L-band horizontally transmitted, horizontally received, green is L-band horizontally transmitted, vertically received, blue is L-band vertically transmitted, vertically received. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. #####
Aerosols from Earth Probe TO …
Title Aerosols from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia from 8/7/97 to 11/15/97 (3 times @ 1.5 days/sec)
Completed 1998-12-07
Aerosols from Earth Probe TO …
Title Aerosols from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia from 6/29/97 to 1/13/98 (3 times @ 6 days/sec)
Completed 1998-12-07
Atmospheric Water Vapor duri …
Title Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1998 La Niña (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. A key feature of global atmospheric water vapor convection is the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the low pressure region within five degrees of the equator where the trade winds converge and solar heating of the atmosphere forces the water-laden air to rise in altitude, form clouds, and then precipitate as rain in the afternoon. This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from August 30, 1998 to September 20, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun. This is a La Niña period, when the water to the west of South America is cooler than normal, forcing the atmosphere there to cool down and hold less water. Strong east-to-west winds can be seen in this region, contributing to the high water vapor region that forms further to the west over southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, causing increased humidity and rainfall in that region. This data is from the Goddard Earth Modeling System, a coupled land-ocean-atmosphere model which uses earth and satellite-based observations to simulate the Earth's physical system during events such as La Niña.
Completed 2004-07-06
Aerosols from Earth Probe TO …
Title Aerosols from Earth Probe TOMS: Venezuela from 3/11/98 to 4/4/98 (3 times @ 1.5 days/sec)
Completed 1998-12-07
AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone …
Title AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia
Abstract Aura's instruments study tropospheric, or low-level atmospheric chemistry and will monitor air pollution around the world on a daily basis. Aura measures five of the six 'Criteria Pollutants' identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed 2004-12-07
AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone …
Title AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia
Abstract Aura's instruments study tropospheric, or low-level atmospheric chemistry and will monitor air pollution around the world on a daily basis. Aura measures five of the six 'Criteria Pollutants' identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed 2004-12-07
AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone …
Title AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia
Abstract Aura's instruments study tropospheric, or low-level atmospheric chemistry and will monitor air pollution around the world on a daily basis. Aura measures five of the six 'Criteria Pollutants' identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed 2004-12-07
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 from Eart …
Title Tropospheric Ozone from Earth Probe TOMS: Indonesia - 9 Day Averages (May 1997 - May 1998)
Completed 1998-12-07
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
Floods in Indonesia
Title Floods in Indonesia
Description Days of heavy rains led to devastating landslides on the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in mid-June 2006. As of June 22, the death toll stood at 200 with 135 still missing, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKEE-6QZME5?OpenDocument ] The hardest hit area was Sinjai in South Sulawesi. This image reflects the rainfall totals over the island from June 14 to June 21, 2006. Highest rainfall totals, on the order of 10 to 12 inches (300 millimeters) are red. The southernmost area of heavy rain is near the southern tip of Sulawesi and covers the higher terrain adjacent to Sinjai. Deforestation in the region is believed to be a contributing factor in the disastrous mudslides. The image was created using data from the Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA), which monitors rainfall over the global Tropics. The MPA uses rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM) to calibrate rainfall estimates from other satellites. TRMM's primary mission is to measure rainfall over the global tropics. It 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) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Floods in Indonesia
Title Floods in Indonesia
Description Days of heavy rains led to devastating landslides on the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in mid-June 2006. As of June 22, the death toll stood at 200 with 135 still missing, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKEE-6QZME5?OpenDocument ] The hardest hit area was Sinjai in South Sulawesi. This image reflects the rainfall totals over the island from June 14 to June 21, 2006. Highest rainfall totals, on the order of 10 to 12 inches (300 millimeters) are red. The southernmost area of heavy rain is near the southern tip of Sulawesi and covers the higher terrain adjacent to Sinjai. Deforestation in the region is believed to be a contributing factor in the disastrous mudslides. The image was created using data from the Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA), which monitors rainfall over the global Tropics. The MPA uses rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (TRMM) to calibrate rainfall estimates from other satellites. TRMM's primary mission is to measure rainfall over the global tropics. It 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) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Carbon Monoxide over Indones …
Title Carbon Monoxide over Indonesia
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA?s Aqua satellite detected widespread fire activity on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12530 ] The burning of biomass produces, among other pollutants, high amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) which is detected by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument launched on board the Terra satellite in December 1999. The false-color image below shows the atmospheric carbon monoxide concentrations at 700 hPa (about 3 km altitude) over Borneo averaged for September 15 - October 15, 2004. Only data collected during daytime have been included in this image. Carbon monoxide retrievals from daytime observations are, compared to retrievals from nighttime observations, more sensitive to CO concentrations at lower altitudes and better represent the location of sources. Regions with high amounts of CO are represented in red and yellow colors and correlate well with the location of the MODIS fire counts. Areas where no data have been collected due to persistent cloud coverage are shown in gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT teams.
Drought in Southeast Asia
Title Drought in Southeast Asia
Description Little rain has fallen in Southeast Asia after an early end to the rainy season [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12569 ] in October 2004, leaving the region in severe drought. From southern China, through the Indochina and Malay Peninsulas, and into some of the islands of Indonesia, crops are shriveling, and in some places, drinking water is scarce. According to news reports, the drought will cost farmers in Thailand up to US $193.2 million after 809,000 hectares of crops were lost. Vietnam has lost US $60 million in crops, and up to 1.3 million people do not have access to clean water. Other countries in the region have been similarly affected, with food shortages in Cambodia and a lack of drinkable water in Hainan, China. Rains eased the drought [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/03/China%20Drought/Chinadrought.htm ] in parts of China in late February, but much of the region remains parched. It is the worst drought in 50 years. The above image illustrates the extent of the drought in February 2005. The image shows outgoing longwave radiation, which is a measure of the amount of heat radiated from the surface of the Earth. Since clouds tend to be colder than the Earth?s surface, the measurement shows the distribution of clouds. It is one way to monitor drought because where there are no clouds, there is no rain. In this case, scientists have compared the amount of heat radiated from the surface this year to the average collected between 1979 and 1995. The result shows that significantly fewer cool clouds gathered over Southeast Asia in 2005 than normal, as reflected by the red that stretches from Australia to southern China. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].
Drought in Southeast Asia
Title Drought in Southeast Asia
Description Little rain has fallen in Southeast Asia after an early end to the rainy season [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12569 ] in October 2004, leaving the region in severe drought. From southern China, through the Indochina and Malay Peninsulas, and into some of the islands of Indonesia, crops are shriveling, and in some places, drinking water is scarce. According to news reports, the drought will cost farmers in Thailand up to US $193.2 million after 809,000 hectares of crops were lost. Vietnam has lost US $60 million in crops, and up to 1.3 million people do not have access to clean water. Other countries in the region have been similarly affected, with food shortages in Cambodia and a lack of drinkable water in Hainan, China. Rains eased the drought [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/03/China%20Drought/Chinadrought.htm ] in parts of China in late February, but much of the region remains parched. It is the worst drought in 50 years. The above image illustrates the extent of the drought in February 2005. The image shows outgoing longwave radiation, which is a measure of the amount of heat radiated from the surface of the Earth. Since clouds tend to be colder than the Earth?s surface, the measurement shows the distribution of clouds. It is one way to monitor drought because where there are no clouds, there is no rain. In this case, scientists have compared the amount of heat radiated from the surface this year to the average collected between 1979 and 1995. The result shows that significantly fewer cool clouds gathered over Southeast Asia in 2005 than normal, as reflected by the red that stretches from Australia to southern China. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].
Dust Storm out of Northern A …
Title Dust Storm out of Northern Africa
Description On March 29, 2007, the Shiveluch Volcano (sometimes spelled Sheveluch) on the Russian Federation's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory [ http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo ] the volcano underwent an explosive eruption between 01:50 and 2:30 UTC, sending an ash cloud skyward roughly 9,750 meters (32,000 feet), based on visual estimates. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture at 02:00 UTC on March 29. The top image shows the volcano and its surroundings. The bottom image shows a close-up view of the volcano at 250 meters per pixel. Satellites often capture images of volcanic ash plumes, but usually as the plumes are blowing away. Plumes have been observed blowing away from Shiveluch [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14078 ] before. This image, however, is different. At the time the Aqua satellite passed overhead, the eruption was recent enough (and the air was apparently still enough) that the ash cloud still hovered above the summit. In this image, the bulbous cloud casts its shadow northward over the icy landscape. Volcanic ash eruptions inject particles into Earth's atmosphere. Substantial eruptions of light-reflecting particles can reduce temperatures and even affect atmospheric circulation. Large eruptions impact climate patterns [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Volcano/ ] for years. A massive eruption of the Tambora Volcano [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/03oct_novarupta.htm ] in Indonesia in 1815, for instance, earned 1816 the nickname "the year without a summer."Shiveluch [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1000-27= ] is a stratovolcano—a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks. One of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes, it sports a summit reaching 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Shiveluch is also one of the peninsula's most active volcanoes, with an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of the North African dust storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/nafrica_tmo_2007087.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Early Dry Season in Southeas …
Title Early Dry Season in Southeast Asia
Description In a typical monsoon season in South East Asia, the rains fall until October, but this year, the heavens went dry three to four weeks early. For farmers, who rely on monsoon rains to nourish crops, the early onset of the dry season could mean a reduced harvest. According to the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Foreign Agricultural Service, the lack of rain affected the tail end of the growing season, and while most crops should be fine, yields could be reduced because of a lack of rain. The government of Thailand has already announced that the rice harvest will be less than expected, and the AFP reports that the Cambodian government is concerned about potential food shortages. In Cambodia, 80-85 percent of all rice is grown during the monsoon season. The early end to the rainy season could spell trouble for the next growing season, which depends on irrigation instead of rainfall. Not only did the rains end early, but less rain fell during the monsoon, and that could mean a shortage of irrigation water stored in reservoirs, particularly if the dry season lasts longer than normal. The above image confirms the absence of clouds associated with precipitation over Southeastern Asia during the month of October. The image is based on measurements of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), the amount of heat being reflected from the Earth back into space, in Watts per square meter. Clouds tend to be cold, while land masses are warmer. Outgoing longwave radiation can help scientists monitor rainfall by showing where rainfall clouds are, or in this case, where they aren?t. The above image is a comparison of the amount of outgoing longwave radiation observed in October 2004, to the October average observed from 1979 to 1995. Areas that radiated more heat than average are red and those that radiated less are blue. Southeast Asia was radiating more heat than normal in October?a sign that fewer cool clouds covered the region. Indonesia, northern Australia, and parts of China also appear to be warmer, and possibly drier, than normal. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allan, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].
Early Dry Season in Southeas …
Title Early Dry Season in Southeast Asia
Description In a typical monsoon season in South East Asia, the rains fall until October, but this year, the heavens went dry three to four weeks early. For farmers, who rely on monsoon rains to nourish crops, the early onset of the dry season could mean a reduced harvest. According to the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Foreign Agricultural Service, the lack of rain affected the tail end of the growing season, and while most crops should be fine, yields could be reduced because of a lack of rain. The government of Thailand has already announced that the rice harvest will be less than expected, and the AFP reports that the Cambodian government is concerned about potential food shortages. In Cambodia, 80-85 percent of all rice is grown during the monsoon season. The early end to the rainy season could spell trouble for the next growing season, which depends on irrigation instead of rainfall. Not only did the rains end early, but less rain fell during the monsoon, and that could mean a shortage of irrigation water stored in reservoirs, particularly if the dry season lasts longer than normal. The above image confirms the absence of clouds associated with precipitation over Southeastern Asia during the month of October. The image is based on measurements of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), the amount of heat being reflected from the Earth back into space, in Watts per square meter. Clouds tend to be cold, while land masses are warmer. Outgoing longwave radiation can help scientists monitor rainfall by showing where rainfall clouds are, or in this case, where they aren?t. The above image is a comparison of the amount of outgoing longwave radiation observed in October 2004, to the October average observed from 1979 to 1995. Areas that radiated more heat than average are red and those that radiated less are blue. Southeast Asia was radiating more heat than normal in October?a sign that fewer cool clouds covered the region. Indonesia, northern Australia, and parts of China also appear to be warmer, and possibly drier, than normal. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allan, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].
Earthquake in Sulawesi
Title Earthquake in Sulawesi
Description In the quiet of the earliest hours of the morning on January 24, 2005, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake rattled Palu, Sulawesi, killing one and injuring four others. The earthquake was centered approximately 35 kilometers (20 miles) south of Palu, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the surface. Located in the center of the arc of islands that forms Indonesia, Sulawesi is at the heart of one of the most geologically active regions in the world. The effect of millennia of shifting ground on the island is readily apparent in this elevation image, created using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface using a radar instrument that flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in February 2000. In the above image, the highest elevations are white and pink, while low elevations are green. Two mountain ranges run north-south from the center of the island to the shore. Between the two ranges, a finger of green marks out a straight valley that was formed by the fault. As this image reveals, the January 24 earthquake was centered just a few kilometers west of this fault. Like the San Andreas fault, Sulawesi's fault is a transform fault formed when two tectonic plates slide past one another. Indonesia sits on top of three major tectonic plates—giant slabs of the Earth's crust that float on the planet's molten core. The majority of the islands in the nation sit on the Eurasian plate, caught between the north-moving Australian plate, and the west-moving Pacific plate. Around Sulawesi, three smaller plates clash, adding to the seismic activity. All of this jostling between plates leads to frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes, Indonesia has more historically active volcanoes (76) than any other region on Earth. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using SRTM data obtained from the Global Land Cover Facility.
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/ ]
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Title Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description The island of Sumatra suffered from both the rumblings of the submarine earthquake and the tsunamis that were generated on December 26, 2004. Within minutes of the quake, the sea surged ashore, bringing destruction to the coasts of the northern Sumatra. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite shows the Aceh province of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 17, 2004, before the quake (bottom), and on December 29, 2004 (top), three days after the catastrophe. Though MODIS was not specifically designed to make the very detailed observations that are usually necessary for mapping coastline changes, the sensor nevertheless observed obvious differences in the Sumatran coastline. On December 17, the green vegetation along the west coast appears to reach all the way to the sea, with only an occasional thin stretch of white that is likely sand. After the earthquake and tsunamis, the entire western coast is lined with a noticeable purplish-brown border. The brownish border could be deposited sand, or perhaps exposed soil that was stripped bare of vegetation when the large waves rushed ashore and then raced away. On a moderate-resolution image such as this, the affected area may seem small, but each pixel in the full resolution image is 250 by 250 meters. In places the brown strip reaches inland roughly 13 pixels, equal to a distance of 3.25 kilometers, or about 2 miles. On the northern tip of the island (shown in the large image), the incursion is even larger. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Title Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description The island of Sumatra suffered from both the rumblings of the submarine earthquake and the tsunamis that were generated on December 26, 2004. Within minutes of the quake, the sea surged ashore, bringing destruction to the coasts of the northern Sumatra. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite shows the Aceh province of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 17, 2004, before the quake (bottom), and on December 29, 2004 (top), three days after the catastrophe. Though MODIS was not specifically designed to make the very detailed observations that are usually necessary for mapping coastline changes, the sensor nevertheless observed obvious differences in the Sumatran coastline. On December 17, the green vegetation along the west coast appears to reach all the way to the sea, with only an occasional thin stretch of white that is likely sand. After the earthquake and tsunamis, the entire western coast is lined with a noticeable purplish-brown border. The brownish border could be deposited sand, or perhaps exposed soil that was stripped bare of vegetation when the large waves rushed ashore and then raced away. On a moderate-resolution image such as this, the affected area may seem small, but each pixel in the full resolution image is 250 by 250 meters. In places the brown strip reaches inland roughly 13 pixels, equal to a distance of 3.25 kilometers, or about 2 miles. On the northern tip of the island (shown in the large image), the incursion is even larger. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
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/ ]
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/ ]
Magnitude 6.3 quake in centr …
Title Magnitude 6.3 quake in central Java
Description A powerful earthquake rattled Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, in the early morning hours of May 27, 2006. The quake destroyed more than 60,000 houses in the city, and killed an estimated 6,234 people, reported the World Health Organization on June 6. Though Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes, the May 27 quake was unusual in that it was centered about 10 kilometers under the Earth's surface, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Most earthquakes in Indonesia occur deep under the Earth's surface where the slab of the Earth's crust that carries Australia (the Australia Plate) sinks beneath the Sunda Plate on which the islands of Indonesia ride. Earthquakes occur in the sometimes-messy grind of colliding plates, but these are centered deep below the Earth's surface. The May 27 earthquake happened near the surface along a fault in the Sunda Plate, about 20 kilometers south-southeast of Yogyakarta. This image shows the topography of the landscape near the earthquake epicenter. Yogyakarta sits in a broad valley between two groups of roughly north-running mountains. The towering Merapi Volcano caps the northeast end of the valley. Behind it is the single peak of the Sundoro Volcano and a cluster of small peaks in the Dieng Volcano Complex. The Slamet and Cereme Volcanoes are west of Merapi in the upper-left corner of the image. The earthquake occurred along a fault east of the mountains that frame Yogyakarta to the east. The image was created from data collected by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The earthquake is not the only geologic activity to threaten the region: the Merapi volcano was also rumbling at the end of May. The volcano sent clouds of hot gas and lava down its slopes on June 6, prompting the evacuation of 11,000 people, said news reports. The ASTER sensor on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured an image [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13628 ] of the volcano in action on June 6. The volcano had been showing signs of increased activity since April, but activity picked up after the May 27 earthquake. While volcanic activity and earthquakes are often connected, it is not clear if the May 27 earthquake is directly linked to Merapi's activity, said the USGS. The same underlying geologic processes may have triggered both events. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data provided courtesy of the Unviersity of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://www.landcover.org/ ]
Massive Earthquake Along the …
Title Massive Earthquake Along the Sunda Trench
Description A magnitude 8.7 earthquake rattled northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on March 28, 2005, at 11:09 p.m., local time. At least 330 people are dead, but Indonesian officials expect the toll to soar over 2,000. The earthquake was centered 160 kilometers southeast of the 9.0 quake that triggered the devastating December 26,2004, tsunami, between the islands of Simeulue and Nias. The most severe damage appears to be on Nias, where large parts of the city Gunungsitoli were destroyed. The United States Geological Survey reports that the March 28 quake occurred on the same fault that triggered the December 26 earthquake, probably as a result of stress placed on the fault by the first quake. The above map shows the locations of both earthquakes off the northwest coast of Sumatra. The March 28 earthquake occurred in a section of the fault just south of the part of the fault that slipped on December 26. The last time this section of fault moved was in 1861, when a large earthquake triggered a fatal tsunami. As the image illustrates, the earthquakes occurred just east of the Sunda Trench, the deep underwater canyon where the Australia Plate is being pulled under the Sunda Plate. The plates, giant sections of the Earth's crust, float on a layer of soft rock, propelled by convection currents beneath them. The Australia plate moves about five centimeters northeast in relation to the Sunda plate every year. As the Australia plate has crumbled under the Sunda plate, a number of faults have developed in the Sunda plate, including the thrust fault that produced both the December 26 and March 28 quakes. According to the Pacific Tsumani Warning Center, sea level readings taken after the March 28 earthquake show that a small tsunami was generated, but there have been no reports of damage. Why did the 9.0 earthquake generate a massive tsunami compared to the small wave that came out of the most recent earthquake? By USGS estimates, both earthquakes occurred about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) beneath the Earth's surface, but the March 28 quake was much smaller and probably didn't displace the same amount of earth as the December 26 quake. For more information about this earthquake, please visit the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usweax/ ]. Map courtesy USGS Earthquake Hazards Program [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ ]
North Reef Island, Andaman S …
Title North Reef Island, Andaman Sea
Description On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history struck offshore of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The ocean floor heaved in some places and sank in others, creating catastrophic tsunamis that raced across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of people died as the waves struck coastlines from Thailand to Sri Lanka to Somalia. In addition to tsunami damage, satellite images of reefs, islands, and coastlines identified signs of permanent elevation change—sinking or uplift—along the fault between the Indo-Australia and Burma plates. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640 ] In places such as North Reef Island, shown in this pair of images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the quake lifted the reefs permanently out of the water. The images use visible and infrared light detected by ASTER to make different land surfaces stand out clearly from one another: water is blue, vegetation is red, coral or bare sand appears white. In the "before" image, from December 2, 2004, the submerged reef creates a bright blue glow around the island. In the "after" image, from February 4, 2005, the white coral stands completely up out of the water. It is even tinged with red, which suggests the exposed coral had died, and algae had colonized it. In the weeks and months after the earthquake, satellite images provided broad coverage of an area where ground-based observations were initially very limited. A team of scientists led by Caltech Ph.D. geology student Aron Meltzner discovered changes in elevation along nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) of the tectonic plate boundary. The images revealed that the earthquake rupture extended 100 kilometers (62 miles) farther north than estimates based on seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggested. The feature article Rise and Fall: Satellites Reveal Full Length of Tsunami-Generating Earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Aceh/aceh.html ] describes how scientists used satellite images to map the length of the earthquake rupture zone. The article includes additional satellite and ground-based images of elevation changes resulting from the 2004 Aceh-Andaman earthquake. NASA images 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/ ]
North Reef Island, Andaman S …
Title North Reef Island, Andaman Sea
Description On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history struck offshore of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The ocean floor heaved in some places and sank in others, creating catastrophic tsunamis that raced across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of people died as the waves struck coastlines from Thailand to Sri Lanka to Somalia. In addition to tsunami damage, satellite images of reefs, islands, and coastlines identified signs of permanent elevation change—sinking or uplift—along the fault between the Indo-Australia and Burma plates. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640 ] In places such as North Reef Island, shown in this pair of images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the quake lifted the reefs permanently out of the water. The images use visible and infrared light detected by ASTER to make different land surfaces stand out clearly from one another: water is blue, vegetation is red, coral or bare sand appears white. In the "before" image, from December 2, 2004, the submerged reef creates a bright blue glow around the island. In the "after" image, from February 4, 2005, the white coral stands completely up out of the water. It is even tinged with red, which suggests the exposed coral had died, and algae had colonized it. In the weeks and months after the earthquake, satellite images provided broad coverage of an area where ground-based observations were initially very limited. A team of scientists led by Caltech Ph.D. geology student Aron Meltzner discovered changes in elevation along nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) of the tectonic plate boundary. The images revealed that the earthquake rupture extended 100 kilometers (62 miles) farther north than estimates based on seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggested. The feature article Rise and Fall: Satellites Reveal Full Length of Tsunami-Generating Earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Aceh/aceh.html ] describes how scientists used satellite images to map the length of the earthquake rupture zone. The article includes additional satellite and ground-based images of elevation changes resulting from the 2004 Aceh-Andaman earthquake. NASA images 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/ ]
Plume from Gamkonora
Title Plume from Gamkonora
Description On July 7, 2007, the Gamkonora Volcano on Halmahera, Indonesia, began releasing plumes of ash, according to a report from ABC News, Australia. Over the next few days, the volcano continued its activity, including ejecting flaming rocks. The activity forced the evacuation of some 8,600 residents. At 14:50 East Indonesian Time on July 9, the volcano erupted, according to ReliefWeb. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Gamkonora releasing a volcanic plume on July 10, 2007. Clouds obscure much of the view, but the plume's beige color distinguishes it from the surrounding clouds.Gamkonora [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0608-04= ] is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and volcanic rocks left by previous eruptions. Rising to a height of 1,635 meters (5,364 feet), it is the highest peak on the island of Halmahera. Its largest recorded eruption occurred in 1673, accompanied by tsunamis that overwhelmed nearby villages. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Gamkonora [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jul2007/gamkonora_amo_2007191.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Fires in Indonesia
Title Fires in Indonesia
Description Measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) from the Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on NASA?s Terra satellite show the pollutants from widespread biomass burning on Sumatra, Indonesia, being carried northward toward the Asian mainland. This image shows the mixing ratio of carbon monoxide at about 3 km (700 km) above the surface for June 1-10, 2003. This MOPITT image corresponds well with this true-color image [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10707 ] from Terra MODIS that shows the locations of the fires and the resulting pall of smoke over Sumatra on June 8. Carbon monoxide is a good tracer of pollution since it is produced as a by-product of the combustion associated with wildfires and agricultural fires. The reds in this image show the highest levels of carbon monoxide and blues show the lowest levels. The gray areas show where no data were collected, either due to persistent cloud cover or gaps between viewing swaths. Image by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, based upon data courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT teams.
Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka …
Title Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula
Description On March 29, 2007, the Sheveluch (Shiveluch) Volcano on the Russian Federation's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory [ http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo ] the volcano underwent an explosive eruption between 01:50 and 2:30 UTC, sending an ash cloud skyward roughly 9,750 meters (32,000 feet), based on visual estimates. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture at 02:00 UTC on March 29. The top image shows the volcano and its surroundings. The bottom image shows a close-up view of the volcano at 250 meters per pixel. Images of volcanic ash plumes often show the plumes blowing away, and Sheveluch is no exception. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14078 ] This image, however, is different. It shows the gray-brown ash cloud suspended directly over the summit. At the time the Aqua satellite passed overhead, the local air was apparently still enough to let the ash cloud hover. In this image, the bulbous cloud casts its shadow northward over the icy landscape. Volcanic ash eruptions inject particles into Earth's atmosphere. Substantial eruptions of light-reflecting particles can reduce temperatures and even affect atmospheric circulation. Large eruptions impact climate patterns [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Volcano/ ] for years. A massive eruption of the Tambora Volcano [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/03oct_novarupta.htm ] in Indonesia in 1815, for instance, earned 1816 the nickname "the year without a summer."Sheveluch [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1000-27= ] is a stratovolcano—a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks. One of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes, it sports a summit reaching 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Sheveluch is also one of the peninsula's most active volcanoes, with an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Kamchatka's most active volcanic region, which includes Sheveluch, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/Kliuchevskoi.2007088.aqua.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] There is also a 250-meter-resolution close-up KMZ file of Sheveluch. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/Shiveluch.A2007088.0200.250m.kmz ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Kliuchevskoi ] of this region.
Storms in the Java Sea
Title Storms in the Java Sea
Description A ferry carrying more than 600 passengers sank in the Java Sea between the islands of Borneo (image center) and Java (to the south-southwest) just before midnight on December 29, 2006, during high winds and rough seas. On January 1, 2007, a plane carrying more than 100 people crashed on its flight over the Java Sea, high winds and turbulent weather are being investigated as possible causes. The origin of surges of deadly wind in this usually relatively calm region are poorly understood, and the area is not well-monitored with traditional weather equipment. Ocean winds data from NASA's QuikScat satellite may help improve monitoring and understanding of unusual weather in the area. Data obtained from QuikScat on December 30 and January 1 shed new insights into the atmospheric conditions at the time of the tragic incidents described above. In this image from January 1, the different colors reveal different wind speeds. White arrows are wind vectors showing both direction and speed. The data from December 30 and January 1 showed that the strong winds in the Java Sea originated from the surge of a strong winter monsoon from the Asian continent. The monsoon winds blew south across the South China Sea and deflected eastward after they crossed the equator due to the rotation of Earth. The winds in the Java Sea remained strong through January 1, 2007. Associated with the eastward winds, twin cyclones were also observed by QuikScat. (A cyclone is any large-scale atmosphere circulation around a region of low air pressure. The systems spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.) The stronger cyclone was south of the equator (summer hemisphere) between Java and Australia, and a weaker one was north of the equator (winter hemisphere) west of Borneo. QuikScat measures ocean surface wind speed by sending radar pulses to the surface and measuring the strength of the signals that return to the sensor. The sensor's wide-scale observations make it possible for scientists to interpret local weather events, such as the recent high wind outbreak in the Java Sea region, in the context of the large-scale atmospheric circulation and to confirm connections between the two. QuikScat data are available in near-real time to operational weather forecasting agencies around the world. NASA image courtesy of David Long, Brigham Young University, on the QuikSCAT Science Team, [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Thunderstorm over the Indian …
Title Thunderstorm over the Indian Ocean
Description On January 24, 2007, a minor cloud system blossomed in the Indian Ocean between Indonesia and northwestern Australia. The storm lacked the circulation of a tropical storm, so it never received a name. It did not strike any major populated centers, so it never was a news item. But newsworthy and fascinating are not always the same thing, and the symmetrical shape of the storm and the apparently expanding ring of cloud ripples shown in this image suggest some intriguing atmospheric physics in action. 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 January 24, 2007, at 10:10 a.m. local time (2:10 UTC). The circular cloud system in the image was driven by powerful thunderstorms that previously raged beneath the now-ragged cirrus clouds at the system's center. The clouds formed from an afternoon convection system, a vigorous overturning of the air that is common this time of year near Australia's tropical northern coast. The system traveled westward over Austalia's Northern Territory, eventually reaching the coast of Western Australia. Over the Indian Ocean, the cloud system grew rapidly, drawing warm, moist ocean air up into the top of the storm. At the top of this convection system, the air ceased to flow upward and spilled out into an expanding ring. This same process almost always occurs in thunderstorms, but in this case there appears to have been relatively constant wind through a deep layer of the atmosphere, allowing the uplifted air to spread out equally in all directions. The clouds at the top of the storm dispersed as an expanding disk of cirrus cloud. The outflowing air may also have disturbed and amplified existing clouds, making them more reflective. Increased reflection of sunlight makes the clouds seem more brightly white to the MODIS sensor. 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. Image interpretation provided by George Huffman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Thunderstorms over Brazil
Title Thunderstorms over Brazil
Description This photograph, acquired in February 1984 by an astronaut aboard the space shuttle, shows a series of mature thunderstorms located near the Parana River in southern Brazil. With abundant warm temperatures and moisture-laden air in this part of Brazil, large thunderstorms are commonplace. A number of overshooting tops and anvil clouds are visible at the tops of the clouds. Storms of this magnitude can drop large amounts of rainfall in a short period of time, causing flash floods. However, a NASA-funded researcher has discovered that tiny airborne particles of pollution may modify developing thunderclouds by increasing the quantity and reducing the size of the ice crystals within them. These modifications may affect the clouds? impact on the Earth?s ?radiation budget,? or the amount of radiation that enters and leaves our planet. Steven Sherwood, a professor at Yale University, found that airborne aerosols reduce the size of ice crystals in thunderclouds and may reduce precipitation as well. Using several satellites and instruments including NASA?s Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and NASA?s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, Sherwood observed how airborne pollution particles (aerosols) affect large thunderstorms, or cumulonimbus clouds in the tropics. Common aerosols include mineral dust, smoke, and sulfates. An increased number of these particles create a larger number of smaller ice crystals in cumulonimbus clouds. As a result of their smaller size, the ice crystals evaporate from a solid state directly into a gas, instead of falling as rain. Sherwood noted that this effect is more prevalent over land than open ocean areas. Previous research by Daniel Rosenfeld of Hebrew University revealed that aerosols and pollution reduced rainfall in shallow cumulus clouds of liquid water, which do not have the capability to produce as much rainfall. Sherwood expanded on that research by looking at cumulonimbus clouds with more ice particles. Studies have also proven that ice particles are smaller in the upper reaches of thunderclouds when there is more pollution and when the rising air in the clouds (convection) is stronger. Aerosols seem to have the most influence on seasonal and longer timescales such as during the warmer months when plants and undergrowth are burned to clear fields. Over areas where biomass burning occurs, such as South America, aerosols have been found to reduce the diameter of ice crystals in the clouds by as much as 20 percent. Areas over deserts, such as Africa's Sahel Region where dust is a primary aerosol, there was a 10 percent decrease in the diameter of ice crystals in cumulonimbus clouds. Aerosol particles are necessary for clouds to form, and it has been suspected that clouds might be altered by large concentrations of them. By looking at ten years of aerosol data and statistically analyzing many thunderclouds, Sherwood was able to confirm that they were affected. Sherwood found that ice, crystals are smaller in clouds over continents than oceans, which could be attributed to the amount of pollution generated over land. The highest values occur widely over Northern Africa, where desert dust and smoke from agricultural burning occur. Intermediate values prevail over much of Asia, through the Indonesia region and into the south Pacific. The largest ice crystal sizes were found over the eastern Pacific and southern Indian Oceans. Sherwood?s article, ?Aerosols and Ice Particle Size in Tropical Cumulonimbus,? appears in the May 1, 2002, issue of the American Meteorological Society "Journal of Climate". This work was performed under the NASA Earth Observing System/Interdisciplinary Science (IDS) program under the Earth Science Enterprise (ESE). Image STS41B-41-2347 [ http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/photoinfo.cgi?PHOTO=STS41B-41-2347 ] was provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/ ]
Fires on Borneo
Title Fires on Borneo
Description Scores of fires burning in Indonesia pumped out the thick haze seen in this photo-like satellite image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on September 10, 2006. Red dots mark the locations of the fires on the southern half of the island of Borneo. Scattered white clouds and a thick pall of grey-white haze obscure much of Borneo and the Java Sea to its west. Though the practice is now illegal in Indonesia, fire is frequently used as a tool to clear land for agriculture. During August 2006, more than eight million hectares of forest and additional farm land burned, reported the Agence France-Presse [ http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fires_Rage_As_Haze_Thickens_In_Borneo_999.html ] news service. The annual fires regularly cloak Indonesia and its neighbors, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, in thick smoke that can interrupt air and sea traffic. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]
Fires on Borneo
Title Fires on Borneo
Description Thick smoke hung over the island of Borneo when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead on October 5, 2006. The sensor detected scores of fires (locations marked in red) in the Kalimantan province of Indonesia, and smoke billowed northward over the Malaysian part of the island, as well. The fires occur annually in the dry season (August-October), caused mainly by land-clearing and other agricultural fires. Fires escape control and burn into forests and peat-swamp areas. Fires in peat—thick layers of dead, but un-decayed vegetation—are extremely smoky and difficult to put out. Some of the blazes will only be extinguished when the monsoon rains start in upcoming weeks. You can also download a 250 m resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2006/Borneo.A2006278.0250.250m.kmz ] (1.9 MB) for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team.
Fires on Borneo
Title Fires on Borneo
Description Thick smoke hung over the island of Borneo when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead on October 5, 2006. The sensor detected scores of fires (locations marked in red) in the Kalimantan province of Indonesia, and smoke billowed northward over the Malaysian part of the island, as well. The fires occur annually in the dry season (August-October), caused mainly by land-clearing and other agricultural fires. Fires escape control and burn into forests and peat-swamp areas. Fires in peat—thick layers of dead, but un-decayed vegetation—are extremely smoky and difficult to put out. Some of the blazes will only be extinguished when the monsoon rains start in upcoming weeks. You can also download a 250 m resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2006/Borneo.A2006278.0250.250m.kmz ] (1.9 MB) for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team.
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description On the island of Borneo, numerous fires were burning in the swampy, southern coastal region on October 4, 2004. The Kalimantan region of Indonesia occupies most of the central and southern portion of the island, and it is here that most of the fires (marked in red) are burning. The northern part of the island (not pictured) is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Smoke mixes with clouds over most of the scene. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description Since mid-August, fires have been burning off and on in southern Borneo, and a blanket of smoke has been drawn over the island. Most of the island is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, with the southern coastal areas originally home to lowland rainforests, peat swamp forests, and wetland areas. Degradation of these landscapes through unregulated and illegal logging, as well as intentional and accidental fire is a severe environmental and social problem for the country. In this image captured on October 11, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, thick smoke nearly hides the southern part of the island, and active fires detected by MODIS are marked in red. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response team.
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