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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/ ].
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/ ].
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.
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.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Flooding Starts to Break Que …
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The east coast of Australia …
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Sea Surface Temperature in W …
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Recent satellite measurement …
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Forest Change on New Ireland …
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Located north of Australia, …
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Forest Change on New Ireland …
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Forest Change on New Ireland …
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Located north of Australia, …
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Forest Change on New Ireland …
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Thunderstorm over the Indian …
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On January 24, 2007, a minor …
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Jason Satellite Observes Mil …
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In September 2006, NASA sate …
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creator NASA -- NASA image by Akiko Hayashi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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Jason Satellite Observes Mil …
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In September 2006, NASA sate …
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Plume from Gamkonora: Natura …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On July 7, 2007, the Gamkono …
gamkonora_amo_2007191
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-07-10
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier gamkonora_amo_2007191
Tectonic Uplift near Sumatra …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
nias_20000713_20050406
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-04-06
creator NASA -- NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ASTER Science Team
identifier nias_20000713_20050406
El Nino and Rainfall: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
At the end of 2006, East Afr …
precipanom_trmm_200611
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using rainfall data provided courtesy of the precip.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Global Precipitation Climatology Product team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
identifier precipanom_trmm_200611
Earth observations taken dur …
johnsonspacecentermediaarchi …
Earth observations taken dur …
STS079-781-050
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 1996-10-04
creator NASA
identifier STS079-781-050
Early Dry Season in Southeas …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In a typical monsoon season …
noaa_olrindochina_oct04
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2004
creator NASA -- NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA's www.ncep.noaa.gov/ National Center for Environmental Prediction .
identifier noaa_olrindochina_oct04
Early Dry Season in Southeas …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In a typical monsoon season …
noaa_olrindochina_oct04
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2004
creator NASA -- NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA's www.ncep.noaa.gov/ National Center for Environmental Prediction .
identifier noaa_olrindochina_oct04
Closeup of Anak Krakatau: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
On an atlas of the world, An …
krakatoa_iko_2003086
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2003-03-03
creator NASA -- NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on data copyright www.spaceimaging.com/ Space Imaging
identifier krakatoa_iko_2003086
Floods in East Africa: Natur …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
ethopia_tmo_2006305
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-11-01
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ethopia_tmo_2006305
North Reef Island, Andaman S …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
On December 26, 2004, one of …
nreefis_ast_2005035
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-02-04
creator NASA -- NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ASTER Science Team.
identifier nreefis_ast_2005035
Magnitude 6.3 quake in centr …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A powerful earthquake rattle …
merapi_srtm_2006146
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-05-26
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier merapi_srtm_2006146
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
La Nina Greenup Patterns: Im …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina's fingerprint is all …
ge_08575_02
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08575_02
Drought in Southeast Asia: N …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Little rain has fallen in So …
seasia_olra_tcer_feb2005
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-03-01
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier seasia_olra_tcer_feb2005
Drought in Southeast Asia: N …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Little rain has fallen in So …
seasia_olra_tcer_feb2005
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-03-01
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier seasia_olra_tcer_feb2005
El Nino Chills the Western P …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Stretching across nearly a t …
ssta_amsre_200611
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Chelle Gentemann, Remote Sensing Systems. AMSR-E was provided to the Aqua program by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
identifier ssta_amsre_200611
La Nina Rainfall Patterns: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina, the counterpart to …
ge_08420
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-12-19
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08420
La Nina Rainfall Patterns: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina, the counterpart to …
ge_08420
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-12-19
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08420
La Nina Rainfall Patterns: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
La Nina, the counterpart to …
ge_08420
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-12-19
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08420
Shaded Relief Mosaic of Umna …
PIA03509
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
Title Shaded Relief Mosaic of Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Original Caption Released with Image This image is a shaded relief mosaic of Umnak Island in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. It was created with Airsar data that was geocoded and combined into this mosaic as part of a NASA-funded Alaska Digital Elevation Model Project at the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility (ASF) at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. Airsar collected the Alaska data as part of its PacRim 2000 Mission, which took the instrument to French Polynesia, American and Western Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Hawaii and Alaska. Airsar, part of NASA's Airborne Science Program, is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by JPL. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Perspective View of Umnak Is …
PIA03508
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
Title Perspective View of Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (#2)
Original Caption Released with Image This image is a perspective view of Umnak Island, one of Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The active Okmok volcano appears in the center of the island. The image was created by draping a Landsat 7 Thematic Mapper image over a digital elevation mosaic derived from Airsar data. This work was conducted as part of a NASA-funded Alaska Digital Elevation Model Project at the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility (ASF) at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. Airsar collected the Alaska data as part of its PacRim 2000 Mission, which took the instrument to French Polynesia, American and Western Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Hawaii and Alaska. Airsar, part of NASA's Airborne Science Program, is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by JPL. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Perspective View of Umnak Is …
PIA03507
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
Title Perspective View of Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (#1)
Original Caption Released with Image This image is a perspective view of Umnak Island, one of Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The active Okmok volcano appears in the center of the island. The image was created by draping a Landsat 7 Thematic Mapper image over a digital elevation mosaic derived from Airsar data. This work was conducted as part of a NASA-funded Alaska Digital Elevation Model Project at the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility (ASF) at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. Airsar collected the Alaska data as part of its PacRim 2000 Mission, which took the instrument to French Polynesia, American and Western Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Hawaii and Alaska. Airsar, part of NASA's Airborne Science Program, is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by JPL. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Perspective View of Okmok Vo …
PIA03511
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
Title Perspective View of Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (#2)
Original Caption Released with Image This perspective view shows the caldera of the Okmok volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The shaded relief was generated from and draped over an Airsar-derived digital elevation mosaic. Airsar collected the Alaska data as part of its PacRim 2000 Mission, which took the instrument to French Polynesia, American and Western Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Hawaii and Alaska. Airsar, part of NASA's Airborne Science Program, is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by JPL. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Perspective View of Okmok Vo …
PIA03510
Sol (our sun)
AirSAR
Title Perspective View of Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (#1)
Original Caption Released with Image This perspective view shows the caldera of the Okmok volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The shaded relief was generated from and draped over an Airsar-derived digital elevation mosaic. Airsar collected the Alaska data as part of its PacRim 2000 Mission, which took the instrument to French Polynesia, American and Western Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Hawaii and Alaska. Airsar, part of NASA's Airborne Science Program, is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by JPL. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/At …
PIA09110
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
Title QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/Atmospheric Conditions at Time of Two Java Sea Disasters
Original Caption Released with Image . QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities., A ferry carrying more than 600 passengers sank in the Java Sea between the island of Java and Borneo 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 winds in this usually relatively calm region is poorly monitored and understood. However, ocean winds data from NASA's QuikScat satellite show potential for helping alleviate such deficiencies. Data obtained from QuikScat on December 30 and January 1 shed new insights into the atmospheric conditions at the time of these incidents. QuikScat data are available in near real time to operational weather forecasting agencies around the world. The data from December 30 and January 1 observed 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 strengthened as they were channeled through the land masses of Indonesia. The winds in the Java Sea remained strong through January 1, 2007. Associated with the eastward winds, twin cyclones (a counter-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere and a clockwise circulation in the Southern Hemisphere) were also observed by QuikScat, the stronger one 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. In this image from January 1, the different colors denote different wind speeds. White arrows are wind vectors showing both direction and speed. The large-scale, broad and simultaneous observations by QuikScat make it possible to put the local weather into the context of the large-scale circulation, and confirm one of the assumptions that links the cold surge of the Asian monsoon with tropical cyclones in the western Pacific. QuikScat, managed by JPL, measures ocean surface wind/stress by sending radar pulses to the surface and measuring the strength of the signals returned. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09110 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]
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