|
|
A Pop-up of the Arizona Fire
…
| Title |
A Pop-up of the Arizona Fires |
| Abstract |
RODEO AND CHEDISKI FIRES IN ARIZONA - On June 21, 2002, the Rodeo and Chediski Fires in east-central Arizona were still two separate fires. This true-color scene from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus aboard the Landsat 7 satellite shows the massive quantities of smoke streaming northward from the fires, which are burning about 100 miles east-northeast of Phoenix. The smaller Chediski Fire is on the right, and the Rodeo Fire is on the left. Over the weekend of June 22, the two fires merged into a single 300,000+ acre blaze. |
| Completed |
2002-06-24 |
|
A Pop-up of the Arizona Fire
…
| Title |
A Pop-up of the Arizona Fires |
| Abstract |
RODEO AND CHEDISKI FIRES IN ARIZONA - On June 21, 2002, the Rodeo and Chediski Fires in east-central Arizona were still two separate fires. This true-color scene from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus aboard the Landsat 7 satellite shows the massive quantities of smoke streaming northward from the fires, which are burning about 100 miles east-northeast of Phoenix. The smaller Chediski Fire is on the right, and the Rodeo Fire is on the left. Over the weekend of June 22, the two fires merged into a single 300,000+ acre blaze. |
| Completed |
2002-06-24 |
|
Great Zoom out of Channel Is
…
| Title |
Great Zoom out of Channel Islands, CA (Anacapa Island) |
| Abstract |
Using data from different spacecraft and some powerful computer technology, visualizers at the Goddard Space Flight Center present you with a collection of American cities in a way you have never seen them before. Starting with our camera high above the Earth, we rush in towards the surface at what would be an impossible speed for any known vehicle. Passing though layers of atmosphere, the colors of our destinations shimmer with their own unique characteristics, and suddenly we find ourselves floating in virtual space just above the ground. This particular zoom was created in support of a JASON project video for NASA/GSFC/Code 935. |
| Completed |
2003-01-08 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of and extension to animation ID #3374. In this version, a pause is added on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier in order to highlight the meltwater lakes visible on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and text indicate different regions of the glacier before the calving lines are shown. After the calving front retreat, an additional segment shows a zoom to a global view. During the pull out, historic calving front locations are shown followed by a color overlay showing regions of increase and decrease in the Greenland ice sheet. |
| Completed |
2007-07-20 |
|
Great Zoom into Channel Isla
…
| Title |
Great Zoom into Channel Islands, CA (Anacapa Island) |
| Abstract |
Using data from different spacecraft and some powerful computer technology, visualizers at the Goddard Space Flight Center present you with a collection of American cities in a way you have never seen them before. Starting with our camera high above the Earth, we rush in towards the surface at what would be an impossible speed for any known vehicle. Passing though layers of atmosphere, the colors of our destinations shimmer with their own unique characteristics, and suddenly we find ourselves floating in virtual space just above the ground. This particular zoom was created in support of a JASON project video for NASA/GSFC/Code 935. |
| Completed |
2003-01-08 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 with Blue/White Elevation Change over Greenland |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier gradually receded until about 1950, where it remained stable for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of, and extension to, animation IDs #3374 and #3434. In this version, the pause on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier where the meltwater lakes on the Greenland ice sheet are visible is shortened. In addition, the colors showing regions of elevation increase and decrease over the Greenland ice sheet are modified. |
| Completed |
2007-09-27 |
|
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier C
…
| Title |
Updated Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Retreat from 2001 through 2006 with Blue/White Elevation Change over Greenland |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier gradually receded until about 1950, where it remained stable for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, ocean sea levels raise. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. This animation is an update of, and extension to, animation IDs #3374 and #3434. In this version, the pause on the approach to the Jakobshavn glacier where the meltwater lakes on the Greenland ice sheet are visible is shortened. In addition, the colors showing regions of elevation increase and decrease over the Greenland ice sheet are modified. |
| Completed |
2007-09-27 |
|
Byrd Glacier Exhibit
| Title |
Byrd Glacier Exhibit |
| Abstract |
A physical model of this visualization is on display at the National Geographic Explorers Hall Museum in Washington D.C. 'Byrd Glacier plunges through a deep valley in the Transatlantic Mountains and onto the Ross Ice Shelf, dropping more than 4,300 feet over a distance of 112 miles. It remains a distinct ice stream all the way to the edge of the shelf, some 260 miles from the foot of the mountains to the open sea.' -National Geographic Magazine, February 2002 |
| Completed |
2001-07-13 |
|
Byrd Glacier Exhibit
| Title |
Byrd Glacier Exhibit |
| Abstract |
A physical model of this visualization is on display at the National Geographic Explorers Hall Museum in Washington D.C. 'Byrd Glacier plunges through a deep valley in the Transatlantic Mountains and onto the Ross Ice Shelf, dropping more than 4,300 feet over a distance of 112 miles. It remains a distinct ice stream all the way to the edge of the shelf, some 260 miles from the foot of the mountains to the open sea.' -National Geographic Magazine, February 2002 |
| Completed |
2001-07-13 |
|
Byrd Glacier Exhibit
| Title |
Byrd Glacier Exhibit |
| Abstract |
A physical model of this visualization is on display at the National Geographic Explorers Hall Museum in Washington D.C. 'Byrd Glacier plunges through a deep valley in the Transatlantic Mountains and onto the Ross Ice Shelf, dropping more than 4,300 feet over a distance of 112 miles. It remains a distinct ice stream all the way to the edge of the shelf, some 260 miles from the foot of the mountains to the open sea.' -National Geographic Magazine, February 2002 |
| Completed |
2001-07-13 |
|
Mount Kilimanjaro's Vanishin
…
| Title |
Mount Kilimanjaro's Vanishing Snow Cap (WMS) |
| Abstract |
During the last few decades, the permanent snow and ice on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro has almost completely disappeared, at the rate of about a foot and a half of glacial ice lost per year. This loss is primarily due to increasing average annual temperatures in the region, and scientists are speculating that the glaciers could be completely gone from Kilimanjaro by the year 2015. This ice cap formed more than 11,000 years ago, and 80% of the ice fields have been lost in only the last century. The shrinkage is illustrated here in Landsat images from 1993, 2000, and 2002, with the 1993 image showing a significant ice cap and the more recent images showing only small glaciers and snow regions remaining. |
| Completed |
2005-03-07 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacial Floe
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacial Floe |
| Abstract |
Jakobshavn Isbrae holds the record as Greenland's fastest moving glacier and major contributor to the mass balance of the continental ice sheet. Starting in late 2000, following a period of slowing down in the mid 1990s, the glacier showed significant acceleration and nearly doubled its discharge of ice. |
| Completed |
2004-11-30 |
|
Retreating Glaciers Spur Ala
…
| Title |
Retreating Glaciers Spur Alaskan Earthquakes |
| Abstract |
The study examined the likelihood of increased earthquake activity in southern Alaska as a result of rapidly melting glaciers. As glaciers melt they lighten the load on the Earth's crust. Tectonic plates, that are mobile pieces of the Earth's crust, can then move more freely. |
| Completed |
2004-07-30 |
|
Retreating Glaciers Spur Ala
…
| Title |
Retreating Glaciers Spur Alaskan Earthquakes |
| Abstract |
The study examined the likelihood of increased earthquake activity in southern Alaska as a result of rapidly melting glaciers. As glaciers melt they lighten the load on the Earth's crust. Tectonic plates, that are mobile pieces of the Earth's crust, can then move more freely. |
| Completed |
2004-07-30 |
|
Retreating Glaciers Spur Ala
…
| Title |
Retreating Glaciers Spur Alaskan Earthquakes |
| Abstract |
The study examined the likelihood of increased earthquake activity in southern Alaska as a result of rapidly melting glaciers. As glaciers melt they lighten the load on the Earth's crust. Tectonic plates, that are mobile pieces of the Earth's crust, can then move more freely. |
| Completed |
2004-07-30 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving F
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Recession from 1850 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Jakobshavn Isbrae is located on the west coast of Greenland at Latitude 69 N. The ice front, where the glacier calves into the sea, receded more than 40 km between 1850 and 2006. Between 1850 and 1964 the ice front retreated at a steady rate of about 0.3 km/yr, after which it occupied approximately the same location until 2001, when the ice front began to recede again, but far more rapidly at about 3 km/yr. After 2004, the glacier began retreating up its two main tributaries: one to the north, and a more rapid one to the southeast. These changes are important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it causes a rise in sea level. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of the ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. |
| Completed |
2006-12-18 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving F
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Recession from 1850 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Jakobshavn Isbrae is located on the west coast of Greenland at Latitude 69 N. The ice front, where the glacier calves into the sea, receded more than 40 km between 1850 and 2006. Between 1850 and 1964 the ice front retreated at a steady rate of about 0.3 km/yr, after which it occupied approximately the same location until 2001, when the ice front began to recede again, but far more rapidly at about 3 km/yr. After 2004, the glacier began retreating up its two main tributaries: one to the north, and a more rapid one to the southeast. These changes are important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it causes a rise in sea level. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of the ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. |
| Completed |
2006-12-18 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving F
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Calving Front Recession from 1850 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Jakobshavn Isbrae is located on the west coast of Greenland at Latitude 69 N. The ice front, where the glacier calves into the sea, receded more than 40 km between 1850 and 2006. Between 1850 and 1964 the ice front retreated at a steady rate of about 0.3 km/yr, after which it occupied approximately the same location until 2001, when the ice front began to recede again, but far more rapidly at about 3 km/yr. After 2004, the glacier began retreating up its two main tributaries: one to the north, and a more rapid one to the southeast. These changes are important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it causes a rise in sea level. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of the ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. |
| Completed |
2006-12-18 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in t
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in the year 2000 and Calving Front Retreat from 2001 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it raises sea levels. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. |
| Completed |
2006-09-12 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in t
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in the year 2000 and Calving Front Retreat from 2001 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it raises sea levels. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. |
| Completed |
2006-09-12 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in t
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in the year 2000 and Calving Front Retreat from 2001 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it raises sea levels. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. |
| Completed |
2006-09-12 |
|
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in t
…
| Title |
Jakobshavn Glacier Flow in the year 2000 and Calving Front Retreat from 2001 to 2006 |
| Abstract |
Since measurements of Jakobshavn Isbrae were first taken in 1850, the glacier has gradually receded, finally coming to rest at a certain point for the past 5 decades. However, from 1997 to 2006, the glacier has begun to recede again, this time almost doubling in speed. The finding is important for many reasons. As more ice moves from glaciers on land into the ocean, it raises sea levels. Jakobshavn Isbrae is Greenland's largest outlet glacier, draining 6.5 percent of Greenland's ice sheet area. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about .06 millimeters (about .002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level increase. This animation shows the glacier's flow in 2000, along with changes in the glacier's calving front between 2001 and 2006. |
| Completed |
2006-09-12 |
|
Blackjack Bay Fire in Okefen
…
| Title |
Blackjack Bay Fire in Okefenokee Refuge |
| Description |
Fires have been raging in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia since early this month. Three fires, collectively known as the Blackjack Bay Complex Fire, have burned over 95,000 acres in the 400,000 acre refuge. This has affected not only the refuge, but also neighboring private timberland and Stephen Foster State Park. The state park has been closed due to smoke and fire hazard since May 8. Firefighters and natural resource managers for the most part have been allowing the fires to take their natural course through the refuge, while still protecting structures, roads and private property. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on May 15, 2002. This is a false-color composite using infrared, near-infrared, and green wavelengths. The green areas show lush vegetation while dark brown areas are burn scars from the fires. The large scar in the center of the image is the Blackjack 02 Fire. The smaller scars to the northwest and southeast are the Bay Creek and Number One Island Fires, respectively. Over the weekend, wet and cloudy weather dampened fire activity, and gave firefighters a much needed break. Expected dry weather will keep fire management personnel vigilant this week. The fires were allowed to burn because fire is part of the natural cycle in the swamp, with major fires coming roughly every 30 to 50 years. Like this current one, most fires in the area are started by lightning. A very strong burn clears out vegetation and opens up new prairie spaces, interrupting the succession of plants that would otherwise lead to dominance of cypress, black gums, and bay trees, turning the area from a wetland into a woodland. Fire also releases nutrients locked up in the vegetation back into the soil, fertilizing the next cycle of growth. Although the area is largely swampland and the vegetation is green, it can be very flammable. Much of the ground is peat and can be as much as 15 feet deep. With dry conditions this past winter and spring, enough of the peat is dried out that surface fires can burn through the soil. Image obtained from the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
|
Colima Volcano Erupts in Mex
…
| Title |
Colima Volcano Erupts in Mexico |
| Description |
Located roughly 300 miles (485 km) west of Mexico City, Colima Volcano began spewing red-hot rocks down its slopes on February 5, 2002. The volcano had been issuing smoke, ash, and vapor for days prior to the eruption. This true-color image of the ?Volcano of Fire? was acquired on May 13, 1999, by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, flying aboard Landsat 7. Authorities evacuated the residents of Yerbabuena, a small town located within 25 miles from the volcano. According to volcanologists, there is a huge dome of lava inside the Colima Volcano?s crater that could either collapse or explode, either way sending rivers of molten rock pouring out into the surrounding countryside. Colima volcano is considered to be the most active and, potentially, the most destructive of all nine volcanoes located in central Mexico. Image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the Landsat 7 Science Team [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Earthquake Near San Simeon,
…
| Title |
Earthquake Near San Simeon, California |
| Description |
On the first day of winter, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rumbled along the central California coast. In general terms, the tectonic activity of central California is caused by the northwestward slide of the plate of rock underlying the Pacific Ocean against the plate underlying North America. Most of the force of these two plates grinding past each other is borne at major strike-slip faults (where adjacent sides of the fault move horizontally), such as the San Andreas fault. But occasionally compression in the blocks of rock that make up the plates causes parts of the plate to get forced upward against the force of gravity, in a process called reverse faulting. The preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey is that the December 22, 2003, quake centered 6 miles northwest of San Simeon was the result of reverse faulting in the Oceanic fault zone in the Santa Lucia Mountains. This region has experienced numerous small and moderate earthquakes in the time geologists have been monitoring the region, with the most severe being a magnitude 6.2 earthquake of November 1952. The earthquake region is pictured here in this Landsat satellite image from April 19, 2002. According to news reports, numerous aftershocks greater than magnitude 4.0 were still rattling the region on Tuesday, December 23. Media reports are that at least two people were killed by the collapse of buildings in the historic town of Paso Robles. Dozens more people were injured, while roads, power grids, and other infrastructure suffered damage as well. The nearby historic Heart Castle with its large art collection suffered little damage. According to the "Los Angeles Times", this was the state?s largest earthquake since 1999. Image by Robert Simmon, based on Landsat data provided by the Global Land Cover Facility, [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] University of Maryland. |
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Kolka Glacier Before Collaps
…
| Title |
Kolka Glacier Before Collapse |
| Description |
On September 20, 2002, the Kolka Glacier in the Caucasus Mountains collapsed under the slopes of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh. By volume of transported ice, mud, and debris (up to 140 million cubic meters in total) this is the largest known disaster involving glaciers. After the event, scientists made field trips to the area and analyzed many satellite images to determine the depth, area, and speed of the debris flow. (See The Collapse of the Kolka Glacier. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Kolka/ ]) But the exact cause of the disaster remained a mystery. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument onboard NASA's Landsat 7 satellite provided images of the Kolka collapse site on August 19, September 4, and September 20, 2002, which were not used during the initial disaster analysis. The September 20 image was taken about 11:31 a.m. local time?eight and a half hours before the glacier disintegrated and raced down the valley, killing 125 people. In these images, snow and ice are bright blue, clouds are white, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is pink, and vegetation is bright green. In the two earlier images, the Kolka itself doesn't appear blue because the surface of the glacier is dirty. By September 20, fresh snow had fallen. Photographs and field observations both before and after the event documented rock and ice falls off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh onto Kolka Glacier, but how much had fallen in the months and years before the disaster and how much just hours before was unknown. The ETM+ data allowed Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University [ http://www.msu.ru/en/ ] and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring [ http://www.ucegm.front.ru/index_eng.htm ], ground, and aerial imagery, as well as with their experience of ten field trips to the area both before and after the collapse., to make the first estimates of the area of rock falls and hanging glaciers that fell onto Kolka shortly before the disaster. The image from August 19 shows two types of debris covering the southwestern end of Kolka: rock falls and a large ice fall from a hanging glacier on the slopes above Kolka. The total area of the collapsed rock and ice on August 19 amounted to about 0.55 square kilometers (135 acres). On September 4, increasing trains of debris had progressed across the glacier, covering most of its rear part. The September 20 image reveals that a huge rock fall slid off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh and covered about 0.17 square kilometers (42 acres) of the Kolka Glacier surface. The glacier and adjacent slopes are blanketed with new snow, but the snow is covered by the fresh rock fall. By the morning of September 20, the hanging glacier above the Kolka had entirely collapsed, bringing the amount of ice falls on Kolka Glacier in the month before the collapse to 0.34 square kilometers (84 acres). The September 20 image shows one more important detail: a surface rise, abruptly ending to the north. The height of this rise, which the scientists calculated from the shadows it casts, ranges from 40 to 70 meters (131-230 feet). This rise may be an accumulation of rock and ice fall deposits, covered by new snow, or it may be caused by a deformation of the glacier from the repeated impact of falling ice and rock. The rock and ice falls were hitting the south-west corner of the glacier like a billiard-cue striking a ball, and the weight of fallen rock and ice was probably pressing the glacier out to the north. Although rock and ice falls are the usual feed mechanisms for Kolka Glacier, in 2002 they reached an extremely high volume, overloaded the glacier, and forced it to plunge out of its bed in the evening of September 20. Falls continued after the disaster. In the summer of 2003, Chernomorets, Tutubalina and Petrakov observed rock debris continuously falling off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh, and occasional falls of ice blocks. In the summer of 2004, the falls still continued, though less frequently. In winter and spring, avalanches bring abundant snow into the Kolka Glacier cirque. The snow alternates with layers of falling debris and gradually turns into ice. The glacier is reborn and slowly gathers strength for a new jump forward. The images use infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ETM+ bands 5, 4, and 2 respectively). The image has also been sharpened with the high-resolution panchromatic band. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the Landsat Project Science Office and the USGS Earth Resources Data Center. Image analysis and story provided by Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring. The scientists examined the new data along with a large archive of |
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Kolka Glacier Before Collaps
…
| Title |
Kolka Glacier Before Collapse |
| Description |
On September 20, 2002, the Kolka Glacier in the Caucasus Mountains collapsed under the slopes of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh. By volume of transported ice, mud, and debris (up to 140 million cubic meters in total) this is the largest known disaster involving glaciers. After the event, scientists made field trips to the area and analyzed many satellite images to determine the depth, area, and speed of the debris flow. (See The Collapse of the Kolka Glacier. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Kolka/ ]) But the exact cause of the disaster remained a mystery. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument onboard NASA's Landsat 7 satellite provided images of the Kolka collapse site on August 19, September 4, and September 20, 2002, which were not used during the initial disaster analysis. The September 20 image was taken about 11:31 a.m. local time?eight and a half hours before the glacier disintegrated and raced down the valley, killing 125 people. In these images, snow and ice are bright blue, clouds are white, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is pink, and vegetation is bright green. In the two earlier images, the Kolka itself doesn't appear blue because the surface of the glacier is dirty. By September 20, fresh snow had fallen. Photographs and field observations both before and after the event documented rock and ice falls off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh onto Kolka Glacier, but how much had fallen in the months and years before the disaster and how much just hours before was unknown. The ETM+ data allowed Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University [ http://www.msu.ru/en/ ] and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring [ http://www.ucegm.front.ru/index_eng.htm ], ground, and aerial imagery, as well as with their experience of ten field trips to the area both before and after the collapse., to make the first estimates of the area of rock falls and hanging glaciers that fell onto Kolka shortly before the disaster. The image from August 19 shows two types of debris covering the southwestern end of Kolka: rock falls and a large ice fall from a hanging glacier on the slopes above Kolka. The total area of the collapsed rock and ice on August 19 amounted to about 0.55 square kilometers (135 acres). On September 4, increasing trains of debris had progressed across the glacier, covering most of its rear part. The September 20 image reveals that a huge rock fall slid off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh and covered about 0.17 square kilometers (42 acres) of the Kolka Glacier surface. The glacier and adjacent slopes are blanketed with new snow, but the snow is covered by the fresh rock fall. By the morning of September 20, the hanging glacier above the Kolka had entirely collapsed, bringing the amount of ice falls on Kolka Glacier in the month before the collapse to 0.34 square kilometers (84 acres). The September 20 image shows one more important detail: a surface rise, abruptly ending to the north. The height of this rise, which the scientists calculated from the shadows it casts, ranges from 40 to 70 meters (131-230 feet). This rise may be an accumulation of rock and ice fall deposits, covered by new snow, or it may be caused by a deformation of the glacier from the repeated impact of falling ice and rock. The rock and ice falls were hitting the south-west corner of the glacier like a billiard-cue striking a ball, and the weight of fallen rock and ice was probably pressing the glacier out to the north. Although rock and ice falls are the usual feed mechanisms for Kolka Glacier, in 2002 they reached an extremely high volume, overloaded the glacier, and forced it to plunge out of its bed in the evening of September 20. Falls continued after the disaster. In the summer of 2003, Chernomorets, Tutubalina and Petrakov observed rock debris continuously falling off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh, and occasional falls of ice blocks. In the summer of 2004, the falls still continued, though less frequently. In winter and spring, avalanches bring abundant snow into the Kolka Glacier cirque. The snow alternates with layers of falling debris and gradually turns into ice. The glacier is reborn and slowly gathers strength for a new jump forward. The images use infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ETM+ bands 5, 4, and 2 respectively). The image has also been sharpened with the high-resolution panchromatic band. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the Landsat Project Science Office and the USGS Earth Resources Data Center. Image analysis and story provided by Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring. The scientists examined the new data along with a large archive of |
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Kolka Glacier Before Collaps
…
| Title |
Kolka Glacier Before Collapse |
| Description |
On September 20, 2002, the Kolka Glacier in the Caucasus Mountains collapsed under the slopes of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh. By volume of transported ice, mud, and debris (up to 140 million cubic meters in total) this is the largest known disaster involving glaciers. After the event, scientists made field trips to the area and analyzed many satellite images to determine the depth, area, and speed of the debris flow. (See The Collapse of the Kolka Glacier. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Kolka/ ]) But the exact cause of the disaster remained a mystery. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument onboard NASA's Landsat 7 satellite provided images of the Kolka collapse site on August 19, September 4, and September 20, 2002, which were not used during the initial disaster analysis. The September 20 image was taken about 11:31 a.m. local time?eight and a half hours before the glacier disintegrated and raced down the valley, killing 125 people. In these images, snow and ice are bright blue, clouds are white, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is pink, and vegetation is bright green. In the two earlier images, the Kolka itself doesn't appear blue because the surface of the glacier is dirty. By September 20, fresh snow had fallen. Photographs and field observations both before and after the event documented rock and ice falls off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh onto Kolka Glacier, but how much had fallen in the months and years before the disaster and how much just hours before was unknown. The ETM+ data allowed Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University [ http://www.msu.ru/en/ ] and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring [ http://www.ucegm.front.ru/index_eng.htm ], ground, and aerial imagery, as well as with their experience of ten field trips to the area both before and after the collapse., to make the first estimates of the area of rock falls and hanging glaciers that fell onto Kolka shortly before the disaster. The image from August 19 shows two types of debris covering the southwestern end of Kolka: rock falls and a large ice fall from a hanging glacier on the slopes above Kolka. The total area of the collapsed rock and ice on August 19 amounted to about 0.55 square kilometers (135 acres). On September 4, increasing trains of debris had progressed across the glacier, covering most of its rear part. The September 20 image reveals that a huge rock fall slid off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh and covered about 0.17 square kilometers (42 acres) of the Kolka Glacier surface. The glacier and adjacent slopes are blanketed with new snow, but the snow is covered by the fresh rock fall. By the morning of September 20, the hanging glacier above the Kolka had entirely collapsed, bringing the amount of ice falls on Kolka Glacier in the month before the collapse to 0.34 square kilometers (84 acres). The September 20 image shows one more important detail: a surface rise, abruptly ending to the north. The height of this rise, which the scientists calculated from the shadows it casts, ranges from 40 to 70 meters (131-230 feet). This rise may be an accumulation of rock and ice fall deposits, covered by new snow, or it may be caused by a deformation of the glacier from the repeated impact of falling ice and rock. The rock and ice falls were hitting the south-west corner of the glacier like a billiard-cue striking a ball, and the weight of fallen rock and ice was probably pressing the glacier out to the north. Although rock and ice falls are the usual feed mechanisms for Kolka Glacier, in 2002 they reached an extremely high volume, overloaded the glacier, and forced it to plunge out of its bed in the evening of September 20. Falls continued after the disaster. In the summer of 2003, Chernomorets, Tutubalina and Petrakov observed rock debris continuously falling off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh, and occasional falls of ice blocks. In the summer of 2004, the falls still continued, though less frequently. In winter and spring, avalanches bring abundant snow into the Kolka Glacier cirque. The snow alternates with layers of falling debris and gradually turns into ice. The glacier is reborn and slowly gathers strength for a new jump forward. The images use infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ETM+ bands 5, 4, and 2 respectively). The image has also been sharpened with the high-resolution panchromatic band. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the Landsat Project Science Office and the USGS Earth Resources Data Center. Image analysis and story provided by Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring. The scientists examined the new data along with a large archive of |
|
Kolka Glacier Before Collaps
…
| Title |
Kolka Glacier Before Collapse |
| Description |
On September 20, 2002, the Kolka Glacier in the Caucasus Mountains collapsed under the slopes of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh. By volume of transported ice, mud, and debris (up to 140 million cubic meters in total) this is the largest known disaster involving glaciers. After the event, scientists made field trips to the area and analyzed many satellite images to determine the depth, area, and speed of the debris flow. (See The Collapse of the Kolka Glacier. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Kolka/ ]) But the exact cause of the disaster remained a mystery. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument onboard NASA's Landsat 7 satellite provided images of the Kolka collapse site on August 19, September 4, and September 20, 2002, which were not used during the initial disaster analysis. The September 20 image was taken about 11:31 a.m. local time?eight and a half hours before the glacier disintegrated and raced down the valley, killing 125 people. In these images, snow and ice are bright blue, clouds are white, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is pink, and vegetation is bright green. In the two earlier images, the Kolka itself doesn't appear blue because the surface of the glacier is dirty. By September 20, fresh snow had fallen. Photographs and field observations both before and after the event documented rock and ice falls off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh onto Kolka Glacier, but how much had fallen in the months and years before the disaster and how much just hours before was unknown. The ETM+ data allowed Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University [ http://www.msu.ru/en/ ] and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring [ http://www.ucegm.front.ru/index_eng.htm ], ground, and aerial imagery, as well as with their experience of ten field trips to the area both before and after the collapse., to make the first estimates of the area of rock falls and hanging glaciers that fell onto Kolka shortly before the disaster. The image from August 19 shows two types of debris covering the southwestern end of Kolka: rock falls and a large ice fall from a hanging glacier on the slopes above Kolka. The total area of the collapsed rock and ice on August 19 amounted to about 0.55 square kilometers (135 acres). On September 4, increasing trains of debris had progressed across the glacier, covering most of its rear part. The September 20 image reveals that a huge rock fall slid off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh and covered about 0.17 square kilometers (42 acres) of the Kolka Glacier surface. The glacier and adjacent slopes are blanketed with new snow, but the snow is covered by the fresh rock fall. By the morning of September 20, the hanging glacier above the Kolka had entirely collapsed, bringing the amount of ice falls on Kolka Glacier in the month before the collapse to 0.34 square kilometers (84 acres). The September 20 image shows one more important detail: a surface rise, abruptly ending to the north. The height of this rise, which the scientists calculated from the shadows it casts, ranges from 40 to 70 meters (131-230 feet). This rise may be an accumulation of rock and ice fall deposits, covered by new snow, or it may be caused by a deformation of the glacier from the repeated impact of falling ice and rock. The rock and ice falls were hitting the south-west corner of the glacier like a billiard-cue striking a ball, and the weight of fallen rock and ice was probably pressing the glacier out to the north. Although rock and ice falls are the usual feed mechanisms for Kolka Glacier, in 2002 they reached an extremely high volume, overloaded the glacier, and forced it to plunge out of its bed in the evening of September 20. Falls continued after the disaster. In the summer of 2003, Chernomorets, Tutubalina and Petrakov observed rock debris continuously falling off the wall of Mt. Dzhimarai-khokh, and occasional falls of ice blocks. In the summer of 2004, the falls still continued, though less frequently. In winter and spring, avalanches bring abundant snow into the Kolka Glacier cirque. The snow alternates with layers of falling debris and gradually turns into ice. The glacier is reborn and slowly gathers strength for a new jump forward. The images use infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ETM+ bands 5, 4, and 2 respectively). The image has also been sharpened with the high-resolution panchromatic band. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the Landsat Project Science Office and the USGS Earth Resources Data Center. Image analysis and story provided by Olga Tutubalina, Sergey Chernomorets and Dmitry Petrakov from the Moscow State University and the University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring. The scientists examined the new data along with a large archive of |
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Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand
| Title |
Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand |
| Description |
All around the world, people live in places where the threat of natural disaster is high. On the North Island of New Zealand, the Mount Ruapehu volcano is just such a threat. A towering, active stratovolcano (the classic cone-shaped volcano), snow-capped Ruapehu Volcano is pictured in this enhanced-color image. The image is made from topography data collected by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000, and imagery collected by the Landsat satellite on October 23, 2002. Ruapehu is one of New Zealand?s most active volcanoes, with ten eruptions since 1861. The eruptions aren?t the only threat from the volcano, however. Among the most serious threats is a volcanic mudflow called a lahar. In between eruptions, a lake forms in the volcano?s caldera from melting snow. If a previous eruption has deposited a dam of ash, rocks and mud in the lake?s natural overflow point, then the lake becomes dangerously full, held back only by the temporary dam. In this scene, the lake is nestled among the ridges at the top of the volcano. Eventually, the dam gives way and a massive flow of mud and debris churns down the mountain toward farmland and towns below. Scientists estimate that Ruapehu has experienced 60 lahars in the last 150 years. A devastating lahar in 1953 killed more than 150 people, who died when a passenger train plunged into a ravine when a railroad bridge was taken out by the lahar. The flank of the volcano below the lake is deeply carved by the path of previous lahars, the gouge can be seen just left of image center. Currently scientists in the region are predicting that the lake will overflow in a lahar sometime in the next year. There is great controversy about how to deal with the threat. News reports from the region indicate that the government is planning to invest in a high-tech warning system that will alert those who might be affected well in advance of any catastrophic release. Others feel that the government should combat the threat through engineering at the top of the mountain, for example, by undertaking a controlled release of the lake. Landsat data provided courtesy of the University of Maryland Global Land Cover Facility [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] Landsat processing by Laura Rocchio, Landsat Project Science Office SRTM 3-arcsecond elevation data courtesy of SRTM Team [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ ] NASA/JPL/NIMA Visualization created by Earth Observatory staff. |
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New York City
| Title |
New York City |
| Description |
The southern end of Manhattan, as well as Ellis Island, New Jersey, and Queens are visible in this image from a perfectly clear day in September, 2002. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts in
…
| Title |
Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts in the Congo |
| Description |
Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano situated on the Eastern African Rift, it is part of Africa?s Virunga Volcanic Chain. In a massive eruption that occurred on January 17, 2002, Nyiragongo sent a vast plume of smoke and ash skyward, and three swifly-moving rivers of lava streaming down its western and eastern flanks. Previous lava flows from Nyiragongo have been observed moving at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (60 kph). The lava flows from the January 17 eruption destroyed more than 14 villages in the surrounding countryside, forcing tens of thousands to flee into the neighboring country of Rwanda. Within one day the lava ran to the city of Goma, situated on the northern shore of Lake Kivu about 12 miles (19 km) south of Nyiragongo. The lava cut a 200 foot (60 meter) wide swath right through Goma, setting off many fires, as it ran into Lake Kivu. Goma, the most heavily populated city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to about 400,000 people. Most of these citizens were forced to flee, while many have begun to return to their homes only to find their homes destroyed. This true-color scene was captured by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), flying aboard the Landsat 7 satellite, on December 11, 2001, just over a month before the most recent eruption. Nyiragongo?s large crater is clearly visible in the image. As recently as June 1994, there was a large lava lake in the volcano?s crater which had since solidified. The larger Nyamuragira Volcano is located roughly 13 miles (21 km) to the north of Nyiragongo. Nyamuragira last erupted in February and March 2001. That eruption was also marked by columns of erupted ash and long fluid lava flows, some of which are apparent in the image as dark greyish swaths radiating away from Nyamuragira. Both peaks are also notorious for releasing large amounts of sulfur dioxide, which presents another health hazard to people and animals living in close proximity. Image by Robert Simmon, based on data supplied by the NASA GSFC Landsat 7 Science Team [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Pinacate Biosphere Reserve
| Title |
Pinacate Biosphere Reserve |
| Description |
Pinacate National Park and Biosphere Reserve is a 770-square-mile (2,000-square-kilometer) volcanic field in the Sonora province of Mexico, near the Arizona border. Surrounded by the Sonora Desert, this field contains more than 300 volcanic vents and cinder cones, including at least 10 maar craters. Maar eruptions are a rare form of volcano that erupts violently when rising magma meets underground water, producing a pocket of highly pressurized steam that blows a nearly circular hole in the crust above. The largest crater in the Pinacate Field is Cerro Elegante, a maar crater about a kilometer in diameter. Though parts of Pinacate are so barren and other-worldy that the area served as a training ground for moonward-bound astronauts, many places do support plant and animal life, including creosote bushes, prickly pear cactus, ironwood trees, the Gila woodpecker, and the Rufous hummingbird. This image of the park was captured by the Landsat 7 satellite on December 5, 2002, using bands 7, 5, and 2. The dark cinders covering the lava plain dominate the center of the scene, and numerous circular craters are visible. To the south, the sands of the Sonora Desert are carved into sinuous dunes. At top center, a diagonal gray line marks a road that runs toward the Mexico-U.S. border. Image courtesy the USGS Landsat Project. |
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Rocky Mountain Fires
| Title |
Rocky Mountain Fires |
| Description |
This Landsat image of the area of the Hayman fire in Colorado was taken on July 16, 2002. Vegetation appears red and burn scar appears black in the false-color image (top). The lower image shows burn intensity, with green corresponding to least burned areas and red indicated most burned areas. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch |
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Rocky Mountain Fires
| Title |
Rocky Mountain Fires |
| Description |
This Landsat image of the area of the Hayman fire in Colorado was taken on July 16, 2002. Vegetation appears red and burn scar appears black in the false-color image (top). The lower image shows burn intensity, with green corresponding to least burned areas and red indicated most burned areas. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch |
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Rodeo and Chediski Fires in
…
| Title |
Rodeo and Chediski Fires in Arizona |
| Description |
On June 21, 2002, the Rodeo and Chediski Fires in east-central Arizona were still two separate fires. This false-color scene from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus aboard the Landsat 7 satellite shows the active perimeter of the fires in yellow, vegetation in green, burned areas in pinkish-green, and smoke in blue. In this image, the smaller Chediski Fire is on the left, and the Rodeo Fire is on the right. The fires, which are burning about 100 miles east-northeast of Phoenix, merged over the June 22 weekend.True-color version [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=3752 ] Image courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory Rapid Response Team |
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Rodeo and Chediski Fires in
…
| Title |
Rodeo and Chediski Fires in Arizona |
| Description |
On June 21, 2002, the Rodeo and Chediski Fires in east-central Arizona were still two separate fires. This true-color scene from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus aboard the Landsat 7 satellite shows the massive quantities of smoke streaming northward from the fires, which are burning about 100 miles east-northeast of Phoenix. The smaller Chediski Fire is on the left, and the Rodeo Fire is on the right. Over the weekend of June 22, the two fires merged into a single 300,000+ acre blaze. False-color version Image courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory Rapid Response Team |
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Rodeo and Chediski Fires in
…
| Title |
Rodeo and Chediski Fires in Arizona |
| Description |
This image from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) shows the combined Rodeo and Chediski Fires on June 29, 2002. The eastern part of the fire was the Rodeo Fire and the western was the Chediski Fire. The two large fires, one allegedly due to arson, and the other by a lost hiker, consumed almost half a million acres. The combined fire was the largest and most expensive fire in Arizona?s known history, costing more than $30 million before it was contained. In this false-color image, vegetation appears bright green and burned areas are deep red. Landsat ETM+ captured the fires? succession over three weeks (see links below.) June 21, 2002July 7, 2002 Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Rodeo and Chediski Fires in
…
| Title |
Rodeo and Chediski Fires in Arizona |
| Description |
This image from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) shows the Rodeo-Chediski Fire on July 7, 2002. The result of two large fires that combined into a single blaze, the fire consumed almost half a million acres, and was the largest and most expensive fire in Arizona?s known history, costing more than $30 million before it was contained. In this false-color image, vegetation appears bright green and burned areas are deep red. Landsat ETM+ captured the fires? succession over three weeks (see links below.) June 21, 2002June 29, 2002 Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Rodeo and Chediski Fires in
…
| Title |
Rodeo and Chediski Fires in Arizona |
| Description |
This image from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) shows the Rodeo (right) and Chediski (left) Fires on June 21, 2002. At the time this image was acquired the two large fires, one allegedly due to arson, and the other by a lost hiker, were still distinct, but over the course of two weeks, the two would merge into a single massive blaze. Consuming almost half a million acres, the fire was the largest and most expensive fire in Arizona?s known history, costing more than $30 million before it was contained. In this false-color image, vegetation appears bright green and burned areas are deep red. Landsat ETM+ captured the fires? succession over the next three weeks (see links below.) June 29, 2002July 7, 2002 Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Tornado Hits La Plata, Maryl
…
| Title |
Tornado Hits La Plata, Maryland |
| Description |
Four days after Maryland's strongest-ever tornado severely damaged the town of La Plata, authorities continued to count the cost of the storm. In the latest tally, 860 homes and 194 business were damaged or destroyed, and the total cost of the damage is expected to exceed $100 million. The above image was acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+), aboard Landsat 7, one minute before Earth Observer-1 (which produced an image with the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) instrument) passed over La Plata on May 1, 2002. Although the ETM+ does not have quite the same resolution or sensitivity as the ALI (a maximum or 15 meters per pixel for the ETM+, and a maximum of 10 meters per pixel for the ALI), it has a much wider field-of-view. The scene shows the entire length of the tornado's path—roughly 39 km (24 miles). Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center [ http://edc.usgs.gov/ ] Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Fires in Wyoming and South D
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Fires in Wyoming and South Dakota |
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Burning next door to the South Dakota towns of Deadwood and Lead, the Grizzly Gulch fire forced the evacuation of many residents in the first week of July, 2002. In addition, smoke closed many of the roads in the area. At the time the fire?s behavior was extreme, with ?torching, spotting, and running.? In other words, the fire was primarily burning along the ground, with entire trees occasionally erupting into flame (torching). At the same time, burning embers were being thrown ahead of the fire (spotting). In some areas the fire was spreading from the crown of one tree to another (running). (This glossary of fire terms [ http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/fire/glossary.html ] has a good list of definitions) The above image shows the fire on the morning of July 1, 2002. Actively burning areas, concentrated on the east (right) side of the fire, are colored red and orange. Dark red areas indicate burn scars, while forest and other vegetation appears green. The exposed rock of the Homestake gold mine, now the National Underground Science Laboratory, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://mocha.phys.washington.edu//NUSL/ ] is pinkish-brown. The total extent of the fire is oulined in yellow. The image was acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) aboard the Landsat 7 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. More news about current wildfires in the United States is available from the National Fire Information Center. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://www.nifc.gov/ ] Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Fires Scorch Oregon
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Fires Scorch Oregon |
| Description |
In southwestern Oregon, the Florence Fire (north) and the Sour Biscuit Fire (south) continue to grow explosively. This image from the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus was captured on July 29, 2002. The Florence Fire had grown to 50,000 acres and the Sour Biscuit Fire had grown to 16,000 acres. Numerous evacuation notices remain in effect. In this false-color image, vegetation is green, burned areas are deep magenta, actively burning fronts are bright pink, and smoke is blue. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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Floods Devastate Southeaster
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Floods Devastate Southeastern Texas |
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Heavy rains during the first week of July brought as much as 2 feet of rain to some places in southeastern Texas, and this Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) image taken from the Landsat 7 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] satellite shows the result: massive flooding of three major river systems along the Gulf of Mexico. In this false-color image from July 8, 2002, rivers and standing water appear blue against the red and green landscape. The southernmost river is the Nueces River, with its northern tributary, the Frio River. The San Antonio River sits in the center of the image, and the Guadalupe River, which was hit especially hard by the flooding, is in the upper right-hand corner of the image. At least seven people were killed by the floods, and hundreds were evacuated from their homes. The governor has declared 28 counties a state disaster area. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, data provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
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