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Sun and Terra of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) from 2005
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Forest Fire Smoke Surroundin
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| Title |
Forest Fire Smoke Surrounding Mt. McKinley |
| Description |
This view of Mt McKinley (Denali)—the highest point in North America (6,194 meters, 20,230 feet)—looks as if it were taken from an aircraft. In fact, an astronaut onboard the International Space Station took advantage of cloud-free skies and a powerful 800-millimeter lens to photograph this peak while the spacecraft was over the Gulf of Alaska, 800 miles to the south of the mountain. The powerful lenses are difficult to use, requiring motion compensation by the astronaut, so these kinds of detailed images of horizon detail are seldom taken. The rising sun casts long shadows across the Kahiltna Glacier that angles down from Denali (left). In addition to the blueness inherent in all images taken at great distance (the atmosphere scatters blue light more than it does other colors), this image also shows unusually dense atmospheric haze at lower altitudes: all the valleys in the foreground appear murky. The explanation is dramatically portrayed in a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image taken on the same day, Sunday, August 14, from the Terra satellite. On that day, an enormous smoke pall hung over central Alaska, all the major mountain ranges protruded above the smoke layer, which was held close to the surface by high atmospheric pressure. The smoke came from more than 100 forest fires burning in the summer heat of Alaska. The MODIS image shows that the smoke on August 14 was far thicker to the north of the Alaska Range where Denali is. The Space Station image shows this denser smoke settled between the Alaska Range and the distant horizon of the Kuskokwim Mountains, 80 miles to the north. Astronaut photograph ISS011-E-11806 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS011&roll=E&frame=11806 ] was acquired August 14, 2005, with a Kodak 760C digital camera fitted with an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Haze over the Philippine Sea
| Title |
Haze over the Philippine Sea |
| Description |
The Anatahan Volcano [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12822 ] has extended its reach over 2,220 kilometers (1,380 miles) west to blanket the Philippine Sea with a river of white haze. The volcano erupted explosively on April 6, 2005, sending as much as 50 million cubic meters of ash into the atmosphere?its largest eruption in recorded history. The haze seen here is not a product of ash however, it is a soupy fog made from tiny drops of sulfuric acid suspended in the atmosphere. This volcanic fog, called ?vog,? forms when sulfur dioxide emitted during the eruption combines with water molecules in the atmosphere to create sulfuric acid. It is not yet known how much sulfur dioxide exploded from Anatahan on April 6, or how much leaked from the volcano before and after that eruption, but the haze of sulfuric acid has now traveled to the Philippine Sea. In addition to causing eye and respiratory irritation, vog can have a big impact on climate. As this image shows, the haze is bright and reflects sunlight back into space. This decreases the amount of energy that reaches the Earth?s surface, which lowers temperatures. Large volcanic eruptions such as Pinatubo in 1991, Krakatau in 1883, or Mt. Tambora in 1815 can send enough sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to lower temperatures around the globe, and since the tiny acid droplets remain in the atmosphere for an extended period of time, the effect can last as long as a year or two. This image of the vog over the Philippine Sea was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 20, 2005. A river of haze flows from the east in the lower right corner of the image, then snakes its way north over the water. The Philippines is immediately west of the haze, though Mindanao, the southern island of the country, appears to be covered with vog. To the left of the haze, the sun is reflecting from the smooth surface of the ocean. The effect is a silvery mirror called sunglint that extends down a narrow strip of the image where the sun?s angle was just right to reflect light directly into the sensor. The large image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Eruption of Anatahan
| Title |
Eruption of Anatahan |
| Description |
Volcanic tremors resumed under the Anatahan Volcano on May 18, 2005, according to the current update [ http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cnmi/update.html ] from the United States Geological Survey and the Emergency Management Office for the Northern Mariana Islands. Tremor activity peaked on May 20 then declined until May 23. The tremor amplitudes have since resurged. Anatahan still showed signs of activity when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ], flying on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, acquired this image on May 25, 2005. Volcanic tremors occur when magma rises inside the volcano or when the volcano erupts. In this image, Anatahan, on the right, is clearly erupting, sending a brown plume of ash westward over the Philippine Sea. Further west, volcanic gasses from a previous eruption have gathered in a thick white haze called "vog." When sulfur dioxide and other volcanic pollutants mix with water and oxygen in the presence of sunlight, the result is volcanic smog, or vog [ http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/1996/96_05_29.html ], a potentially hazardous material. This picture shows all the ingredients necessary to make vog: a volcanic ash plume, plenty of water, and sunlight. The sunlight is particularly obvious as the sunglint in the center of the image. When the sun and the satellite are at the same angle to the ocean, sunlight bounces off the ocean surface and reflects directly into the satellite sensor. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Eruption of Klyuchevskaya Vo
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| Title |
Eruption of Klyuchevskaya Volcano |
| Description |
The rising sun bathes the eastern half of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula with light, casting long shadows in the west. The shadows highlight the plume of ash that continues to rise from the Klyuchevskaya Volcano. The largest and most active volcano on the peninsula, Klyuchevskaya has erupted regularly since its first recorded eruption in 1697. Its most recent activity began in mid-January 2005, and has not abated. Dark ash from the ongoing eruption dusts the snow in this image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 12, 2005. In addition to the large plume of ash visible in this image, the ongoing eruption has sent molten lava down the volcano's northeast slope, where it is melting the Ehrman glacier. This activity may be responsible for the rivers of water that can be seen in the snow near the northeast base of the volcano. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. |
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Fires in Borneo
| Title |
Fires in Borneo |
| Description |
In southern Borneo, a cluster of fires was burning on September 18, 2005. These and other fires have been creating a severe air quality problem for the island throughout September. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, active fires have been marked with red dots. One reason fires on Borneo are so smoky is that they are usually burning in peat swamp forests. The island's low-lying areas are home to swampy forests where leaves and other organic matter decay very slowly because of the soggy conditions. The dead material accumulates in thick layers called peat. When peat dries out, either due to drought or because of logging that opens the forest canopy and exposes the ground to the Sun, the peat become flammable. Fires started in peat forests can burn out of control for months, churning out thick smoke. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
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| Title |
Petrol Depot Fire in the United Kingdom |
| Description |
Sunday, December 11, 2005, was a day without sun for many Londoners. At about 6 a.m. local time, an explosion rocked a fuel depot in Hertfordshire, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London. The ensuing oil fire sent thick clouds of sun-blocking black smoke billowing over London and South England. By 11:50 a.m., when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the smoke had fanned south over tens of kilometers. London, normally a large cement-colored circle on the landscape, was not even visible beneath the smoke. Nearly three hours later when Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] MODIS flew over, the fire was still burning, and the smoke had spread still farther. By December 12 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13281 ], the smoke had thinned to a single plume. The extent of the smoke is easier to see in the false-color images, right, which were created using light from the shortwave and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In these images, the dark smoke stands out clearly against the brilliant green of the plant-covered land. At the source of the smoke, the intense heat of the fire glows in the infrared. According to news reports, the fire was the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe. British health officials advised those living under the smoke plume to remain indoors. The smoke contains small particles, soot, that may cause irritation when inhaled, but no long-term health effects were expected. The smoke also contains gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. For more information about the health impacts of the smoke, see the Health Protection Agency [ http://www.hpa.org.uk/explosions/hemel_Q_As.htm ] web site. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_2_01/2005345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
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| Title |
Petrol Depot Fire in the United Kingdom |
| Description |
Sunday, December 11, 2005, was a day without sun for many Londoners. At about 6 a.m. local time, an explosion rocked a fuel depot in Hertfordshire, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London. The ensuing oil fire sent thick clouds of sun-blocking black smoke billowing over London and South England. By 11:50 a.m., when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the smoke had fanned south over tens of kilometers. London, normally a large cement-colored circle on the landscape, was not even visible beneath the smoke. Nearly three hours later when Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] MODIS flew over, the fire was still burning, and the smoke had spread still farther. By December 12 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13281 ], the smoke had thinned to a single plume. The extent of the smoke is easier to see in the false-color images, right, which were created using light from the shortwave and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In these images, the dark smoke stands out clearly against the brilliant green of the plant-covered land. At the source of the smoke, the intense heat of the fire glows in the infrared. According to news reports, the fire was the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe. British health officials advised those living under the smoke plume to remain indoors. The smoke contains small particles, soot, that may cause irritation when inhaled, but no long-term health effects were expected. The smoke also contains gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. For more information about the health impacts of the smoke, see the Health Protection Agency [ http://www.hpa.org.uk/explosions/hemel_Q_As.htm ] web site. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_2_01/2005345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
…
| Title |
Petrol Depot Fire in the United Kingdom |
| Description |
Sunday, December 11, 2005, was a day without sun for many Londoners. At about 6 a.m. local time, an explosion rocked a fuel depot in Hertfordshire, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London. The ensuing oil fire sent thick clouds of sun-blocking black smoke billowing over London and South England. By 11:50 a.m., when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the smoke had fanned south over tens of kilometers. London, normally a large cement-colored circle on the landscape, was not even visible beneath the smoke. Nearly three hours later when Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] MODIS flew over, the fire was still burning, and the smoke had spread still farther. By December 12 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13281 ], the smoke had thinned to a single plume. The extent of the smoke is easier to see in the false-color images, right, which were created using light from the shortwave and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In these images, the dark smoke stands out clearly against the brilliant green of the plant-covered land. At the source of the smoke, the intense heat of the fire glows in the infrared. According to news reports, the fire was the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe. British health officials advised those living under the smoke plume to remain indoors. The smoke contains small particles, soot, that may cause irritation when inhaled, but no long-term health effects were expected. The smoke also contains gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. For more information about the health impacts of the smoke, see the Health Protection Agency [ http://www.hpa.org.uk/explosions/hemel_Q_As.htm ] web site. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_2_01/2005345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
…
| Title |
Petrol Depot Fire in the United Kingdom |
| Description |
Sunday, December 11, 2005, was a day without sun for many Londoners. At about 6 a.m. local time, an explosion rocked a fuel depot in Hertfordshire, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London. The ensuing oil fire sent thick clouds of sun-blocking black smoke billowing over London and South England. By 11:50 a.m., when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the smoke had fanned south over tens of kilometers. London, normally a large cement-colored circle on the landscape, was not even visible beneath the smoke. Nearly three hours later when Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] MODIS flew over, the fire was still burning, and the smoke had spread still farther. By December 12 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13281 ], the smoke had thinned to a single plume. The extent of the smoke is easier to see in the false-color images, right, which were created using light from the shortwave and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In these images, the dark smoke stands out clearly against the brilliant green of the plant-covered land. At the source of the smoke, the intense heat of the fire glows in the infrared. According to news reports, the fire was the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe. British health officials advised those living under the smoke plume to remain indoors. The smoke contains small particles, soot, that may cause irritation when inhaled, but no long-term health effects were expected. The smoke also contains gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. For more information about the health impacts of the smoke, see the Health Protection Agency [ http://www.hpa.org.uk/explosions/hemel_Q_As.htm ] web site. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_2_01/2005345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
…
| Title |
Petrol Depot Fire in the United Kingdom |
| Description |
Sunday, December 11, 2005, was a day without sun for many Londoners. At about 6 a.m. local time, an explosion rocked a fuel depot in Hertfordshire, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London. The ensuing oil fire sent thick clouds of sun-blocking black smoke billowing over London and South England. By 11:50 a.m., when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the smoke had fanned south over tens of kilometers. London, normally a large cement-colored circle on the landscape, was not even visible beneath the smoke. Nearly three hours later when Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] MODIS flew over, the fire was still burning, and the smoke had spread still farther. By December 12 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13281 ], the smoke had thinned to a single plume. The extent of the smoke is easier to see in the false-color images, right, which were created using light from the shortwave and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In these images, the dark smoke stands out clearly against the brilliant green of the plant-covered land. At the source of the smoke, the intense heat of the fire glows in the infrared. According to news reports, the fire was the largest of its kind ever seen in Europe. British health officials advised those living under the smoke plume to remain indoors. The smoke contains small particles, soot, that may cause irritation when inhaled, but no long-term health effects were expected. The smoke also contains gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. For more information about the health impacts of the smoke, see the Health Protection Agency [ http://www.hpa.org.uk/explosions/hemel_Q_As.htm ] web site. The large images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Europe_2_01/2005345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Record Hot April in Australi
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| Title |
Record Hot April in Australia |
| Description |
Record heat stifled Australia in April 2005. The average temperature for the entire continent was 2.9 degrees Celsius above average, making this the warmest April on record. The high temperatures were accompanied by dry skies, with rainfall totals well below average for many areas. This image shows just how much of Australia sweltered under hotter-than-normal temperatures during April 2005. The image was created using surface temperature data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Deep red over most of the continent reveal where temperatures were hotter in April 2005 than the average April temperature between 2000 and 2004. Darker red spots show where temperatures spiked, while tan and blues show temperatures much closer to average. The surface temperatures shown here are different from the air temperatures reported on the evening news. Because the ground absorbs energy from the sun, surface temperatures are often much warmer than air temperatures, for example, a sandy beach can be unbearably hot even though the air temperature is comfortable. While air temperatures may not have soared as high as 15 degrees Celsius above average as the image shows the ground temperatures doing in places, they did set new records throughout the country. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Surface Temperature Group, Institute for Computational Earth System Science [ http://www.icess.ucsb.edu/ ], University of California, Santa Barbara |
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Record Hot April in Australi
…
| Title |
Record Hot April in Australia |
| Description |
Record heat stifled Australia in April 2005. The average temperature for the entire continent was 2.9 degrees Celsius above average, making this the warmest April on record. The high temperatures were accompanied by dry skies, with rainfall totals well below average for many areas. This image shows just how much of Australia sweltered under hotter-than-normal temperatures during April 2005. The image was created using surface temperature data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Deep red over most of the continent reveal where temperatures were hotter in April 2005 than the average April temperature between 2000 and 2004. Darker red spots show where temperatures spiked, while tan and blues show temperatures much closer to average. The surface temperatures shown here are different from the air temperatures reported on the evening news. Because the ground absorbs energy from the sun, surface temperatures are often much warmer than air temperatures, for example, a sandy beach can be unbearably hot even though the air temperature is comfortable. While air temperatures may not have soared as high as 15 degrees Celsius above average as the image shows the ground temperatures doing in places, they did set new records throughout the country. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Surface Temperature Group, Institute for Computational Earth System Science [ http://www.icess.ucsb.edu/ ], University of California, Santa Barbara |
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Rice Cultivation in Northwes
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| Title |
Rice Cultivation in Northwest Italy |
| Description |
The lowlands of Lombardy and Piedmont in northwest Italy are some of the most highly developed irrigation areas in the world. Irrigated lands cover at least 160,000 acres in this part of Italy, where rice is the most important crop. These views of the region were acquired on May 8, 2005, by NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The multiple viewing angles provided by MISR's nine cameras make it possible to tell wet surfaces, including flooded lands, from other surfaces, and they also make cities easy to locate. The left-hand image is a natural-color view acquired by MISR's downward-looking (nadir) camera, and the right-hand image is a combination of red band data from MISR's 60-degree-backward-, nadir, and 60-degree-forward-viewing cameras. (Red band is what scientists call the "channel" on the sensor that detects red light.) Color changes indicate surface texture, which is influenced by terrain, vegetation structure, soil type, and surface wetness. Wet surfaces or areas with standing water appear in blue or purple-blue hues. The purple-blue areas that dominate the center-left part of the image are part of the extensive irrigation network that exists throughout the plains and meadows of the region. Cities with tall buildings appear in red-orange hues. In this type of image, the city of Milan is the most obvious. The small orange area in the center of the purple inundated area indicates the location of Vercelli, and the larger city of Milan is the orange area to the northeast, on the other side of the Ticino River. To a lesser extent, the cities of Novara, Pavia, Galliate, Mortara, and Vigevano are also identifiable by their orange hues. MISR can tell various surface features like cities or irrigated areas apart because of the way surfaces reflect light. A smooth water surface tends to reflect sunlight away from the Sun. This effect is most apparent when a satellite views the surface with the Sun in front of the camera. Similarly, rough surfaces tend to reflect light back towards the Sun, and this "backward scattering" is most obvious when a satellites views a surface with the Sun behind the camera. Clouds present over the high country to the west of the Lago Maggiore (upper left corner) and along the coast of the Golfo di Genova (bottom) appear in a different spot for each view angle, creating a rainbow-like appearance. Mountains also have a "wavy" look in the multi-angle combination because, like clouds, their height above the surface makes them appear in a different spot in each camera's view angle. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82 degrees North and 82 degrees South latitude every nine days. This image covers an area of about 131 kilometers by 191 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 28660 and utilize data from block 54 within World Reference System-2 path 193. MISR was, built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. [ http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Text by Clare Averill (Raytheon ITSS/JPL) |
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Snow in the Hindu Kush
| Title |
Snow in the Hindu Kush |
| Description |
The most severe winter to hit southwest Asia in decades has cost hundreds of lives in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Heavy snow continues to fall over the Himalaya Mountains in both Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan. As the above image shows, both mountains and valleys are buried in snow across the region, with the exception of the Indus River valley in Pakistan. The snow has isolated many communities, stranding them without access to food supplies. Most of the deaths, however, have occurred as people have been trapped under avalanches in the steep mountains. At least 230 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir, many of them in a series of avalanches near the capital, Srinagar, where 4.5 meters (15 feet) of snow has fallen. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired this image on February 22, 2005, the clouds had cleared and the sun shone over Kashmir. Low cloud, slightly smoother and duller white than snow, fills the valley around Srinagar. In the high mountains exposed to the sun, the avalanche hazard could increase as melting snow becomes unstable. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Floods in Ethiopia and Somal
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| Title |
Floods in Ethiopia and Somalia |
| Description |
Heavy rains pounded down over the Ahmar Mountains and the desert-dry plain to their south and east on April 23 and April 24, 2005. Rivers flowing out of the mountains spread far beyond their banks on April 27, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image. In these false-color scenes, water is a deep turquoise against the tan-pink desert. Clouds are light blue. Rivers that were faint spidery shadows on April 11, 2005, lower image, had become wide blue-green stokes that appeared to be hundreds of meters wider than normal on April 27, top. The region shown in this image has been plagued by drought, and that may have contributed to the flooding. Hard, sun-baked ground cannot easily absorb heavy rain, so the water tends to run off, filling depressions and riverbeds. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Rice Cultivation in Northwes
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
The lowlands of Lombardy and
…
PIA04380
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-05-08 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ MISR Team. Text by Clare Averill (Raytheon ITSS/JPL) |
| identifier |
PIA04380 |
|
Solar Eclipse over Africa: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
NorthAfrica_TMO_2005276
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-10-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
NorthAfrica_TMO_2005276 |
|
Eruption of Anatahan: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Volcanic tremors resumed und
…
Philippines_TMO_2005145
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-05-25 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Philippines_TMO_2005145 |
|
Petrol Depot Fire in the Uni
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
UK_TMO_AMO_2005345
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-12-11 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
UK_TMO_AMO_2005345 |
|
Seasonal Changes in Earth's
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Triggered by seasonal change
…
misr_albedo_2004
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ MISR Team. Text by John Martonchik (JPL) and Clare Averill (Raytheon ITSS/JPL). |
| identifier |
misr_albedo_2004 |
|
Saharan Dust Cloud Sails Tow
…
PIA03539
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Saharan Dust Cloud Sails Toward U.S. |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A huge dust cloud blown westward from the Algerian desert is now wafting over the southeastern United States. The cloud, about the size of the entire continent, was expected to produce dramatic sunsets and possibly a light coating of red-brown dust on vehicles from Florida to Texas. This image, captured by JPL's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard the NASA Earth Observing System's Terra Satellite on July 20, 2005, shows the dust cloud just off the west coast of Africa near Mauritania and Senegal. The image covers about 1,800 kilometers (1,200 miles) north-south, and 400 kilometers (260 miles) east-west. MISR, which views Earth at nine different angles in four wavelengths, can derive the amount, size and shape of airborne particles. This means it can distinguish desert dust, by far the most common non-spherical atmospheric aerosol, from pollution and forest fire particles, which are typically spherical. This image was taken by MISR's 26 degree forward-viewing camera on Terra Orbit 29724, Path 208, Blocks 69-81. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer [ http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] observes the daylit Earth continuously from pole to pole, and the entire globe about once per week. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
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Uplift and Subsidence Associ
…
PIA02435
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Uplift and Subsidence Associated with the Great Aceh-Andaman Earthquake of 2004 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The magnitude 9.2 Indian Ocean earthquake of December 26, 2004, produced broad regions of uplift and subsidence. In order to define the lateral extent and the downdip limit of rupture, scientists from Caltech, Pasadena, Calif., NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Calif., the U.S. Geological Survey, Pasadena, Calif., and the Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Bandung, Indonesia, first needed to define the pivot line separating those regions. Interpretation of satellite imagery and a tidal model were one of the key tools used to do this. These pre-Sumatra earthquake (a) and post-Sumatra earthquake (b) images of North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean, acquired from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, show emergence of the coral reef surrounding the island following the earthquake. The tide was 30 plus or minus 14 centimeters lower in the pre-earthquake image (acquired November 21, 2000) than in the post-earthquake image (acquired February 20, 2005), requiring a minimum of 30 centimeters of uplift at this locality. Observations from an Indian Coast Guard helicopter on the northwest coast of the island suggest that the actual uplift is on the order of 1 to 2 meters at this site. In figures (c) and (d), pre-earthquake and post-earthquake ASTER images of a small island off the northwest coast of Rutland Island, 38 kilometers east of North Sentinel Island, show submergence of the coral reef surrounding the island. The tide was higher in the pre-earthquake image (acquired January 1, 2004) than in the post-earthquake image (acquired February 4, 2005), requiring subsidence at this locality. The pivot line must run between North Sentinel and Rutland islands. Note that the scale for the North Sentinel Island images differs from that for the Rutland Island images. The tidal model used for this study was based on data from JPL's Topex/Poseidon satellite. The model was used to determine the relative sea surface height at each location at the time each image was acquired, a critical component used to quantify the deformation. The scientists' method of using satellite imagery to recognize changes in elevation relative to sea surface height and of using a tidal model to place quantitative bounds on coseismic uplift or subsidence is a novel approach that can be adapted to other forms of remote sensing and can be applied to other subduction zones in tropical regions. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with, critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. |
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Tracking Hurricane Wilma Acr
…
PIA04386
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Tracking Hurricane Wilma Across the Caribbean |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Information on cloud top heights at different stages in the life cycle of the rapidly intensifying Hurricane Wilma may prove useful for evaluating the ability of numerical weather models to predict the intensity changes of hurricanes. NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) acquired this sequence of images and cloud-top height observations for Hurricane Wilma as it progressed across the Caribbean in October 2005. Each pair in the sequence has a photo-like view of the storm on the left and a matching color-coded image of cloud-top height on the right. Cloud-top heights range from 0 (purple) to 18 (red) kilometers altitude. Areas where cloud heights could not be determined are shown in dark gray. The pair on the left show Wilma on Tuesday, October 18, when Hurricane watches were posted for Cuba and Mexico. The central pair shows the eye of Hurricane Wilma just hours before the storm began to cross the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, October 21. At that time, Wilma was a powerful Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and had a minimum recorded central pressure of 930 millibars. Hurricane Wilma surged from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane status in record time, but the storm slowed and weakened considerably after battering Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean. The right-hand image pair displays the eastern edges of a weakened Wilma, when Wilma had been reduced to Category 2 status and was just starting to reach southern Florida on the morning of Sunday, October 23. Wilma gathered speed and strengthened on Sunday night, crossing Florida as a Category 3 storm on Monday, October 24. On the 18th, Wilma looked a bit ragged. Its eye is located at the center of the left edge, and its outer bands of clouds appear to be dominated by a rather loose collection of thunderstorms. In the photo-like images, these look like areas of "boiling clouds," and in the cloud-height image, these appear as orange blobs, sometimes topped with pinkish-red. On October 21 (center), when Wilma was a Category 4 storm, cloud-top height on the eastern side of the storm near the eye reached 18 kilometers in altitude, with lower heights on the western side. The image from the 23rd shows the eastern edge of Wilma as it approached Florida (upper right) and Cuba (center right). MISR has nine different cameras which view the Earth from a variety of angles. Shifts in the clouds' apparent position from one camera's perspective to another's allows MISR to measure the height of the cloud-tops. MISR scientists have programmed computers to compare the different views, identify features that appear to shift from view to view, and use that information to calculate cloud height automatically. The height fields pictured have not been corrected for the effects of cloud motion. Wind-corrected heights (which have higher accuracy but sparser spatial coverage) are within about 1 kilometer of the heights shown here. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer, observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude every nine days. Each image covers an area of about 380 kilometers by 1830 kilometers. The data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 31037, 31081 and 31110, and utilize data from within blocks 68-83 within World Reference System-2 paths 13, 16 and 18, respectively. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. |
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St. Louis, Missouri
PIA09362
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
St. Louis, Missouri |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
St. Louis is tucked in a bend of the Mississippi River, just south of the point at which the Illinois River joins the larger Mississippi, and where the Missouri River flows in from the west. Drainage patterns to the east, on the Illinois side, are highlighted with green vegetation. Meandering rivers in the verdant Ozark Plateau appear to the south and west. This true-color view from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) was taken with the instrument's downward looking (nadir) camera on October 15, 2005. The urban areas of greater St. Louis show up as grey-white, including nearby Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clayton, University City, Ferguson, St. Ann, St. Charles, and East St. Louis. The region is home to nearly three million people. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
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Cloud Spirals and Outflow in
…
PIA04384
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Cloud Spirals and Outflow in Tropical Storm Katrina |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On Tuesday, August 30, 2005, NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer retrieved cloud-top heights and cloud-tracked wind velocities for Tropical Storm Katrina, as the center of the storm was situated over the Tennessee valley. At this time Katrina was weakening and no longer classified as a hurricane, and would soon become an extratropical depression. Measurements such as these can help atmospheric scientists compare results of computer-generated hurricane simulations with observed conditions, ultimately allowing them to better represent and understand physical processes occurring in hurricanes. Because air currents are influenced by the Coriolis force (caused by the rotation of the Earth), Northern Hemisphere hurricanes are characterized by an inward counterclockwise (cyclonic) rotation towards the center. It is less widely known that, at high altitudes, outward-spreading bands of cloud rotate in a clockwise (anticyclonic) direction. The image on the left shows the retrieved cloud-tracked winds as red arrows superimposed across the natural color view from MISR's nadir (vertical-viewing) camera. Both the counter-clockwise motion for the lower-level storm clouds and the clockwise motion for the upper clouds are apparent in these images. The speeds for the clockwise upper level winds have typical values between 40 and 45 m/s (144-162 km/hr). The low level counterclockwise winds have typical values between 7 and 24 m/s (25-86 km/hr), weakening with distance from the storm center. The image on the right displays the cloud-top height retrievals. Areas where cloud heights could not be retrieved are shown in dark gray. Both the wind velocity vectors and the cloud-top height field were produced by automated computer recognition of displacements in spatial features within successive MISR images acquired at different view angles and at slightly different times. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude every nine days. This image covers an area of about 380 kilometers by 1970 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 30324 and utilize data from blocks 55-68 within World Reference System-2 path 22. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. |
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Flooding in the Aftermath of
…
PIA04385
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Flooding in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These views of the Louisiana and Mississippi regions were acquired before and one day after Katrina made landfall along the Gulf of Mexico coast, and highlight many of the changes to the rivers and vegetation that occurred between the two views. The images were acquired by NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on August 14 and August 30, 2005. These multiangular, multispectral false-color composites were created using red band data from MISR's 46° backward and forward-viewing cameras, and near-infrared data from MISR's nadir camera. Such a display causes water bodies and inundated soil to appear in blue and purple hues, and highly vegetated areas to appear bright green. The scene differentiation is a result of both spectral effects (living vegetation is highly reflective at near-infrared wavelengths whereas water is absorbing) and of angular effects (wet surfaces preferentially forward scatter sunlight). The two images were processed identically and extend from the regions of Greenville, Mississippi (upper left) to Mobile Bay, Alabama (lower right). There are numerous rivers along the Mississippi coast that were not apparent in the pre-Katrina image, the most dramatic of these is a new inlet in the Pascagoula River that was not apparent before Katrina. The post-Katrina flooding along the edges of Lake Pontchartrain and the city of New Orleans is also apparent. In addition, the agricultural lands along the Mississippi floodplain in the upper left exhibit stronger near-infrared brightness before Katrina. After Katrina, many of these agricultural areas exhibit a stronger signal to MISR's oblique cameras, indicating the presence of inundated soil throughout the floodplain. Note that clouds appear in a different spot for each view angle due to a parallax effect resulting from their height above the surface. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude every nine days. Each image covers an area of about 380 kilometers by 410 kilometers. The data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 30091 and 30324 and utilize data from blocks 64-67 within World Reference System-2 path 22. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. |
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The Size of Dust and Smoke
PIA04382
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
The Size of Dust and Smoke |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Desert dust particles tend to be larger in size than aerosols that originate from the processes of combustion. How precisely do the size of the aerosol particles comprising the dust that obscured the Red Sea on July 26, 2005, contrast with the size of the haze particles that obscured the United States eastern seaboard on the same day? NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), which views Earth at nine different angles in four wavelengths, provides information about the amount, size, and shape of airborne particles. Here, MISR aerosol amount and size is presented for these two events. These MISR results distinguish desert dust, the most common non-spherical aerosol type, from pollution and forest fire particles. Determining aerosol characteristics is a key to understanding how aerosol particles influence the size, abundance, and rate of production of cloud droplets, and to a better understanding of how aerosols influence clouds and climate. The left panel of each of these two image sets (Red Sea, left, U.S. coastline, right) is a natural-color view from MISR's 70-degree forward viewing camera. The color-coded maps in the central panels show aerosol optical depth, the right panels provide a measure of aerosol size, expressed as the "Angstrom exponent." For the optical depth maps, yellow pixels indicate the most optically-thick aerosols, whereas the red, green and blue pixels represent progressively decreasing aerosol amounts. For this dramatic dust storm over the Red Sea, the aerosol is quite thick, and in some places, the dust over water is too optically thick for MISR to retrieve the aerosol amount. For the eastern seaboard haze, the thickest aerosols have accumulated over the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Cases where no successful retrieval occurred, either due to extremely high aerosol optical thickness or to clouds, appear as dark gray pixels. For the Angstrom exponent maps, the blue and green pixels (smaller values) correspond with more large particles, whilst the yellow and red pixels, representing higher Angstrom exponents, correspond with more small particles. Angstrom exponent is related to the way the aerosol optical depth (AOD) changes with wavelength -- a more steeply decreasing AOD with wavelength indicates smaller particles. The greater the magnitude of the Angstrom exponent, the greater the contribution of smaller particles to the overall particle distribution. For optically thick desert dust storms, as in this case, the Angstrom exponent is expected to be relatively low -- likely below 1. For the eastern seaboard haze, the Angstrom exponent is significantly higher, indicating the relative abundance of small pollution particles, especially over the Atlantic where the aerosol optical depth is also very high. With a nearly simultaneous data acquisition time, the MODIS instrument also collected data for these events, and image features for both the dust storm and the haze are available., The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously, viewing the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude every nine days. This image covers an area of about 1,265 kilometers by 400 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 29809 and 29814 and utilize data from blocks 60 to 67 and 71 to 78 within World Reference System-2 paths 17 and 170, respectively. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. |
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Drought in the Black Hills
PIA04379
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Drought in the Black Hills |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Color-Coded Map Despite good rainfall and record-setting snowstorms in the spring of 2005, most of northeastern Wyoming, the Black Hills, and western South Dakota remain in the midst of a severe drought. This set of images and maps from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) contrast the appearance of the Black Hills region of northwestern South Dakota on July 12, 2000 (left column), with views acquired four years later, on July 14, 2004 (right column). The natural-color images along the top are from MISR's nadir (downward-looking) camera. The browning that appears in 2004 compared with 2000 indicates that the vigor of green vegetation was significantly diminished in 2004. The color-coded maps (along the bottom) provide a quantitative measurement of the sunlight reflected from these surfaces, and the loss of sunlight-absorbing vegetation between the 2000 and 2004 dates. As the vegetation faded with the drought, the albedo at the surface increased. Albedo measures the fraction of incident sunlight that is reflected by a surface, and can vary between zero (if all the incident sunlight is absorbed and none is reflected) and one (if all sunlight is reflected and none is absorbed). Dense forest has a low albedo, bright desert, snow and clouds, have a high albedo. Here, albedo is provided for the wavelengths of sunlight that plants use for photosynthesis (400 - 700 nanometers). This measurement is known as the albedo for Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). Surfaces with greater absorption of PAR appear here in blue hues, whereas surfaces with lower absorption appear as green, yellow, orange or red. Black pixels indicate areas where albedo could not be derived, usually due to the presence of clouds. In July 2004, low albedo areas (blue pixels) are notably reduced in extent, and higher albedo areas (yellow, orange and red pixels) have increased. Because incoming sunlight is scattered by tiny particles in the atmosphere, satellite measurements of albedo and other surface properties must correct for the effects of the intervening atmosphere. These albedo retrievals make use of MISR's simultaneously derived aerosol properties to make these corrections. The multiangular nature of MISR data is also used to account for the fact that most surfaces reflect sunlight into all upward directions, with intensities that vary with angle of view. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. This image area covers about 243 kilometers by 259 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 3020 and 24325 and utilize data from within blocks 54 to 56 within World Reference System-2 paths 33 and 34. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed, by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
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Drought in the Black Hills
PIA04379
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Drought in the Black Hills |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Color-Coded Map Despite good rainfall and record-setting snowstorms in the spring of 2005, most of northeastern Wyoming, the Black Hills, and western South Dakota remain in the midst of a severe drought. This set of images and maps from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) contrast the appearance of the Black Hills region of northwestern South Dakota on July 12, 2000 (left column), with views acquired four years later, on July 14, 2004 (right column). The natural-color images along the top are from MISR's nadir (downward-looking) camera. The browning that appears in 2004 compared with 2000 indicates that the vigor of green vegetation was significantly diminished in 2004. The color-coded maps (along the bottom) provide a quantitative measurement of the sunlight reflected from these surfaces, and the loss of sunlight-absorbing vegetation between the 2000 and 2004 dates. As the vegetation faded with the drought, the albedo at the surface increased. Albedo measures the fraction of incident sunlight that is reflected by a surface, and can vary between zero (if all the incident sunlight is absorbed and none is reflected) and one (if all sunlight is reflected and none is absorbed). Dense forest has a low albedo, bright desert, snow and clouds, have a high albedo. Here, albedo is provided for the wavelengths of sunlight that plants use for photosynthesis (400 - 700 nanometers). This measurement is known as the albedo for Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). Surfaces with greater absorption of PAR appear here in blue hues, whereas surfaces with lower absorption appear as green, yellow, orange or red. Black pixels indicate areas where albedo could not be derived, usually due to the presence of clouds. In July 2004, low albedo areas (blue pixels) are notably reduced in extent, and higher albedo areas (yellow, orange and red pixels) have increased. Because incoming sunlight is scattered by tiny particles in the atmosphere, satellite measurements of albedo and other surface properties must correct for the effects of the intervening atmosphere. These albedo retrievals make use of MISR's simultaneously derived aerosol properties to make these corrections. The multiangular nature of MISR data is also used to account for the fact that most surfaces reflect sunlight into all upward directions, with intensities that vary with angle of view. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82° north and 82° south latitude. This image area covers about 243 kilometers by 259 kilometers. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 3020 and 24325 and utilize data from within blocks 54 to 56 within World Reference System-2 paths 33 and 34. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed, by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. |
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Hurricane Season 2005: Katri
…
PIA06429
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Hurricane Season 2005: Katrina |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Seventeen days after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, much of the city is still under water. In this pair of images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA's Terra satellite, the affected areas can clearly be seen. The top image mosaic was acquired in April and September 2000, and the bottom image was acquired September 13, 2005. The flooded parts of the city appear dark blue, such as the golf course in the northeast corner, where there is standing water. Areas that have dried out appear light blue gray, such as the city park in the left middle. On the left side of the image, the failed 17th street canal marks a sharp boundary between flooded city to the east, and dry land to the west. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 10.4 by 7.1 kilometers Location: 30 degrees North latitude, 90.1 degrees West longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 1, 2, and 3 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: September 13, 2005 |
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Landslide in Kashmir (3D Per
…
PIA03030
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Landslide in Kashmir (3D Perspective) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This 3D perspective view combines an image acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA's Terra spacecraft on October 11, 2005 with digital topography from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. It depicts a large landslide in an area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide approximately 50 km southeast of the epicenter of the magnitude 7.6 Pakistan earthquake on October 8, 2005. The landslide (brownish gray color) slid down a mountain in the Pir Punjal (or Pir Panjal) range of Kashmir between Muzaffarabad and Uri, and has blocked two small rivers. Small lakes (dark blue color) have started to form behind the landslide. The center of the image is at about 34 degrees, 9 minutes North, 73 degrees, 43 minutes East. A number of smaller landslides are also visible as gray patches, mostly along the main river (Jhelum River) and other valleys. The red color is vegetation in this false-color image, and the view direction is from the southeast. For the map view image of this area see PIA03028 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03028 ]. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: Roughly 5 km (3 miles) across, scale varies in this perspective view Location: 34.149 deg. North latitude, 73.712 deg. East longitude Orientation: View from southeast towards the northwest Vertical Exaggeration: 1 Image Data: ASTER bands 1, 2, and 3 Topography Data: SRTM Original Data Resolution: 15 m ASTER, 3-arcseconds (90 m) SRTM Date Acquired: ASTER: October 11, 2005, SRTM February 2000 |
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Landslide in Kashmir
PIA03028
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Landslide in Kashmir |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA's Terra spacecraft on October 11, 2005, depicts a 30-kilometer (19-mile) wide region southeast of the epicenter of the magnitude 7.6 Pakistan earthquake on October 8, 2005, between Muzaffarabad and Uri in the Pir Punjal range of Kashmir. The center of the image is at about 34 degrees, 13 minutes North, 73 degrees, 42 minutes East. A large landslide is visible (brown color) to the south of the main river (Jhelum River) crossing the image. The landslide appears to have blocked the flow of a small river. A number of smaller landslides are also visible, mostly along the main river and other valleys. For a 3D perspective view of this image, see PIA03030 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03030 ]. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 29.0 x 27.9 km (18.0 x 17.3 miles) Location: 34.149 degrees North latitude, 73.712 degrees East longitude Orientation: North about 10 degrees to left of up Image Data: ASTER bands 1, 2, and 3 Original Data Resolution: 15 m (49.2 feet) Date Acquired: October 11, 2005 |
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Corinth Canal, Greece
PIA01919
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Corinth Canal, Greece |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Isthmus of Corinth has played a very important role in the history of Greece. It is the only land bridge between the country's north (Attica) and south (Peloponnese). It is a 6 km wide tongue of land separating the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Sea. Populations, armies and commodities have got to move through it. In the 6th century BCE, the Greeks built the Diolkos, a 10 meter-wide stone roadway to pull ships across the Isthmus on wooden cylinders and wheeled vehicles. In 1882, a canal was started and completed 11 years later. It is 6343 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 8 meters deep. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 25.3 by 37.7 kilometers (15.7 by 23.4 miles) Location: 37.9 degrees North latitude, 23 degrees East longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: May 9, 2005 |
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The Dead Sea
PIA01916
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
The Dead Sea |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at 418 meters below sea level, and also one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth with a salinity of about 300 parts-per-thousand (nine times greater than ocean salinity). It is located on the border between Jordan and Israel, and is fed by the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is located in the Dead Sea Rift, formed as a result of the Arabian tectonic plate moving northward away from the African Plate. The mineral content of the Dead Sea is significantly different from that of ocean water, consisting of approximately 53% magnesium chloride, 37% potassium chloride and 8% sodium chloride. In the early part of the 20th century, the Dead Sea began to attract interest from chemists who deduced that the Sea was a natural deposit of potash and bromine. From the Dead Sea brine, Israel and Jordan produce 3.8 million tons potash, 200,000 tons elemental bromine, 45,000 tons caustic soda, 25, 000 tons magnesium metal, and sodium chloride. Both countries use extensive salt evaporation pans that have essentially diked the entire southern end of the Dead Sea. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 18.5 by 48.1 kilometers (11.5 by 29.8 miles) Location: 31.4 degrees North latitude, 35.4 degrees East longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: May 3, 2005 |
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World Cup Final
PIA01914
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
World Cup Final |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On July 9, hundreds of millions of fans worldwide will be glued to their television sets watching the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, played in Berlin's Olympic stadium (Olympiastadion). The stadium was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. The Olympic Stadium seats 76,000,, its roof rises 68 meters over the seats and is made up of transparent panels that allow sunlight to stream in during the day. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 12.1 by 15.9 kilometers (7.5 by 9.5 miles) Location: 52.5 degrees North latitude, 13.3 degrees East longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: October 15, 2005 |
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Home Reef, South Pacific
PIA01899
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Home Reef, South Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In the South Pacific, south of Late Island along the Tofua volcanic arc in Tonga, a new volcanic island Home Reef is being re-born. The island is thought to have emerged after a volcanic eruption in mid-August that has also spewed large amounts of floating pumice into Tongan waters and sweeping across to Fiji about 350 km (220 miles) to the west of where the new island has formed. In 2004 a similar eruption created an ephemeral island about 0.5 by 1.5 km (0.3 by 0.9 miles) in size, it was no longer visible in an ASTER image acquired November 2005. This simulated natural color image shows the vegetation-covered stratovolcanic island of Late in the upper right. Home Reef is found in the lower left. The two bluish plumes are hot seawater that is laden with volcanic ash and chemicals, the larger one can be traced for more than 14 km (8.4 miles) to the east. The image was acquired October 10, 2006 and covers an area of 24.3 by 30.2 km. It is located at 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees west longitude. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 24.3 by 30.2 kilometers (15 by 18.6 miles) Location: 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees West longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: October 4, 2006 |
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Geyser Valley on the Kamchat
…
PIA09603
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On June 2, a devastating mudslide in the world-renowned Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula virtually obliterated the natural wonder, forcing the emergency evacuation of visitors and national park personnel. The site, which is the Kamchatka Peninsula's main tourist attraction, consists of some 200 thermal pools created by the area's intense volcanic activity, including about 90 geysers covering an area of four square kilometers (2.5 square miles). It is one of only five sites in the world where the impressive eruptions of steam and boiling-hot water can be found. According to witnesses, a powerful mudslide 1.5 kilometers (one mile) long and 200 meters (600 feet) wide buried more than two-thirds of the valley beneath tens of meters of snow, dirt, trees and boulders (right image), and created a temporary lake submerging more geysers. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra spacecraft. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 6 by 7.5 kilometers (3.7 by 4.6 miles) Location: 54.5 degrees North latitude, 160.1 degrees East longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER Bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: ASTER 15 meters (49.2 feet) Date Acquired: September 27, 2005 and June 11, 2007. |
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Mount St. Helens
PIA07478
Sol (our sun)
ASTER
| Title |
Mount St. Helens |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image of Mount St. Helens was captured one week after the March 8, 2005, ash and steam eruption, the latest activity since the volcano's reawakening in September 2004. The new lava dome in the southeast part of the crater is clearly visible, highlighted by red areas where ASTER's infrared channels detected hot spots from incandescent lava. The new lava dome is 155 meters (500 feet) higher than the old lava dome, and still growing. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Size: 21.9 by 24.4 kilometers (13.6 by 15.1 miles) Location: 46.2 degrees North latitude, 122.2 degrees West longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 8, 3, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: March 15, 2005 |
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