|
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Late summer rains pounded Northern Argentina in early 2007, triggering the floods shown in this image. The rains started in mid-January, and by March 21, when the top image was taken, the rainfall had caused floods along the Parana and Dulce Rivers and around Laguna Mar Chiquita. The rains were the heaviest seen in Northern Argentina in 45 years, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory, [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] and the resulting floods killed 5 and forced 5,000 from their homes. In these images, the floods stretch out over tens of kilometers east of the Parana River. The Dulce River fans across its mouth, where it empties into the Laguna Mar Chiquita. The lower image was taken on January 18, 2007, about the time that the rains started. Like the top image, this image was made with both visible and infrared light so that water is black or dark blue and clouds are pale blue and white. Plant-covered land is green, while bare earth is tan. Agricultural areas are a brighter shade of green than natural vegetation, and the fields give the land a speckled appearance. Similar images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_NArgentina/2007080 ] on a daily basis. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Late summer rains pounded Northern Argentina in early 2007, triggering the floods shown in this image. The rains started in mid-January, and by March 21, when the top image was taken, the rainfall had caused floods along the Parana and Dulce Rivers and around Laguna Mar Chiquita. The rains were the heaviest seen in Northern Argentina in 45 years, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory, [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] and the resulting floods killed 5 and forced 5,000 from their homes. In these images, the floods stretch out over tens of kilometers east of the Parana River. The Dulce River fans across its mouth, where it empties into the Laguna Mar Chiquita. The lower image was taken on January 18, 2007, about the time that the rains started. Like the top image, this image was made with both visible and infrared light so that water is black or dark blue and clouds are pale blue and white. Plant-covered land is green, while bare earth is tan. Agricultural areas are a brighter shade of green than natural vegetation, and the fields give the land a speckled appearance. Similar images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_NArgentina/2007080 ] on a daily basis. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
One of South America's longest rivers, the Parana winds south from its headwaters in central Brazil through Paraguay and Argentina to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina. Near its mouth, the river widens into a multi-stream delta where it joins the Uruguay River to form the broad Rio de la Plata estuary. Small and neatly defined at the height of summer in mid-January, the delta section of the river stretched kilometers across its flood plain in response to unusually heavy late-summer and early-autumn rains by April. The top image, taken on April 3, 2007, shows that not only has the river expanded into a broad black band, but its tributaries are also swollen. Flecks of black south and west of the river show where water covers agricultural fields. These images, both collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, were made with a combination of visible and infrared light to increase the contrast between mud-colored water and land. In these images, water is black or dark blue, and clouds are pale blue and white. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. In the lower image, taken at the height of the growing season, the agricultural fields are green. By April, the crops had been harvested and the land left bare. The slightly orange color suggests that the fields may have been burned to clear away the stubble. Hugging the west bank of the Parana River, the city of Rosario is a gray-colored spot on the landscape. The floods extend north beyond the top edge of this image, affecting nearly four million hectares (15,000 square miles) and more than 70,000 people in two Argentine states, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCON-6ZX4CN?OpenDocument ]). The flooding was amplified when up to 500 millimeters of rain—more than half the average yearly rainfall—fell over northern Argentina in the span of a few days at the end of March, said OCHA. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
One of South America's longest rivers, the Parana winds south from its headwaters in central Brazil through Paraguay and Argentina to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina. Near its mouth, the river widens into a multi-stream delta where it joins the Uruguay River to form the broad Rio de la Plata estuary. Small and neatly defined at the height of summer in mid-January, the delta section of the river stretched kilometers across its flood plain in response to unusually heavy late-summer and early-autumn rains by April. The top image, taken on April 3, 2007, shows that not only has the river expanded into a broad black band, but its tributaries are also swollen. Flecks of black south and west of the river show where water covers agricultural fields. These images, both collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, were made with a combination of visible and infrared light to increase the contrast between mud-colored water and land. In these images, water is black or dark blue, and clouds are pale blue and white. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. In the lower image, taken at the height of the growing season, the agricultural fields are green. By April, the crops had been harvested and the land left bare. The slightly orange color suggests that the fields may have been burned to clear away the stubble. Hugging the west bank of the Parana River, the city of Rosario is a gray-colored spot on the landscape. The floods extend north beyond the top edge of this image, affecting nearly four million hectares (15,000 square miles) and more than 70,000 people in two Argentine states, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCON-6ZX4CN?OpenDocument ]). The flooding was amplified when up to 500 millimeters of rain—more than half the average yearly rainfall—fell over northern Argentina in the span of a few days at the end of March, said OCHA. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Already swollen from late summer rain, Argentina's Paraná River and its tributaries burst their banks under the onslaught of extreme rain during the last week of March 2007. When the clouds cleared on April 3, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the floods in the Santa Fe and Entre Rios states, where the flood damage was worst. In the center of the image are the two state capitals, Santa Fe and Paraná. The cement-colored cities sit on opposite banks of the river, and both sustained significant damage in the floods. Dark bands of water encroach on the cities in the top image. The lower image, taken on January 13, 2007, before the unusually heavy late-summer rains began, shows the river and its tributaries under dry-season conditions. Both images were made from infrared and visible light to highlight the presence of water, which is black or dark blue in this type of image. Clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare ground is tan-pink. The variegated green and tan land on either side of the river is agricultural land. In contrasting the two images, it is clear that not only have the wetlands and rivers expanded in the April 3 image, but tiny flecks of black in between the rivers indicate that farmland is flooded as well. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCON-6ZX4CN?OpenDocument ]), the governor of Santa Fe called March's extreme rainfall "the most radical climatic phenomenon of the last 100 years." Up to 500 millimeters of rain fell over parts of Santa Fe in the span of a week, where the average annual rainfall is 900-1,000 millimeters. The rain left four million hectares (15,000 square miles) flooded, which affected more than 70,000 people, said OCHA. Several cities were flooded, including Santa Fe and Paraná, and as many as 20 were completely isolated. Damage in Paraná was estimated to be over 10 million dollars. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Already swollen from late summer rain, Argentina's Paraná River and its tributaries burst their banks under the onslaught of extreme rain during the last week of March 2007. When the clouds cleared on April 3, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the floods in the Santa Fe and Entre Rios states, where the flood damage was worst. In the center of the image are the two state capitals, Santa Fe and Paraná. The cement-colored cities sit on opposite banks of the river, and both sustained significant damage in the floods. Dark bands of water encroach on the cities in the top image. The lower image, taken on January 13, 2007, before the unusually heavy late-summer rains began, shows the river and its tributaries under dry-season conditions. Both images were made from infrared and visible light to highlight the presence of water, which is black or dark blue in this type of image. Clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare ground is tan-pink. The variegated green and tan land on either side of the river is agricultural land. In contrasting the two images, it is clear that not only have the wetlands and rivers expanded in the April 3 image, but tiny flecks of black in between the rivers indicate that farmland is flooded as well. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCON-6ZX4CN?OpenDocument ]), the governor of Santa Fe called March's extreme rainfall "the most radical climatic phenomenon of the last 100 years." Up to 500 millimeters of rain fell over parts of Santa Fe in the span of a week, where the average annual rainfall is 900-1,000 millimeters. The rain left four million hectares (15,000 square miles) flooded, which affected more than 70,000 people, said OCHA. Several cities were flooded, including Santa Fe and Paraná, and as many as 20 were completely isolated. Damage in Paraná was estimated to be over 10 million dollars. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Months of flooding washed even more mud into the wide Rio de la Plata estuary than usual, changing its normally tan waters to a deep chocolate brown. Floods swept across Argentina and Uruguay starting in January and ending in late March 2007, when nearly half the average annual rainfall came down in just a few days. The floods inundated farmland and isolated and damaged cities. Soy farmers may have lost more than two million metric tons of their crop in Santa Fe, the most affected province, reported Bloomberg. [ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=ajKC2Su30zLs&refer=latin_america ] As the floods drained down the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, the water swept soil into the rivers. By the time the two rivers converged into the Rio de la Plata, the water was thick with sediment as shown in the top, photo-like image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the image on April 12, 2007. The lower image, also from Terra MODIS, was taken the previous year, when the sediment in the river was closer to normal levels. The high volume of water draining into the estuary has turned the normally calm, bland surface into multi-shaded streams of mixing water. The high flow is also pushing more sediment out into the hook-shaped Samborombón Bay on the south side of the estuary. Signs of flooding are also evident in the wetlands along the Paraná River. Instead of being deep green as they were in April 2006, the wetlands are almost black under a layer of water. Tan streams of sediment flow from the main channel of the river over the soaked wetlands. Beyond the wetlands and the riverbanks are tiny tan and green squares of farmland. The silver semi-circle on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata is Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, and the constellation of cities that surround it. Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, is the silver area along the northern shore of the estuary in the top image (under clouds in the 2006 image). NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
| Title |
Floods in Northern Argentina |
| Description |
Months of flooding washed even more mud into the wide Rio de la Plata estuary than usual, changing its normally tan waters to a deep chocolate brown. Floods swept across Argentina and Uruguay starting in January and ending in late March 2007, when nearly half the average annual rainfall came down in just a few days. The floods inundated farmland and isolated and damaged cities. Soy farmers may have lost more than two million metric tons of their crop in Santa Fe, the most affected province, reported Bloomberg. [ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=ajKC2Su30zLs&refer=latin_america ] As the floods drained down the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, the water swept soil into the rivers. By the time the two rivers converged into the Rio de la Plata, the water was thick with sediment as shown in the top, photo-like image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the image on April 12, 2007. The lower image, also from Terra MODIS, was taken the previous year, when the sediment in the river was closer to normal levels. The high volume of water draining into the estuary has turned the normally calm, bland surface into multi-shaded streams of mixing water. The high flow is also pushing more sediment out into the hook-shaped Samborombón Bay on the south side of the estuary. Signs of flooding are also evident in the wetlands along the Paraná River. Instead of being deep green as they were in April 2006, the wetlands are almost black under a layer of water. Tan streams of sediment flow from the main channel of the river over the soaked wetlands. Beyond the wetlands and the riverbanks are tiny tan and green squares of farmland. The silver semi-circle on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata is Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, and the constellation of cities that surround it. Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, is the silver area along the northern shore of the estuary in the top image (under clouds in the 2006 image). NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Beautiful Blooms in South At
…
| Title |
Beautiful Blooms in South Atlantic Ocean |
| Description |
Brilliant streaks of blue and duller swirls of green color the South Atlantic Ocean in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, taken on January 4, 2005, by NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The colors are a result of millions of microscopic plants growing near the surface of the water. Called phytoplankton, some varieties of the plants are coated with white scales. When viewed through the ocean waters, the floating white plants appear blue. In places, chlorophyll gives the waters a green tint. Phytoplankton blooms are common where cold ocean currents carry nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. In this case, the bloom has developed in the Falkland or Malvinas Current, which sweeps north from Antarctica. Additional nutrients are fed into this part of the ocean by the Rio de la Plata, which empties into the Atlantic immediately west of the region shown in this image. The influx of nutrients allows large blooms to develop frequently in this section of the southern Atlantic, off the coast of Argentina and Uruguay. As a primary food source for many fish, the blooms support a strong marine ecosystem. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The image is available in additional resolutions. |
|
Floods in Uruguay
| Title |
Floods in Uruguay |
| Description |
Above average rains over the past two months have given rise to floods throughout Uruguay. The false-color image of the flood (right) was acquired on April 27, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. Over 3600 hundred people have been evacuated from their homes in Uruguay, and many highways have been shut down. The large river running down the border between Uruguay and Argentina is the Uruguay River, and the spidery lake in the center of Uruguay is Lake Rincon del Bonete. Normally, the lake and its tributaries cover a much smaller area (left image, acquired on April 2, 2002). In these false-color images, land surfaces are tan and beige and water is black. The pinkish-white patches are clouds. To obtain a high-resolution copies of the scene acquired on April 2 (shown above, left), visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2002117-0427 ]. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
|
EO-1 Launches!
| Title |
EO-1 Launches! |
| Description |
These photos [view expanded images of launch (left) or view from above (right)] show the launch of the Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, at 10:24 a.m. on November 21 PST, carrying a payload of three satellites into orbit. The payload included NASA's Earth Observer-1 (EO-1), Argentina's SAC-C, and Sweden's Munin spacecraft. Sixty minutes after lift-off, EO-1 was successfully deployed in orbit, SAC-C was deployed about 30 minutes later, and Munin deployed shortly after that. All three satellites are performing well. The launch of EO-1 marks the beginning of NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP), in which NASA is developing smaller, lighter spacecraft that meet or exceed the performance of current satellite technologies. The goal of NMP is to improve the on-orbit measurement capabilities of satellites while reducing the cost to build and launch them into space. Because its purpose is to demonstrate new technology on orbit, data from EO-1 will be made available only after the team completes its calibration and validation activities. Over the next two weeks, EO-1 and SAC-C will gradually be moved into their final orbital trajectories--flying very nearly from pole to pole at an altitude of 705 kilometers. The objective is to fly them in formation with Landsat 7 and Terra, two of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites already in orbit, so that their data may be cross compared for calibration and validation purposes. EO-1 will follow about 60 seconds behind Landsat 7, descending southward across the equator at about 10:16 a.m. local time. For more information see: * ? EO-1 Fact Sheet [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/EO1 ] * ? EO-1 website [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Launch photos courtesy Vandenberg Air Force Base and EO-1 Project Scientist Stephen Ungar |
|
EO-1 Launches!
| Title |
EO-1 Launches! |
| Description |
These photos [view expanded images of launch (left) or view from above (right)] show the launch of the Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, at 10:24 a.m. on November 21 PST, carrying a payload of three satellites into orbit. The payload included NASA's Earth Observer-1 (EO-1), Argentina's SAC-C, and Sweden's Munin spacecraft. Sixty minutes after lift-off, EO-1 was successfully deployed in orbit, SAC-C was deployed about 30 minutes later, and Munin deployed shortly after that. All three satellites are performing well. The launch of EO-1 marks the beginning of NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP), in which NASA is developing smaller, lighter spacecraft that meet or exceed the performance of current satellite technologies. The goal of NMP is to improve the on-orbit measurement capabilities of satellites while reducing the cost to build and launch them into space. Because its purpose is to demonstrate new technology on orbit, data from EO-1 will be made available only after the team completes its calibration and validation activities. Over the next two weeks, EO-1 and SAC-C will gradually be moved into their final orbital trajectories--flying very nearly from pole to pole at an altitude of 705 kilometers. The objective is to fly them in formation with Landsat 7 and Terra, two of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites already in orbit, so that their data may be cross compared for calibration and validation purposes. EO-1 will follow about 60 seconds behind Landsat 7, descending southward across the equator at about 10:16 a.m. local time. For more information see: * ? EO-1 Fact Sheet [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/EO1 ] * ? EO-1 website [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Launch photos courtesy Vandenberg Air Force Base and EO-1 Project Scientist Stephen Ungar |
|
Fires and Thick Smoke over S
…
| Title |
Fires and Thick Smoke over South America |
| Description |
The skies over the heart of South America were thick with the smoke from thousands of fires on September 9, 2007. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ], challenging for scientists to say what the overall effect of smoke on clouds and rainfall is. NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellites each have a MODIS sensor capable of detecting fires and mapping the extent of smoke aerosols on a daily basis. Scientists from around the world are using these data to advance our understanding of how natural and human-caused fires are changing our planet. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team., satellite, locations where the sensor detected actively burning fires are marked with red dots. The skies are flooded with smoke, which pools along the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains for thousands of kilometers. (North-to-south this image covers 3,050 kilometers, if we laid it over a map of the central United States, it would spill over the borders into both Canada and the Gulf of Mexico for at least a hundred kilometers in both directions.) Although naturally occurring fires are not uncommon in the drier forests and grasslands of South America, this type of intense, continent-spanning fire activity is almost certainly a product of human activities. Some fires are intentional, set by people to clear forest, savannas, and grasslands for ranching or farming. Other fires occur accidentally from human activities. Landscapes that have been disturbed by logging, fragmentation, or previous accidental fire are more prone to catch fire accidentally. In these situations, planned fires (such as brush clearing fires on already cleared land) can easily get out of control and invade other areas, especially during drought years. The image spans a variety of ecological regions. The top of the scene, including Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil is home to the southernmost portions of the Amazon Rainforest. These wetter forests give way to the south to drier forests and more open woodlands in southern Bolivia, northwestern Paraguay and northern Argentina east of the Andes, this area is called the Chaco. In Uruguay and southern Brazil, the natural vegetation is savannas and grasslands. Even in ecosystems where fires occur naturally (the Chaco, savannas, and grasslands), human activities may change the frequency and intensity of fires. The number and different kinds of plants and animals may change as a result. And in the Amazon, naturally occurring fire was historically very rare, and trees and other plants have no real adaptations to fire. Fires in the rainforest have the potential to completely transform the Southern Amazon forests into a savanna. Fires influence not only the land surface, but the atmosphere as well. Research suggests that the impacts of smoke on the tropical atmosphere vary from place to place, season to season, and year to year. Studies have shown smoke reducing cloudiness over the Amazon itself, but not over the nearby ocean and not every year. The net impact on rainfall is also uncertain. Smoke particles suppress cloud formation by providing an over-abundance of condensation sites for water vapor. The water vapor spreads out over these particles, and it takes the cloud droplets longer to get big enough to fall as rain. The flip side, however, is that the smaller, lighter cloud droplets can rise much higher into the atmosphere, which ultimately invigorates updrafts, intensifies thunderstorms, and produces large hail and heavy rain. The competing effects in different areas and weather conditions make it extremely |
|
Fires in Argentina
| Title |
Fires in Argentina |
| Description |
Scattered fires were burning in western Argentina (center) on November 19, 2003. The dry, rugged Andes Mountains to the left of image center give way to a vast plain, which is extensively used for agriculture. This image and active fire detections (marked in red) were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Phytoplankton Bloom off Arge
…
| Title |
Phytoplankton Bloom off Argentina |
| Description |
The Atlantic Ocean was awash with color on December 18, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The brilliant greens and blues are densely concentrated, microscopic plants growing on the surface of the ocean. Called phytoplankton, the plants thrive in the cool, nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Argentina. Here, the Malvinas (Falkland) Current sweeps north from the frigid Southern Ocean along the shallow continental shelf. The interaction of the current with the edge of the shelf pulls nutrients from the shelf floor to the surface, and this provides the "fertilizer" needed to drive plant growth. The resulting bloom stretches in a long, thin line along the continental shelf. Because phytoplankton sit at the base of the marine food chain, the parts of the ocean that support large blooms tend to have a large and diverse population of fish and other animals. Phytoplankton also play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Like all plants, phytoplankton soak up carbon dioxide, providing a crucial sink for the greenhouse gas. Rising ocean temperatures in the past decade have caused global phytoplankton productivity to decline [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17482 ], though some evidence suggests that productivity in the South Atlantic off Argentina may be increasing. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. You can also download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Dec2006/Argentina.A2006352.1335.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Central South Ameri
…
| Title |
Fires in Central South America |
| Description |
On Feb. 26, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Terra satellite captured an image of scattered fires burning across central South America. Most of the fires (red dots) are in Argentina (left), Paraguay (center), and southern Brazil (upper right). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
| Title |
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Description |
For the first time since 1918, snow fell in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late on July 9, 2007, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/news/Argentina-Historic-Snow.php ] The snow was still there the next morning when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 10:55 a.m. local time. This false-color image, made with a combination of infrared and visible light, reveals the snow beneath the clouds that still hang over the coast. In this image, snow is pale turquoise blue, while clouds are lighter blue and white. Not only does the snow blanket Buenos Aires, but it also covers a broad section of the highlands to the west. The snow was short-lived, however. By the time MODIS flew over on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 3:10 p.m. local time, both snow and clouds were gone from Buenos Aires, the cement-colored area on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata in the lower image. The snow had also receded significantly in the higher elevations. The snow fell during a long cold snap that claimed 23 lives and caused an energy crisis, said the Associated Press. True-color, photo-like images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_SArgentina/2007191 ] of the snow in Argentina are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
| Title |
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Description |
For the first time since 1918, snow fell in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late on July 9, 2007, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/news/Argentina-Historic-Snow.php ] The snow was still there the next morning when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 10:55 a.m. local time. This false-color image, made with a combination of infrared and visible light, reveals the snow beneath the clouds that still hang over the coast. In this image, snow is pale turquoise blue, while clouds are lighter blue and white. Not only does the snow blanket Buenos Aires, but it also covers a broad section of the highlands to the west. The snow was short-lived, however. By the time MODIS flew over on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 3:10 p.m. local time, both snow and clouds were gone from Buenos Aires, the cement-colored area on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata in the lower image. The snow had also receded significantly in the higher elevations. The snow fell during a long cold snap that claimed 23 lives and caused an energy crisis, said the Associated Press. True-color, photo-like images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_SArgentina/2007191 ] of the snow in Argentina are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
| Title |
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Description |
For the first time since 1918, snow fell in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late on July 9, 2007, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/news/Argentina-Historic-Snow.php ] The snow was still there the next morning when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 10:55 a.m. local time. This false-color image, made with a combination of infrared and visible light, reveals the snow beneath the clouds that still hang over the coast. In this image, snow is pale turquoise blue, while clouds are lighter blue and white. Not only does the snow blanket Buenos Aires, but it also covers a broad section of the highlands to the west. The snow was short-lived, however. By the time MODIS flew over on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 3:10 p.m. local time, both snow and clouds were gone from Buenos Aires, the cement-colored area on the southern bank of the Rio de la Plata in the lower image. The snow had also receded significantly in the higher elevations. The snow fell during a long cold snap that claimed 23 lives and caused an energy crisis, said the Associated Press. True-color, photo-like images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_SArgentina/2007191 ] of the snow in Argentina are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Record Crops in Argentina
| Title |
Record Crops in Argentina |
| Description |
Despite damaging floods, Argentine farmers were expecting a record harvest in April 2007, reported the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/wap.cfm# ]). Farmers anticipated a record 45.5 million tons of soybeans and a record 22 million tons of corn when the harvest began at the beginning of the month, said FAS. At the end of March, more than 500 millimeters of rain (about half the average annual rainfall) fell in the period of a few days over parts of the Santa Fe and Entre RÃos provinces, the land spanning the Paraná River. The rain fell on ground already soggy from excess rain, triggering extensive flooding. The floods destroyed between 0.5 and 2 million tons of soy, but caused little damage to the already mature corn crop, said FAS. Both the thriving crops and the flood damage to vegetation are shown in this image. The image shows a vegetation index, a record of plant growth, compiled between March 22 and April 6, 2007, immediately following the damaging rains and floods. The image compares the 2007 vegetation growth to average conditions observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite during that same interval between 2000 and 2005. Areas where plants are growing faster or thicker than normal are green, while areas where plant growth has slowed or where plants are less dense than average are brown. The Paraná River is outlined in brown where the overflowing river destroyed vegetation. The land south and west of the river is also dominated by brown, indicating that plants were less healthy than average, probably because of excess rain. This pattern of damage matches the flooding shown in daily snapshot images [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14206 ] of Argentina. Other crop areas in the country are green, showing that growing conditions were good. Even within the flood area, tiny flecks of green show that some fields are still flourishing. Areas where MODIS didn't collect data—probably because of persistent cloud cover—are gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/glam.cfm ] between NASA, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. |
|
Fires in South America
| Title |
Fires in South America |
| Description |
From the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, to the Pantanal Wetlands, to the Gran Chanco plains of Paraguay and Argentina, hundreds of fires were burning across South America on August 15, 2005. This image of the heart of the continent was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, and it shows fires marked in red and a cloud of smoke hanging over a large swath of the heart of the continent. The smoke appears to flow southward in a great river. Only the skies over the high deserts of Chile appear clear. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Fires in South America
| Title |
Fires in South America |
| Description |
In central South America, hundreds of fires were burning in the diverse landscapes of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina on August 28, 2005. This image spans the heart of the continent, from Amazon rainforests near the top of the scene to the savannas of southeastern Brazil. 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, and active fire detections made by the sensor are marked with red dots. Fire serves a variety of purposes in land management practices in South America, including renewal of pasture, burning of crop stubble, and the clearing of natural vegetation to make way for people. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
South Atlantic Phytoplankton
…
| Title |
South Atlantic Phytoplankton Bloom |
| Description |
Off the east coast of Argentina, the South Atlantic Ocean is blooming with color. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on February 10, 2003, shows the waters off southern Argentina swirling with the blues and greens that indicate massive amounts of microscopic marine plants called phytoplankton. The blues and greens are caused by sunlight reflecting off the chlorophyll contained in the tiny, often single-celled plants. Blooms in this area occur regularly due to the existence of what oceanographers call a convergence zone ?where two strong ocean currents meet. In this case, the convergence is that of the warmer, lower-nutrient Brazil Current, which flows southward toward the pole along the coast of South America and the northward-flowing Falkland Current. Although the exact meeting point varies, convergence is usually somewhere around 39 degrees south latitude. The turbulence caused by the convergence of the two currents causes upwelling in some areas, and cold-nutrient rich water is drawn up from the depths of the ocean, supporting phytoplankton blooms. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
South Atlantic Phytoplankton
…
| Title |
South Atlantic Phytoplankton Bloom |
| Description |
Off the east coast of Argentina, the South Atlantic Ocean is blooming with color. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on February 10, 2003, shows the waters off southern Argentina swirling with the blues and greens that indicate massive amounts of microscopic marine plants called phytoplankton. The blues and greens are caused by sunlight reflecting off the chlorophyll contained in the tiny, often single-celled plants. Blooms in this area occur regularly due to the existence of what oceanographers call a convergence zone ?where two strong ocean currents meet. In this case, the convergence is that of the warmer, lower-nutrient Brazil Current, which flows southward toward the pole along the coast of South America and the northward-flowing Falkland Current. Although the exact meeting point varies, convergence is usually somewhere around 39 degrees south latitude. The turbulence caused by the convergence of the two currents causes upwelling in some areas, and cold-nutrient rich water is drawn up from the depths of the ocean, supporting phytoplankton blooms. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Flooding In Argentina
| Title |
Flooding In Argentina |
| Description |
*Flooding In Argentina* In early May 2003, heavy rains in Argentina led to devastating floods that displaced 35,000 people and killed over 25 people in the province of Santa Fe. The floodwaters can be seen in this false-color image acquired on May 8, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. All the rivers and tributaries in this region are much more swollen than normal. Water is black. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and vegetated land is green and yellow. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. |
|
Flooding In Argentina
| Title |
Flooding In Argentina |
| Description |
*Flooding In Argentina* In early May 2003, heavy rains in Argentina led to devastating floods that displaced 35,000 people and killed over 25 people in the province of Santa Fe. The floodwaters can be seen in this false-color image acquired on May 8, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. All the rivers and tributaries in this region are much more swollen than normal. Water is black. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and vegetated land is green and yellow. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. |
|
Widespread Fires in South Am
…
| Title |
Widespread Fires in South America |
| Description |
Fires were burning over a wide region of South America on September 8, 2002. This true-color image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shows fire locations marked with red dots. The image spans southern Bolivia (top), northern Argentina (center and bottom), and Uruguay (bottom right), with the Andes Mountains creating a sharp divide between those countries and Chile, on the Pacific Coast. At bottom right corner, the Rio de la Plata Estuary is visible. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Wildfires in Chile
| Title |
Wildfires in Chile |
| Description |
About 400 miles south of Santiago, Chile, the dense smoke from numerous forest fires stretched out over the Pacific Ocean on February 5, 2002. This true-color MODIS image shows fires indicated with red dots (boxes in the high-resolution imagery) located near the city of Temuco. The fires were burning near several national parks and nature reserves in an area of the Chilean Andes where tourism is very popular. To the southeast of the fires, the vegetation along the banks of the R¡o Negro in Argentina stands out in dark green. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Chaiten Volcano Erupts: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After more than 9,000 years
…
Chile_TMO_2008124
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Chile_TMO_2008124 |
|
South Atlantic Phytoplankton
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Off the east coast of Argent
…
Argentina.TMOA2003041
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-02-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
| identifier |
Argentina.TMOA2003041 |
|
Phytoplankton Bloom off Arge
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The Atlantic Ocean was awash
…
Argentina_TMO_2006352
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-12-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Argentina_TMO_2006352 |
|
Global Aerosol System 2000-2
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
, as was smoke from central
…
aotanomaly_tmo_2007
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aotanomaly_tmo_2007 |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
laplata_tmo_2007102
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-04-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
laplata_tmo_2007102 |
|
Chaiten Volcano Erupts: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
chaiten_amo_2008127
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
chaiten_amo_2008127 |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
For the first time since 191
…
ge_18688
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_18688 |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
For the first time since 191
…
ge_18688
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_18688 |
|
Rare Snow in Buenos Aires, A
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
For the first time since 191
…
ge_18688
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_18688 |
|
Floods in Northern Argentina
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
SParana_TMO_2007093
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-04-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
SParana_TMO_2007093 |
|
Chaiten Volcano Erupts: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
More than a week after its i
…
chaiten_tmo_2008131
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
chaiten_tmo_2008131 |
|
Chaiten Volcano Erupts: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Chile_TMO_2008126
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-05 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Chile_TMO_2008126 |
|
Fires in South America: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In central South America, hu
…
Brazil.TMOA2005240
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-08-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Brazil.TMOA2005240 |
|
Widespread Fires in South Am
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
From Brazil (image top), thr
…
argentina_01oct02
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-10-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
argentina_01oct02 |
|
Widespread Fires in South Am
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
From Brazil (image top), thr
…
argentina_01oct02
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-10-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
argentina_01oct02 |
|
Fires and Smoke Across South
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
The skies over the heart of
…
samerica_amo_2007252
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-09-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Rapid Response team. |
| identifier |
samerica_amo_2007252 |
|
Fires in South America: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
From the Amazon Rainforest o
…
Brazil.TMOA2005227
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-08-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Brazil.TMOA2005227 |
|
Argentina and Paraguay : Ima
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Boasting the highest mountai
…
paraguay_273_1425_500m
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2000-03-27 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Science Team |
| identifier |
paraguay_273_1425_500m |
|
Tierra del Fuego: Image of t
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
The Tierra del Fuego -- a gr
…
SSAmerica.A2003087.1835
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-03-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jefferey Schmaltz, rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
| identifier |
SSAmerica.A2003087.1835 |
|
World Cup Hopes: Image of th
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
From May 31 to June 30 the b
…
japan-korea-cup
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
| identifier |
japan-korea-cup |
|
Altiplano, South America : I
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Once home to the powerful In
…
modis_andes
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image by NASA GSFC, based on data from the modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS science team. |
| identifier |
modis_andes |
|
Widespread Burning in South
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
*Full-size image* eoimages.g
…
Bolivia_fires
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001-09-19 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
| identifier |
Bolivia_fires |
|
|
