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Bushfires in Southeast Austr
…
East of Churchill, Victoria,
…
3/18/09
| Description |
East of Churchill, Victoria, a burn scar left by one of the deadly Australian bushfires in February 2009 sprawls across the landscape in this image captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite on March 14. The image combines visible light with near-infrared light, and although the resulting false-color image doesn't look like a natural photo, it makes the burned areas (charcoal-brown) stand out better from unburned vegetation (red) and areas where vegetation is naturally sparse or dormant (beige). The burn scar is brown is some places and more charcoal-colored in others. The differences could be because the severity of the fire was different from place to place, but it could also be due to differences in the type of vegetation that burned and the characteristics of the underlying soil. According to news reports, this fire resulted in nearly two dozen deaths, and it appears to have resulted from arson. Image credit: NASA/Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Text credit: Rebecca Lindsey, NASA's Earth Observatory |
| Date |
3/18/09 |
|
MODIS Land Cover of Australi
…
| Title |
MODIS Land Cover of Australia |
| Abstract |
New NASA satellite-generated land cover maps are providing scientists with a detailed picture of the distribution of Earth's ecosystems and land use Scientists can better determine how vegetation is distributed and land is being used around the world with new NASA satellite-generated land-cover maps. These new maps, based on a global digital database of land cover types Earth images that is updated every 16 days, will help scientists better understand the Earth's climate and carbon budget and climate, through closer monitoring of water and land resources, including forested and agricultural areas. These land-coverland cover maps were developed at Boston University in Boston, MA, using data from the Moderate-resolution Imaging-Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The prototype MODIS maps were created with data acquired between July and December 2000, but future maps will utilize one year of data. Advances in remote sensing technology allow MODIS to collect higher-quality data than previous sensors, yielding the most detailed land cover classification maps to date. The new maps are better because the quality of MODIS data is much higher than AVHRR data. They are also more current because the information content of MODIS data allowed scientists to exploit more efficient automated methods for categorizing land cover than was were previously possible, reducing the time to generate maps from months or years to about one week. Each MODIS land-coverland cover map contains 17 different land cover types, differentiating among eleven natural vegetation types such as deciduous and evergreen forests, savannas, grasslands, permanent wetlands and shrublands. Agricultural land use , as well as, several categories of land surfaces with little or no plant cover -- such as bare ground, urban areas and permanent snow and ice -- are also depicted in the maps. |
| Completed |
2001-11-15 |
|
MODIS Land Cover of Australi
…
| Title |
MODIS Land Cover of Australia |
| Abstract |
New NASA satellite-generated land cover maps are providing scientists with a detailed picture of the distribution of Earth's ecosystems and land use Scientists can better determine how vegetation is distributed and land is being used around the world with new NASA satellite-generated land-cover maps. These new maps, based on a global digital database of land cover types Earth images that is updated every 16 days, will help scientists better understand the Earth's climate and carbon budget and climate, through closer monitoring of water and land resources, including forested and agricultural areas. These land-coverland cover maps were developed at Boston University in Boston, MA, using data from the Moderate-resolution Imaging-Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The prototype MODIS maps were created with data acquired between July and December 2000, but future maps will utilize one year of data. Advances in remote sensing technology allow MODIS to collect higher-quality data than previous sensors, yielding the most detailed land cover classification maps to date. The new maps are better because the quality of MODIS data is much higher than AVHRR data. They are also more current because the information content of MODIS data allowed scientists to exploit more efficient automated methods for categorizing land cover than was were previously possible, reducing the time to generate maps from months or years to about one week. Each MODIS land-coverland cover map contains 17 different land cover types, differentiating among eleven natural vegetation types such as deciduous and evergreen forests, savannas, grasslands, permanent wetlands and shrublands. Agricultural land use , as well as, several categories of land surfaces with little or no plant cover -- such as bare ground, urban areas and permanent snow and ice -- are also depicted in the maps. |
| Completed |
2001-11-15 |
|
Apollo 17 30th Anniversary:
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 30th Anniversary: Blue Marble Great Barrier Reef Fly-over |
| Abstract |
In conjunction with the 30th Anniversary Apollo 17 mission, NASA put together a special release highlighting one of the most popular photos taken during that mission. The photo (#AS17-148-22727) was taken on Dec. 7, 1972 from the Apollo 17 command module. Over the years, many other satellites have taken imagery of Earth, including Terra/MODIS. This animation uses a global mosaic derived from Terra/MODIS and flys us over Australia's Great Barrier Reef to celebrate how far Earth science imagery has come since the days of Apollo 17. |
| Completed |
2002-11-21 |
|
Apollo 17 30th Anniversary:
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 30th Anniversary: Blue Marble Great Barrier Reef Fly-over |
| Abstract |
In conjunction with the 30th Anniversary Apollo 17 mission, NASA put together a special release highlighting one of the most popular photos taken during that mission. The photo (#AS17-148-22727) was taken on Dec. 7, 1972 from the Apollo 17 command module. Over the years, many other satellites have taken imagery of Earth, including Terra/MODIS. This animation uses a global mosaic derived from Terra/MODIS and flys us over Australia's Great Barrier Reef to celebrate how far Earth science imagery has come since the days of Apollo 17. |
| Completed |
2002-11-21 |
|
Fires over Australia during
…
| Title |
Fires over Australia during 2001 and 2002 |
| Abstract |
This animation shows fire activity over Australia from 8/21/2001 to 8/20/2002. The fires are shown as tiny particles with each particle depicting the site at which a fire was detected. Daily fires are displayed at a rate of 10 days per second. The fire particles fade over 1.7 seconds and change color as they age from red to orange, yellow and grey. |
| Completed |
2002-08-26 |
|
Grasslands of the World
| Title |
Grasslands of the World |
| Abstract |
Rotating globe showing global grassland coverage. Data obtained from Terra/MODIS landcover isolating grasslands, woody savannas, savannas, and wetlands (all seen in green). This data represents 4 parts of a 17 part global classification product all of which have been taken at 1km. resolution. |
| Completed |
2001-11-15 |
|
MODIS Sea Surface Temperatur
…
| Title |
MODIS Sea Surface Temperature around the Australian Continent |
| Abstract |
The earliest technique for measuring Sea Surface Temperature (SST) was dipping a thermometer into a bucket of water. The first automated technique for determining SST was accomplished by measuring the temperature of water in the intake port of large ships. A large network of coastal buoys in U.S. waters is maintained by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Since about 1990, there has also been an extensive array of moored buoys maintained across the equatorial Pacific Ocean designed to help monitor and predict the El Niño phenomenon. Since the 1980s satellites have been increasingly utilized to measure SST and have provided an enormous leap in our ability to view the spatial and temporal variation in SST. The satellite measured SST provides both a synoptic view of the ocean and a high frequency of repeat views, allowing the examination of basin-wide upper ocean dynamics not possible with ships or buoys. For example, a ship traveling at 10 knots (20 km/h) would require 10 years to cover the same area a satellite covers in two minutes. This animation uses SST data taken at nighttime from the MODIS/Aqua and MODIS/Terra satellites. This data has many important applications that permit scientists to use ocean temperatures to observe ocean circulation and locate major ocean currents. Ocean current analysis can facilitate ocean transportation. Additionally, by using SST, scientists can monitor changes in ocean temperatures and relate these to weather and climate changes like coral bleaching around the Great Barrier Reef. Finally, the SST changes have many important biological implications for hospitable/inhospitable conditions for many organisms including species of plankton, seagrasses, shellfish, fish, coral, and mammals. |
| Completed |
2005-02-28 |
|
Fires over Australia during
…
| Title |
Fires over Australia during 2001 and 2002 with Clock |
| Abstract |
This animation shows fire activity over Australia from 8/21/2001 to 8/20/2002. The fires are shown as tiny particles with each particle depicting the site at which a fire was detected. Daily fires are displayed at a rate of 10 days per second. The fire particles fade over 1.7 seconds and change color as they age from red to orange, yellow and grey. A clock inset indicates the date. |
| Completed |
2002-08-26 |
|
Fires over Australia during
…
| Title |
Fires over Australia during 2001 and 2002 with Clock |
| Abstract |
This animation shows fire activity over Australia from 8/21/2001 to 8/20/2002. The fires are shown as tiny particles with each particle depicting the site at which a fire was detected. Daily fires are displayed at a rate of 10 days per second. The fire particles fade over 1.7 seconds and change color as they age from red to orange, yellow and grey. A clock inset indicates the date. |
| Completed |
2002-08-26 |
|
Algal Bloom off Tasmania
| Title |
Algal Bloom off Tasmania |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites helped scientists identify this large algal bloom off the eastern coast of Tasmania. Large blooms have not been detected in the Tasman Sea in the past, and scientists from CSIRO Marine Research, the largest marine research organization in Australia, believe this one resulted from the natural upwelling of nutrients along the island's coast. The bloom is made up of coccolithophores, and is not believed to be harmful to the coastal ecosystem. MODIS imagery, such as the image above, revealed just how large this bloom is. The bloom forms bright blue-green clouds in the water that stretch from Flinders Island in the north down the entire east coast of Tasmania. The color is caused by light reflecting off the chalky outer scales of millions of microscopic coccoliths. The effect is a cloud of bright blue or green water in satellite imagery. In addition to helping scientists identify algal blooms, the MODIS images "provide a valuable interpretation for researchers wanting to understand any impact this species may have in the coastal or offshore environments," said Dr Susan Blackburn, a CSIRO researcher, in a press release [ http://www.marine.csiro.au/media/04releases/27oct04.html ]. The above MODIS image was acquired on October 20, 2004, by NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume
| Title |
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume |
| Description |
In the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia, the 83 islands that make up the Vanuatu nation are dotted with countless craters from active and extinct volcanoes. Among the most dangerous is the almost-permanently active Ambrym Volcano. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured by the Terra satellite on April 27, 2004, a large plume of volcanic ash is blowing westward from the volcano, which appears at the center right edge. The plume is mixing with clouds, and is more apparent as a bright, reddish orange color in the false-color image (below). The large image is the same spatial resolution (level of detail), but shows a wider area. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume
| Title |
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume |
| Description |
In the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia, the 83 islands that make up the Vanuatu nation are dotted with countless craters from active and extinct volcanoes. Among the most dangerous is the almost-permanently active Ambrym Volcano. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured by the Terra satellite on April 27, 2004, a large plume of volcanic ash is blowing westward from the volcano, which appears at the center right edge. The plume is mixing with clouds, and is more apparent as a bright, reddish orange color in the false-color image (below). The large image is the same spatial resolution (level of detail), but shows a wider area. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Floods swept across Australia's Northern Territory as the six-month rainy season drew to a close in April 2006. Worst-affected was the city of Katherine, where water from an overflowing Katherine River reached up to the roofs of houses in some areas, reported the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC). The floods around Katherine had largely subsided when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired the top image on April 10, 2006, but the nearby Daly River was still swollen. Though not visible in this image, the city of Katherine sits along the Katherine River near the point where the label meets the river. The only clear signs of human habitation are brilliant green squares created by agriculture along both rivers. In addition to farm fields, large pools of flood water, inky black in this image, also line the banks of the Daly River. According to ABC News, the river was still rising on April 10, and those who lived in the town of Daly River near the river's mouth, were preparing to evacuate. The lower image, from March 1, 2006, shows the river basin earlier in the rainy season before the floods set in. To track the floods, see the MODIS Rapid Response Web site, where daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2006098 ] of Australia are available. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Floods swept across Australia's Northern Territory as the six-month rainy season drew to a close in April 2006. Worst-affected was the city of Katherine, where water from an overflowing Katherine River reached up to the roofs of houses in some areas, reported the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC). The floods around Katherine had largely subsided when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired the top image on April 10, 2006, but the nearby Daly River was still swollen. Though not visible in this image, the city of Katherine sits along the Katherine River near the point where the label meets the river. The only clear signs of human habitation are brilliant green squares created by agriculture along both rivers. In addition to farm fields, large pools of flood water, inky black in this image, also line the banks of the Daly River. According to ABC News, the river was still rising on April 10, and those who lived in the town of Daly River near the river's mouth, were preparing to evacuate. The lower image, from March 1, 2006, shows the river basin earlier in the rainy season before the floods set in. To track the floods, see the MODIS Rapid Response Web site, where daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2006098 ] of Australia are available. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Floods swept across Australia's Northern Territory as the six-month rainy season drew to a close in April 2006. Worst-affected was the city of Katherine, where water from an overflowing Katherine River reached up to the roofs of houses in some areas, reported the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC). The floods around Katherine had largely subsided when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired the top image on April 10, 2006, but the nearby Daly River was still swollen. Though not visible in this image, the city of Katherine sits along the Katherine River near the point where the label meets the river. The only clear signs of human habitation are brilliant green squares created by agriculture along both rivers. In addition to farm fields, large pools of flood water, inky black in this image, also line the banks of the Daly River. According to ABC News, the river was still rising on April 10, and those who lived in the town of Daly River near the river's mouth, were preparing to evacuate. The lower image, from March 1, 2006, shows the river basin earlier in the rainy season before the floods set in. To track the floods, see the MODIS Rapid Response Web site, where daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2006098 ] of Australia are available. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Northern Australia typically experiences two seasons: wet and dry. The six-month rainy season was wrapping up when torrential rains triggered extensive floods in the Northern Territory in early April 2006. Dark rivers of water measuring kilometers across snaked towards the coast on April 8, 2006, top image, to cover land that had been dry one month earlier. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image, while MODIS on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired the lower image. Both images show the northern tip of Australia's Northern Territory in false color to highlight the presence of water. In these images, water is black and dark blue, clouds are pale blue, and vegetation is green. Not only did the rain trigger floods, but it also nourished plants. Vegetation is far denser in the top image than it had been in March.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2006098 ] of Australia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Northern Australia typically experiences two seasons: wet and dry. The six-month rainy season was wrapping up when torrential rains triggered extensive floods in the Northern Territory in early April 2006. Dark rivers of water measuring kilometers across snaked towards the coast on April 8, 2006, top image, to cover land that had been dry one month earlier. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image, while MODIS on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired the lower image. Both images show the northern tip of Australia's Northern Territory in false color to highlight the presence of water. In these images, water is black and dark blue, clouds are pale blue, and vegetation is green. Not only did the rain trigger floods, but it also nourished plants. Vegetation is far denser in the top image than it had been in March.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2006098 ] of Australia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
With winds that reached up to 350 kilometers per hour (215 miles per hour), Cyclone Monica was the strongest storm of the 2006 Australian cyclone season as of April 28. The Category 5 cyclone came ashore on the sparsely populated coastline of the Northern Territory on April 25, and quickly dissipated as it moved inland. Though the winds died down, Monica still brought heavy rain to the Northern Territory. As a result, floods swept through river basins that were just recovering from widespread flooding brought on by wet-season rain in early April. 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 floods along the Adelaide (left) and Mary (right) Rivers. Water is black or dark blue against the backdrop of bright green vegetation. A few clouds, pale blue and white, linger over the flood area. Darwin, the capital of Northern Territory, is the light tan patch in the upper left corner of the image. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
With winds that reached up to 350 kilometers per hour (215 miles per hour), Cyclone Monica was the strongest storm of the 2006 Australian cyclone season as of April 28. The Category 5 cyclone came ashore on the sparsely populated coastline of the Northern Territory on April 25, and quickly dissipated as it moved inland. Though the winds died down, Monica still brought heavy rain to the Northern Territory. As a result, floods swept through river basins that were just recovering from widespread flooding brought on by wet-season rain in early April. 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 floods along the Adelaide (left) and Mary (right) Rivers. Water is black or dark blue against the backdrop of bright green vegetation. A few clouds, pale blue and white, linger over the flood area. Darwin, the capital of Northern Territory, is the light tan patch in the upper left corner of the image. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Though Cyclone George was a very weak storm when it passed over Australia's Northern Territory on March 1 and March 2, 2007, it brought widespread rain and high tides to the region. The rain and tides triggered floods along the coast and in river systems, which are shown in the top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 8. The lower image, taken on February 15, 2007, shows the area before the storm came ashore. In these images, made with visible and infrared light, water is black or dark blue. Most striking in the March 8 image are the dark pools of water along the coast and in coastal inlets. The wetlands that jut in from the northern shore have expanded into wide, triangular rivers. To the southwest, the Daly River and nearby wetlands are also flooded. Signs of flooding are also visible in the Indian Ocean. Though sunlight reflecting off the water makes the color hard to distinguish, the water near shore is blue, not black as it was in February. When flood water drains into the ocean, it carries sediment from the run-off. The sediment scatters light, lending the water the blue color seen here. Clouds in this type of image are pale blue and white. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation News, the floods swamped the rail line that connects Darwin to southern Australia, cutting off rail travel. The floods also inundated the small community of Oenpelli, in the upper right corner of the image. By March 8, when the image was captured, the floods had started to recede. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2007067 ] of the flood area are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Northern Australia
| Title |
Floods in Northern Australia |
| Description |
Though Cyclone George was a very weak storm when it passed over Australia's Northern Territory on March 1 and March 2, 2007, it brought widespread rain and high tides to the region. The rain and tides triggered floods along the coast and in river systems, which are shown in the top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 8. The lower image, taken on February 15, 2007, shows the area before the storm came ashore. In these images, made with visible and infrared light, water is black or dark blue. Most striking in the March 8 image are the dark pools of water along the coast and in coastal inlets. The wetlands that jut in from the northern shore have expanded into wide, triangular rivers. To the southwest, the Daly River and nearby wetlands are also flooded. Signs of flooding are also visible in the Indian Ocean. Though sunlight reflecting off the water makes the color hard to distinguish, the water near shore is blue, not black as it was in February. When flood water drains into the ocean, it carries sediment from the run-off. The sediment scatters light, lending the water the blue color seen here. Clouds in this type of image are pale blue and white. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation News, the floods swamped the rail line that connects Darwin to southern Australia, cutting off rail travel. The floods also inundated the small community of Oenpelli, in the upper right corner of the image. By March 8, when the image was captured, the floods had started to recede. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia2/2007067 ] of the flood area are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Southeastern Austr
…
| Title |
Floods in Southeastern Australia |
| Description |
Southeast Australia's Gippsland region was experiencing its worst floods in 17 years 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 on June 30, 2007. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News, the floods forced more than 230 people from their homes in this predominantly rural region. Though water can sometimes be difficult to see in photo-like images, sediment-thick run-off has turned the water a muddy red-brown that stands out clearly against the lush green landscape. Both Lake Wellington and Lake Victoria are filled with the muddy flood water. In the lower image, taken before the rain started, the lakes match forested land to their north and west in coloring. The two rivers that flow into Lake Wellington also appear to be flooded, but the red-brown may also be residual mud on the rivers' banks, ABC News [ http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/30/1966501.htm?section=Justin ] reported that the floods had already started to subside on June 30. The full extent of the flooding can be seen by comparing the false-color version of the June 30 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia6/2007181 ] and June 10 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia6/2007161 ] images on the MODIS Rapid Response web site. In the false-color images, water is black against the green, vegetated land. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in Southeastern Austr
…
| Title |
Floods in Southeastern Australia |
| Description |
Southeast Australia's Gippsland region was experiencing its worst floods in 17 years 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 on June 30, 2007. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News, the floods forced more than 230 people from their homes in this predominantly rural region. Though water can sometimes be difficult to see in photo-like images, sediment-thick run-off has turned the water a muddy red-brown that stands out clearly against the lush green landscape. Both Lake Wellington and Lake Victoria are filled with the muddy flood water. In the lower image, taken before the rain started, the lakes match forested land to their north and west in coloring. The two rivers that flow into Lake Wellington also appear to be flooded, but the red-brown may also be residual mud on the rivers' banks, ABC News [ http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/30/1966501.htm?section=Justin ] reported that the floods had already started to subside on June 30. The full extent of the flooding can be seen by comparing the false-color version of the June 30 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia6/2007181 ] and June 10 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia6/2007161 ] images on the MODIS Rapid Response web site. In the false-color images, water is black against the green, vegetated land. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Bushfires in South Australia
| Title |
Bushfires in South Australia |
| Description |
In South Australia to the west of Spencer Gulf, devastating bushfires swept across the farmland and grazing lands on the Erye Peninsula in the second week of January 2005. A wall of fast-moving flames scorched the landscape, nearly spanning the southern tip of the peninsula between Boston Bay on the east and Coffin Bay to the west. The burned area appears reddish in this false-color image made from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on January 12. Vegetation appears green, and naturally bare ground or sparse vegetation appears pinkish tan. Areas where MODIS detected actively burning fire are marked in red. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
According to news reports, more than 70 bushfires were burning across New South Wales, Australia, as of January 10, 2003. Another 20 large fires were burning to the south in Victoria. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite shows the fires marked with red. The image is centered on the Great Dividing Range Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park in southern New South Wales. In the high-resolution imagery, additional fires can be seen burning both south and northwest of Sydney, about 200 miles to the northeast of where the smaller image is centered. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
According to news reports, the fire situation in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, is grave. Hot temperatures and winds gusting up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) per hour have kept bushfires burning out of control in southeastern New South Wales and northeastern Victoria. The fire situation may be the worst the area has experienced in more than 50 years, and in Victoria, government officials are making plans to call up the army for firefighting assistance. Smoke continues to pour from the blazes and to create a health hazard. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from January 17, 2003, shows the fires in southeastern Australia marked with red dots. Smoke is drifting south east. On the western side of the fires, what look like long straight lines of smoke (see high-resolution image) may be contrails from reconnaissance aircraft or water tankers. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Fire danger in southeast New South Wales lessened somewhat between Tuesday, Jan. 21, and Wednesday, Jan. 22 (local time) due to changing winds, while just across the territory boundary, the danger in Victoria (south) increased. Residents were being warned that if they weren't prepared to fight the fires, they had better begin to evacuate their homes, as bushfires push through farm and grazing land on the outskirts of several towns and toward communities in northeastern Victoria. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image is from the Terra satellite on January 21, 2003, (local time) around 11:00 a.m. The widespread nature of the smoke indicates how strong and variable the winds are. Active fire is marked with a red dot. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
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This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows bushfires (red dots) raging in southeast Australia on January 13, 2003. The fires are heavily concentrated along the border of New South Wales in the north and Victoria in the south. Across the Bass Strait from the mainland (see high-resolution image), a large fire is burning on Flinders Island. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
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Bushfires in southeast Australia are still burning out of control, threatening farmland, livestock, and homes in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. More than 500 homes have been destroyed, and several towns have fires within one or two kilometers of the city limits. Erratic winds push the fires, some of which have been burning for weeks, one way and then another, frustrating and exhausting the hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of the fires (red dots) was acquired January 22, 2003, around 11:30 a.m. local time. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
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In southeastern Australia, bushfires are raging out of control. At the border of southeast New South Wales and northeast Victoria in the Great Dividing Range Mountains, dozens of out-of-control fires have destroyed at least 400 homes and killed four people according to local news reports from Tuesday, January 21. The fires blazed through portions of Australia?s capital city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) along corridors of natural bush that are mixed with the urban landscape. Among the devastating losses, more than two dozen farms have been destroyed and hundreds of livestock have perished. Many farmers are being forced to rapidly sell remaining livestock as the fires have destroyed all available pasture. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on January 19, 2003, shows the numerous bushfires marked with red dots, as well as the thick, choking smoke. The ACT is almost completely shrouded in smoke from the densest concentrations of fires (left of center). Fires are also burning northwest of Sydney (top center). Conditions are expected to worsen as the week progresses, with high temperatures and winds up to 65 knots (71 miles per hour) whipping the blazes further out of control. More than 900 firefighters are battling the fires, and more continue to pour in from surrounding territories to lend a hand. The high-resolution image available here is 500 meters per pixel. Visit the MODIS Rapid Response Team, for a copy of this scene at MODIS? full resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
On January 19, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Aqua and Terra satellites captured a series of images of the fires in southeast Australia and the plume of smoke wafting thousands of kilometers out over the Pacific Ocean. This composite image is made up of four alternating Terra and Aqua images: Terra/Aqua/Terra/Aqua (left to right). Terra is the morning satellite, so its images were acquired first. Since the satellites collect data from east to west, Terra acquired the third segment of the image, showing South Island of New Zealand first, and then a few hours later, the first segment, showing the coast of Australia. The Aqua images came next, again from east to west, so that the far right segment, showing North Island of New Zealand, came first, and the second segment, showing the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia, came last. Over the ocean, you can see the direction of the sunglint change based on the different orbital geometry: in the Terra image, the sunglint runs northeast-southwest, for Aqua it runs northwest-southeast. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
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A break in the weather has given firefighters in southeast Australia a much-needed hand as January winds to a close. After weeks of battling scores of fires in the remote and often inaccessible terrain of the Great Dividing Range Mountains of southeastern New South Wales and northeastern Victoria, firefighters were handed a little rain, calmer winds, and a drop in temperatures. More than a million acres of have been scorched by the blazes, and this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on January 31, 2003, shows the extent of the burned area. Vegetation is bright green, burned areas are red or reddish-brown, and areas of naturally low vegetation (or bare soil) are tan. Active fires are marked with red dots. Smoke is blue. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Ribbons of flame trace across the parched landscape of southeast Australia. Prolonged, severe drought (exacerbated by an El Ni¤o), high winds, and high temperatures have sparked scores of fires across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Lives, homes, farmland, and livestock have been lost to the blazes. This scene, situated roughly 30 km southwest of Canberra, shows smoke billowing from one of the numerous fires in the region. This unusual image was made from data collected on January 26, 2003, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on the Terra satellite. The image is a combination of radiation in the visible and shortwave infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, using ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1. Fires burning in vegetation tend to emit radiation very strongly in the short wave infrared wavelengths of radiation, and this strong signal can be used to locate areas of open flame. In this image, the strong shortwave infrared signal of the flames has been colored bright yellow. Vegetation is red, and naturally bare soil is tan. The full scene is roughly 40 km by 60 km in area. Image courtesy NASA's Earth Observatory. |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Bushfires continue to burn in southeast Australia. This false-color image shows the resulting concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) at an altitude of roughly 3 km (700 millibars) in the atmosphere over Australia and New Zealand. Data taken by the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite have been combined for 6 days from January 15-20, 2003. The colors represent the mixing ratios of carbon monoxide in the air, given in parts per billion by volume. In this scene, values range from as high as 250 ppbv (purple pixels) to as low as 50 ppbv (blue pixels). The white areas show where no data were collected, either due to persistent cloud cover or gaps between satellite viewing swaths. Carbon monoxide is produced as a result of incomplete combustion during burning processes, and is important due to its impact on chemistry in the lower atmosphere. It is a good indicator of atmospheric pollution, and its presence adversely affects the atmosphere's ability to cleanse itself. Because carbon monoxide is persistent for several weeks, it clearly shows the propagation of pollution plumes from the region of the Australian fires out thousands of kilometers into the usually pristine atmosphere of the southern Pacific Ocean. The distribution of pollution over Australia corresponds closely with satellite observed aerosol emitted by the fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=5349 ] as observed by TOMS. Image courtesy NCAR MOPITT Team |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Fires in southeast Australia continue their apparent march toward the coast on February 7, 2003. This pair of true- and false-color images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite show active fire fronts marked in red in both images. In the true-color scene (top), smoke fills the skies, while the image below uses false-color image analysis to minimize smoke and enhance the 2-million-plus-acre burn scar, which is deep red against bright green vegetation. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides these images at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Floods in Western Australia
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Floods in Western Australia |
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Although eight days had passed since Cyclone Emma drenched northwestern Australia, flooding was more dramatic than it had been immediately after the storm came ashore on March 1, 2006. By March 8, top image, upstream floodwater had swollen the web of rivers in the center of the image and spread across the dry landscape. Additional flooding is apparent near the shore along the top of the image, and the cloud of bright blue offshore indicates that mud-laden water is draining into the Indian Ocean. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the floods had stranded or killed cattle in the rural region.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia1/ ] of northwestern Australia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Western Australia
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Floods in Western Australia |
| Description |
Although eight days had passed since Cyclone Emma drenched northwestern Australia, flooding was more dramatic than it had been immediately after the storm came ashore on March 1, 2006. By March 8, top image, upstream floodwater had swollen the web of rivers in the center of the image and spread across the dry landscape. Additional flooding is apparent near the shore along the top of the image, and the cloud of bright blue offshore indicates that mud-laden water is draining into the Indian Ocean. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the floods had stranded or killed cattle in the rural region.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia1/ ] of northwestern Australia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Bushfires Raging in Southeas
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Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
This pair of true- and false-color images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on March 6, 2003, shows the enormous burn scars left behind by the past two months' devastating bushfires in southeast Australia. In the true-color image on the left, healthy vegetation appears deep green and burned areas are subtly browner. In the false-color image on the right, the burned areas are more obvious?bright reddish brown against green vegetation. Red dots mark the location of active fires. 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 |
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Floods in Western Australia
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Floods in Western Australia |
| Description |
The Murchison River of central Western Australia was still grossly swollen on March 12, 2006, 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. The flooding started when Cyclone Emma dumped heavy rain over the river basin on March 1. Since then, the glut of flood water has steadily made its way downstream, making the river bulge as it went. On March 9, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the river was at its highest level on record, expanding to more than ten kilometers wide in places. In the days following March 12, the flood water was expected to drain into the Indian Ocean through Kalbarri National Park and the city of Kalbarri. In the image, the flood-widened river is a ribbon of blue, particularly in the southwestern reaches of the river. In these areas, the river had been a barely discernable blue line on February 20, lower image, before the cyclone hit. The large images have a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. They are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia4/2006071/Australia4.2006071.terra.721 ], including MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel, from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Western Australia
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Floods in Western Australia |
| Description |
The Murchison River of central Western Australia was still grossly swollen on March 12, 2006, 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. The flooding started when Cyclone Emma dumped heavy rain over the river basin on March 1. Since then, the glut of flood water has steadily made its way downstream, making the river bulge as it went. On March 9, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the river was at its highest level on record, expanding to more than ten kilometers wide in places. In the days following March 12, the flood water was expected to drain into the Indian Ocean through Kalbarri National Park and the city of Kalbarri. In the image, the flood-widened river is a ribbon of blue, particularly in the southwestern reaches of the river. In these areas, the river had been a barely discernable blue line on February 20, lower image, before the cyclone hit. The large images have a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. They are available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia4/2006071/Australia4.2006071.terra.721 ], including MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel, from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Forest Fire in Southwest Aus
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Forest Fire in Southwest Australia |
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A forest fire near the south coast town of Walpole, Australia, is being reported as one of the largest in memory. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from March 11, 2003, shows the active fire marked with a red outline. According to media reports the fire is not currently threatening any homes, but the prodigious amount of smoke is hampering visibility on roadways and reducing air quality. A false-color image of the same scene reveals burn scars from other fires to the east in bright red against surrounding vegetation. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Gosses Bluff, Northern Terri
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Gosses Bluff, Northern Territory, Australia |
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Gosses Bluff is one of the most significant impact structures in the world. Located about 205 kilometers west of Alice Springs, in Northern Territory, Australia, the crater has been largely preserved in the dry, lightly vegetated region. Gosses Bluff was probably formed by the impact of a large comet or meteorite about 142 million years ago. Traveling at a rate of about 40 kilometers per second, the object slammed into the surface of the Earth, leaving a crater that was about 22 kilometers in diameter. The structure we now see is the result of erosionthe crater would originally have had an outer raised rim and a prominent central peak. The core of the original crater is now represented by a ring of low hills, seen in the lower left side of the image. The ghostly remnants of the outer rim are visible from space in astronaut photos [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15317 ] as a faint circle around the crater that is seen here. This perspective view was created by draping a false-color composite image over a digital elevation model. These data were acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer (ASTER) instrument aboard the Terra satellite on October 11, 2003. The composite image uses shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 7, 3, & 1), while the digital elevation was computed from the stereo pair data channels. Surface elevations are shown true to scale without vertical exaggeration. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory. ASTER data and elevation imagery courtesy of Michael Abrams and the MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. |
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Continued Eruption of Manam
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Continued Eruption of Manam Volcano |
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During the last week of November 2004, daily eruptions of ash and steam from Manam Volcano off the east coast of New Guinea (north of Australia), made the living conditions so unfavorable that thousands of residents were evacuated by container ship. In addition to disruptions of the food and water supply, ash had dirtied the solar panels that provide electricity for the island's radio communication with the mainland, isolating the islanders even further. Officials and scientists are concerned that the ongoing activity is a sign that a major eruption is brewing, and they began urgent evacuation of 9,000 people on November 28, 2004. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on November 29, 2004, shows a brown plume of ash spreading eastward from Manam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Cyclone Chris Hits Australia
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Cyclone Chris Hits Australia |
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This false-color image shows Cyclone Chris shortly after it hit Australia?s northwestern coast on February 6, 2002. This scene was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. (Please note that this scene has not been reprojected.) Cyclone Chris is one of the most powerful storms ever to hit Australia. Initially, the storm contained wind gusts of up to 200 km per hour (125 mph), but shortly after making landfall it weakened to a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists expect the cyclone to weaken quickly as it moves further inland. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Cyclone Ingrid
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Cyclone Ingrid |
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Tropical Cyclone Ingrid is slowing inching its way west, southwest over the Coral Sea towards Queensland, Australia. The storm developed into a cyclone early on March 6, 2005, and quickly intensified into a massive Category 4 storm. On March 7, 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 storm had winds of 220 kilometers per hour (140 mph) with gusts to 270 kph (170 mph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Ingrid to continue to intensify as it moves closer to northeastern Australia, possibly coming ashore as early as March 9. 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. |
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Cyclone Ingrid
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Cyclone Ingrid |
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Cyclone Ingrid was just below Category-5-strength status when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on March 8, 2005. The storm is steadily bearing down on Australia?s Cape York Peninsula, where residents are under a cyclone warning. Storms of this magnitude are unusual in the Coral Sea, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the last storm of this size to strike northern Queensland came ashore in 1918. Ingrid had winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph) with gusts to 296 kph (184 mph), and was moving west at 8 kilometers per hour (5 mph) when this image was taken. The image reveals Ingrid?s large, clear eye, through which dark ocean water is clearly visible. The storm is expected to move ashore early on March 9, local time. 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. |
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Cyclones Flood Western Austr
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Cyclones Flood Western Australia |
| Description |
In the course of a week, the northern coast of Western Australia went from dry desert to riverine landscape under the onslaught of two successive tropical cyclones. Powerful Cyclone George [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14163 ] roared ashore on March 8, 2007, with winds gusting up to 275 kilometers per hour (170 miles per hour). The storm caused extensive damage, including three deaths, reported the Australia Broadcasting Corporation News. The much weaker Cyclone Jacob [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14162 ] came ashore just east of George's landing point on March 12. The top image, captured on March 13, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, shows the cumulative impact of the two storms on the DeGrey River basin. The DeGrey River flows west through Western Australia before it turns north to empty into the Indian Ocean at Poissonnier Point east of the city of Port Hedland, the city most severely damaged by Cyclone George. On March 6, before both storms struck, the river was barely distinguishable in MODIS imagery. One week later, the river and its many tributaries cut a tangle of blue across the landscape. The heavy rain brought by the storms has also prompted plant growth. The land has gone from desert pinkthe color of bare or sparsely vegetated land in this type of imageto the bright green of plant-covered land. The images were made with both infrared and visible light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, water is black or dark blue (where laced with sediment), and clouds are pale blue and white. Similar false-color and photo-like true color images are available daily from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Australia1/2007072 ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Drought in Australia
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Drought in Australia |
| Description |
Long-term drought persisted throughout Australia when the normally rainy winter month of August yielded little rain. Most of southern and central Australia received below-average rainfall during the winter, and parts of South Australia and New South Wales recorded their lowest rainfall totals since record-keeping began, said the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE) in their September 2007 Crop Report [ http://www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/cr/cr_07/cr07_sept.pdf ] (pdf). This vegetation anomaly image shows the impact of the dry winter on southwestern Australia's grain belt. Though Western Australia received more rain than other parts of the country, conditions were still dry. Regions where plants were growing more slowly or producing fewer leaves than average (as measured between 2000 and 2006) are brown, while better-than-average conditions are green. A sprinkling of green is scattered across crop areas in the south, where ABARE reported that rain fell, while a strip of dark brown points to poor conditions in the northwest. This location, too, corresponds with ABARE reports of scant rainfall in the north. The image was made with data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite between August 13 and August 28, 2007. Rainfall in early September stabilized the winter crops, leading to a predicted yield of 8.7 million tons in the 2007-2008 growing season, an increase from crops produced in 2006-2007, said ABARE. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef, Global Agricultural Monitoring Project [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/glam.cfm ]. |
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Drought in Southeastern Aust
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Drought in Southeastern Australia |
| Description |
Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland., Spring started warm and dry in much of Australia. In addition to high land surface temperatures [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17440 ] in September 2006, many of the country's agricultural areas were facing 6- to 12-month rainfall deficiencies that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology categorized as serious, severe, or lowest on record. In southern Western Australia, one of the country's prime wheat-growing regions, rainfall between April and September was less than half the average amounts. Parts of South Australia, much of Victoria, and south-central New South Wales had been racking up deficits for 9 to 12 months or longer. Severe drought had settled over many areas. This image shows the stress on vegetationpredominantly in croplandsin southeastern Australia. The image compares vegetation greenness data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ], satellite between September 30 and October 15, 2006, to average greenness measured during the same 15-day period from 2000-2005. Satellite vegetation greenness is an indicator of the spatial extent, density, and health of vegetation at the Earth's surface. Places where the greenness was anomalously low are colored brown, places where vegetation was near average are yellow, and the few places where vegetation greenness was higher than average are green. Places where vegetation greenness couldn't be measured, perhaps due to clouds, are colored gray. A wide brown arc reaches from coastal South Australia, eastward through Victoria, and northward into New South Wales. In South Australia, the brown area covers cropland for barley, rapeseed, and wheat. In Victoria, the affected area includes those same crops plus sunflowers. All those same crops are grown in southern New South Wales, but the affected area also includes rice-growing areas. Farther north, closer to the border of Queensland, the brown arc of below-average vegetation conditions covers sorghum- and cotton-growing regions. The rainfall deficits and warm temperatures that are so strongly affecting croplands do not appear to be having as extreme an effect on natural vegetation. For example, at the border of South Australia and Victoria, several roughly rectangular areas show near-average vegetation conditions (yellow). The rectangles of comparatively normal vegetation trace out several National Parks. The brown arc extending from Victoria into New South Wales is inland of The Great Dividing Range Mountains, which follow the coastline of eastern and southeastern Australia. These mountains, home to many parks and protected areas, do a good job of ringing rainfall out of moist air coming in off the ocean, and this coastal area appears not as severely stressed as the inland crop-growing regions. Australia is prone to drought because of its geographic location. Much of Australia lies in a latitude belt that is under the influence of an atmospheric phenomenon known as the subtropical high. Just outside of the tropics in each hemisphere lies a swath of the globe where air frequently sinks toward the Earth's surface from higher in the atmosphere. The air warms and dries as it sinks, creating semi-permanent zones of high air pressure at the surface. These subtropical highs are areas of stable, warm, and dry air that favor clear skies and little rainfall. (In the Northern Hemisphere, several large deserts, including the Sahara, reside in the latitudes of the subtropical high.) Many drought episodes in the eastern and northern part of the Australia are linked to El Niño episodes. A relatively mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] was underway in late 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the |
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