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Terra of Canada and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
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| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
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| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
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| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
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| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
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| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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China Dust Storm seen by Ter
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm seen by Terra/MODIS and Earth Probe/TOMS in April of 2001 |
| Abstract |
A thick shroud of dust appears over China on April 6-7, 2001. The densest portion of the aerosol pollution travels east over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Canada, and The United States. |
| Completed |
2003-12-01 |
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MODIS White Sky Albedo Unwra
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| Title |
MODIS White Sky Albedo Unwraps to False Color Albedo Flat Map |
| Abstract |
The MODIS instrument, flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, measures albedo. Albedo measures the proportion of incoming solar radiation reaching a surface that is reflected back to the atmosphere and to space. For an unchanging surface, albedo can vary somewhat, depending on the sky and atmospheric conditions. This image maps the white-sky albedo, which is the albedo under conditions of a uniform, dense cloud cover, in which downwelling light energy comes uniformly from all directions. The color bar indicates the albedo value ranging from 0.0 to 0.4 over the Earth's land surfaces. Areas colored red show the brightest, most reflective regions, yellows and greens are intermediate values, and blues and violets show relatively dark surfaces. White indicates no data is available. Typically, vegetated surfaces and water have low albedos, while soil and urban surfaces have somewhat higher values. Note that solar energy that is not reflected away from a surface is absorbed by that surface. Thus, albedo also provides information about the amount of energy absorbed by a surface. Since this energy serves to heat the soil and the air just above the surface, albedo is an important factor in weather and climate studies, and especially is important for modeling of weather and climate on scales of days to years. This image was produced using data composited over a 16-day period, from April 7-22, 2002. |
| Completed |
2002-07-01 |
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Canadian Smoke Invades the E
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| Title |
Canadian Smoke Invades the East Coast |
| Abstract |
Smoke from multiple large wildfires in Canada blanketed the Great Lakes and eastern United States. The enormous smoke plume was almost 200 miles wide. The thick pall affected air quality from New York, to Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. and blocked the sunlight cooling the East Coast. The first image was taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on July 7, 2002. The second image comes from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Earth Probe Satellite. |
| Completed |
2004-05-13 |
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Canadian Smoke Invades the E
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| Title |
Canadian Smoke Invades the East Coast |
| Abstract |
Smoke from multiple large wildfires in Canada blanketed the Great Lakes and eastern United States. The enormous smoke plume was almost 200 miles wide. The thick pall affected air quality from New York, to Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. and blocked the sunlight cooling the East Coast. The first image was taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on July 7, 2002. The second image comes from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Earth Probe Satellite. |
| Completed |
2004-05-13 |
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Canadian Smoke Invades the E
…
| Title |
Canadian Smoke Invades the East Coast |
| Abstract |
Smoke from multiple large wildfires in Canada blanketed the Great Lakes and eastern United States. The enormous smoke plume was almost 200 miles wide. The thick pall affected air quality from New York, to Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. and blocked the sunlight cooling the East Coast. The first image was taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on July 7, 2002. The second image comes from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Earth Probe Satellite. |
| Completed |
2004-05-13 |
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Haze Across Eastern United S
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| Title |
Haze Across Eastern United States |
| Description |
Groan. That's what millions of Americans in the eastern United States were doing each morning in the last week of July as they woke up to yet another day of hot, humid, stagnant air. Throughout the week, the Environmental Protection Agency has been issuing air quality warnings for the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic as pollution levels have reached the "Unheatlhy for Sensitive Groups" category in many places. In these conditions, those with respiratory problems, such as asthma and allergies, are advised to stay indoors, while even healthy children and adults are advised against prolonged exercise or outdoor activity. This image of the Eastern United States was captured on July 26, 2005, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite. Hazy air from along the eastern seaboard from Pennsylvania to Georgia was lingering over coastal regions and spreading out over the Atlantic Ocean. Numerous fires were detected by MODIS and have been marked with red dots. Although many meteorological and human factors influence air quality, among the major culprits is high atmospheric pressure. High pressure usually creates a stable—stagnant—region of air in which the emissions from our vehicles, power plants, and fires keep piling up. Not only does the hot humid air trap emissions and cause them to linger over the region, but the extremely uncomfortable conditions also cause electricity needs to spike: the power grid must generate more electricity for running refrigeration and air conditioning devices. The additional demand creates additional air pollution, making the air quality problems worse. Fortunately, forecasters were predicting that the high pressure would weaken later in the week, allowing cooler, cleaner air from Canada to sweep through. For more information on air quality conditions and forecasts, visit the EPA's AIRNow Website. [ http://cfpub.epa.gov/airnow/index.cfm?action=airnow.DisplayTopStory&StoryType=1 ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Haze over the Great Lakes
| Title |
Haze over the Great Lakes |
| Description |
Haze collected over the Great Lakes region at the end of July 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on July 31. In this image, the haze appears as a blue-gray film, thickest over northern Michigan and Lake Superior. Haze also obscures the view of Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Although the exact source of the haze was uncertain, it could have resulted from fires in Canada [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14405 ] or the United States. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14398 ] An August 1, 2007, posting on the U.S. Air Quality [ http://alg.umbc.edu/usaq/ ] (Smog Blog) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, traced a trajectory of smoke from fires in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana passing over the Great Lakes region and continuing southeast toward Baltimore. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3/ ] of this region. |
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Haze Over the Midwestern Uni
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| Title |
Haze Over the Midwestern United States |
| Description |
An atmospheric high-pressure system transported moisture and pollutants over the Great Lakes and the region to the south, affecting air quality indexes, as forecasted by AirNow [ http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.DisplayTopStory&StoryType=1 ]. For individuals sensitive to air quality, some indexes could reach unhealthy levels. Hurricane Ophelia, a portion of which appears in the lower right, was expected to impact some local weather and air quality conditions. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on September 11, 2005. In this image, haze stretches southwards from Canada, over the Great Lakes, and into the Midwest. This picture is actually a mosaic of satellite images acquired by different passes of the Terra satellite. The sharp line running diagonally through the image shows where those different pictures were stitched together. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Heat Wave in North America
| Title |
Heat Wave in North America |
| Description |
Scorching summer sun, burning pavement, stinging sweat—normal for July. But in July 2006, temperatures climbed above average levels for the previous six years and stayed warm for several days. During mid-July, a heat wave settled over most of the United States, with air temperatures soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Land surface temperatures climbed as well, as this image shows. Most of the United States and portions of Canada and Mexico were much warmer than they had been during the same period from 2000 to 2005. Deep red across the Midwest indicates that land surface temperatures were as much as 10 degrees Celsius warmer than the six-year average, and with the exception of the Pacific Northwest and a few other isolated region, the rest of the country was also warmer than average. The heat wave continued past the period shown here, through the end of July. In California alone, the heat killed at least 126 people, reported Reuters on July 29. This image was created from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite between July 12 and July 19, 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Surface Temperature Group, Institute for Computational Earth System Science [ http://www.icess.ucsb.edu/ ], University of California, Santa Barbara. |
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Drought on the Great Plains
| Title |
Drought on the Great Plains |
| Description |
Across the Great Plains of the United States and Canada, devastating drought spread across grasslands and croplands in summer 2006. Poor winter snowfall and a blisteringly hot summer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13742 ] following several years of dry conditions have created a dire situation for many farmers and ranchers across the region. According to a recent article [ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/us/29drought.html?ex=1157688000&en=13a216546b7d4243&ei=5070 ] on the New York Times Website, many people are comparing the conditions to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The widespread drought conditions are obvious in this vegetation anomaly image based on data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Places where vegetation is healthier or more abundant than average are green, places where vegetation is about the same as average are pale yellow, and places where vegetation is not as healthy or abundant as average are brown. Gray patches show where no data were available, probably because of persistent clouds. One of the most common satellite-based vegetation maps is a scale, or index, of vegetation greenness called the "NDVI," short for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. This image compares NDVI values from July 28-August 12, 2006, to the average values from 2001-2005. Vegetation was faring worst along the Missouri River through North and South Dakota, but below-average vegetation conditions stretch across parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, northwestern Nebraska, and Minnesota as well. The plains of Canada's Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces were suffering drought, too. A few small pockets of green in the image reveal where vegetation greenness values observed by MODIS were higher than average: the mountains of north-central Colorado, southeastern Nebraska, and the Red River Valley. The Red River Valley experienced widespread snowfall and heavy rains in the spring of 2006, leading to significant flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13500 ] The early-season moisture may have helped the vegetation in the area withstand the hot summer. According to the August 29, 2006, update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, [ http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html ] most of the Northern Great Plains, as well as much of Oklahoma and Texas, was still in the midst of drought, with many areas falling into the highest category: exceptional drought. 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. |
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Heavy Snow in U.S. Midwest
| Title |
Heavy Snow in U.S. Midwest |
| Description |
A severe winter storm hammered the Midwestern United States on December 1, 2006. According to news reports, the storm iced roads, canceled flights, broke tree branches, left more than two million homes and businesses without electricity, and temporarily shut down part of Interstate 40 in central Oklahoma. Several deaths were linked to the storm, including deaths from traffic accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the storm's aftermath on December 3, 2006. By the time MODIS took this picture, the storm had moved off to Canada, and skies over the U.S. Midwest had largely cleared. In this image, the lingering snow looks like a giant finger-paint smear of white on a tan background. Streaks of clouds hover in the east, and lighter cloud cover remains in the north. Besides power outages, the storm caused headaches for air travelers, according to The New York Times. Freezing rains followed by snowflakes built up thick ice at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Besides heavy snow and grounded flights, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago saw the unusual occurrence of a lightning strike to a cargo plane. Although rare, thundersnow [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundersnow ] can mix electrical storm activity with snow rather than rain. A 250-meter-resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/UnitedStates.A2006337.1710.250m.kmz ] of the snow storm is available for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Hurricane Isaac
| Title |
Hurricane Isaac |
| Description |
On September 30, Hurricane Isaac became the fifth hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Beginning as a tropical depression (area of low air pressure) three days earlier, Isaac formed in the central Atlantic Ocean far from any land. Isaac initially headed northeast on a track towards Bermuda, picking up power to become a hurricane. But Hurricane Isaac never posed a threat to the island, as it veered onto a more northerly track as the storm became more organized and powerful. As of October 2, 2006, Isaac was headed north and slightly east in the general direction of the Canadian Maritime Provinces. However, it was expected to curve off farther east and to avoid coming ashore in Canada. The hurricane was losing power as it traveled north and was downgraded to a tropical storm by midday on October 2. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on October 1 2006, at 12:35 p.m. local time (14:35 UTC). Isaac is a small and well-formed—a tight ball of spiraling clouds around a well-defined eye filled with clouds (a "closed" eye). According to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center, Isaac had sustained winds reaching as high as 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour). NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Lake Effect Snow in the Unit
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| Title |
Lake Effect Snow in the United States |
| Description |
Like light radiating from the Sun, streamers of snow streak southeast from the Great Lakes in this photo-like image, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on December 9, 2006. The snow seen here came from two different storms. The broad swath of white extending from the left edge of the image to Lake Michigan was deposited on December 1 by a powerful winter storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17480 ] that left thousands without power for many days. The snow on the southeastern side of the Great Lakes, however, fell on December 7 and December 8 as lake-effect snow. Lake-effect snow occurs along the southeastern edge of the Great Lakes when icy wind blows across the lakes from Canada. The wind picks up relatively warm, moist air over the lakes and pushes it over land, where the air is cooler. When the moist air encounters cooler temperatures over land, the water condenses into precipitation, which in this case fell as snow. The signature of lake-effect snow is striking in this image. A field of white lines the southeastern shores of each of the Great Lakes. The strong winds that generated the snow left their imprint in the form of long streamers of snow that extend all the way to the deep brown folds of the Appalachian Mountains along the right edge of the image.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/ ] of the United States can be viewed on the MODIS Rapid Response web site. The tiny red dots in this image indicate where MODIS detected fires. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Extreme Cold in Canada
| Title |
Extreme Cold in Canada |
| Description |
Cold, dry arctic air swept down over Canada, bringing chilling temperatures to much of the country. As the cold air moved out over the Atlantic Ocean, it met warmer, moist air, and clouds formed. The clouds are thin near the coast, and thicken as the air picks up more moisture over the ocean. The ice in the clouds tint them a light orange in this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image. Since visible light is assigned to red in this false-color image, ice appears dark red and water is black. Red over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, top center, and the St. Lawrence River, upper left, attests that both are covered in a layer of ice. The ice has caused problems upstream, beyond the left corner of this image. Ice jams in the Riviere des Prairies, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River, have dammed the river, causing flooding in Montreal and Laval. The Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired this image on January 25, 2004. The high-resolution image provided above has a resolution 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004025-0125/NovaScotia.A2004025.1500.367 ], including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Fall Colors around Lake Supe
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| Title |
Fall Colors around Lake Superior |
| Description |
The calendar may have set September 23 as the first day of autumn in 2007, but the forests that line the eastern shore of Lake Superior had already started to mark the turning of the season. By September 23, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image, the forests of northern Michigan and southern Ontario flamed orange as the first trees of the season—maples—began to display their brilliant red and orange fall colors. Veins of green run through the sea of orange where the deciduous forest gives way to deep green pine trees. The most vivid color is concentrated in Canada's province of Ontario. Located farther south, Michigan's trees show only a hint of color. The St. Mary's River seems to be the dividing line between the brightest colors and the as-yet-unchanged forest. The river is also the border between the United States and Canada, as well as the only waterway linking Lake Superior to the rest of the Great Lakes. Orange and green forest gives way to gray along the banks of the river where the cities of Sault St. Marie, Ontario, and Sault St. Marie, Michigan, are located. Separated into two cities by the split between Canada and the United States after the Revolutionary War, the city was the first permanent European settlement in either Ontario or Michigan. A faint tan line spanning the river is the bridge that links the two cities. The pale green grid south of Sault St. Marie, Michigan, reveals patterns of land use, either from agriculture or forestry. The large image provides an unusually cloud-free view of all of the Great Lakes. Similar spots of color stretch across southern Canada and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The northern plains of the United States have started to turn yellow as grasses ripen, but the eastern forests in Pennsylvania and New York remain deep green. Red squares scattered throughout the large image mark the locations of fires. The large image is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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MODIS Image Shows Below-Aver
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| Title |
MODIS Image Shows Below-Average Snow Cover in North America |
| Description |
The winter of 1999/2000 brought relatively little snow cover to the North American continent. This MODIS eight-day composite map shows the maximum snow cover in North America during the period from March 5-12. When compared to the snow extent during average years, it is apparent that there was significantly less area covered by snow this year for each month from November through April. In this image, the areas covered by snow are colored white, the non-snow covered land surface is colored green, those regions obstructed by clouds appear as grey, and water is blue. The red line represents the "average" March snow line, and the yellow line represents the "average" February snow line, as determined from NOAA/NESDIS snow maps (1966-present). Note that the snow line in March of 2000 is considerably farther north than the average February or March snow lines. By February, scientists reported that water levels in the Great Lakes--the world's largest inland bodies of fresh water--were much lower than normal. Lakes Michigan and Huron were 18 inches below average, and Lakes Superior and Erie were 9 inches below average. From 30 to 40 percent of these lakes' annual water supply comes from melting snow, the lack of which is contributing to the lower water levels. A concern is that the paltry snowpacks of this past winter, combined with high evaporative rates this coming summer, could result in the lowest lake levels on record. By the time these data were acquired, the snow line had retreated into southern Canada, but in the continental U.S., the Rocky Mountains, Cascades, Coast Range, and Sierra Nevada were still covered by snow, as were other isolated areas in the western states. Additionally, there was a band of snow spanning parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. This band of snow was quite short-lived, lasting only a day or so, but was captured by MODIS because of its frequent coverage. The smaller extent and earlier northward retreat of the snow cover during this past winter has led to an earlier drying of the soils in many areas, which has contributed to the large number of wildfires so far this year. MODIS flies aboard the Terra spacecraft, launched in December 1999. The sensor first opened its doors and began acquiring data on Feb. 24, 2000. The MODIS sensor and Terra mission are managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Image data courtesy Dorothy Hall, Nick DiGirolamo, George Riggs, and Janet Chien - MODIS Land Science Team |
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Fires Across the United Stat
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| Title |
Fires Across the United States |
| Description |
This expansive image of the United States was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites. The left hand portion of the image comes from Aqua MODIS observations captured on the afternoon of October 22, 2003, while the right hand part of the image is from Terra MODIS observations captured a few hours earlier. Several geographic regions are experiencing fires, which were detected by the sensors and are marked with red dots. At upper left, fires are still burning across the Northern Rockies, the highest concentration is in Idaho, with additional fires in Montana to its east, and southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, to the west. In the Southwest, fires are burning in southern California near Los Angeles (gray patch right at edge of image to the north of the Baja Peninsula), as well as in the arc of mountains running through Arizona. At top center, fires are scattered across the northern Great Plains, from North Dakota and across the United States? border into Canada. Far to the south, dozens more fires are burning in the Mississippi River Valley in Mississippi (against right edge), Louisiana (to the west) and Arkansas (north of Louisiana). The high-resolution image provided above is 2 kilometers 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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Fires Across the United Stat
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| Title |
Fires Across the United States |
| Description |
This expansive image of the United States was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites. The left hand portion of the image comes from Aqua MODIS observations captured on the afternoon of October 22, 2003, while the right hand part of the image is from Terra MODIS observations captured a few hours earlier. Several geographic regions are experiencing fires, which were detected by the sensors and are marked with red dots. At upper left, fires are still burning across the Northern Rockies, the highest concentration is in Idaho, with additional fires in Montana to its east, and southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, to the west. In the Southwest, fires are burning in southern California near Los Angeles (gray patch right at edge of image to the north of the Baja Peninsula), as well as in the arc of mountains running through Arizona. At top center, fires are scattered across the northern Great Plains, from North Dakota and across the United States? border into Canada. Far to the south, dozens more fires are burning in the Mississippi River Valley in Mississippi (against right edge), Louisiana (to the west) and Arkansas (north of Louisiana). The high-resolution image provided above is 2 kilometers 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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Fires and Thick Smoke over S
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| 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 |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Extreme fire behavior in Alaska continued across the turning of the calendar from June to July 2004. Yellowish-gray smoke hung over much of the state, while fires (locations outlined in red) continued to grow across the landscape. Many of these blazes have been burning since mid-June, triggered by a few days of record-breaking lightning. Hot, dry, and windy conditions since then have pushed fire behavior to extreme levels at many locations. The Boundary Fire, north of Fairbanks, was spreading at a rate of 3 miles an hour on July 1, and at times firefighters reported that flame lengths were as long as 30 feet. This image was captured on July 1 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Huge, smoky fires continued to burn throughout east-central Alaska on June 24, 2004. Most of the blazes were triggered by lightning around June 14 and 15, when a record-breaking 8,500 strikes reportedly hit the state in just 24 hours. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite shows the region alight with fires that are billowing large amounts of smoke, which hangs over the Yukon Territory, Canada, at image right. Areas where MODIS detected active fires are outlined in red. At the top of the scene are the Pingo (top) and Winter Trail (to the southeast) Fires, each of which was more than 50,000 acres as of June 24. Along the Tanana River in the lower part of the scene, the Billy Creek Fire (to the south of image center) is creating a massive smoke plume. To the southeast of the Billy Creek Fire, the Porcupine Fire is giving off a smaller, but nonetheless impressive column of smoke. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Record-breaking lightning activity in Alaska last week (June 14-16, 2004) triggered dozens of wildfires in Alaska and Canada. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite shows fires and smoke on June 21, 2004. Areas where MODIS detected fire are marked in red. The top part of this image shows the Yukon Flats region of east-central Alaska. North of the hump in the river, which appears as a braided, light brown line, are the two largest fires in the Solstice Complex: the Pingo (top) and the Winter Trail (below). Both fires are growing rapidly, each increasing by more than 3,000 acres overnight between June 20 and 21. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Smoke spread in a thick blanket over eastern Alaska on June 30, 2004. This image of Alaska and a small portion of Yukon Territory, Canada (right), shows the smoky skies and the locations of numerous wildfires. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite. Areas where MODIS detected active fire are outlined in red. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Fires triggered by lightning in the week of June 14 have continued to burn across eastern Alaska on June 23, 2003. This image captured by the Terra satellite?s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) shows numerous large fires scorching the landscape and filling the skies with thick smoke. Some of the most extreme fire behavior is occurring at the Pingo and Winter Trail Fires (top). The Pingo fire grew 16,690 acres since the previous day's mapping, to reach a size of 52,930 acres. The Winter Trail Fire grew rapidly to the north and east, increasing by more than 32,000 acres between mapping periods on June 22 and 23, and was 49,670 as of June 23. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Fires triggered by lightning in the week of June 14 have continued to burn across eastern Alaska on June 23, 2003. This image captured by the Terra satellite?s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) shows numerous large fires scorching the landscape and filling the skies with thick smoke. Some of the most extreme fire behavior is occurring at the Pingo and Winter Trail Fires (top). The Pingo fire grew 16,690 acres since the previous day's mapping, to reach a size of 52,930 acres. The Winter Trail Fire grew rapidly to the north and east, increasing by more than 32,000 acres between mapping periods on June 22 and 23, and was 49,670 as of June 23. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
As of July 12, 2004, the Alaska Fire Service reported that nearly 2.5 million acres across the state had been affected by fires. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on July 12 shows dozens of active fires across the eastern part of the state. Areas where MODIS detected fires are outlined in red. The thick smoke and clouds can make it difficult to identify landmarks. At the bottom right of the scene are the Wrangell Mountains. Arcing across the bottom left quadrant of the scene are the Alaska Range Mountains. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Clouds and smoke mingle in the skies over eastern Alaska and western Canada on July 17, 2004. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite shows locations of fires outlined in red. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
On August 17, 2004, fires (red dots) burned across Alaska and northern Canada, spreading smoke across thousands of square kilometers. The fire season in Alaska has been very active since mid-June when record-breaking numbers of lightning strikes touched off scores of fires over several days. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite spans Alaska (left), Yukon Territory (right), and British Columbia (bottom right). At lower left is the Gulf of Alaska. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Ribbons of smoke from fires in Alaska and northern Canada swirl over the Gulf of Alaska (lower left) and British Columbia (lower right) on August 15, 2004. The image is a combination of three Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images on that day: two from MODIS on the Aqua satellite, and one from the MODIS on the Terra satellite. Actively burning fires have been marked with red dots in the image. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
The 2004 fire season in Alaska and western Canada continues to be a smoky one. On August 10, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite captured this image of western Alaska (left), Yukon Territory (center), and westernmost Northwest Territories, Canada, with a huge plume of smoke fanning out from several large fires (marked in yellow). The largest cluster of fires is located north of the Alaska Range Mountains, and a second concentration is apparent northwest (up and to the left) of that cluster, south of the Yukon River. Between those two clusters of fires, a thick river of smoke flows northeastward over Eagle Plain. Mackenzie Bay is near top center, and the Amundsen Gulf is to its east at top right. At bottom left is the Gulf of Alaska. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Numerous large wildfires were blazing across central Alaska (western two-thirds of image) and Yukon Territory, Canada (eastern third of image) on August 22, 2004. The image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite shows the incredibly thick blanket of smoke flowing like a vast river between the Brooks Range Mountains in the northern part of Alaska and the Alaska Range to the south. Red dots indicate the location of 1-square-kilometer pixels in which MODIS detected actively burning fires. According to reports from the Alaska Interagency Fire Center on August 23, there have been 616 fires this season, which have burned nearly 5.5 million acres. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Several fires are burning in the Canadian provinces of Alberta (left) and Saskatchewan (right). Some are burning in prairies to the south, but a few are burning in the forests to the north. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, over 1,800 fires have occurred already this year, consuming more than 777,000 acres. Late green-up (new growth of spring vegetation), dry conditions, and wind have made fire dangers high in the region, and many of the fires burning throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have been fanned out of control. In Saskatchewan, people have been forced to evacuate their homes as firefighters struggle to control the blazes. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on May 30, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
In the Alberta (left), Saskatchewan (center), and Manitoba (right) provinces of Canada, several prairie fires were burning on May 20, 2002. This image, including fire detections (red outlines), was made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In Alberta, at upper left of the image, it appears that fires are also burning in the boreal forest, the evergreen-dominated forest to the south of the Arctic tundra. Dotted across the landscape are numerous frozen lakes, carved by glaciers millennia ago. The largest lake in the image, at far right, is Lake Winnipeg. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire site. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Wildfires (red dots) continue to burn in the Canadian provinces of Alberta (left) and Saskatchewan (center). Southeastern Saskatchewan is clouded by heavy smoke in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) taken on June 3, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Wildfires (red dots) continue to burn in the Canadian provinces of Alberta (left) and Saskatchewan (center). Southeastern Saskatchewan is clouded by heavy smoke in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) taken on June 1, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Wildfires (red dots) continue to burn in the Canadian provinces of Alberta (left) and Saskatchewan (center). Southeastern Saskatchewan is clouded by heavy smoke in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) taken on June 1, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Grassland fires continue to burn in Canada?s prairie provinces. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on June 22, 2002, shows a large fire (red dots) in Saskatchewan. The smoke plume is reaching hundreds of kilometers south. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
Smoke is billowing from fires in Canada?s Saskatchewan region and may be mixing with smoke from wildfires in the western United States at the lower right of this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from June 26, 2002. According to reports from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, lightning ignited 15 fires in a single 24-hour period from Tuesday, June 25, 2002, to Wednesday, June 26. Image courtesy Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
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Fires in Canada's Prairie Pr
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| Title |
Fires in Canada's Prairie Provinces |
| Description |
This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from June 23, 2002, shows heavy smoke from numerous wildfires (red dots) blanketing Saskatchewan (left) and Manitoba (right), Canada. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Central Canada
| Title |
Fires in Central Canada |
| Description |
Numerous large and smoky fires were burning in northeastern Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan on June 26, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead and collected this image. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Fires surround Lake Athabasca and appear south of Reindeer Lake as well. Thick smoke has spread several hundred kilometers southeast toward Manitoba's Lake Winnipeg. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 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. |
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