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Satellite Imagery of Hurrica …
Title Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Dennis (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Dennis started as a tropical depression on August 23, 1999, became a tropical storm on August 24, and was classified as a hurricane early on August 26, near the Bahamas. From August 26 through August 31, Dennis proceeded up the coast of the United States until it stalled off the coast of North Carolina for four days because the pressure trough that was pushing it out to sea left it behind. This animation shows images of Dennis during its hurricane period from August 26 through August 31, 1999, when the stall began. The images were taken by the GOES-8 satellite, a weather satellite in geostationary orbit above the western hemisphere. The continuous white cloud progression came from infrared images from GOES, and the yellowish clouds that come and go with the daylight came from data taken in the visible spectrum, also from GOES. The GOES images were not taken at regular times, so the hurricane appears to slow down when the time between images gets small and speed up when the time between images gets large.
Completed 2004-02-10
Urban Signatures: Evaporatio …
Title Urban Signatures: Evaporation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows evaporation rates predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Evaporation is lower in the cities because water tends to run off pavement and into drains, rather than being absorbed by soil and plants from which it later evaporates. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-10
Urban Signatures: Evaporatio …
Title Urban Signatures: Evaporation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows evaporation rates predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Evaporation is lower in the cities because water tends to run off pavement and into drains, rather than being absorbed by soil and plants from which it later evaporates. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-10
Urban Signatures: Thermal Ra …
Title Urban Signatures: Thermal Radiation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows outgoing thermal radiation predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Cities are warmer, so they emit more longwave (infrared) radiation. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
Urban Signatures: Thermal Ra …
Title Urban Signatures: Thermal Radiation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows outgoing thermal radiation predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Cities are warmer, so they emit more longwave (infrared) radiation. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
Rainfall Accumulation from H …
Title Rainfall Accumulation from Hurricane Isabel (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Isabel generated large amounts of rain over the Atlantic ocean as it approached East coast of the United States in September 2003. In fact, unlike many hurricanes, most of the Isabel's rainfall did not occur over land, flooding on land was caused mainly by storm surge. This animation shows accumulation of rainfall from the hurricane--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. Rain from other sources has been masked out, so the hurricane track is clearly visible as the storm moves across the Atlantic.
Completed 2005-04-12
Rainfall Accumulation from H …
Title Rainfall Accumulation from Hurricane Isabel (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Isabel generated large amounts of rain over the Atlantic ocean as it approached East coast of the United States in September 2003. In fact, unlike many hurricanes, most of the Isabel's rainfall did not occur over land, flooding on land was caused mainly by storm surge. This animation shows accumulation of rainfall from the hurricane--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. Rain from other sources has been masked out, so the hurricane track is clearly visible as the storm moves across the Atlantic.
Completed 2005-04-12
Tropical Storm Allison Progr …
Title Tropical Storm Allison Progression (WMS)
Abstract Tropical Storm Allison began just five days into the 2001 hurricane season. Allison formed in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and dumped an enormous amount of rain on Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and other states in the southeastern United States.
Completed 2004-03-11
Urban Signatures: Temperatur …
Title Urban Signatures: Temperature (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows average surface temperature predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-09
Urban Signatures: Temperatur …
Title Urban Signatures: Temperature (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows average surface temperature predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-09
Cumulative Earthquake Activi …
Title Cumulative Earthquake Activity from 1980 through 1995 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows a cumulative view of earthquake activity for the whole world from 1980 through 1995. Each dot on the image represents the number of earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.2 that have occurred in a 0.35 by 0.35 degree area of the globe since January 1, 1980. A yellow dot represents 1 or 2 earthquakes, an orange dot represents about 10 earthquakes, and a red dot represents 50 to 200 earthquakes. The background image, if present, shows the topography of the ocean floor. As the animation proceeds, the earthquakes clearly accumulate around the topographic features that represent the boundaries of the Earth's crustal plates. This animation is based on data from world-wide seismic networks and was obtained from the National Earthquake Center of the United States Geological Survey.
Completed 2004-02-10
Cumulative Earthquake Activi …
Title Cumulative Earthquake Activity from 1980 through 1995 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows a cumulative view of earthquake activity for the whole world from 1980 through 1995. Each dot on the image represents the number of earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.2 that have occurred in a 0.35 by 0.35 degree area of the globe since January 1, 1980. A yellow dot represents 1 or 2 earthquakes, an orange dot represents about 10 earthquakes, and a red dot represents 50 to 200 earthquakes. The background image, if present, shows the topography of the ocean floor. As the animation proceeds, the earthquakes clearly accumulate around the topographic features that represent the boundaries of the Earth's crustal plates. This animation is based on data from world-wide seismic networks and was obtained from the National Earthquake Center of the United States Geological Survey.
Completed 2004-02-10
Global Infrared Cloud Cover, …
Title Global Infrared Cloud Cover, September 2001 (WMS)
Abstract This animation is a mosaic of cloud cover data taken by several different satellites in the infrared band. One of the most prominent cloud features during this time was Hurricane Erin near the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Completed 2004-02-11
Vegetation Images Show Droug …
Title Vegetation Images Show Drought in Western US (WMS)
Abstract Satellite data can gauge the health of plants, which is a good indicator of drought. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measures how dense and green plant leaves are. NDVI images are useful as a measure of drought when compared to 'normal' plant health. Scientists calculate average NDVI values for an area to find out what is normal at a particular time of year. This animation uses satellite imagery to show changes in vegetation between 1999 and 2003. In 2002, drought had settled across the Midwest. Large dark brown sections of eastern Colorado show where vegetation was less lush and healthy than normal. This version of the visualization is a wide view showing the western United States. The data were measured by the vegetation instrument on Europe's SPOT-4 satellite, and were provided by DigitalGlobe/SPOT under agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS).
Completed 2005-02-16
Aerosols from 2003 Southern …
Title Aerosols from 2003 Southern California Fires (WMS)
Abstract A devastating series of fires occurred in Southern California during October 2003. The effects of these fires were detectable from space. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument measures aerosol particles (microscopic airborne dust and smoke). TOMS was able to detect aerosols from these fires moving West over the Pacific Ocean and East over the continental United States.
Completed 2005-03-11
Aerosols from 2003 Southern …
Title Aerosols from 2003 Southern California Fires (WMS)
Abstract A devastating series of fires occurred in Southern California during October 2003. The effects of these fires were detectable from space. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument measures aerosol particles (microscopic airborne dust and smoke). TOMS was able to detect aerosols from these fires moving West over the Pacific Ocean and East over the continental United States.
Completed 2005-03-11
Urban Signatures: Latent Hea …
Title Urban Signatures: Latent Heat Flux (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows latent heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. (Latent heat flux refers to the transfer of energy from the Earth's surface to the air above by evaporation of water on the surface, for a more detailed explanation see http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/energy/energy_balance.html). Latent heat flux is lower in the cities because there is less evaporation there. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
Urban Signatures: Latent Hea …
Title Urban Signatures: Latent Heat Flux (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows latent heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. (Latent heat flux refers to the transfer of energy from the Earth's surface to the air above by evaporation of water on the surface, for a more detailed explanation see http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/energy/energy_balance.html). Latent heat flux is lower in the cities because there is less evaporation there. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
United States Median Center …
Title United States Median Center of Population, 1880-2000 (WMS)
Abstract The median center of population is calculated from the intersection of two median lines. The first median line is the geographic line running north and south that divides the population into two equal halves, east and west. The second median line is the geographic line running east and west that divides the population into two equal halves, north and south. For the 2000 United States Census, the median center of population was located in Van Buren township, Daviess County, Indiana. For a complete list of the median center of population for each census since 1880, and for a more detailed description of how these values are calculated, see (http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/calculate2k.pdf).
Completed 2005-05-23
United States Mean Populatio …
Title United States Mean Population Center, 1790-2000 (WMS)
Abstract The mean center of population, traditionally referred to as the center of population, is provided for each census in the United States since 1790. The mean center of population is the point at which an imaginary, flat, weightless, and rigid map of the United States would balance if weights of identical value were placed on it so that each weight represented the location of one person. The mean center of population based on the 2000 census results is located in Phelps County, Missouri. For a complete list of the mean center of population for each census since 1790, and for a more detailed description of how these values are calculated, see http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/calculate2k.pdf.
Completed 2005-05-23
Urban Signatures: Sensible H …
Title Urban Signatures: Sensible Heat Flux (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows sensible heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. (Sensible heat flux refers to transfer of heat from the earth's surface to the air above, for further explanation see http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/energy/energy_balance.html). Sensible heat flux is higher in the cities--that is, they transfer more heat to the atmosphere--because the surface there is warmer than in the surroundings. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-18
Urban Signatures: Sensible H …
Title Urban Signatures: Sensible Heat Flux (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows sensible heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. (Sensible heat flux refers to transfer of heat from the earth's surface to the air above, for further explanation see http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/energy/energy_balance.html). Sensible heat flux is higher in the cities--that is, they transfer more heat to the atmosphere--because the surface there is warmer than in the surroundings. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-18
Global Sea Surface Temperatu …
Title Global Sea Surface Temperature from June, 2002 to September, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. The AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite measures the temperature of the top 1 millimeter of the ocean every day, even through the clouds. In this visualization sequence covering the period from June, 2002, to September, 2003, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data. Around January 1, 2003, a cooler than normal region of the ocean appears just to the west of Peru as part of a La Nina and flows westward, driven by the trade winds. The waves that appear on the edges of this cooler area are called tropical instability waves and can also be seen in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean about the same time.
Completed 2004-02-12
Global Sea Surface Temperatu …
Title Global Sea Surface Temperature from June, 2002 to September, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. The AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite measures the temperature of the top 1 millimeter of the ocean every day, even through the clouds. In this visualization sequence covering the period from June, 2002, to September, 2003, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data. Around January 1, 2003, a cooler than normal region of the ocean appears just to the west of Peru as part of a La Nina and flows westward, driven by the trade winds. The waves that appear on the edges of this cooler area are called tropical instability waves and can also be seen in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean about the same time.
Completed 2004-02-12
Progression of Hurricane Cha …
Title Progression of Hurricane Charley, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Charley was the first of four hurricanes to hit the United States in 2004.
Completed 2005-05-09
Progression of Hurricane Cha …
Title Progression of Hurricane Charley, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Charley was the first of four hurricanes to hit the United States in 2004.
Completed 2005-05-09
Progression of Hurricane Cha …
Title Progression of Hurricane Charley, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Charley was the first of four hurricanes to hit the United States in 2004.
Completed 2005-05-09
Progression of Hurricane Cha …
Title Progression of Hurricane Charley, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Charley was the first of four hurricanes to hit the United States in 2004.
Completed 2005-05-09
GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane …
Title GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane Katrina: Visible Close-up (WMS)
Abstract The GOES-12 satellite sits at 75 degrees west longitude at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the equator, in geosynchronous orbit. At this position its Imager instrument takes pictures of cloud patterns in several wavelengths for all of North and South America, a primary measurement used in weather forecasting. The Imager takes a pattern of pictures of parts of the Earth in several wavelengths all day, measurements that are vital in weather forecasting. This animation shows a daily sequence of GOES-12 images in the visible wavelengths, from 0.52 to 0.72 microns, during the period that Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf of Mexico. At one kilometer resolution, the visible band measurement is the highest resolution data from the Imager, which accounts for the very high level of detail in these images. For this animation, the cloud data was extracted from GOES image and laid over a background color image of the southeast United States.
Completed 2005-09-09
Snow Cover over the Northern …
Title Snow Cover over the Northern Hemisphere during the Winter of 2002-2003 (WMS)
Abstract The amount of snow covering the land has both short and long term effects on the environment. From season to season, snow coverage and depth affect soil moisture and water availability, which directly influence agriculture, wildfire occurrences, and drought. In the long term, the part of the Earth's surface covered by snow reflects up to 80 or 90 percent of the incoming solar radiation as opposed to the 10 or 20 percent that uncovered land reflects, and this has important consequences for the Earth's climate. Satellites identify the snow cover precisely by looking at the difference between light reflected off snow in the visible and the infrared wavelengths. This visualization shows the snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere from September, 2002, through June, 2003, as measured by the MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite. Since this instrument cannot measure snow cover through clouds, this visualization designates an area as covered by snow when the instrument takes a valid measurement showing greater than 50% snow coverage in that area. This area is assumed to be snow covered until the instrument takes a valid measurement showing less than 40% snow coverage in that same area. It is possible to see topographic features in the snow cover such as the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas, and large snow coverage paths from storms that cross the plains of the United States and Russia can also be seen.
Completed 2004-02-11
Snow Cover over the Northern …
Title Snow Cover over the Northern Hemisphere during the Winter of 2002-2003 (WMS)
Abstract The amount of snow covering the land has both short and long term effects on the environment. From season to season, snow coverage and depth affect soil moisture and water availability, which directly influence agriculture, wildfire occurrences, and drought. In the long term, the part of the Earth's surface covered by snow reflects up to 80 or 90 percent of the incoming solar radiation as opposed to the 10 or 20 percent that uncovered land reflects, and this has important consequences for the Earth's climate. Satellites identify the snow cover precisely by looking at the difference between light reflected off snow in the visible and the infrared wavelengths. This visualization shows the snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere from September, 2002, through June, 2003, as measured by the MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite. Since this instrument cannot measure snow cover through clouds, this visualization designates an area as covered by snow when the instrument takes a valid measurement showing greater than 50% snow coverage in that area. This area is assumed to be snow covered until the instrument takes a valid measurement showing less than 40% snow coverage in that same area. It is possible to see topographic features in the snow cover such as the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas, and large snow coverage paths from storms that cross the plains of the United States and Russia can also be seen.
Completed 2004-02-11
Sea Surface Temperature, 200 …
Title Sea Surface Temperature, 2005 (WMS)
Abstract The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. In this visualization sequence covering the period from January to June, 2005, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data.
Completed 2005-07-11
GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane …
Title GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane Katrina: Longwave Infrared Close-up (WMS)
Abstract The GOES-12 satellite sits at 75 degrees west longitude at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the equator, in geosynchronous orbit. At this position its Imager instrument takes pictures of cloud patterns in several wavelengths for all of North and South America, a primary measurement used in weather forecasting. The Imager takes a pattern of pictures of parts of the Earth in several wavelengths all day, measurements that are vital in weather forecasting. This animation shows a four-day sequence of GOES-12 images in the longwave infrared wavelengths, from 10.2 to 11.2 microns, during the period that Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf of Mexico. This wavelength band is the most common one for observing cloud motions and severe storms throughout the day and night. Since GOES-12 takes images most often over the United States (every 5 to 10 minutes), the motion of the clouds in this close-up of the southeast US is very smooth.
Completed 2005-09-09
China Dust Storm during Apri …
Title China Dust Storm during April 2001 (WMS)
Abstract A major dust storm occurred in April 2001 over parts of China and Mongolia. Dust from this storm was transported all the way to the coast of the United States. Although dust from the Sahara Desert is routinely transported across the Atlantic to the east coast of the United States, Asian dust rarely makes the distance across the Pacific to the west coast. These airborne microscopic dust and smoke particles, or aerosols, were measured by the TOMS instrument on the Earth Probe satellite. For governments struggling to meet national air quality standards, knowing more about the sources and movement of pollution across national borders has become an important issue.
Completed 2004-06-14
Infrared Cloud Cover over th …
Title Infrared Cloud Cover over the Atlantic Ocean, September 2001 (WMS)
Abstract This animation is a mosaic of cloud cover data taken by several different satellites in the infrared band. Instead of showing a global composite, it is cropped to highlight the Atlantic Ocean. One of the most prominent cloud features during this time was Hurricane Erin.
Completed 2004-02-11
Wind Vectors for Hurricane E …
Title Wind Vectors for Hurricane Erin (WMS)
Abstract This visualization shows wind vectors for Hurricane Erin on September 10, 2001. Wind direction and speed are represented by the direction and speed of moving arrows, respectively. This animation represents a single measurement taken by the SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite, taken at 14:27:00 UTC on September 10, 2001. The WMS version of this animation which is available through the SVS Image Server (http://aes.gsfc.nasa.gov) presents this animation with a different timestamp for each frame in order to more easily present the images as an animation. It should be noted that each frame really has a time stamp of 2001-09-10 14:27:00 UTC.
Completed 2004-02-11
Zoom into Austin, Texas, usi …
Title Zoom into Austin, Texas, using Landsat Imagery (WMS)
Abstract The WMS Global Mosaic dataset was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This global mosaic was produced from visual and near infrared bands taken by the Landsat-7 satellite. Using the panchromatic band to sharpen the final image, a final resolution of 0.5 arc seconds (about 15 meters) can be achieved. This mosaic is available through the Web Mapping Services (WMS) protocol at JPL. This series of images was obtained using a software program called the Digital Earth PC which can use the WMS protocol to obtain images covering an arbitrary region of the earth. These images can be arranged in such a way with the Digital Earth PC software that a nearly continuous zoom effect can be achieved.
Completed 2004-10-21
Zoom into Boulder, Colorado, …
Title Zoom into Boulder, Colorado, using Landsat Imagery (WMS)
Abstract The WMS Global Mosaic dataset was developed at NASA's Jet Propulstion Laboratory (JPL). This global mosaic was produced from visual and near infrared bands taken by the Landsat-7 satellite. Using the panchromatic band to sharpen the final image, a final resolution of 0.5 arc seconds (about 15 meters) can be achieved. This mosaic is available through the Web Mapping Services (WMS) protocol at JPL. This series of images was obtained using a software program called the Digital Earth PC which can use the WMS protocol to obtain images covering an arbitrary region of the earth. These images can be arranged in such a way with the Digital Earth PC software that a nearly continuous zoom effect can be achieved.
Completed 2004-10-21
Earth At Night (WMS)
Title Earth At Night (WMS)
Abstract This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya.
Completed 2004-02-16
Earth At Night (WMS)
Title Earth At Night (WMS)
Abstract This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya.
Completed 2004-02-16
Earth At Night (WMS)
Title Earth At Night (WMS)
Abstract This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya.
Completed 2004-02-16
Atmospheric Water Vapor duri …
Title Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1997-1998 El Niño (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. A key feature of global atmospheric water vapor convection is the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the low pressure region within five degrees of the equator where the trade winds converge and solar heating of the atmosphere forces the water-laden air to rise in altitude, form clouds, and then precipitate as rain in the afternoon. This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from December 20, 1997 to January 14, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun. This is an El Niño period, when the water to the west of South America is warmer than normal, allowing the atmosphere there to heat up and hold more water. This region feeds a high band of water vapor reaching to the southeastern United States and causes increased humidity and rainfall in that region. This data is from the Goddard Earth Modeling System, a coupled land-ocean-atmosphere model which uses earth and satellite-based observations to simulate the Earth's physical system during events such as El Niño.
Completed 2004-07-06
Zoom into NASA's Goddard Spa …
Title Zoom into NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, using Landsat Imagery (WMS)
Abstract The WMS Global Mosaic dataset was developed at NASA's Jet Propulstion Laboratory (JPL). This global mosaic was produced from visual and near infrared bands taken by the Landsat-7 satellite. Using the panchromatic band to sharpen the final image, a final resolution of 0.5 arc seconds (about 15 meters) can be achieved. This mosaic is available through the Web Mapping Services (WMS) protocol at JPL. This series of images was obtained using a software program called the Digital Earth PC which can use the WMS protocol to obtain images covering an arbitrary region of the earth. These images can be arranged in such a way with the Digital Earth PC software that a nearly continuous zoom effect can be achieved.
Completed 2004-10-21
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Sout …
Title Heavy Rainfall Leads to Southern California Mudslides (WMS)
Abstract In January 2005, heavy rains in southern California caused flooding and mudslides. A flow of moisture known as a 'Pineapple Express' because it originates in the Pacific subtropics near Hawaii can cause severe winter storms in California when conditions are right. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observered heavy rainfall near San Diego during a five-day period in January 2005. This visualization shows accumulation of rainfall--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period.
Completed 2005-04-22
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Sout …
Title Heavy Rainfall Leads to Southern California Mudslides (WMS)
Abstract In January 2005, heavy rains in southern California caused flooding and mudslides. A flow of moisture known as a 'Pineapple Express' because it originates in the Pacific subtropics near Hawaii can cause severe winter storms in California when conditions are right. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observered heavy rainfall near San Diego during a five-day period in January 2005. This visualization shows accumulation of rainfall--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period.
Completed 2005-04-22
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