Browse All : Images of Algeria

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STS-113 Astronauts Work on P …
Name of Image STS-113 Astronauts Work on Port One (P1) Truss on International Space Station
Date of Image 2002-11-28
Full Description The 16th American assembly flight and 112th overall American flight to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on November 23, 2002 from Kennedy's launch pad 39A aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavor STS-113. Mission objectives included the delivery of the Expedition Six Crew to the ISS, the return of Expedition Five crew back to Earth, and the installation and activation of the Port 1 Integrated Truss Assembly (P1). The first major component installed on the left side of the Station, the P1 truss provides an additional three External Thermal Control System radiators. Weighing in at 27,506 pounds, the P1 truss is 45 feet (13.7 meters) long, 15 feet (4.6 meters) wide, and 13 feet (4 meters) high. Three space walks, aided by the use of the Robotic Manipulator Systems of both the Shuttle and the Station, were performed in the installation of P1. In this photograph, astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria (above) and John B. Herrington (below) work on the newly installed P1 truss during the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity. The space walk lasted 6 hours, 10 minutes. The end effector of the Canadarm2 or Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Earth's horizon are visible in the bottom of frame.
STS-113 Astronaut Lopez-Aleg …
Name of Image STS-113 Astronaut Lopez-Alegria Performs Second Scheduled Space Walk
Date of Image 2002-11-28
Full Description The 16th American assembly flight and 112th overall American flight to the International Space Station (ISS), launched on November 23, 2002 from Kennedy's launch pad 39A aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavor STS-113. Mission objectives included the delivery of the Expedition Six Crew to the ISS, the return of Expedition Five crew back to Earth, and the installation and activation of the Port 1 Integrated Truss Assembly (P1). The first major component installed on the left side of the Station, the P1 truss provides an additional three External Thermal Control System radiators. Weighing in at 27,506 pounds, the P1 truss is 45 feet (13.7 meters) long, 15 feet (4.6 meters) wide, and 13 feet (4 meters) high. Three space walks, aided by the use of the Robotic Manipulator Systems of both the Shuttle and the Station, were performed in the installation of P1. In this photograph, astronaut and mission specialist Michael E. Lopez-Alegria works on the newly installed P1 truss during the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity.
Haze and Pollution over West …
Title Haze and Pollution over Western Europe
Description The United Kingdom was uncommonly cloud free on March 29, 2002, as can be seen in this SeaWiFS image. Much of mainland Western Europe also had clear skies, albeit somewhat hazy. At the southern extreme of the image, much dust is still visible in the air over northern Algeria and moving northward toward Europe. Two low-pressure systems?one centered just northeast of Cape Ortegal, Spain, and the other over the Norwegian Sea?can be seen moving in from the west. (The northern spiral looks horizontally stretched because of the projection used to make this scene.) Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
Dust Plumes Off North Africa …
Title Dust Plumes Off North Africa Coast
Description Streamers of dust flow out over the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea from the northern shores of Africa's vast Sahara Desert. On November 14, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of rippling dust being swept northeastward across Libya (center) and Tunisia (top left). The winds that whipped up this dust may be part of a large weather system that brought severe storms—including gale force winds—to parts of Croatia, Italy, and Algeria. The dust plumes persisted for several days in mid-November. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Dust Plumes over Algeria and …
Title Dust Plumes over Algeria and Niger
Description Plumes of dust blew through Algeria and Niger on July 31, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In the northern- and easternmost portions of this image, buff-colored blurs of dust hide the landscape below. Where dust is absent, the ground appears in shades of tan and brown, with sharp ridges appearing in places. Where it hovers over the land, the dust plume presents a uniform color. Bright white clouds float above the plumes of dust. 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/?NAfrica_2_04/ ] of this region.
Dust Storm from the Sahara D …
Title Dust Storm from the Sahara Desert
Description On February 21, 2007, a dust storm several hundred kilometers across clogged the skies over Algeria and Mali. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows the dust cloud over the Sahara Desert. As the dust is only slightly lighter than the sand below, the storm is easiest to discern in the east, over more variegated terrain. The Sahara Desert ranks unsurprisingly among the world's most dust-prone regions. Dust from this desert not only crosses national boundaries, but can also travel across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Dust Storm in North Africa
Title Dust Storm in North Africa
Description A dust storm swept off the north coast of Africa on December 14, 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. Although the dust swept off the north coast of Libya, it originated in Algeria. In this image, pale beige tendrils of dust swirl from the southwest toward the northeast in Algeria, south of Tunisia, and into Libya. The dust plumes finally dissipate over the Mediterranean north of Libya. Clouds, perhaps part of same weather system that kicked up the dust, obscure the view of the north coasts of Algeria and Tunisia, but most or all of the dust appears to be passing over Libya. As all three of these countries are part of the Sahara Desert, one of the world's most prolific dust producers, dust storms are common in these countries. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Dust Storm in Northern Afric …
Title Dust Storm in Northern Africa
Description A dust storm several hundred kilometers across struck northern Africa on February 23, 2006. The storm carried Saharan dust across Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, eventually sweeping over the Mediterranean Sea. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust storm appears as tendrils and ripples of pale beige, partially obscuring the underlying land and ocean features. The dust is not uniformly thick, so while part of the Mediterranean is almost completely hidden by a thick band of dust (in the upper right corner of the image), a burnt-orange-colored sliver of land still peeks out from under the dust in eastern Algeria and western Libya. Dust storms often originate from discrete source points, and this image shows several source points, one of which is annotated, in eastern Algeria. Additional dust appears to come from points farther west. As the world's largest sandy desert, the Sahara produces many of the planet's dust storms. Because the dust travels for hundreds to thousands of kilometers, its effects can be far reaching. According to a news report in The Jerusalem Post, dust storms now blow from Africa into Israel throughout the year, rather than just in the spring and summer, and climate change and desertification could exacerbate such storms in the coming decades. South of the dust storm, this picture shows part of the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park in southeastern Algeria. The park stands out from its surroundings due in part to its mountainous landscape. This high plateau in the middle of the Sahara sports some of the world's most important groupings of prehistoric cave art, recording climate change and animal migrations over the past several thousand years. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Dust Storm in Northern Afric …
Title Dust Storm in Northern Africa
Description Dust still lingered over northern Africa on February 24, 2006, a day after a massive dust storm swept over Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on February 24. In this image, a cloud of dust several hundred kilometers across extends from Libya and Egypt over the Mediterranean Sea. Faint tendrils of dust reach as far to the east as Israel. Although the dust hides many land features in northern Africa, the lush, green Nile Delta still stands out from its surroundings. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Dust Storm off Algeria
Title Dust Storm off Algeria
Description On December 6, 2003, a wide plume of dust blew over North Africa and northwestward over the Mediterranean Sea. Tracking dust storms is important for a variety of reasons. Dust injects nutrients, such as iron, into marine ecosystems. Dust also carries bacteria and spores from fungi, which can cause disease far away. Dust storms can cause or worsen breathing problems. Finally, dust in the atmosphere can also influence climate and weather. Numerous dust storms carry Saharan dust across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Southeast United States and parts of Central and South America. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional spatial resolutions, including MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Dust Storm Off the Coast of …
Title Dust Storm Off the Coast of Algeria
Description The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], flying onboard the Aqua [ http://www.aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, captured this image on May 31, 2005, of an Algerian dust storm. The storm swept northward over the Mediterranean Sea toward the coast of Spain. A journey across the Mediterranean is a short trip for African dust, which often travels across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Algeria provides the Mediterranean with a steady supply of dust and sand. More than 80 percent of Algeria is desert, including the enormous Issaouane Erg [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16813 ] (sand sea) in the eastern part of the country. Large basins that may have held shallow seas or lakes, sand seas now hold active and fossilized sand dunes. NASA image courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center.
Dust Storm over Libya
Title Dust Storm over Libya
Description A large plume of Saharan Desert dust was seen blowing northward across the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea on October 1, 2003. In this true-color scene, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra satellite, the tan-colored plume appears to be stretching from the northeastern coast of Algeria to the northwestern coast of Libya in a wide arc around the northern coast of Tunisia. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, based upon data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team
Dust Storm over Libya and Eg …
Title Dust Storm over Libya and Egypt
Description A thin sheet of dust blew northeastward from deserts in northern Africa and out across the Mediterranean Sea (upper right) on March 1, 2005. The orange-colored sands of eastern Algeria are thickly veiled with light-colored dust, which thins as it spreads more widely over Tunisia and Libya. The dust weaves both under and over clouds in different places over the Mediterranean. At the far right edge, the clouds appear bright white, and appear to be casting a shadow on the dust plume below them. At top center, dust appears to be above the clouds, giving them a dirty appearance. This image was made from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ], NASA-GSFC
Dust Storm over Morocco and …
Title Dust Storm over Morocco and Algeria
Description On June 23, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of a dust storm blowing out over the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco (bottom left) and Algeria (bottom right). At top left is Spain. The northern reaches of the Sahara Desert (bottom) are blocked from the Mediterranean by the coastal Atlas Mountains. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Dust Storm over the Sahara
Title Dust Storm over the Sahara
Description Sand seas, also known as ergs, litter the surface of the Sahara, and these ergs provide ample material for dust storms. This was the case in early October 2006, as a Saharan dust storm crossed the borders between Mauritania, Mali, and Algeria. A sand sea named Erg Chech extends from northern Mali into Algeria, and this sand sea may have provided some of the material for this dust storm. Some of the dust, however, might have originated from other sand seas in the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on October 6, 2006. In this image, the dust appears as a pale beige swirl sweeping through the image in a counter-clockwise direction. Although the storm appears to originate in Mauritania, it also appears to pick up material in northern Mali before moving northeast into Algeria. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Issaouane Erg, Algeria
Title Issaouane Erg, Algeria
Description The Issaouane Erg (sand sea) is located in eastern Algeria between the Tinrhert Plateau to the north and the Fadnoun Plateau to the south. Ergs are vast areas of moving sand with little to no vegetation cover. Considered to be part of the Sahara Desert, the Issaouane Erg covers an area of approximately 38,000 km2. These complex dunes form the active southwestern border of the sand sea. The most common landforms in the image are star dunes and barchan (or crescent) dunes. Small linear dunes appear at top left. Star dunes are formed when sand is transported from variable wind directions, whereas barchan dunes form in a single dominant wind regime. The superimposition of two dune types suggests that wind regimes have changed through time. The active nature of this portion of the Erg is well illustrated by this image—smaller dunes form and migrate along the flanks of the larger dunes and sand ridges. Occasional precipitation fills basins formed by the dunes, as the water evaporates, salt deposits are left behind which appear as bluish-white areas. Astronaut photograph ISS010-E-13539 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13539 ] was acquired January 16, 2005 with a Kodak 760C digital camera with an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ]
Locusts Plague Northwest and …
Title Locusts Plague Northwest and Western Africa
Description A wet winter and spring settled over northwestern Africa in 2004, and the dry Sahel bloomed with life. As the desert turned green, the plentiful water nourished more than vegetation. Buried in the sandy soils were the eggs of desert locusts, waiting to absorb moisture and hatch. This year, there was enough water and vegetation to support large populations of young locusts, and by late summer, several large swarms had developed. Swarms of locusts can contain as many as 80 million locusts per square kilometer, and may cover several square kilometers. An adult locust can eat its own weight in food every day, about two grams, which means that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a small part of a typical swarm can eat as much food as 2,500 people in a single day. At these rates, the locusts consume most vegetation in their path and then must migrate to find new sources of food. The locust outbreak of 2004 began in Morocco and Algeria in northwestern Africa. While the locusts can't be seen in satellite imagery, the conditions that support them are clearly visible. The above image shows how vegetation differed from previous years. The image is a composite of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected between April 6 and April 13, 2004. Green areas indicate that there was more vegetation in the region than the average of the past four years. Not surprisingly, these areas correlate well with the early breeding grounds of the locusts near the interface between dry desert land and wetter coastal land. When their numbers and the ending growing season forced the locusts to move, they traveled south and east on the summer winds. As of October 5, the locusts had expanded to the south in a band that stretched from Mauritania to Chad?a distance of roughly 4,000 kilometers. Currently, Mauritania is the worst affected, but Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and the Cape Verde Islands have also been plagued with locusts. The swarms are now starting to move north again, this time into Libya and Algeria. On October 1, three to four million hectares of land were infested with locusts. As before, satellite imagery shows where locust swarms can migrate to find food by indicating where food is available. In the lower image, a composite of data collected between August 28 and September 4, 2004, pockets of green in southern Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso show where the locusts are finding food and breeding. The most recent information from FAO shows that these are indeed the areas where the locusts are concentrated. Though the locusts themselves are harmless, they can cause significant crop damage. The worst of the problem is in Mauritania, where dark clouds of locusts have swarmed over much of the country. Rainfall had been good, and farmers anticipated a better-than-average harvest until the locusts arrived. Mauritania?s national food security authority expected to lose up to 75, percent of the cereal crop, though the Food and Agriculture Oragnization (FOA) of the United Nations expected a smaller loss. Undoubtedly, the insects are causing considerable damage, but both the Foreign Agricultural Service [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2004/08/west_africa/index.htm ] of the United States Department of Agriculture and the FAO say that it?s too early to quantify how the outbreak will impact overall production. Harvest began in September and continues through November, and the amount of crops that the locusts consume in the meantime will depend on how effective efforts to control them are and whether or not the locusts continue to breed. To read more about the current locust situation in Africa, please visit the Desert Locust Information Service [ http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/locuhome.htm ], a service provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For more information about monitoring locust outbreaks with satellites, see Locust! [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Locusts/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Mark Carrol as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. Assaf Anyamba from the Goddard Earth Sciences Technology Center, and Curt Reynolds with FAS, contributed to the caption as part of the same partnership. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring.
Locusts Plague Northwest and …
Title Locusts Plague Northwest and Western Africa
Description A wet winter and spring settled over northwestern Africa in 2004, and the dry Sahel bloomed with life. As the desert turned green, the plentiful water nourished more than vegetation. Buried in the sandy soils were the eggs of desert locusts, waiting to absorb moisture and hatch. This year, there was enough water and vegetation to support large populations of young locusts, and by late summer, several large swarms had developed. Swarms of locusts can contain as many as 80 million locusts per square kilometer, and may cover several square kilometers. An adult locust can eat its own weight in food every day, about two grams, which means that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a small part of a typical swarm can eat as much food as 2,500 people in a single day. At these rates, the locusts consume most vegetation in their path and then must migrate to find new sources of food. The locust outbreak of 2004 began in Morocco and Algeria in northwestern Africa. While the locusts can't be seen in satellite imagery, the conditions that support them are clearly visible. The above image shows how vegetation differed from previous years. The image is a composite of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected between April 6 and April 13, 2004. Green areas indicate that there was more vegetation in the region than the average of the past four years. Not surprisingly, these areas correlate well with the early breeding grounds of the locusts near the interface between dry desert land and wetter coastal land. When their numbers and the ending growing season forced the locusts to move, they traveled south and east on the summer winds. As of October 5, the locusts had expanded to the south in a band that stretched from Mauritania to Chad?a distance of roughly 4,000 kilometers. Currently, Mauritania is the worst affected, but Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and the Cape Verde Islands have also been plagued with locusts. The swarms are now starting to move north again, this time into Libya and Algeria. On October 1, three to four million hectares of land were infested with locusts. As before, satellite imagery shows where locust swarms can migrate to find food by indicating where food is available. In the lower image, a composite of data collected between August 28 and September 4, 2004, pockets of green in southern Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso show where the locusts are finding food and breeding. The most recent information from FAO shows that these are indeed the areas where the locusts are concentrated. Though the locusts themselves are harmless, they can cause significant crop damage. The worst of the problem is in Mauritania, where dark clouds of locusts have swarmed over much of the country. Rainfall had been good, and farmers anticipated a better-than-average harvest until the locusts arrived. Mauritania?s national food security authority expected to lose up to 75, percent of the cereal crop, though the Food and Agriculture Oragnization (FOA) of the United Nations expected a smaller loss. Undoubtedly, the insects are causing considerable damage, but both the Foreign Agricultural Service [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2004/08/west_africa/index.htm ] of the United States Department of Agriculture and the FAO say that it?s too early to quantify how the outbreak will impact overall production. Harvest began in September and continues through November, and the amount of crops that the locusts consume in the meantime will depend on how effective efforts to control them are and whether or not the locusts continue to breed. To read more about the current locust situation in Africa, please visit the Desert Locust Information Service [ http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/locuhome.htm ], a service provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For more information about monitoring locust outbreaks with satellites, see Locust! [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Locusts/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Mark Carrol as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. Assaf Anyamba from the Goddard Earth Sciences Technology Center, and Curt Reynolds with FAS, contributed to the caption as part of the same partnership. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring.
Locusts Plague Northwest and …
Title Locusts Plague Northwest and Western Africa
Description A wet winter and spring settled over northwestern Africa in 2004, and the dry Sahel bloomed with life. As the desert turned green, the plentiful water nourished more than vegetation. Buried in the sandy soils were the eggs of desert locusts, waiting to absorb moisture and hatch. This year, there was enough water and vegetation to support large populations of young locusts, and by late summer, several large swarms had developed. Swarms of locusts can contain as many as 80 million locusts per square kilometer, and may cover several square kilometers. An adult locust can eat its own weight in food every day, about two grams, which means that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a small part of a typical swarm can eat as much food as 2,500 people in a single day. At these rates, the locusts consume most vegetation in their path and then must migrate to find new sources of food. The locust outbreak of 2004 began in Morocco and Algeria in northwestern Africa. While the locusts can't be seen in satellite imagery, the conditions that support them are clearly visible. The above image shows how vegetation differed from previous years. The image is a composite of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected between April 6 and April 13, 2004. Green areas indicate that there was more vegetation in the region than the average of the past four years. Not surprisingly, these areas correlate well with the early breeding grounds of the locusts near the interface between dry desert land and wetter coastal land. When their numbers and the ending growing season forced the locusts to move, they traveled south and east on the summer winds. As of October 5, the locusts had expanded to the south in a band that stretched from Mauritania to Chad?a distance of roughly 4,000 kilometers. Currently, Mauritania is the worst affected, but Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and the Cape Verde Islands have also been plagued with locusts. The swarms are now starting to move north again, this time into Libya and Algeria. On October 1, three to four million hectares of land were infested with locusts. As before, satellite imagery shows where locust swarms can migrate to find food by indicating where food is available. In the lower image, a composite of data collected between August 28 and September 4, 2004, pockets of green in southern Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso show where the locusts are finding food and breeding. The most recent information from FAO shows that these are indeed the areas where the locusts are concentrated. Though the locusts themselves are harmless, they can cause significant crop damage. The worst of the problem is in Mauritania, where dark clouds of locusts have swarmed over much of the country. Rainfall had been good, and farmers anticipated a better-than-average harvest until the locusts arrived. Mauritania?s national food security authority expected to lose up to 75, percent of the cereal crop, though the Food and Agriculture Oragnization (FOA) of the United Nations expected a smaller loss. Undoubtedly, the insects are causing considerable damage, but both the Foreign Agricultural Service [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2004/08/west_africa/index.htm ] of the United States Department of Agriculture and the FAO say that it?s too early to quantify how the outbreak will impact overall production. Harvest began in September and continues through November, and the amount of crops that the locusts consume in the meantime will depend on how effective efforts to control them are and whether or not the locusts continue to breed. To read more about the current locust situation in Africa, please visit the Desert Locust Information Service [ http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/locuhome.htm ], a service provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For more information about monitoring locust outbreaks with satellites, see Locust! [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Locusts/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Mark Carrol as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. Assaf Anyamba from the Goddard Earth Sciences Technology Center, and Curt Reynolds with FAS, contributed to the caption as part of the same partnership. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring.
Mediterranean Dust Storm
Title Mediterranean Dust Storm
Description A dust storm was blowing over the Mediterranean Sea from Algeria (left) on August 19, 2003. This image of the storm was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. A few fires have been detected by MODIS and are marked with red dots across Algeria, Tunisia (to the east) and the island of Sardinia (to the northeast). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
North African Dust Plume
Title North African Dust Plume
Description A dust storm crossed the border between Algeria and Mali on July 14, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears as a buff-colored blur. Because the dust plume is diffuse, its origins are not easily discerned in this image. In the south, the dust mingles with clouds, and the clouds could be associated with the same weather system that disturbed the desert dust. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Fires in Algeria
Title Fires in Algeria
Description Fires burning in the Atlas Mountains on the northern coast of Algeria turned deadly in late August 2007. Several people were killed by forest fires that were driven rapidly across the landscape by sirocco winds (hot dry winds that blow from Africa's interior deserts toward the Mediterranean). According to news reports, thousands of soldiers were deployed to help battle the fires. Cooler weather and firefighting efforts brought many fires under control by August 31. This image shows fires (red outlines) detected around the city of Skikda by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on August 30, 2007. Smoke creates a thick haze over the Mediterranean Sea. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of the western [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Blida ] and eastern [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Lampedusa ] Algerian coastline in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Fires in Algeria
Title Fires in Algeria
Description Scores of forest fires were burning in northern Algeria in late August 2007. Although much of the country is occupied by the Sahara Desert, Mediterranean forests, [ http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/pa/pa1213_full.html ] woodlands, and chaparral occur on the Atlas Mountains that line the coast. On August 29, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the fires billowing thick clouds of brownish-gray smoke over the Mediterranean Sea. The smoke is so thick that the capital, Algiers, is not visible beneath it. According to news reports, dozens of families have had to evacuate, and the number of people seeking medical attention for respiratory and allergy problems has dramatically increased. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Blida ] images of the region in additional resolutions. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.
Saharan Dust Across West Afr …
Title Saharan Dust Across West Africa
Description A long line of Sahara dust swept across Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara and out over the Canary Islands on March 3, 2004. The dust appears to have originated in Algeria. Winter and spring dust storms are common in Western Africa when the sirocco winds, hot, dry, dust-laden winds, blow north and northwest out of the Sahara desert. This image was taken by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Later on the same day, the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite recorded a similar scene. As the day progressed, the dust grew thicker and the storm extended farther west. The high resolution image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The scene is available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Saharan Dust over Italy
Title Saharan Dust over Italy
Description *Saharan Dust over Italy* A thick plume of Saharan Desert dust blew toward the northeast over Algeria and Tunisia and across the Mediterranean Sea on February 22, 2004. The dust was so thick it almost completely obscured the view of the surface in this true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The path of the dust storm carried it directly over the island of Sicily and Italy's southern mainland. The tan color of the dust makes it easy to distinguish from the much brighter, white clouds in the scene. The high-resolution copy of the image above is 500 meters per pixel. This scene is also available at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Saharan Dust Plume
Title Saharan Dust Plume
Description A dust plume hovered over the borders of Algeria, Mali, and Mauritania on July 8, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust plume appears as a buff-colored arc. The plume is diffuse, making it difficult to identify the source points for this dust storm. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Smoke from Fires in Greece
Title Smoke from Fires in Greece
Description Besides laying waste to huge areas of forest, fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14474 ] burning in Greece in August 2007 released pollutants that traveled across the Mediterranean Sea and into Africa. This image shows aerosols—tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in air—observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura satellite layered on the photo-like Blue Marble [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/BlueMarble/ ] composite image. Relatively clear air is transparent. Highest aerosol concentrations are pink. On August 26, 2007, aerosols from the fires on the southwestern coast of Greece took a fairly direct route across the Mediterranean Sea to the western part of the Libyan coast. A large pool of smoke collected over the Gulf of Sirte, off the Libyan coast. Another pocket of thick aerosols appears over Algeria. These particles are probably smoke emitted from fires burning in Algeria [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14478 ] over a long stretch of the coastal Atlas Mountains. Farther south over the deserts of northern Africa, the light green areas of moderate aerosol amounts could be smoke or dust. On August 27, 2007, aerosols still crossed the Mediterranean Sea, but they took a more circular route. They spread southward in a clockwise direction from Greece, across the island of Crete, and concentrated thickly over eastern Libya. The other large pocket of aerosols—the pink patch hovering over the border of Libya and Algeria—may include smoke from Algeria and Greece. As on the previous day, some aerosols collected over Egypt and eastern Libya. OMI detects the amount of light of different wavelengths that the atmosphere scatters back to space, the amount of backscattered sunlight is affected by what is in the atmosphere. To make an aerosol index with OMI data, scientists compare the amount of ultraviolet (UV) light the atmosphere scatters back at given place and time to the amount of UV light that the atmosphere would scatter back if it were totally clear. You can download a KMZ file KMZ file of the smoke from Greece suitable for use with Google Earth [ http://earth.google.com/ ] for both August 26 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Aug2007/greece_omi_2007238.kmz ] and August 27. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Aug2007/greece_omi_2007239.kmz ] Image courtesy Omar Torres, OMI Science Team, and Colin Seftor, NASA NPP Science Team.
Snow over Northern Africa
Title Snow over Northern Africa
Description Winter weather descended on Northern Africa on January 26 and 27, 2005, leaving parts of Algeria and Morroco white with snow. This rare storm—the worst in over 50 years—brought chaos to the roadways of the normally arid region. As the clouds began to move away on January 28, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured these images of the snow. The top image shows the region in true color, as the human eye would see it. In this image, light clouds blend with the snow-covered ground, making it difficult to tell how much snow is present. The lower image shows the same scene in both visible and short wave infrared light. The infrared bands separate cloud and ice, with cloud appearing peach and orange, and ice and snow appearing dark red. Vegetation is a dark green, while the bare desert is turquoise. In this image, the snow extends from the Mediterranean Coast in the north to the northern reaches of the Sahara Desert in the south. NASA images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Both the true and false color images are available in additional resolutions.
Snow over Northern Africa
Title Snow over Northern Africa
Description Winter weather descended on Northern Africa on January 26 and 27, 2005, leaving parts of Algeria and Morroco white with snow. This rare storm—the worst in over 50 years—brought chaos to the roadways of the normally arid region. As the clouds began to move away on January 28, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured these images of the snow. The top image shows the region in true color, as the human eye would see it. In this image, light clouds blend with the snow-covered ground, making it difficult to tell how much snow is present. The lower image shows the same scene in both visible and short wave infrared light. The infrared bands separate cloud and ice, with cloud appearing peach and orange, and ice and snow appearing dark red. Vegetation is a dark green, while the bare desert is turquoise. In this image, the snow extends from the Mediterranean Coast in the north to the northern reaches of the Sahara Desert in the south. NASA images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Both the true and false color images are available in additional resolutions.
Flooding in Algeria
Title Flooding in Algeria
Description Heavy rains in eastern Algeria over the past few weeks have led to flooding that has killed more than 30 people and left hundreds homeless. This false-color image of Algeria (bottom) was taken on August 29, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Most of the deaths were due to flash floods in the towns along the Algerian-Tunisian border, which runs down the center of the image. These floodwaters have made their way to the low-lying, desert wetlands of Algeria, clearly visible in the MODIS image (bottom). Although water levels have gone down over the past two days in these oasis-like formations, they normally cannot be seen at all in MODIS imagery (top, acquired on August 6, 2002). Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA-GSFC
Flooding in Algeria
Title Flooding in Algeria
Description Heavy rains in eastern Algeria over the past few weeks have led to flooding that has killed more than 30 people and left hundreds homeless. This false-color image of Algeria (bottom) was taken on August 29, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Most of the deaths were due to flash floods in the towns along the Algerian-Tunisian border, which runs down the center of the image. These floodwaters have made their way to the low-lying, desert wetlands of Algeria, clearly visible in the MODIS image (bottom). Although water levels have gone down over the past two days in these oasis-like formations, they normally cannot be seen at all in MODIS imagery (top, acquired on August 6, 2002). Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA-GSFC
Flooding in Algeria
Title Flooding in Algeria
Description Heavy rains in Algeria over the past few weeks have led to flooding that has killed more than 30 people and left hundreds homeless. This false-color image of Algeria (bottom) was taken on August 27, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Most of the deaths were due to flash floods in the towns along the Algerian-Tunisian border, which runs down the right side of the image. These floodwaters have made their way to the low-lying, desert wetlands of Algeria, clearly visible in the MODIS image (bottom). Normally, these oasis-like formations cannot be seen in MODIS imagery (top, acquired on August 6, 2002). In this false-color image, land is green, clouds are pink and white, and water is blue and black. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA-GSFC
Flooding in Algeria
Title Flooding in Algeria
Description Heavy rains in Algeria over the past few weeks have led to flooding that has killed more than 30 people and left hundreds homeless. This false-color image of Algeria (bottom) was taken on August 27, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Most of the deaths were due to flash floods in the towns along the Algerian-Tunisian border, which runs down the right side of the image. These floodwaters have made their way to the low-lying, desert wetlands of Algeria, clearly visible in the MODIS image (bottom). Normally, these oasis-like formations cannot be seen in MODIS imagery (top, acquired on August 6, 2002). In this false-color image, land is green, clouds are pink and white, and water is blue and black. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA-GSFC
Flooding in Tunisia
Title Flooding in Tunisia
Description In early January 2003 heavy rains in Tunisia have led to floods that have displaced over 3,000 people. The floods can be seen in this false-color image (bottom) acquired on January 19, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. The most devastating floods occurred in the northern and central parts of Tunisia. Most of the houses affected were built of soil and provided ample protection from the normally hot, arid conditions. In the unusually heavy rains and floods of the past few weeks, however, these dwellings simply crumbled. Cattle and food stocks have also been lost. Normally, the salt pans of Tunisia and Algeria contain little or no water (top, acquired January 4, 2003). In this false-color image water is blue and black. Snow, which has also fallen in unusual abundance in the higher altitudes, appears as a bright cyan and can be seen along the Algeria mountains and ridges. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and land is green and tan. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Flooding in Tunisia
Title Flooding in Tunisia
Description In early January 2003 heavy rains in Tunisia have led to floods that have displaced over 3,000 people. The floods can be seen in this false-color image (bottom) acquired on January 19, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. The most devastating floods occurred in the northern and central parts of Tunisia. Most of the houses affected were built of soil and provided ample protection from the normally hot, arid conditions. In the unusually heavy rains and floods of the past few weeks, however, these dwellings simply crumbled. Cattle and food stocks have also been lost. Normally, the salt pans of Tunisia and Algeria contain little or no water (top, acquired January 4, 2003). In this false-color image water is blue and black. Snow, which has also fallen in unusual abundance in the higher altitudes, appears as a bright cyan and can be seen along the Algeria mountains and ridges. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and land is green and tan. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Flooding in Tunisia
Title Flooding in Tunisia
Description *Flooding in Tunisia* After nearly four years of drought, Tunisia continues to receive rain this winter. The salt pans are full of water, and they can be seen in this false-color image acquired on March 2, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. During the dry season, the salt pans of Tunisia and Algeria contain little or no water. In this false-color image water is blue and black. Snow, which has also fallen in abundance in the higher altitudes, appears as a bright cyan and can be seen along the Algeria mountains and ridges. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and land is green and tan. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Flooding in Tunisia
Title Flooding in Tunisia
Description *Flooding in Tunisia* After nearly four years of drought, Tunisia continues to receive rain this winter. The salt pans are full of water, and they can be seen in this false-color image acquired on March 2, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. During the dry season, the salt pans of Tunisia and Algeria contain little or no water. In this false-color image water is blue and black. Snow, which has also fallen in abundance in the higher altitudes, appears as a bright cyan and can be seen along the Algeria mountains and ridges. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and land is green and tan. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Floods in Algeria
Title Floods in Algeria
Description Torrential rain pounded the Sahara desert of southeastern Algeria in early March 2005. The rainwater poured down the dry channels cut into the desert by former floods, washing away buildings and disrupting telephone and power networks. At least three have died in the floods, and nine others are missing. The water-filled wadis formed blue-green lines through the desert on March 7, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured the top image. In both the upper image and the lower image, which has been provided for comparison, clouds are light blue and bare desert soil is tan with a slight pink tint. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Floods in Algeria
Title Floods in Algeria
Description Torrential rain pounded the Sahara desert of southeastern Algeria in early March 2005. The rainwater poured down the dry channels cut into the desert by former floods, washing away buildings and disrupting telephone and power networks. At least three have died in the floods, and nine others are missing. The water-filled wadis formed blue-green lines through the desert on March 7, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured the top image. In both the upper image and the lower image, which has been provided for comparison, clouds are light blue and bare desert soil is tan with a slight pink tint. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Gemini 12 Experiment S-51 Da …
Title Gemini 12 Experiment S-51 Daytime Sodium Cloud Photography
Description Goggles which will be worn by astronaut as he photographs sodium clouds ejected from French Centaure rocket launched from Hammaguir, Algeria.
Date 10.01.1966
Earth observations taken fro …
johnsonspacecentermediaarchi …
Earth observations taken fro …
STS070-705-094
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 1995-07-16
creator NASA
identifier STS070-705-094
Fires in Algeria: Natural Ha …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Fires burning in the Atlas M …
algeria_AMO_2007242
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-08-30
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier algeria_AMO_2007242
Flooding in Tunisia: Natural …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After nearly four years of d …
tunisia.TMO2003061
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2003-03-02
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tunisia.TMO2003061
Flooding in Tunisia: Natural …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After nearly four years of d …
tunisia.TMO2003061
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2003-03-02
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tunisia.TMO2003061
Saharan Dust Plume: Natural …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A dust plume hovered over th …
sahara_tmo_2007189
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-07-08
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier sahara_tmo_2007189
Saharan Dust Storm: Natural …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes blew westward ac …
sahara_tmo_2008117
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008-04-26
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier sahara_tmo_2008117
Fires in Algeria: Natural Ha …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Scores of forest fires were …
Algeria_AMO_2007241
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-08-29
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier Algeria_AMO_2007241
Dust Storm from the Sahara D …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On February 21, 2007, a dust …
sahara_tmo_2007052
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-02-21
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier sahara_tmo_2007052
Dust Plumes Off North Africa …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Streamers of dust flow out o …
Libya.AMOA2004319
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2004-11-14
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier Libya.AMOA2004319
Earth observations taken dur …
johnsonspacecentermediaarchi …
Earth observations taken dur …
STS095-713-092
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 1998-11-06
creator NASA
identifier STS095-713-092
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