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Peaceful Morning
The fog clears from the turn …
2/6/09
Description The fog clears from the turn basin as the morning sky turns blue over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy is surrounded by water: the Banana River, Banana Creek, Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, all of which provide scenes of beauty and nature that contrast with the high technology and power of the center. Image credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky Jan. 22, 2009
Date 2/6/09
Orion Crew Exploration Vehic …
A mock-up of the Orion crew …
4/27/09
Description A mock-up of the Orion crew exploration vehicle floats in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. NASA engineers are testing this 18,000-pound mock-up to learn what the crews will experience after Orion lands and the recovery teams begin their work. Three weeks ago, the mock-up was on display on the National Mall in Washington as it made its way from West Bethesda, Md., to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: NASA
Date 4/27/09
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with Fixed View
Abstract Hurricane Frances races towards Florida and both the Terra and Aqua satellite are spectators.
Completed 2004-09-03
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression with a Fixed View
Abstract A fixed view of the Atlantic Ocean with Hurricane Frances sprinting towards Florida
Completed 2004-09-07
North Atlantic Ocean Current …
Title North Atlantic Ocean Current Velocity
Abstract Three-dimensional General Circulation Models divide the ocean into a rectangular grid with layered vertical columns. This North Atlantic model uses a 1/6 degree grid with 37 layers. It captured 30 years of velocity, sea-surface temperature, and salinity. The model realistically separates the Gulf Stream from the Florida coast. A feature as small as the Gulf Stream had not appeared in lower-resolution models.
Completed 1999-01-21
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Jea …
Title Progression of Hurricane Jeanne, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. When it hit the Florida coast on September 26, Jeanne was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Completed 2004-10-22
Hurricane Frances Progressio …
Title Hurricane Frances Progression
Abstract NASA satellites are keeping an eye on Hurricane Frances journey across the Atlantic Ocean. MODIS Insturment on board NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites captured a series of high resolution images of Hurricane Frances.
Completed 2004-09-03
Progression of Hurricane Fra …
Title Progression of Hurricane Frances, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean.
Completed 2005-04-21
Progression of Hurricane Fra …
Title Progression of Hurricane Frances, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean.
Completed 2005-04-21
Progression of Hurricane Fra …
Title Progression of Hurricane Frances, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean.
Completed 2005-04-21
Progression of Hurricane Fra …
Title Progression of Hurricane Frances, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean.
Completed 2005-04-21
Progression of Hurricane Fra …
Title Progression of Hurricane Frances, 2004 (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. This set of images shows the progression of the hurricane as it approached Florida from the Atlantic Ocean.
Completed 2005-04-21
Global Surface Wind Speed du …
Title Global Surface Wind Speed during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract The weight of the Earth's atmosphere exerts pressure on the surface of the Earth. This pressure varies from place-to-place and from time-to-time due to surface irregularities, uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, and the Earth's rotation. Differences in pressure from place-to-place cause winds to try to flow from high pressure to low pressure regions to even out the differences, but the Earth's rotation and wind friction with the surface act to slow or divert the winds. This animation shows the surface wind speeds for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The highest, smoothest winds occur over the oceans where there are no surface irregularities to break up the flow, while flows over land tend to be irregular and highly variable. The highest winds occur in Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda, but note that the hurricane's wind speeds reduce dramatically when crossing Florida.
Completed 2005-07-25
Global Surface Wind Speed du …
Title Global Surface Wind Speed during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract The weight of the Earth's atmosphere exerts pressure on the surface of the Earth. This pressure varies from place-to-place and from time-to-time due to surface irregularities, uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, and the Earth's rotation. Differences in pressure from place-to-place cause winds to try to flow from high pressure to low pressure regions to even out the differences, but the Earth's rotation and wind friction with the surface act to slow or divert the winds. This animation shows the surface wind speeds for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The highest, smoothest winds occur over the oceans where there are no surface irregularities to break up the flow, while flows over land tend to be irregular and highly variable. The highest winds occur in Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda, but note that the hurricane's wind speeds reduce dramatically when crossing Florida.
Completed 2005-07-25
NASA Studies Lightning Storm …
Name of Image NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle
Date of Image 2001-01-01
Full Description A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Radio news media can talk with Dr. Richard Blakeslee, the project's principal investigator, and Tony Kim, project manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), about their results and how their work will help improve future weather forecasting ability. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely- piloted aircraft to study a thunderstorm in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West, two storms at the western edge of the Everglades, and a large storm over the northwestern corner of the Everglades. This photograph shows Tony Kim And Dr. Richard Blakeslee of MSFC testing aircraft sensors that would be used to measure the electric fields produced by thunderstorm as part of NASA's ACES. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the MSFC, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
NASA Studies Lightning Storm …
Name of Image NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle
Date of Image 2002-08-01
Full Description A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely-piloted aircraft to study thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West and the west of the Everglades. The ACES lightning study used the Altus II twin turbo uninhabited aerial vehicle, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. of San Diego. The Altus II was chosen for its slow flight speed of 75 to 100 knots (80 to 115 mph), long endurance, and high-altitude flight (up to 65,000 feet). These qualities gave the Altus II the ability to fly near and around thunderstorms for long periods of time, allowing investigations to be to be conducted over the entire life cycle of storms. The vehicle has a wing span of 55 feet and a payload capacity of over 300 lbs. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA,s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
NASA Studies Lightning Storm …
Name of Image NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle
Date of Image 2002-08-01
Full Description A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely-piloted aircraft to study thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West and the west of the Everglades. Using special equipment aboard the Altus II, scientists in ACES will gather electric, magnetic, and optical measurements of the thunderstorms, gauging elements such as lightning activity and the electrical environment in and around the storms. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
NASA Studies Lightning Storm …
Name of Image NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle
Date of Image 2002-08-01
Full Description A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely piloted aircraft to study thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West and the west of the Everglades. The ACES lightning study used the Altus II twin turbo uninhabited aerial vehicle, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. of San Diego. The Altus II was chosen for its slow flight speed of 75 to 100 knots (80 to 115 mph), long endurance, and high-altitude flight (up to 65,000 feet). These qualities gave the Altus II the ability to fly near and around thunderstorms for long periods of time, allowing investigations to be conducted over the entire life cycle of storms. The vehicle has a wing span of 55 feet and a payload capacity of over 300 lbs. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
NASA Studies Lightning Storm …
Name of Image NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle
Date of Image 2002-08-01
Full Description A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely-piloted aircraft to study thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West and the west of the Everglades. Data obtained through sensors mounted to the aircraft will allow researchers in ACES to gauge elements such as lightning activity and the electrical environment in and around storms. By learning more about individual storms, scientists hope to better understand the global water and energy cycle, as well as climate variability. Contained in one portion of the aircraft is a three-axis magnetic search coil, which measures the AC magnetic field, a three-axis electric field change sensor, an accelerometer, and a three-axis magnetometer, which measures the DC magnetic field. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Haze off the United States E …
Title Haze off the United States East Coast
Description Haze collected off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida on August 6, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. In this image, the haze appears as a blue-gray blur extending toward the Atlantic Ocean. Over land, the haze appears especially thick over Georgia. Although this image shows some wildfires, marked by red dots, the haze likely results from fires farther away, in the U.S. Northwest. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14433 ] An August 6, 2007, posting on the U.S. Air Quality [ http://alg.umbc.edu/usaq/ ] (Smog Blog) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, described poor air quality along the U.S. East Coast, and provided a map of aerosol optical depth measured by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). Aerosol optical depth indicates how much sunlight is intercepted by tiny suspended particles of solid or liquid in the air column. In the same area where this haze appears, GOES showed high readings, confirming the presence of aerosols. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Initial Conditions for the 2 …
Title Initial Conditions for the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Description June 1 marks the first official day of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2006, conditions in the Atlantic were "hurricane friendly," said NASA scientist David Adamec, and not quite as extreme as they had been at the opening of the 2005 hurricane season. Hurricanes need both warm sea surface temperatures and calm winds to develop. Warm water provides both heat and humidity needed for storm formation. Strong winds would tear a developing storm apart, while calm winds allow a hurricane to build. In late May 2006, sea surface temperatures were warmer than normal, and winds were calm. These images contrast sea surface temperatures on May 30, 2006, top, and May 30, 2005, bottom, as measured by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E [ http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/AMSR/ ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Red colors show regions where waters were warmer than the twelve-year average (1985-1997), while blue indicates cooler-than-average temperatures. White indicates average temperatures. In 2006, temperatures in the Atlantic were slightly warmer than average, particularly in the Caribbean, but strong southwest trade winds stirred the Gulf of Mexico, keeping the surface waters cool, said Adamec. In 2005, by contrast, the entire hurricane-prone section of the Atlantic was much warmer than average. In fact, at the opening of the 2006 hurricane season, sea surface temperatures were 2 degrees cooler than they had been at opening of the 2005 season, said Adamec. The warm temperatures in 2005 allowed a record seven storms to form by the end of July, one of which, Hurricane Emily, set records when it became the first category 5 hurricane to occur in July. All other Atlantic storms of that strength have developed later in the season. Though sea surface temperatures were not as extreme at the opening of the 2006 hurricane season as they were in 2005, the National Hurricane Center predicts a very active hurricane season with 13 to 16 named storms, 4 to 6 of which could become major hurricanes. The other major difference between conditions in 2005 and conditions in 2006 is the position of the Bermuda High, a semi-permanent high-pressure system that sits over the Central Atlantic. Hurricanes that form in the Atlantic tend to circle the Bermuda High. In 2004 and 2005, the Bermuda High expanded to the south and west, pushing storms into the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. But as of May 31, 2006, the Bermuda High remained small and in a position that would steer storms up the East Coast of the United States or out into the Atlantic. Sea Surface Temperature data from the Advanced Microwave Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), courtesy Remote Sensing Systems [ http://www.ssmi.com/ ]
Initial Conditions for the 2 …
Title Initial Conditions for the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Description June 1 marks the first official day of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2006, conditions in the Atlantic were "hurricane friendly," said NASA scientist David Adamec, and not quite as extreme as they had been at the opening of the 2005 hurricane season. Hurricanes need both warm sea surface temperatures and calm winds to develop. Warm water provides both heat and humidity needed for storm formation. Strong winds would tear a developing storm apart, while calm winds allow a hurricane to build. In late May 2006, sea surface temperatures were warmer than normal, and winds were calm. These images contrast sea surface temperatures on May 30, 2006, top, and May 30, 2005, bottom, as measured by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E [ http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/AMSR/ ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Red colors show regions where waters were warmer than the twelve-year average (1985-1997), while blue indicates cooler-than-average temperatures. White indicates average temperatures. In 2006, temperatures in the Atlantic were slightly warmer than average, particularly in the Caribbean, but strong southwest trade winds stirred the Gulf of Mexico, keeping the surface waters cool, said Adamec. In 2005, by contrast, the entire hurricane-prone section of the Atlantic was much warmer than average. In fact, at the opening of the 2006 hurricane season, sea surface temperatures were 2 degrees cooler than they had been at opening of the 2005 season, said Adamec. The warm temperatures in 2005 allowed a record seven storms to form by the end of July, one of which, Hurricane Emily, set records when it became the first category 5 hurricane to occur in July. All other Atlantic storms of that strength have developed later in the season. Though sea surface temperatures were not as extreme at the opening of the 2006 hurricane season as they were in 2005, the National Hurricane Center predicts a very active hurricane season with 13 to 16 named storms, 4 to 6 of which could become major hurricanes. The other major difference between conditions in 2005 and conditions in 2006 is the position of the Bermuda High, a semi-permanent high-pressure system that sits over the Central Atlantic. Hurricanes that form in the Atlantic tend to circle the Bermuda High. In 2004 and 2005, the Bermuda High expanded to the south and west, pushing storms into the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. But as of May 31, 2006, the Bermuda High remained small and in a position that would steer storms up the East Coast of the United States or out into the Atlantic. Sea Surface Temperature data from the Advanced Microwave Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), courtesy Remote Sensing Systems [ http://www.ssmi.com/ ]
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori …
Title Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida
Description In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ]
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori …
Title Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida
Description In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ]
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori …
Title Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida
Description In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ]
Fires in Florida
Title Fires in Florida
Description A number of wildfires burned in Eastern Florida on May 7, 2006, clouding the skies with smoke. At 6,000 acres, the largest of the fires was the Areca Fire burning in palmetto, pines, and grasses along the Interstate-95 corridor. Smoke from the fires closed roads in the region, including the Interstate, and forced about 1,000 people from their homes, reported CNN. 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 Areca Fire at 2:55 p.m. (EDT). The fire itself is outlined in red, and a thick plume of smoke blows east over the Atlantic Ocean. The National Interagency Fire Center said that the Areca Fire was 80 percent contained as of May 8. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Fires in Georgia and Florida
Title Fires in Georgia and Florida
Description Several large fires were burning in southern Georgia on April 29, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead and captured this image. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are outlined in red. The Roundabout Fire sprang up on April 27, according to the U.S. Southern Area Coordination Center, [ http://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/intelligence.htm ] and was about 3,500 acres as of April 30. That fire was threatening homes in the community of Kirkland. Meanwhile, south of Waycross, two large blazes were burning next to each other in the northern part of Okefenokee Swamp. The Sweat Farm Road Fire (previous images [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14230 ]) threatened the town of Waycross in previous weeks, but at the end of April, activity had moved to the southeastern perimeter. The fire had affected more than 50,000 acres of timber (including pine tree plantations) and swamps. Scores of residences scattered throughout the rural area are threatened. The Big Turnaround Complex is burning to the east. The 26,000-acre fire was extremely active over the weekend, with flame lengths more than 60 feet (just over 18 meters) in places. The two blazes appeared to overlap in fire perimeter maps available from the U.S. Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Team. [ http://geomac.usgs.gov/# ] According to the Southern Area Coordination Center morning report on April 30, the Sweat Farm Road Fire "will be a long term fire. Containment and control will depend on significant rainfall, due to the inaccessible swamp terrain." No expected containment date was available for the Big Turnaround Complex Fire, either. Describing that fire, the report stated, "Heavy fuel loading, high fire danger, and difficulty of access continue to hamper suppression efforts." 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/?USA7 ] images of the region in additional resolutions. They also provide a version of the image that shows smoke plumes stretching out across the Atlantic Ocean. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description With sustained winds at 145 knots (167 miles per hour), Super Typhoon Fengshen reached Category 5 hurricane status?the most severe hurricane status?on Friday, July 19, 2002. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Monday, July 22, 2002, when the super typhoon was several hundred miles east of Iwo Jima at the southern tip of Kyushu, Japan. The storm is churning the sea into 35-foot waves, and winds have been gusting up to 170 knots (196 miles per hour). In this image, the storm occupies a rectangle roughly 1000 kilometers wide and 1150 kilometers tall. If the western side of this storm were aligned with Nashville, Tennessee, it would cover the United States all the way east to the Atlantic Ocean, as far north as Akron, Ohio, and as far south as the Georgia-Florida border. Fengshen has been tracking northwestward over the past 24 hours, and is expected to weaken only slightly as it makes its way toward Japan, which is still recovering from floods and wind damage caused by Typhoons Chataan and Halong, which hit the country the previous week. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Super Typhoon Fengshen
Title Super Typhoon Fengshen
Description With sustained winds at 145 knots (167 miles per hour), Super Typhoon Fengshen reached Category 5 hurricane status?the most severe hurricane status?on Friday, July 19, 2002. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Monday, July 22, 2002, when the super typhoon was several hundred miles east of Iwo Jima at the southern tip of Kyushu, Japan. The storm is churning the sea into 35-foot waves, and winds have been gusting up to 170 knots (196 miles per hour). In this image, the storm occupies a rectangle roughly 1000 kilometers wide and 1150 kilometers tall. If the western side of this storm were aligned with Nashville, Tennessee, it would cover the United States all the way east to the Atlantic Ocean, as far north as Akron, Ohio, and as far south as the Georgia-Florida border. Fengshen has been tracking northwestward over the past 24 hours, and is expected to weaken only slightly as it makes its way toward Japan, which is still recovering from floods and wind damage caused by Typhoons Chataan and Halong, which hit the country the previous week. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Train of Hurricanes Floods F …
Title Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida
Description *Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida* A rapid succession of four hurricanes over a period of six weeks has taken a toll on the river and lakes of Florida. This series of false-color images tracks the changes in Central Florida where Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came ashore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ], satellites captured all of these images, in which water is black, vegetation is green, and clouds are light blue. The first image was acquired on July 22, 2004, before any of the storms affected the region. Lake Okeechobee is the large body of water in the lower right corner of the image, and Charlotte Harbor is the southernmost body of water on the western shore. On August 13, Hurricane Charley made a surprise landfall over Punta Gorda, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. From Punta Gorda, which is on the northeast side of Charlotte Harbor, Charley moved northeast across Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The changes between July 22 and August 17 are subtle. The mouth of the Peace River on the northeast corner of Charlotte Harbor looks a little larger, and the Manatee River just below Tampa Bay, left center, also looks swollen. A few of the lakes in the center of Florida also look larger than they did previously. On September 5, Florida?s second major hurricane slammed ashore near Stuart, on the eastern shore of Florida, almost directly opposite Charley?s landfall. Throughout the day on September 5, Frances moved slowly northwest across Florida, crossing the same regions Charley had just three weeks before. In the time between Frances and Florida?s next storm, Hurricane Ivan, MODIS captured no cloud-free images. However, the view after Ivan?s landfall shows marked changes in the region. Hurricane Ivan pummeled northwest Florida and Alabama on September 16, before moving north across Alabama and Georgia. Though the storm did not directly affect the region shown in these images, flooding is clearly evident in the post-storm image acquired on September 18. It is likely that much of this flooding was induced by Hurricane Frances, but it is also possible that some the flooding is being caused by runoff from Ivan-related rainfall in the north. The most obvious change is in Lake Harney, west of the ?v?-shaped Cape Canaveral on Florida?s east coast. The lake and the river running from it, St Johns River, are not clearly visible on July 22. By September 18, a black smudge over the area reveals an excess of water. The Kissimmee River running from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee also looks flooded, as does the Peace River northeast of Charlotte Harbor. The final hurricane to ravage Florida in September and August was Hurricane Jeanne, which came ashore on September 26 over Fort Pierce, just a few miles north of the point where Frances made landfall. Like Frances, Jeanne moved northwest across Florida, dumping heavy rain on regions already soaked by previous storms. The cumulative effect of four hurricanes is seen in the final image, acquired on September 28, 2004. Most notably, St. Johns River west of Cape Canaveral is greatly swollen. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based on data from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Train of Hurricanes Floods F …
Title Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida
Description *Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida* A rapid succession of four hurricanes over a period of six weeks has taken a toll on the river and lakes of Florida. This series of false-color images tracks the changes in Central Florida where Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came ashore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ], satellites captured all of these images, in which water is black, vegetation is green, and clouds are light blue. The first image was acquired on July 22, 2004, before any of the storms affected the region. Lake Okeechobee is the large body of water in the lower right corner of the image, and Charlotte Harbor is the southernmost body of water on the western shore. On August 13, Hurricane Charley made a surprise landfall over Punta Gorda, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. From Punta Gorda, which is on the northeast side of Charlotte Harbor, Charley moved northeast across Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The changes between July 22 and August 17 are subtle. The mouth of the Peace River on the northeast corner of Charlotte Harbor looks a little larger, and the Manatee River just below Tampa Bay, left center, also looks swollen. A few of the lakes in the center of Florida also look larger than they did previously. On September 5, Florida?s second major hurricane slammed ashore near Stuart, on the eastern shore of Florida, almost directly opposite Charley?s landfall. Throughout the day on September 5, Frances moved slowly northwest across Florida, crossing the same regions Charley had just three weeks before. In the time between Frances and Florida?s next storm, Hurricane Ivan, MODIS captured no cloud-free images. However, the view after Ivan?s landfall shows marked changes in the region. Hurricane Ivan pummeled northwest Florida and Alabama on September 16, before moving north across Alabama and Georgia. Though the storm did not directly affect the region shown in these images, flooding is clearly evident in the post-storm image acquired on September 18. It is likely that much of this flooding was induced by Hurricane Frances, but it is also possible that some the flooding is being caused by runoff from Ivan-related rainfall in the north. The most obvious change is in Lake Harney, west of the ?v?-shaped Cape Canaveral on Florida?s east coast. The lake and the river running from it, St Johns River, are not clearly visible on July 22. By September 18, a black smudge over the area reveals an excess of water. The Kissimmee River running from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee also looks flooded, as does the Peace River northeast of Charlotte Harbor. The final hurricane to ravage Florida in September and August was Hurricane Jeanne, which came ashore on September 26 over Fort Pierce, just a few miles north of the point where Frances made landfall. Like Frances, Jeanne moved northwest across Florida, dumping heavy rain on regions already soaked by previous storms. The cumulative effect of four hurricanes is seen in the final image, acquired on September 28, 2004. Most notably, St. Johns River west of Cape Canaveral is greatly swollen. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based on data from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Train of Hurricanes Floods F …
Title Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida
Description *Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida* A rapid succession of four hurricanes over a period of six weeks has taken a toll on the river and lakes of Florida. This series of false-color images tracks the changes in Central Florida where Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came ashore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ], satellites captured all of these images, in which water is black, vegetation is green, and clouds are light blue. The first image was acquired on July 22, 2004, before any of the storms affected the region. Lake Okeechobee is the large body of water in the lower right corner of the image, and Charlotte Harbor is the southernmost body of water on the western shore. On August 13, Hurricane Charley made a surprise landfall over Punta Gorda, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. From Punta Gorda, which is on the northeast side of Charlotte Harbor, Charley moved northeast across Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The changes between July 22 and August 17 are subtle. The mouth of the Peace River on the northeast corner of Charlotte Harbor looks a little larger, and the Manatee River just below Tampa Bay, left center, also looks swollen. A few of the lakes in the center of Florida also look larger than they did previously. On September 5, Florida?s second major hurricane slammed ashore near Stuart, on the eastern shore of Florida, almost directly opposite Charley?s landfall. Throughout the day on September 5, Frances moved slowly northwest across Florida, crossing the same regions Charley had just three weeks before. In the time between Frances and Florida?s next storm, Hurricane Ivan, MODIS captured no cloud-free images. However, the view after Ivan?s landfall shows marked changes in the region. Hurricane Ivan pummeled northwest Florida and Alabama on September 16, before moving north across Alabama and Georgia. Though the storm did not directly affect the region shown in these images, flooding is clearly evident in the post-storm image acquired on September 18. It is likely that much of this flooding was induced by Hurricane Frances, but it is also possible that some the flooding is being caused by runoff from Ivan-related rainfall in the north. The most obvious change is in Lake Harney, west of the ?v?-shaped Cape Canaveral on Florida?s east coast. The lake and the river running from it, St Johns River, are not clearly visible on July 22. By September 18, a black smudge over the area reveals an excess of water. The Kissimmee River running from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee also looks flooded, as does the Peace River northeast of Charlotte Harbor. The final hurricane to ravage Florida in September and August was Hurricane Jeanne, which came ashore on September 26 over Fort Pierce, just a few miles north of the point where Frances made landfall. Like Frances, Jeanne moved northwest across Florida, dumping heavy rain on regions already soaked by previous storms. The cumulative effect of four hurricanes is seen in the final image, acquired on September 28, 2004. Most notably, St. Johns River west of Cape Canaveral is greatly swollen. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based on data from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Train of Hurricanes Floods F …
Title Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida
Description *Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida* A rapid succession of four hurricanes over a period of six weeks has taken a toll on the river and lakes of Florida. This series of false-color images tracks the changes in Central Florida where Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came ashore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ], satellites captured all of these images, in which water is black, vegetation is green, and clouds are light blue. The first image was acquired on July 22, 2004, before any of the storms affected the region. Lake Okeechobee is the large body of water in the lower right corner of the image, and Charlotte Harbor is the southernmost body of water on the western shore. On August 13, Hurricane Charley made a surprise landfall over Punta Gorda, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. From Punta Gorda, which is on the northeast side of Charlotte Harbor, Charley moved northeast across Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The changes between July 22 and August 17 are subtle. The mouth of the Peace River on the northeast corner of Charlotte Harbor looks a little larger, and the Manatee River just below Tampa Bay, left center, also looks swollen. A few of the lakes in the center of Florida also look larger than they did previously. On September 5, Florida?s second major hurricane slammed ashore near Stuart, on the eastern shore of Florida, almost directly opposite Charley?s landfall. Throughout the day on September 5, Frances moved slowly northwest across Florida, crossing the same regions Charley had just three weeks before. In the time between Frances and Florida?s next storm, Hurricane Ivan, MODIS captured no cloud-free images. However, the view after Ivan?s landfall shows marked changes in the region. Hurricane Ivan pummeled northwest Florida and Alabama on September 16, before moving north across Alabama and Georgia. Though the storm did not directly affect the region shown in these images, flooding is clearly evident in the post-storm image acquired on September 18. It is likely that much of this flooding was induced by Hurricane Frances, but it is also possible that some the flooding is being caused by runoff from Ivan-related rainfall in the north. The most obvious change is in Lake Harney, west of the ?v?-shaped Cape Canaveral on Florida?s east coast. The lake and the river running from it, St Johns River, are not clearly visible on July 22. By September 18, a black smudge over the area reveals an excess of water. The Kissimmee River running from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee also looks flooded, as does the Peace River northeast of Charlotte Harbor. The final hurricane to ravage Florida in September and August was Hurricane Jeanne, which came ashore on September 26 over Fort Pierce, just a few miles north of the point where Frances made landfall. Like Frances, Jeanne moved northwest across Florida, dumping heavy rain on regions already soaked by previous storms. The cumulative effect of four hurricanes is seen in the final image, acquired on September 28, 2004. Most notably, St. Johns River west of Cape Canaveral is greatly swollen. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based on data from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Train of Hurricanes Floods F …
Title Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida
Description *Train of Hurricanes Floods Florida* A rapid succession of four hurricanes over a period of six weeks has taken a toll on the river and lakes of Florida. This series of false-color images tracks the changes in Central Florida where Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came ashore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ], satellites captured all of these images, in which water is black, vegetation is green, and clouds are light blue. The first image was acquired on July 22, 2004, before any of the storms affected the region. Lake Okeechobee is the large body of water in the lower right corner of the image, and Charlotte Harbor is the southernmost body of water on the western shore. On August 13, Hurricane Charley made a surprise landfall over Punta Gorda, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. From Punta Gorda, which is on the northeast side of Charlotte Harbor, Charley moved northeast across Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. The changes between July 22 and August 17 are subtle. The mouth of the Peace River on the northeast corner of Charlotte Harbor looks a little larger, and the Manatee River just below Tampa Bay, left center, also looks swollen. A few of the lakes in the center of Florida also look larger than they did previously. On September 5, Florida?s second major hurricane slammed ashore near Stuart, on the eastern shore of Florida, almost directly opposite Charley?s landfall. Throughout the day on September 5, Frances moved slowly northwest across Florida, crossing the same regions Charley had just three weeks before. In the time between Frances and Florida?s next storm, Hurricane Ivan, MODIS captured no cloud-free images. However, the view after Ivan?s landfall shows marked changes in the region. Hurricane Ivan pummeled northwest Florida and Alabama on September 16, before moving north across Alabama and Georgia. Though the storm did not directly affect the region shown in these images, flooding is clearly evident in the post-storm image acquired on September 18. It is likely that much of this flooding was induced by Hurricane Frances, but it is also possible that some the flooding is being caused by runoff from Ivan-related rainfall in the north. The most obvious change is in Lake Harney, west of the ?v?-shaped Cape Canaveral on Florida?s east coast. The lake and the river running from it, St Johns River, are not clearly visible on July 22. By September 18, a black smudge over the area reveals an excess of water. The Kissimmee River running from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee also looks flooded, as does the Peace River northeast of Charlotte Harbor. The final hurricane to ravage Florida in September and August was Hurricane Jeanne, which came ashore on September 26 over Fort Pierce, just a few miles north of the point where Frances made landfall. Like Frances, Jeanne moved northwest across Florida, dumping heavy rain on regions already soaked by previous storms. The cumulative effect of four hurricanes is seen in the final image, acquired on September 28, 2004. Most notably, St. Johns River west of Cape Canaveral is greatly swollen. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based on data from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Anticrepuscular Rays Over Fl …
Title Anticrepuscular Rays Over Florida
Explanation What's happening over the horizon? Although the scene may appear somehow supernatural [ http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/astrology.html ], nothing more unusual is occurring than a setting Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980526.html ] and some well placed clouds. Strangely, the actual sunset was occurring in the opposite direction from where the camera was pointing. Pictured above are anticrepuscular rays [ http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/anti1.htm ]. To understand them, start by picturing common crepuscular rays [ http://www.ems.psu.edu/~demark/471/CrepuscularRays.html ] that are seen any time that sunlight pours though scattered clouds. Now although sunlight indeed travels along straight lines [ http://www.theory.caltech.edu/people/patricia/grelb.html ], the projections of these lines onto the spherical sky [ http://math.rice.edu/~pcmi/sphere/ ] are great circles [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circles ]. Therefore, the crepuscular rays [ http://www.allthesky.com/atmosphere/sunrays.html ] from a setting (or rising) sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030123.html ] will appear to re-converge on the other side of the sky. At the anti-solar point 180 degrees around from the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/sun.html ], they are referred to as anticrepuscular rays [ http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/antray2.htm ]. While enjoying the sunset after visiting NASA's Kennedy Space Center [ http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html ] in Florida [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida ], the photographer chanced to find that an even more spectacular sight was occurring in the other direction just over the Atlantic Ocean [ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zh.html ] -- a particularly vivid set of anticrepuscular rays [ http://www.gcrg.org/bqr/6-4/optics.htm ].
A Waterspout off the Florida …
Title A Waterspout off the Florida Keys
Explanation What's happening over the water? Pictured above [ http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea00308.htm ] is one of the better images yet recorded of a waterspout [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wspouts.htm ], a type of tornado that occurs over water. Waterspouts [ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/apx/science/spouts/waterspouts.htm ] are spinning columns of rising moist air that typically form over warm water. Waterspouts [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tornado/wtspouts.htm ] can be as dangerous as tornadoes [ http://www.noaa.gov/tornadoes.html ] and can feature wind speeds over 200 kilometers per hour. Many waterspouts form away from thunderstorms [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/trw.htm ] and even during relatively fair weather. Waterspouts may be relatively transparent and initially visible only by the unusual pattern they create on the water. The above image [ http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea00308.htm ] was taken in 1969 from an aircraft off the Florida Keys [ http://www.florida-keys.fl.us/maps/mainmap.htm ], a location arguably the hottest spot for waterspouts [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wspwhere.htm ] in the world with hundreds forming each year. Some people speculate [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wspouts.htm ] that these waterspouts are responsible for many of the losses recorded in the Bermuda Triangle [ http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq8-1.htm ] region of the Atlantic Ocean [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zh.html ].
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