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TOPEX/El Nino
These three images depict th
…
5/29/97
| Date |
5/29/97 |
| Description |
These three images depict the evolution of a warm water Kelvin wave in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during March and April 1997. Kelvin waves are often precursors to El Nino events which can disrupt global weather patterns. These data were collected by the altimeter onboard the joint US/French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite and these images show sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage where the sea surface is elevated up to about 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) and 10 centimeters (4 inches) respectively. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows the large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The warm water mass can affect where rain clouds form and, consequently, alter the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these data, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA) has issued an advisory indicating the presence of the early indications of El Niño conditions. A number of El Niño forecast activities supported by NOAA indicate the likelihood of a moderate or strong El Niño in late 1997. The forecast model operated at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) used data collected by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. |
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TOPEX/El Nino confirmation
These four views of the Paci
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9/15/97
| Date |
9/15/97 |
| Description |
These four views of the Pacific Ocean were produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. The images show sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions from March 1997 through June 1997. This evolutionary view is providing oceanographers with more convincing information that the weather-disrupting phenomenon known as El Nino is back and getting stronger. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it’s about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one and one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21-30 degrees Celsius (70-85 degrees Fahrenheit), is about 30 times the volume of water in all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of the early indications of El Nino conditions. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino confirmation
This image of the Pacific Oc
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9/15/97
| Date |
9/15/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on June 25, 1997 and provides more convincing information that the weather-disrupting phenomenon known as El Nino is back and getting stronger. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters ( 6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it’s about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one and one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21-30 degrees Celsius (70-85 degrees Fahrenheit), is about 30 times the volume of water in all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of the early indications of El Nino conditions. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
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10/8/97
| Date |
10/8/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Oct. 3, 1997 as the warm water associated with El Nino (in white) spreads northward along the entire coast of North America from the equator all the way to Alaska. The warm water pool in tropical Pacific resulting from El Nino seems to have stabilized. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one and one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21 and 30 C (70 to 85 F), carries the amount of heat equal to 100 times the amount of fossil fuel energy consumed by the entire U.S. population during one year. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Nino condition throughout the coming winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
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10/30/97
| Date |
10/30/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Oct. 23, 1997 as the warm water associated with El Niño (in white) spreads northward along the entire coast of North America from the equator all the way to Alaska. The warm water pool associated with the El Niño has returned to the volume it was in mid-September after dropping to a temporary low at the beginning of October. The sea surface elevation just north of the El Niño warm pool continues to drop (purple area), enhancing the eastward flowing North Equatorial Counter Current. The intensification of this current is another tell-tale sign of the El Niño phenomenon. This flow contributes to the rise in sea level along the western coasts of the Americas that will progress towards both the north and south poles over the next several months. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters ( 6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one and one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21-30 degrees Celsius (70-85 degrees Fahrenheit), is about 30 times the volume of water in all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
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11/18/97
| Date |
11/18/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Nov. 10, 1997. The volume of extra warm surface water (shown in white) in the core of the El Niño continues to increase, especially in the area between 15 degrees south latitude and 15 degrees north latitude in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The area of low sea level (shown in purple) has decreased somewhat from late October. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 centimeters and 32 cm (6 inches to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it is about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one-and-one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21- to- 30 degrees Celsius (70- to- 85 degrees Fahrenheit), is about 30 times the volume of water in all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white areas) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean- atmospheric system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
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12/5/97
| Date |
12/5/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Dec. 1, 1997. The volume of the warm water related to El Niño has receded to about the level it was in early September. Oceanographers note that this El Niño has just completed a classic "double peak" pattern in the eastern Pacific with the first peak in sea level occurring in July and the second peak in October. This pattern is very similar to what was observed during the 1982-83 El Niño, although at that time the double peaks occurred in January and April 1983. After the appearance of the double peaks in 1982-83, the sea level then began falling back to normal levels within a few months. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino confirmation
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
9/15/97
| Date |
9/15/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S./French TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Sept. 5, 1997 and provides more convincing information that the weather-disrupting phenomenon known as El Nino is back and getting stronger. The white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters ( 6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The surface area covered by the warm water mass is about one and one-half times the size of the continental United States. The added amount of oceanic warm water near the Americas, with a temperature between 21-30 degrees Celsius (70-85 degrees Fahrenheit), is about 30 times the volume of water in all the U.S. Great Lakes combined. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of the early indications of El Nino conditions. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
12/18/97
| Date |
12/18/97 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Dec.10, 1997 and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The volume and area of the warm water pool related to El Niño has increased again after reaching a temporary low around Dec. 1. TOPEX/Poseidon has been tracking the fluctuations of the El Niño warm pool since it began early this year. Oceanographers believe the recent increases and decreases in the size of the warm water pool at the equator are part of the natural rhythm of El Niño and that the warm pool is occasionally pumped up by wind bursts blowing from the western and central Pacific Ocean. Each wind burst has triggered a temporary increase in area and volume of the warm pool. These data collected throughout 1997 have provided scientists with their first detailed view of how El Niño's warm pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
1/15/98
| Date |
1/15/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Jan. 8, 1998, and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The volume of the warm water pool related to the El Niño has decreased by about 40 percent since its maximum in early November, but the area of the warm water pool is still about one and a half times the size of the continental United States. The volume measurements are computed as the sum of all the sea surface height changes as compared to normal ocean conditions. In addition, the maximum water temperature in the eastern tropical Pacific, as measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is still higher than normal. Until these high temperatures diminish, the El Niño warm water pool still has great potential to disrupt global weather because the high water temperatures directly influence the atmosphere. Oceanographers believe the recent decrease in the size of the warm water pool is a normal part of El Niño's natural rhythm. TOPEX/Poseidon has been tracking these fluctuations of the El Niño warm pool since it began in early 1997. These sea surface height measurements have provided scientists with their first detailed view of how El Niño's warm pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), a branch of NOAA, has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
2/19/98
| Date |
2/19/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Feb. 5, 1998 and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The area and volume of the El Nino warm water pool that is affecting global weather patterns remains extremely large, but the pool has thinned along the equator and near the coast of South America. This 'thinning' means that the warm water is not as deep as it was a few months ago. Oceanographers indicate this is a classic pattern, typical of a mature El Nino condition that they would expect to see during the ocean's gradual transition back to normal sea level. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Nino weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
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3/20/98
| Date |
3/20/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Mar. 14, 1998 and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The image shows that the sea surface height along the central equatorial Pacific has returned to a near normal state. Oceanographers indicate this is a classic pattern, typical of a mature El Nino condition. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, shown in red and white, are situated to the north and south of the equator. These sea surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98 El Nino's warm pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Nino weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
5/12/98
| Date |
5/12/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea-surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on May 3, 1998, and sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The image shows that sea-surface height along the central and eastern equatorial Pacific has maintained a near normal state since March 1998. However, the western equatorial Pacific, shown here in purple, has not returned to a normal state and is still about 30 centimeters (12 inches) below normal sea level. Remnants of the El Niño warm water pool, shown in red and white, are situated to the north of the equator. Oceanographers indicate these measurements show that the Pacific has not yet fully recovered from this large El Niño event. These sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98 El Niño's warm water pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage, in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Niño weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
6/26/98
| Date |
6/26/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea-surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on June 14, 1998, and sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. This image shows that the tropical Pacific has been switching from warm to cold during the last few months. The purple area in the center of the image is a pulse of cold water moving across the equator which the satellite measures as a region of lower than normal sea level. Scientists indicate that it appears that the central equatorial Pacific ocean will stay colder than normal for some time to come because sea level is about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal, creating a deficit in the heat supply to the surface waters. It is not certain yet, if this current cooling trend (shown in purple) will eventually evolve into a long-lasting La Nina situation. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, shown here in red and white, are still lingering north of the equator in the center of this image. The effects of El Nino can remain in the climate system for a long time and could still impact weather conditions around the world. The satellite's sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of the 1997-98 El Nino because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white areas show the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal and the blue areas are 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. A La Nina situation is essentially the opposite of an El Nino condition, where the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America. TOPEX/Poseidon will be able to track a potentially developing La Nina with the same accuracy. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
7/16/98
| Date |
7/16/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on July 11, 1998, sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The purple area in the center of the image is a pulse of cold water moving across the equator which the satellite measures as a region of lower than normal sea level. This image shows that the rapid cooling of the central tropical Pacific has stabilized and this area of low sea level has stayed in about the same place since mid-June. The purple areas are about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal, creating a deficit in the heat supply to the surface waters. It is not certain yet, if this current cooling trend (shown in purple) will eventually evolve into a long-lasting La Nina situation. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, shown here in red and white, are still lingering to the north and south of the equator in the center of this image. The effects of El Nino can remain in the climate system for a long time and could still impact weather conditions around the world. The satellite's sea- surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of the 1997-98 El Nino because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white areas show the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal and the blue areas are 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. A La Nina situation is essentially the opposite of an El Nino condition, where the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America. TOPEX/Poseidon will be able to track a potentially developing La Nina with the same accuracy. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Nino
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
8/20/98
| Date |
8/20/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on August 13, 1998, sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The purple area in the center of the image is a pool of cold water that the satellite measures as a region of lower than normal sea level. This image shows that the rapid cooling of the central tropical Pacific has stalled and this area of low sea level has stayed in about the same place for the last two months. The purple areas are about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal, creating a deficit in the heat supply to the surface waters. It is not certain yet, if this current cooling trend (shown in purple) will eventually evolve into a long-lasting La Nina situation. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, shown here in red and white, are still lingering to the north and south of the equator. The effects of El Nino can remain in the climate system for a long time and could still impact weather conditions around the world. The satellite's sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of the 1997-98 El Nino because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white areas show the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal and the blue areas are 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. A La Nina situation is essentially the opposite of an El Nino condition, where the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America. TOPEX/Poseidon will be able to track a potentially developing La Nina with the same accuracy. ##### |
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TOPEX/El Niño
This image of the Pacific Oc
…
9/23/98
| Date |
9/23/98 |
| Description |
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea- surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on September 12, 1998, these sea surface heights are an indicator of the changing amount of heat stored in the ocean. The tropical Pacific Ocean continues to exhibit the complicated characteristics of both a lingering El Nino, and a possibly waning La Nina situation. This image shows that the rapid cooling of the central tropical Pacific has slowed and this area of low sea level (shown in purple) has decreased slightly since last month. It is still uncertain, scientists say, that this cold pool will evolve into a long-lasting La Nina situation. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, shown here in red and white, are still lingering to the north and south of the equator. The coexistence of these two contrasting conditions indicates that the ocean and the climate system remain in transition. These strong patterns have remained in the climate system for many months and will continue to influence weather conditions around the world in the coming fall and winter. The satellite's sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of the 1997-98 El Nino because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. The purple areas are about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal, creating a deficit in the heat supply to the surface waters. The white areas show the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal and the blue areas are 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. A La Nina situation is essentially the opposite of an El Nino condition, but during La Nina the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the west coasts of North and South America. ##### |
|
TOPEX/El Nino
It is still uncertain whethe
…
10/21/98
| Date |
10/21/98 |
| Description |
It is still uncertain whether the cold pool of water (purple) in the Pacific Ocean will evolve into a long-lasting La Nina situation, according to scientists analyzing new sea surface height measurements shown in this image taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on October 12, 1998, these sea surface heights are an indicator of the changing amount of heat stored in the ocean. The tropical Pacific Ocean has essentially maintained the same pattern since mid-June 1998. This image shows that the area of colder, low sea level (purple) has stayed about the same since last month. Remnants of the El Nino warm water pool, (red and white), are still lingering to the north of the equator. The coexistence of these two contrasting conditions indicates that the ocean and the climate system remain in transition. These strong patterns have remained in the climate system for many months and will continue to influence weather conditions around the world in the coming fall and winter. The satellite's sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of the 1997-98 El Nino because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea- surface height with unprecedented precision. The purple areas are about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal, creating a deficit in the heat supply to the surface waters. The white areas show the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal and the blue areas are 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The El Nino phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. A La Nina situation is essentially the opposite of an El Niño condition, but during La Nina the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the west coasts of North and South America. ##### |
|
Pacific Flyover
| Title |
Pacific Flyover |
| Abstract |
One of a series of global flyovers done for the Learning Channel. |
| Completed |
1998-05-16 |
|
Grasslands of the World
| Title |
Grasslands of the World |
| Abstract |
Rotating globe showing global grassland coverage. Data obtained from Terra/MODIS landcover isolating grasslands, woody savannas, savannas, and wetlands (all seen in green). This data represents 4 parts of a 17 part global classification product all of which have been taken at 1km. resolution. |
| Completed |
2001-11-15 |
|
MODIS Sea Surface Temperatur
…
| Title |
MODIS Sea Surface Temperature around the Australian Continent |
| Abstract |
The earliest technique for measuring Sea Surface Temperature (SST) was dipping a thermometer into a bucket of water. The first automated technique for determining SST was accomplished by measuring the temperature of water in the intake port of large ships. A large network of coastal buoys in U.S. waters is maintained by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Since about 1990, there has also been an extensive array of moored buoys maintained across the equatorial Pacific Ocean designed to help monitor and predict the El Niño phenomenon. Since the 1980s satellites have been increasingly utilized to measure SST and have provided an enormous leap in our ability to view the spatial and temporal variation in SST. The satellite measured SST provides both a synoptic view of the ocean and a high frequency of repeat views, allowing the examination of basin-wide upper ocean dynamics not possible with ships or buoys. For example, a ship traveling at 10 knots (20 km/h) would require 10 years to cover the same area a satellite covers in two minutes. This animation uses SST data taken at nighttime from the MODIS/Aqua and MODIS/Terra satellites. This data has many important applications that permit scientists to use ocean temperatures to observe ocean circulation and locate major ocean currents. Ocean current analysis can facilitate ocean transportation. Additionally, by using SST, scientists can monitor changes in ocean temperatures and relate these to weather and climate changes like coral bleaching around the Great Barrier Reef. Finally, the SST changes have many important biological implications for hospitable/inhospitable conditions for many organisms including species of plankton, seagrasses, shellfish, fish, coral, and mammals. |
| Completed |
2005-02-28 |
|
Brush Fires in Southeastern
…
| Name of Image |
Brush Fires in Southeastern Australia |
| Date of Image |
2003-01-18 |
| Full Description |
This dramatic image of the Australian brushers was taken from orbit by one of the crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Following the worst regional drought in 50 years, this summer's fire season has resulted in numerous large fires over much of the Great Dividing Range as well as the enormous smoke pall over New South Wales, Victoria, and the adjacent South Pacific Ocean. |
|
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume
| Title |
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume |
| Description |
In the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia, the 83 islands that make up the Vanuatu nation are dotted with countless craters from active and extinct volcanoes. Among the most dangerous is the almost-permanently active Ambrym Volcano. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured by the Terra satellite on April 27, 2004, a large plume of volcanic ash is blowing westward from the volcano, which appears at the center right edge. The plume is mixing with clouds, and is more apparent as a bright, reddish orange color in the false-color image (below). The large image is the same spatial resolution (level of detail), but shows a wider area. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume
| Title |
Ambrym Volcano Ash Plume |
| Description |
In the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia, the 83 islands that make up the Vanuatu nation are dotted with countless craters from active and extinct volcanoes. Among the most dangerous is the almost-permanently active Ambrym Volcano. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured by the Terra satellite on April 27, 2004, a large plume of volcanic ash is blowing westward from the volcano, which appears at the center right edge. The plume is mixing with clouds, and is more apparent as a bright, reddish orange color in the false-color image (below). The large image is the same spatial resolution (level of detail), but shows a wider area. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Smoke billows out over the Pacific Ocean from raging bushfires in southeast Australia. This image of the fires (red dots) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on January 21, 2003, around 3:00 p.m. local time. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
On January 19, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Aqua and Terra satellites captured a series of images of the fires in southeast Australia and the plume of smoke wafting thousands of kilometers out over the Pacific Ocean. This composite image is made up of four alternating Terra and Aqua images: Terra/Aqua/Terra/Aqua (left to right). Terra is the morning satellite, so its images were acquired first. Since the satellites collect data from east to west, Terra acquired the third segment of the image, showing South Island of New Zealand first, and then a few hours later, the first segment, showing the coast of Australia. The Aqua images came next, again from east to west, so that the far right segment, showing North Island of New Zealand, came first, and the second segment, showing the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia, came last. Over the ocean, you can see the direction of the sunglint change based on the different orbital geometry: in the Terra image, the sunglint runs northeast-southwest, for Aqua it runs northwest-southeast. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Bushfires rage on in southeast Australia on January 25, 2003. Smoke is covering the southeastern corner of the continent and reaching out over the Pacific Ocean in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Aqua satellite. At top center, a large cluster of fires is burning northwest of Sydney, whose metropolitan area makes a mushroom-shaped clearing in the forests. At the bottom left of the image, several fires (red dots) have been detected on Tasmania, contributing to the regional haze. According to reports from Tuesday, January 28 (southeast Australia local time), light rain in parts of Victoria over the weekend provided only a brief pause to the steadily spreading bushfires, and weather conditions were expected to become increasingly favorable for fire activity by mid-week. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
| Title |
Bushfires Raging in Southeast Australia |
| Description |
Bushfires continue to burn in southeast Australia. This false-color image shows the resulting concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) at an altitude of roughly 3 km (700 millibars) in the atmosphere over Australia and New Zealand. Data taken by the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite have been combined for 6 days from January 15-20, 2003. The colors represent the mixing ratios of carbon monoxide in the air, given in parts per billion by volume. In this scene, values range from as high as 250 ppbv (purple pixels) to as low as 50 ppbv (blue pixels). The white areas show where no data were collected, either due to persistent cloud cover or gaps between satellite viewing swaths. Carbon monoxide is produced as a result of incomplete combustion during burning processes, and is important due to its impact on chemistry in the lower atmosphere. It is a good indicator of atmospheric pollution, and its presence adversely affects the atmosphere's ability to cleanse itself. Because carbon monoxide is persistent for several weeks, it clearly shows the propagation of pollution plumes from the region of the Australian fires out thousands of kilometers into the usually pristine atmosphere of the southern Pacific Ocean. The distribution of pollution over Australia corresponds closely with satellite observed aerosol emitted by the fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=5349 ] as observed by TOMS. Image courtesy NCAR MOPITT Team |
|
Drought in Southeastern Aust
…
| Title |
Drought in Southeastern Australia |
| Description |
Deep red paints the coastal mountains of southeastern Australia, hangs over the continent's arid interior, and dots much of the rest of the land in this image, indicating that unusually high temperatures reigned in November 2006. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the monthly average temperature for the country hit a record high in November. The average temperature for the continent was 2.11 degrees Celsius warmer than average, with local temperatures rising more than 4 degrees C above average for the month in places. These abnormally high air temperatures are reflected in the extreme land surface temperatures shown in this image. The land is usually much warmer to the touch than the temperature recorded by a thermometer hanging above the ground, and so, during November, land surface temperatures in Australia were as much as 10 degrees Celsius above a five-year average. The greatest deviation from normal temperatures is shown in dark red in this image. Average temperatures are white, and cooler-than-average temperatures are blue. The temperature data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The temperature anomaly was greatest in the Great Dividing Range, which curves along the coasts of Victoria and New South Wales in southeast Australia. The heat and a lack of spring rain may have primed the mountains for devastating wildfires. By the end of December, several large wildfires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14029 ] raced through the mountains, threatening local communities and clouding the skies over much of southeastern Australia with dense smoke. The high temperatures in the Great Dividing Range and elsewhere were just part of an unusually warm and dry spring, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] which in turn, was an extension of a dry year. Some of the dryness may be linked to a weak El Niñno in the Pacific Ocean. El Niñno is a regular climate pattern during which sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator heat up and trade winds weaken. Though the effects of El Niñno vary, the phenomenon often changes rainfall patterns around the world. In Australia, El Niñno often brings a dry winter and spring. It is also linked to an increase in the number of extreme fire days, during which conditions are hot, dry, and windy. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Surface Temperature Group, Institute for Computational Earth System Science [ http://www.icess.ucsb.edu/ ], University of California, Santa Barbara. |
|
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
| Title |
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra |
| Description |
On August 22, 2004, clouds and smoke swirled over the islands that sit between Australia and Asia, at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Large islands pictured here are Borneo (right), Java (bottom), and Sumatra (left) At top left is the southern tip of mainland Malaysia. In each of these places, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite detected actively burning fires (marked in red). Over the weekend of August 21, the haze in Singapore (at the southern tip of mainland Malaysia), at least some of which was smoke from the fires, was so severe that air traffic was interrupted. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Tropical Cyclone Erica (22P)
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Erica (22P) |
| Description |
East of Australia in the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Erica plowed into the French island of New Caledonia on March 13, 2003, leaving at least one person dead and many others injured. Erica peaked as a Category 5 cyclone on March 12, and as of March 14 had showed rapid weakening to a Category 1 storm. This image of Erica shows the storm's eye northwest of New Caledonia on March 13. The high-resolution image provided above is 1 kilometer per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Tropical Cyclone Erica (22P)
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Erica (22P) |
| Description |
This combination image made of two consecutive passes of the Terra satellite over the southwestern Pacific Ocean shows Tropical Cyclone Eseta off the island of Fiji (right) and Tropical Cyclone Erica off the northeast coast of Australia (bottom left). The image was acquired on March 11, 2003. 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 Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Howland Island, Pacific Ocea
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Howland Island is a United S
…
ISS010-E-9287
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-12-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- Astronaut photograph eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=9287 ISS010-E-9287 was acquired December 3, 2004, 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, www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html Johnson Space Center. The spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html International Space Station Program 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 eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. |
| identifier |
ISS010-E-9287 |
|
Cyclone Helen hits Northern
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A variety of weather phenome
…
naustralia_trmm_2008009
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-01-08 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
naustralia_trmm_2008009 |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On January 19, 2003, the mod
…
Australia3.A2003019
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-01-19 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Australia3.A2003019 |
|
Jason Satellite Observes Mil
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In September 2006, NASA sate
…
ElNino_JAS_20060915
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-09-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image by Akiko Hayashi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| identifier |
ElNino_JAS_20060915 |
|
Jason Satellite Observes Mil
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In September 2006, NASA sate
…
ElNino_JAS_20060915
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-09-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image by Akiko Hayashi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| identifier |
ElNino_JAS_20060915 |
|
Another Kelvin Wave Strenght
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In the Pacific Ocean around
…
ssh_jas_2006324
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-11-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA/JPL Ocean Surface Topography Team. |
| identifier |
ssh_jas_2006324 |
|
Tropical Cyclone Erica (22P)
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
This combination image made
…
EricaEseta.TMOA2003070
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-03-11 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
EricaEseta.TMOA2003070 |
|
El Nino and Rainfall: Image
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
At the end of 2006, East Afr
…
precipanom_trmm_200611
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using rainfall data provided courtesy of the precip.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Global Precipitation Climatology Product team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. |
| identifier |
precipanom_trmm_200611 |
|
Bushfires Raging in Southeas
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Bushfires rage on in southea
…
Australia.AMOA2003025
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Australia.AMOA2003025 |
|
Australia Unusually Warm in
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Deep red paints the coastal
…
austlsta_tmo_200611_palette
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Surface Temperature Group, www.icess.ucsb.edu/ Institute for Computational Earth System Science , University of California, Santa Barbara. |
| identifier |
austlsta_tmo_200611_palette |
|
The Link Between Sea Surface
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
These global-scale, false-co
…
fasir_sst
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001 |
| creator |
NASA -- Images by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen, data courtesy Sietse Los, James Collatz, & Jim Tucker, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
fasir_sst |
|
Floods in East Africa: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
NKenya_AMO_2006303
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
NKenya_AMO_2006303 |
|
Ocean Vortex off Western Aus
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Australia_AMO_2006156
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-06-05 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA images courtesy Norman Kuring, Ocean Color Group. |
| identifier |
Australia_AMO_2006156 |
|
Botany Bay, New South Wales:
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
On April 29, 1770, Captain C
…
IKO_botanybay_07feb00
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2000-02-07 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image by Jesse Allen, based on data copyright www.spaceimaging.com/ Space Imaging |
| identifier |
IKO_botanybay_07feb00 |
|
|
