Browse All : Images of Indonesia from 2004

AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia

Title	AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia
Abstract	Aura's instruments study tropospheric, or low-level atmospheric chemistry and will monitor air pollution around the world on a daily basis. Aura measures five of the six 'Criteria Pollutants' identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed	2004-12-07

Title	AURA/OMI Tropospheric Ozone over Indonesia
Abstract	Aura's instruments study tropospheric, or low-level atmospheric chemistry and will monitor air pollution around the world on a daily basis. Aura measures five of the six 'Criteria Pollutants' identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed	2004-12-07

Title	Carbon Monoxide over Indonesia
Description	Thick haze is an annual problem on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra during the dry season, which runs from about May through September. Along with the dry season comes large fires, often set to clear land for agriculture. This year, the choking haze and smoke produced by such fires grew particularly bad during the third week of August. On August 21, 2004, air traffic was temporarily suspended because of the low visibility. In addition to decreasing visibility, the fires burning in Indonesia produce high levels of carbon monoxide (CO), which are detected from satellite by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT [ http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/MOPITT/home.html ]) instrument. The image above shows the CO mixing ratio at 850 hectopascals (roughly 1-2 kilometers altitude) derived from MOPITT observations for August 5-20, 2004. The mixing ratio is given in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). Red and yellow colors represent high CO levels, blue colors mark low levels of pollution. Gray areas indicate where no data have been collected due to persistent cloud cover. The image above correlates well with images taken by the MODIS instrument on board the Aqua satellite showing the location of the fires and the outflow of smoke, see Fires on Borneo [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12351 ]. Here, black outlines show the shape of the islands under the data. The largest island on the top right is Borneo. Yellow pixels, indicating high carbon monoxide concentrations, color the southeast corner of the island where the MODIS images also show fires and haze. Carbon monoxide concentrations also appear to be high on Sumatra, the long island pointing into the upper left corner of the image. Data courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT Teams.

Title	Carbon Monoxide over Indonesia
Description	The MODIS instrument onboard NASA?s Aqua satellite detected widespread fire activity on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12530 ] The burning of biomass produces, among other pollutants, high amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) which is detected by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument launched on board the Terra satellite in December 1999. The false-color image below shows the atmospheric carbon monoxide concentrations at 700 hPa (about 3 km altitude) over Borneo averaged for September 15 - October 15, 2004. Only data collected during daytime have been included in this image. Carbon monoxide retrievals from daytime observations are, compared to retrievals from nighttime observations, more sensitive to CO concentrations at lower altitudes and better represent the location of sources. Regions with high amounts of CO are represented in red and yellow colors and correlate well with the location of the MODIS fire counts. Areas where no data have been collected due to persistent cloud coverage are shown in gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT teams.

Title	Drought in Southeast Asia
Description	Little rain has fallen in Southeast Asia after an early end to the rainy season [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12569 ] in October 2004, leaving the region in severe drought. From southern China, through the Indochina and Malay Peninsulas, and into some of the islands of Indonesia, crops are shriveling, and in some places, drinking water is scarce. According to news reports, the drought will cost farmers in Thailand up to US $193.2 million after 809,000 hectares of crops were lost. Vietnam has lost US $60 million in crops, and up to 1.3 million people do not have access to clean water. Other countries in the region have been similarly affected, with food shortages in Cambodia and a lack of drinkable water in Hainan, China. Rains eased the drought [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/03/China%20Drought/Chinadrought.htm ] in parts of China in late February, but much of the region remains parched. It is the worst drought in 50 years. The above image illustrates the extent of the drought in February 2005. The image shows outgoing longwave radiation, which is a measure of the amount of heat radiated from the surface of the Earth. Since clouds tend to be colder than the Earth?s surface, the measurement shows the distribution of clouds. It is one way to monitor drought because where there are no clouds, there is no rain. In this case, scientists have compared the amount of heat radiated from the surface this year to the average collected between 1979 and 1995. The result shows that significantly fewer cool clouds gathered over Southeast Asia in 2005 than normal, as reflected by the red that stretches from Australia to southern China. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].

Title	Drought in Southeast Asia
Description	Little rain has fallen in Southeast Asia after an early end to the rainy season [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12569 ] in October 2004, leaving the region in severe drought. From southern China, through the Indochina and Malay Peninsulas, and into some of the islands of Indonesia, crops are shriveling, and in some places, drinking water is scarce. According to news reports, the drought will cost farmers in Thailand up to US $193.2 million after 809,000 hectares of crops were lost. Vietnam has lost US $60 million in crops, and up to 1.3 million people do not have access to clean water. Other countries in the region have been similarly affected, with food shortages in Cambodia and a lack of drinkable water in Hainan, China. Rains eased the drought [ http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/03/China%20Drought/Chinadrought.htm ] in parts of China in late February, but much of the region remains parched. It is the worst drought in 50 years. The above image illustrates the extent of the drought in February 2005. The image shows outgoing longwave radiation, which is a measure of the amount of heat radiated from the surface of the Earth. Since clouds tend to be colder than the Earth?s surface, the measurement shows the distribution of clouds. It is one way to monitor drought because where there are no clouds, there is no rain. In this case, scientists have compared the amount of heat radiated from the surface this year to the average collected between 1979 and 1995. The result shows that significantly fewer cool clouds gathered over Southeast Asia in 2005 than normal, as reflected by the red that stretches from Australia to southern China. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].

Title	Early Dry Season in Southeast Asia
Description	In a typical monsoon season in South East Asia, the rains fall until October, but this year, the heavens went dry three to four weeks early. For farmers, who rely on monsoon rains to nourish crops, the early onset of the dry season could mean a reduced harvest. According to the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Foreign Agricultural Service, the lack of rain affected the tail end of the growing season, and while most crops should be fine, yields could be reduced because of a lack of rain. The government of Thailand has already announced that the rice harvest will be less than expected, and the AFP reports that the Cambodian government is concerned about potential food shortages. In Cambodia, 80-85 percent of all rice is grown during the monsoon season. The early end to the rainy season could spell trouble for the next growing season, which depends on irrigation instead of rainfall. Not only did the rains end early, but less rain fell during the monsoon, and that could mean a shortage of irrigation water stored in reservoirs, particularly if the dry season lasts longer than normal. The above image confirms the absence of clouds associated with precipitation over Southeastern Asia during the month of October. The image is based on measurements of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), the amount of heat being reflected from the Earth back into space, in Watts per square meter. Clouds tend to be cold, while land masses are warmer. Outgoing longwave radiation can help scientists monitor rainfall by showing where rainfall clouds are, or in this case, where they aren?t. The above image is a comparison of the amount of outgoing longwave radiation observed in October 2004, to the October average observed from 1979 to 1995. Areas that radiated more heat than average are red and those that radiated less are blue. Southeast Asia was radiating more heat than normal in October?a sign that fewer cool clouds covered the region. Indonesia, northern Australia, and parts of China also appear to be warmer, and possibly drier, than normal. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allan, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].

Title	Early Dry Season in Southeast Asia
Description	In a typical monsoon season in South East Asia, the rains fall until October, but this year, the heavens went dry three to four weeks early. For farmers, who rely on monsoon rains to nourish crops, the early onset of the dry season could mean a reduced harvest. According to the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Foreign Agricultural Service, the lack of rain affected the tail end of the growing season, and while most crops should be fine, yields could be reduced because of a lack of rain. The government of Thailand has already announced that the rice harvest will be less than expected, and the AFP reports that the Cambodian government is concerned about potential food shortages. In Cambodia, 80-85 percent of all rice is grown during the monsoon season. The early end to the rainy season could spell trouble for the next growing season, which depends on irrigation instead of rainfall. Not only did the rains end early, but less rain fell during the monsoon, and that could mean a shortage of irrigation water stored in reservoirs, particularly if the dry season lasts longer than normal. The above image confirms the absence of clouds associated with precipitation over Southeastern Asia during the month of October. The image is based on measurements of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), the amount of heat being reflected from the Earth back into space, in Watts per square meter. Clouds tend to be cold, while land masses are warmer. Outgoing longwave radiation can help scientists monitor rainfall by showing where rainfall clouds are, or in this case, where they aren?t. The above image is a comparison of the amount of outgoing longwave radiation observed in October 2004, to the October average observed from 1979 to 1995. Areas that radiated more heat than average are red and those that radiated less are blue. Southeast Asia was radiating more heat than normal in October?a sign that fewer cool clouds covered the region. Indonesia, northern Australia, and parts of China also appear to be warmer, and possibly drier, than normal. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allan, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] Quickbird satellite captured an image of the devestation around Kalutara, Sri Lanka (top), on December 26, 2004, at 10:20 a.m. local time?about an hour after the first in the series of waves hit. [A Quickbird image taken on January 1, 2004 (lower), shows the normal ocean conditions.] Water is flowing out of the inundated area and back into the sea, creating turbulence offshore. Some near-shore streets and yards are covered with muddy water. It is possible that the image was acquired in a ?trough? between wave crests. Imagery of nearby beaches shows that the edge of the ocean had receded about 150 meters from the shoreline.More images [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] are available on the DigitalGlobe web site. Images Copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Indonesian province of Aceh was hit hardest by the earthquake and tsunamis of December 26, 2004. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Early Western media attention was focused on Sri Lanka and Thailand, even though the earthquake epicenter was closer to Aceh, and the largest waves struck the northwestern coast of Sumatra. On Decemebr 29, estimates of the death toll in Indonesia were over 80,000more than half the global total. The town of Lhoknga, on the west coast of Sumatra near the capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, was completely destroyed by the tsunami, with the exception of the mosque in the city's center. These high-resolution satellite images, acquired by Space Imaging's [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ] Ikonos satellite, show Lhoknga before (lower) and after (top) the earthquake and Tsunami. Almost all the trees, vegetation, and buildings in the area were washed away. Behind the town, low-lying agricultural areas remained covered with water 4 days after the disaster, and sand on the nearby beaches was completely removed. The wave height [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] might have exceeded 15 meters (50 feet) when it struck the shore. Equivalent devestation extends 225 km southeast along the Sumatran Coast, in a band up to 3 km (1.9 miles) deep. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12644 ] (above) shows the affected area as a thin strip of brown along the coast. Ikonos images copyright Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, [ http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ ] National University of Singapore and Space Imaging. [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The Earth?s solid surface floats on a layer of softer rock as a collection of interlocking, movable puzzle pieces called tectonic plates. At 7:58 a.m. (local time), on December 26, 2004, beneath the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, Indonesia, pent-up energy from the compressional forces of one tectonic plate grinding under another found a weak spot in the overlying rock. The rock was thrust upward, and the Earth shook as a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent its vibrations out into the ocean. Tsunamis spread out in all directions, the massive waves washed over islands and crashed against coastlines in Sri Lanka, Southern India, and even the east coast of Africa. Tens of thousands of people were killed, millions are homeless. The image above shows how the tectonic puzzle pieces fit together around Indonesia. The epicenter of the recent quake is marked with a red star in the image. It is located just to the east of the Sunda Trench, where the India Plate begins to get subducted beneath (forced under) the Burma Plate. The blue arrows along the plate boundary show the direction of subduction. As the India Plate slides beneath the Burma Plate, it meets pockets of resistance, which causes compressional forces to build up. Weakened overlying rock gets forced upward. Based on the location of aftershocks (red shaded circles on the image), the United States Geological Survey reports that approximately 1,200 kilometers of the plate boundary probably slipped as a result of the quake. The initial rupture was likely more than 100 kilometers wide, and probably produced an average vertical displacement along the fault plane (the slope along which the two plates meet) of 15 meters. When the bottom of the ocean is deformed by this type of ?megathrust? quake, the upward force acts like a fist rising up from underwater. Water rolls down off the sides of the ?fist,? creating massive waves that can travel as fast as an airplane. The waves can move across the ocean and barely disturb the surface, but when they reach shallow coastal water, the earthquake?s energy thrusts them tens of meters into the air. The tsunami created by this earthquake reached India and Sri Lanka in about four hours. The wave eventually reached Africa, the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, and the west coast of North and South America. For more information about this earthquake and plate tectonics, visit the Website of the USGS. [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/ ] Image courtesy United States Geological Survey [ http://www.usgs.gov/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The true-color image above shows an inlet of Little Andaman Island, near the village of Kwate-tu-Kwage. Little Andaman Island is part of India?s Andaman Island chain, situated in the eastern Indian Ocean roughly 965 km (600 miles) south-southeast of Bangladesh. The image shows a swath of destruction (grayish patches) just inland from the beach as buildings and houses were damaged or swept away by surging seawater. The image was acquired on January 2, 2005, by the IKONOS satellite. On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit off the west coast of Sumatra, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640 ] Indonesia, sending shockwaves and tsunamis radiating out from the epicenter. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12645 ] According to news reports, as of January 2, 2005, no relief aid has been sent to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and little is currently known about the extent of the damage and loss of life there. Although this scene is partly obscured by a thin cloud overhead, many striking details can be seen in the full-resolution copy. A dark crescent of standing water can be seen to the west (left) of the village?possibly the remnants of the tsunami. The image also reveals tsunami destruction to structures along the coast and damage fairly far inland as well. In some cases structures have been ripped off foundations, which is especially noticeable near the inlet. Image copyright Space Imaging [ http://www.spaceimaging.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The island of Sumatra suffered from both the rumblings of the submarine earthquake and the tsunamis that were generated on December 26, 2004. Within minutes of the quake, the sea surged ashore, bringing destruction to the coasts of the northern Sumatra. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite shows the Aceh province of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 17, 2004, before the quake (bottom), and on December 29, 2004 (top), three days after the catastrophe. Though MODIS was not specifically designed to make the very detailed observations that are usually necessary for mapping coastline changes, the sensor nevertheless observed obvious differences in the Sumatran coastline. On December 17, the green vegetation along the west coast appears to reach all the way to the sea, with only an occasional thin stretch of white that is likely sand. After the earthquake and tsunamis, the entire western coast is lined with a noticeable purplish-brown border. The brownish border could be deposited sand, or perhaps exposed soil that was stripped bare of vegetation when the large waves rushed ashore and then raced away. On a moderate-resolution image such as this, the affected area may seem small, but each pixel in the full resolution image is 250 by 250 meters. In places the brown strip reaches inland roughly 13 pixels, equal to a distance of 3.25 kilometers, or about 2 miles. On the northern tip of the island (shown in the large image), the incursion is even larger. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The island of Sumatra suffered from both the rumblings of the submarine earthquake and the tsunamis that were generated on December 26, 2004. Within minutes of the quake, the sea surged ashore, bringing destruction to the coasts of the northern Sumatra. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite shows the Aceh province of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 17, 2004, before the quake (bottom), and on December 29, 2004 (top), three days after the catastrophe. Though MODIS was not specifically designed to make the very detailed observations that are usually necessary for mapping coastline changes, the sensor nevertheless observed obvious differences in the Sumatran coastline. On December 17, the green vegetation along the west coast appears to reach all the way to the sea, with only an occasional thin stretch of white that is likely sand. After the earthquake and tsunamis, the entire western coast is lined with a noticeable purplish-brown border. The brownish border could be deposited sand, or perhaps exposed soil that was stripped bare of vegetation when the large waves rushed ashore and then raced away. On a moderate-resolution image such as this, the affected area may seem small, but each pixel in the full resolution image is 250 by 250 meters. In places the brown strip reaches inland roughly 13 pixels, equal to a distance of 3.25 kilometers, or about 2 miles. On the northern tip of the island (shown in the large image), the incursion is even larger. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	Satellites continue to acquire imagery of areas severely damaged by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. This image of Meulaboh, Indonesia, was collected on January 7, 2005, by DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite. Meulaboh is located on the coast of Sumatra, roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the epicenter of the magnitude 9.0 earthqukae that generated the tsunami. The image shows where the tsunami washed over a narrow peninsula, eroding the beach and destroying many of the town?s buildings. Image copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	Satellites continue to acquire imagery of areas severely damaged by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. This image of Meulaboh, Indonesia, was collected on January 7, 2005, by DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite. Meulaboh is located on the coast of Sumatra, roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the epicenter of the magnitude 9.0 earthqukae that generated the tsunami. The image shows where the tsunami washed over a narrow peninsula, eroding the beach and destroying many of the town?s buildings. Image copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	Satellites continue to acquire imagery of areas severely damaged by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. This image of Meulaboh, Indonesia, was collected on January 7, 2005, by DigitalGlobe?s [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite. Meulaboh is located on the coast of Sumatra, roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the epicenter of the magnitude 9.0 earthqukae that generated the tsunami. The image shows where the tsunami washed over a narrow peninsula, eroding the beach and destroying many of the town?s buildings. Image copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The tsunami of Decemebr 26, 2004, struck hardest along the northwest coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia's Aceh province. In places only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake epicenter, the Aceh coast was drowned in waves up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. The water was channeled inland through low-lying areas, such as stream floodplains. These images of Gleebruk, a small town located roughly 50 km (31 miles) from Banda Aceh, show the degree of destruction. Wooded hills in the upper left of the images were spared, while the wave scoured the area alongside the stream in the center of the image. Buildings, trees, roads, bridges, beaches and even topsoil were swept away by the force of the wave. Satellite imagery is being used in the relief effort to locate and assess the damage in remote and inaccessible areas of Aceh province. These images were acquired by DigitalGlobe's [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite on January 2, 2005, (top) and April 12, 2004 (lower). More imagery is available in DigitalGlobe's tsunami gallery. [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] Quickbird's maximum resolution of 60 centimeters (24 inches) per pixel provides exceptional image detail. Due to variations in viewing geometry between the two images, the horizontal scale is approximate. Images copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The tsunami of Decemebr 26, 2004, struck hardest along the northwest coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia's Aceh province. In places only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake epicenter, the Aceh coast was drowned in waves up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. The water was channeled inland through low-lying areas, such as stream floodplains. These images of Gleebruk, a small town located roughly 50 km (31 miles) from Banda Aceh, show the degree of destruction. Wooded hills in the upper left of the images were spared, while the wave scoured the area alongside the stream in the center of the image. Buildings, trees, roads, bridges, beaches and even topsoil were swept away by the force of the wave. Satellite imagery is being used in the relief effort to locate and assess the damage in remote and inaccessible areas of Aceh province. These images were acquired by DigitalGlobe's [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite on January 2, 2005, (top) and April 12, 2004 (lower). More imagery is available in DigitalGlobe's tsunami gallery. [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] Quickbird's maximum resolution of 60 centimeters (24 inches) per pixel provides exceptional image detail. Due to variations in viewing geometry between the two images, the horizontal scale is approximate. Images copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The tsunami of Decemebr 26, 2004, struck hardest along the northwest coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia's Aceh province. In places only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake epicenter, the Aceh coast was drowned in waves up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. The water was channeled inland through low-lying areas, such as stream floodplains. These images of Gleebruk, a small town located roughly 50 km (31 miles) from Banda Aceh, show the degree of destruction. Wooded hills in the upper left of the images were spared, while the wave scoured the area alongside the stream in the center of the image. Buildings, trees, roads, bridges, beaches and even topsoil were swept away by the force of the wave. Satellite imagery is being used in the relief effort to locate and assess the damage in remote and inaccessible areas of Aceh province. These images were acquired by DigitalGlobe's [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite on January 2, 2005, (top) and April 12, 2004 (lower). More imagery is available in DigitalGlobe's tsunami gallery. [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] Quickbird's maximum resolution of 60 centimeters (24 inches) per pixel provides exceptional image detail. Due to variations in viewing geometry between the two images, the horizontal scale is approximate. Images copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The tsunami of Decemebr 26, 2004, struck hardest along the northwest coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia's Aceh province. In places only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake epicenter, the Aceh coast was drowned in waves up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. The water was channeled inland through low-lying areas, such as stream floodplains. These images of Gleebruk, a small town located roughly 50 km (31 miles) from Banda Aceh, show the degree of destruction. Wooded hills in the upper left of the images were spared, while the wave scoured the area alongside the stream in the center of the image. Buildings, trees, roads, bridges, beaches and even topsoil were swept away by the force of the wave. Satellite imagery is being used in the relief effort to locate and assess the damage in remote and inaccessible areas of Aceh province. These images were acquired by DigitalGlobe's [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite on January 2, 2005, (top) and April 12, 2004 (lower). More imagery is available in DigitalGlobe's tsunami gallery. [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] Quickbird's maximum resolution of 60 centimeters (24 inches) per pixel provides exceptional image detail. Due to variations in viewing geometry between the two images, the horizontal scale is approximate. Images copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	The tsunami of Decemebr 26, 2004, struck hardest along the northwest coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia's Aceh province. In places only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake epicenter, the Aceh coast was drowned in waves up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. The water was channeled inland through low-lying areas, such as stream floodplains. These images of Gleebruk, a small town located roughly 50 km (31 miles) from Banda Aceh, show the degree of destruction. Wooded hills in the upper left of the images were spared, while the wave scoured the area alongside the stream in the center of the image. Buildings, trees, roads, bridges, beaches and even topsoil were swept away by the force of the wave. Satellite imagery is being used in the relief effort to locate and assess the damage in remote and inaccessible areas of Aceh province. These images were acquired by DigitalGlobe's [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ] QuickBird satellite on January 2, 2005, (top) and April 12, 2004 (lower). More imagery is available in DigitalGlobe's tsunami gallery. [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/tsunami_gallery.html ] Quickbird's maximum resolution of 60 centimeters (24 inches) per pixel provides exceptional image detail. Due to variations in viewing geometry between the two images, the horizontal scale is approximate. Images copyright DigitalGlobe [ http://www.digitalglobe.com/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, a large (magnitude 9.0) earthquake occurred off the western coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake was caused by the release of stresses accumulated as the Burma tectonic plate overrides the India tectonic plate. Movement of the seafloor due to the earthquake generated a tsunami, or seismic sea wave, that affected coastal regions around the Indian Ocean. The northwestern Sumatra coastline in particular suffered extensive damage and loss of life. These astronaut photographs illustrate damage along the southwestern coast of Aceh Province in the vicinity of the city of Lho? Kruet, Indonesia. Large areas of bare and disturbed soil (brownish gray) that were previously covered with vegetation are visible along the coastline in the near-nadir (top) image. Embayments in the coastline were particularly hard hit, while adjacent headlands were less affected. The oblique (lower) astronaut photograph was acquired 45 seconds after the near-nadir photograph, and captures sunglint illuminating the Indian Ocean and standing water inland (light gray, yellow). Distortion and scale differences in the images are caused by increased obliquity of the view from the International Space Station. Arrows on the photographs indicate several points of comparison between the two images. Standing bodies of seawater may inhibit revegetation of damaged areas and act as sources of salt contamination in soil and groundwater. Astronaut photographs ISS010-E-13079 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13079 ] (top) and ISS010-E-13088 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13088 ] (bottom) were acquired January 15, 2005 with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and are provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ]

Title	Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description	On December 26, 2004, a large (magnitude 9.0) earthquake occurred off the western coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake was caused by the release of stresses accumulated as the Burma tectonic plate overrides the India tectonic plate. Movement of the seafloor due to the earthquake generated a tsunami, or seismic sea wave, that affected coastal regions around the Indian Ocean. The northwestern Sumatra coastline in particular suffered extensive damage and loss of life. These astronaut photographs illustrate damage along the southwestern coast of Aceh Province in the vicinity of the city of Lho? Kruet, Indonesia. Large areas of bare and disturbed soil (brownish gray) that were previously covered with vegetation are visible along the coastline in the near-nadir (top) image. Embayments in the coastline were particularly hard hit, while adjacent headlands were less affected. The oblique (lower) astronaut photograph was acquired 45 seconds after the near-nadir photograph, and captures sunglint illuminating the Indian Ocean and standing water inland (light gray, yellow). Distortion and scale differences in the images are caused by increased obliquity of the view from the International Space Station. Arrows on the photographs indicate several points of comparison between the two images. Standing bodies of seawater may inhibit revegetation of damaged areas and act as sources of salt contamination in soil and groundwater. Astronaut photographs ISS010-E-13079 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13079 ] (top) and ISS010-E-13088 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS010&roll=E&frame=13088 ] (bottom) were acquired January 15, 2005 with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and are provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ]

Massive Earthquake Along the Sunda Trench

Title	Massive Earthquake Along the Sunda Trench
Description	A magnitude 8.7 earthquake rattled northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on March 28, 2005, at 11:09 p.m., local time. At least 330 people are dead, but Indonesian officials expect the toll to soar over 2,000. The earthquake was centered 160 kilometers southeast of the 9.0 quake that triggered the devastating December 26,2004, tsunami, between the islands of Simeulue and Nias. The most severe damage appears to be on Nias, where large parts of the city Gunungsitoli were destroyed. The United States Geological Survey reports that the March 28 quake occurred on the same fault that triggered the December 26 earthquake, probably as a result of stress placed on the fault by the first quake. The above map shows the locations of both earthquakes off the northwest coast of Sumatra. The March 28 earthquake occurred in a section of the fault just south of the part of the fault that slipped on December 26. The last time this section of fault moved was in 1861, when a large earthquake triggered a fatal tsunami. As the image illustrates, the earthquakes occurred just east of the Sunda Trench, the deep underwater canyon where the Australia Plate is being pulled under the Sunda Plate. The plates, giant sections of the Earth's crust, float on a layer of soft rock, propelled by convection currents beneath them. The Australia plate moves about five centimeters northeast in relation to the Sunda plate every year. As the Australia plate has crumbled under the Sunda plate, a number of faults have developed in the Sunda plate, including the thrust fault that produced both the December 26 and March 28 quakes. According to the Pacific Tsumani Warning Center, sea level readings taken after the March 28 earthquake show that a small tsunami was generated, but there have been no reports of damage. Why did the 9.0 earthquake generate a massive tsunami compared to the small wave that came out of the most recent earthquake? By USGS estimates, both earthquakes occurred about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) beneath the Earth's surface, but the March 28 quake was much smaller and probably didn't displace the same amount of earth as the December 26 quake. For more information about this earthquake, please visit the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usweax/ ]. Map courtesy USGS Earthquake Hazards Program [ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ ]

Title	Mount Egon Erupts
Description	Shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time, on September 4, 2004, a large cloud of ash and smoke erupted from Mount Egon on the Indonesian island of Flores. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a little over an hour later, the light gray cloud straddled the island. The ash plume rose up to 3,000 meters above the volcano's crater. As of Monday, September 6, up to 2,100 people had been evacuated from villages around the volcano, as the mountain continued to show signs of activity. For more information about the eruption, please visit Relief Web [ http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/vLCE/A68F7E67F598C70E49256F080006DC60?OpenDocument&StartKey=Indonesia:+Volcanic+Eruption+Mt.+Egon+-+Sep+2004&ExpandView ], sponsored by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC

Title	North Reef Island, Andaman Sea
Description	On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history struck offshore of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The ocean floor heaved in some places and sank in others, creating catastrophic tsunamis that raced across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of people died as the waves struck coastlines from Thailand to Sri Lanka to Somalia. In addition to tsunami damage, satellite images of reefs, islands, and coastlines identified signs of permanent elevation changesinking or upliftalong the fault between the Indo-Australia and Burma plates. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640 ] In places such as North Reef Island, shown in this pair of images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the quake lifted the reefs permanently out of the water. The images use visible and infrared light detected by ASTER to make different land surfaces stand out clearly from one another: water is blue, vegetation is red, coral or bare sand appears white. In the "before" image, from December 2, 2004, the submerged reef creates a bright blue glow around the island. In the "after" image, from February 4, 2005, the white coral stands completely up out of the water. It is even tinged with red, which suggests the exposed coral had died, and algae had colonized it. In the weeks and months after the earthquake, satellite images provided broad coverage of an area where ground-based observations were initially very limited. A team of scientists led by Caltech Ph.D. geology student Aron Meltzner discovered changes in elevation along nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) of the tectonic plate boundary. The images revealed that the earthquake rupture extended 100 kilometers (62 miles) farther north than estimates based on seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggested. The feature article Rise and Fall: Satellites Reveal Full Length of Tsunami-Generating Earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Aceh/aceh.html ] describes how scientists used satellite images to map the length of the earthquake rupture zone. The article includes additional satellite and ground-based images of elevation changes resulting from the 2004 Aceh-Andaman earthquake. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]

Title	North Reef Island, Andaman Sea
Description	On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history struck offshore of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The ocean floor heaved in some places and sank in others, creating catastrophic tsunamis that raced across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of people died as the waves struck coastlines from Thailand to Sri Lanka to Somalia. In addition to tsunami damage, satellite images of reefs, islands, and coastlines identified signs of permanent elevation changesinking or upliftalong the fault between the Indo-Australia and Burma plates. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12640 ] In places such as North Reef Island, shown in this pair of images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the quake lifted the reefs permanently out of the water. The images use visible and infrared light detected by ASTER to make different land surfaces stand out clearly from one another: water is blue, vegetation is red, coral or bare sand appears white. In the "before" image, from December 2, 2004, the submerged reef creates a bright blue glow around the island. In the "after" image, from February 4, 2005, the white coral stands completely up out of the water. It is even tinged with red, which suggests the exposed coral had died, and algae had colonized it. In the weeks and months after the earthquake, satellite images provided broad coverage of an area where ground-based observations were initially very limited. A team of scientists led by Caltech Ph.D. geology student Aron Meltzner discovered changes in elevation along nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) of the tectonic plate boundary. The images revealed that the earthquake rupture extended 100 kilometers (62 miles) farther north than estimates based on seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) data suggested. The feature article Rise and Fall: Satellites Reveal Full Length of Tsunami-Generating Earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Aceh/aceh.html ] describes how scientists used satellite images to map the length of the earthquake rupture zone. The article includes additional satellite and ground-based images of elevation changes resulting from the 2004 Aceh-Andaman earthquake. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]

Title	Fires in Sumatra
Description	Fire activity has flared up once again on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, after being relatively quiet over the past month. This image of active fires (marked in yellow) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on June 15, 2004, several weeks after the first image in the series was captured. Fires are concentrated in the north-central part of the island, their smoke mingling with clouds to the north and east. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Title	Fires in Sumatra
Description	Sores of fires (marked in red) were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on August 4, 2004, across Sumatra in Indonesia. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	On August 10, 2004, scores of fires were burning across the island of Borneo. Fires were burning in the Sarawak region of Malaysia, which occupies the northern part of the island, as well as the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, which occupies the southern part. Fires are especially concentrated in the West, around the coastal city of Sinkawang (lighter green area south of the western tip of the island). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image as well the location of active fires (marked in red). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	On the island of Borneo, numerous fires were burning in the swampy, southern coastal region on October 4, 2004. The Kalimantan region of Indonesia occupies most of the central and southern portion of the island, and it is here that most of the fires (marked in red) are burning. The northern part of the island (not pictured) is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Smoke mixes with clouds over most of the scene. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	Since mid-August, fires have been burning off and on in southern Borneo, and a blanket of smoke has been drawn over the island. Most of the island is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, with the southern coastal areas originally home to lowland rainforests, peat swamp forests, and wetland areas. Degradation of these landscapes through unregulated and illegal logging, as well as intentional and accidental fire is a severe environmental and social problem for the country. In this image captured on October 11, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, thick smoke nearly hides the southern part of the island, and active fires detected by MODIS are marked in red. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description	On Sumatra, a chain of steep mountains runs along the western coast and tapers down to a low-lying coastal plain in the east. There, the land is covered by a mixture of lowland rainforests, peat swamp forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands. People use slash-and-burn deforestation to clear land for agriculture, with negative outcomes for environmental quality not just at the site itself but surrounding ecosystems as well. Fires get out of control and creep into undisturbed forests, degrading them and setting them up for more intense fires later on. Regional air quality is compromised off and on for several months when the burning is severe, as it was in 1998, during an extreme El Niño-induced drought. Open burning is banned, but regulation is difficult. This image of burning on the island was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite on October 14, 2004. Active fires are marked in red, and are most abundant in the area around the city Palembang, to the right of image center. Meanwhile, to the east, fires in the Kalimantan, Indonesia, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12529 ]portion of the island of Borneo are contributing to the regional haze. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Fires on Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea

Title	Fires on Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea
Description	Across the lowlands of southern New Guinea, numerous fires (marked in red) were burning on October 11, 2004, when this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. The island is occupied by two different nations: the western (left) half by the Indonesian territory of Irian Jaya and the eastern (right) half by Papua New Guinea. The image is roughly centered on the boundary between the two, and fires are burning across both countries. Both countries are struggling to control illegal logging. The Website of the Food and Agriculture Organization [ http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/forestry2/index.jsp?siteId=5081&sitetreeId=18927&langId=1&geoId=0 ] of the United Nations reports that some estimates suggest that 40 to 60 percent of the industrial roundwood in Indonesia is not legally harvested. In Papua New Guinea, logging continues, despite an official ban on logging exports, according to information from the U.S. State Department. [ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2797.htm ] Whether these particular fires are related to illegal logging is unknown, but often fire is used by timber operators and tree plantation owners to degrade undisturbed rainforest in the hopes of gaining concessions to the land. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Flooding in Indonesia
Description	Days of heavy rain in Indonesia pushed Lake Tempe and the Tondano River, image center, to overflowing. The Lake and the Tondano River, both in Southern Sulawesi, rose to cover hectares of paddies and cacao plantations. The government reports that hundreds of homes and public facilities have been evacuated. The incessant rains have also caused fatal mudslides along the western coast of the island to the north and south of the area shown in these images. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images show Lake Tempe and the Tondano River before (bottom) and during (top) the flood. In these false color images, water is blue and black, vegetation is bright green, and clouds are light blue. The flood image was taken on January 5, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The pre-flood image, also captured by the Terra satellite, was acquired on December 13, 2003. The high resolution image provided above shows the flood area at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004005-0105/Indonesia.A2004005.0225.721 ]. The pre-flood image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003347-1213/Indonesia.A2003347.0220.721 ] is also available in multiple resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC

Title	Flooding in Indonesia
Description	Days of heavy rain in Indonesia pushed Lake Tempe and the Tondano River, image center, to overflowing. The Lake and the Tondano River, both in Southern Sulawesi, rose to cover hectares of paddies and cacao plantations. The government reports that hundreds of homes and public facilities have been evacuated. The incessant rains have also caused fatal mudslides along the western coast of the island to the north and south of the area shown in these images. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images show Lake Tempe and the Tondano River before (bottom) and during (top) the flood. In these false color images, water is blue and black, vegetation is bright green, and clouds are light blue. The flood image was taken on January 5, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The pre-flood image, also captured by the Terra satellite, was acquired on December 13, 2003. The high resolution image provided above shows the flood area at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004005-0105/Indonesia.A2004005.0225.721 ]. The pre-flood image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003347-1213/Indonesia.A2003347.0220.721 ] is also available in multiple resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC

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