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Lighting up a Dead Star's La …
Title Lighting up a Dead Star's Layers
Description This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the scattered remains of an exploded star named Cassiopeia A. Spitzer's infrared detectors "picked" through these remains and found that much of the star's original layering had been preserved. In this false-color image, the faint, blue glow surrounding the dead star is material that was energized by a shock wave, called the forward shock, which was created when the star blew up. The forward shock is now located at the outer edge of the blue glow. Stars are also seen in blue. Green, yellow and red primarily represent material that was ejected in the explosion and heated by a slower shock wave, called the reverse shock wave. The picture was taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera and is a composite of 3.6-micron light (blue), 4.5-micron light (green), and 8.0-micron light (red).
Celestial Fireworks
Title Celestial Fireworks
General Information What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]
Typhoon Maemi, September 11, …
Title Typhoon Maemi, September 11, 2003
Abstract This animation shows TRMM's view of Typhoon Maemi. Typhoon Maemi was located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 storm under the Saffir-Simpson scale because it was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as 'eyewall replacement,' whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes.
Completed 2003-09-11
Typhoon Maemi, September 11, …
Title Typhoon Maemi, September 11, 2003
Abstract This animation shows TRMM's view of Typhoon Maemi. Typhoon Maemi was located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 storm under the Saffir-Simpson scale because it was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as 'eyewall replacement,' whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes.
Completed 2003-09-11
Typhoon Maemi, September 11, …
Title Typhoon Maemi, September 11, 2003
Abstract This animation shows TRMM's view of Typhoon Maemi. Typhoon Maemi was located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 storm under the Saffir-Simpson scale because it was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as 'eyewall replacement,' whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes.
Completed 2003-09-11
Typhoon Maemi, September 11, …
Title Typhoon Maemi, September 11, 2003
Abstract This animation shows TRMM's view of Typhoon Maemi. Typhoon Maemi was located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 storm under the Saffir-Simpson scale because it was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as 'eyewall replacement,' whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes.
Completed 2003-09-11
Typhoon Maemi, September 11, …
Title Typhoon Maemi, September 11, 2003
Abstract This animation shows TRMM's view of Typhoon Maemi. Typhoon Maemi was located approximately 400 miles south-southest of Okinawa, Japan. At the time this image was taken, Maemi was classified as a Category 5 storm under the Saffir-Simpson scale because it was packing sustained winds of 172 mph with gusts to 200 mph. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has provided some remarkable images of Super Typhoon Maemi. During the storm's most intense phase, TRMM was able to capture the evolution of Maemi's eyewall structure as it was starting to undergo a process known as 'eyewall replacement,' whereby two concentric eyewalls are present before the outer eyewall collapses down to replace the original inner eyewall. This process can occur in very intense typhoons and hurricanes.
Completed 2003-09-11
Typhoon Etau
Title Typhoon Etau
Abstract The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra spacecraft captured this birds-eye view of Typhoon Etau as it was buffeting the southern island chain of Okinawa, affecting airlines, a refinery and other industries.
Completed 2003-08-06
Typhoon Etau
Title Typhoon Etau
Abstract The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra spacecraft captured this birds-eye view of Typhoon Etau as it was buffeting the southern island chain of Okinawa, affecting airlines, a refinery and other industries.
Completed 2003-08-06
Typhoon Etau
Title Typhoon Etau
Abstract The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra spacecraft captured this birds-eye view of Typhoon Etau as it was buffeting the southern island chain of Okinawa, affecting airlines, a refinery and other industries.
Completed 2003-08-06
Bialowieza National Park
Title Bialowieza National Park
Description Biolowieza National Park lies on the border between Poland and Belarus. It was first established as a park in 1932, and restored in 1947 in the wake of the Second World War. The park was also declared a biosphere reserve in 1977. It is also a transboundary World Heritage site in conjunction with the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Biosphere Reserve adajacent to it on the Belarus side of the border. It is a section carved out of the much larger Bialowieza Forest: the park is slightly less than one fifth of the forest area. The Biolowieza Forest is a unique ecosystem: not only does it contain a rare European lowland old growth forest, but it also lies in a border zone between the boreal and temperate climate zones. Within its borders are some of the southernmost stands of boreal species such as the norway spruce. It also contains temperate species at their northernmost limits, such as sessile oak. The forest also contains a complex mosaic of plants and animals, including forest ungulates, birds of prey, and a wide assortment of vascular plants, mosses, lichens, and fungi. It is also the site of successful reintroduction of species including the European bison and beaver. The preservation of this area owes a great deal to its protection over several centuries from leading figures in central Europe, from Polish kings, Lithuanian princes and dukes, and the Russian Tsars. Their interest in maintaining the land focused on its leisure use as hunting grounds, but this also provided protection from most agricultural use and land clearing. Its national park status in the 20th century has further protected it from development, though areas around it have been subjected to conversion to commercial lumber industry. In the summer of 2003, a new management plan for the Bialowieza Forest called for removing trees in an effort to contain infestations of bark beetles. These new policies have been the subject of heated debate in the forestry and ecology communities, with conservationists accusing the government of clearing the most valuable timber under a dubious guise of forest protection, while government officials cite the plan as an example of sustainable forestry practices. Forest clearing and poor land practices in the adjacent land in Belarus, such as felling trees that are hosts for the bark beetle and failing to remove the logs promptly, continue to be a source of growing concern to ecologists as these last stands of primeval European forest are turned to commercial land use and pressures. In this scene, acquired on April 29, 2002, by the Terra satellite's ASTER instrument, many of these features can be discerned. The old palace grounds are quite evident, as are the clear cut areas in the Biolowieza Forest outside the park, whose boundaries are partially defined by the Lesna River and the international border with Belarus. The international boundary appears as the linear feature to the top right of this image where forest has been cleared along the border. This, image was created by combining red, near-infrared and green wavelengths (ASTER VNIR bands 2, 3, and 1). Image created from data collected by NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Data processed by the American Museum of Natural History's Science Bulletins
Gosses Bluff, Northern Terri …
Title Gosses Bluff, Northern Territory, Australia
Description Gosses Bluff is one of the most significant impact structures in the world. Located about 205 kilometers west of Alice Springs, in Northern Territory, Australia, the crater has been largely preserved in the dry, lightly vegetated region. Gosses Bluff was probably formed by the impact of a large comet or meteorite about 142 million years ago. Traveling at a rate of about 40 kilometers per second, the object slammed into the surface of the Earth, leaving a crater that was about 22 kilometers in diameter. The structure we now see is the result of erosion—the crater would originally have had an outer raised rim and a prominent central peak. The core of the original crater is now represented by a ring of low hills, seen in the lower left side of the image. The ghostly remnants of the outer rim are visible from space in astronaut photos [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15317 ] as a faint circle around the crater that is seen here. This perspective view was created by draping a false-color composite image over a digital elevation model. These data were acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer (ASTER) instrument aboard the Terra satellite on October 11, 2003. The composite image uses shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 7, 3, & 1), while the digital elevation was computed from the stereo pair data channels. Surface elevations are shown true to scale without vertical exaggeration. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory. ASTER data and elevation imagery courtesy of Michael Abrams and the MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.
Colima Erupts
Title Colima Erupts
Description A series of explosive eruptions have thundered from the Colima Volcano, Mexico?s most active volcano. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) captured the top image of the Colima volcano on June 3, 2005, just hours after two spectacular eruptions rumbled from the volcano. Two days later, on June 5, Colima experienced its strongest eruption in 20 years when it sent a dark column of ash more than five kilometers into the atmosphere at a rate of roughly 30 kilometers per hour, reports the Universidad de Colima?s Observatorio Vulcanologico [ http://www.ucol.mx/volcan/ ]. Colima also erupted on May 24 and May 30, and the ash from these and the June 2 and June 3 eruptions is clearly visible in the top image. A grey river of ash and rock flows down the west side of the peak, covering the vegetation that was visible on February 6, 2003, lower image. In these false-color images, the dense vegetation that surrounds the volcano is red. A light dusting of ash blankets the trees on the southeast side of the volcano, and fresh flows stream down all sides of the volcano. Because of its resemblance to the cloud in the upper right corner of the image, the cloud that rests over the summit of the volcano is probably a regular cloud, though it could also be a plume of steam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ]
Colima Erupts
Title Colima Erupts
Description A series of explosive eruptions have thundered from the Colima Volcano, Mexico?s most active volcano. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) captured the top image of the Colima volcano on June 3, 2005, just hours after two spectacular eruptions rumbled from the volcano. Two days later, on June 5, Colima experienced its strongest eruption in 20 years when it sent a dark column of ash more than five kilometers into the atmosphere at a rate of roughly 30 kilometers per hour, reports the Universidad de Colima?s Observatorio Vulcanologico [ http://www.ucol.mx/volcan/ ]. Colima also erupted on May 24 and May 30, and the ash from these and the June 2 and June 3 eruptions is clearly visible in the top image. A grey river of ash and rock flows down the west side of the peak, covering the vegetation that was visible on February 6, 2003, lower image. In these false-color images, the dense vegetation that surrounds the volcano is red. A light dusting of ash blankets the trees on the southeast side of the volcano, and fresh flows stream down all sides of the volcano. Because of its resemblance to the cloud in the upper right corner of the image, the cloud that rests over the summit of the volcano is probably a regular cloud, though it could also be a plume of steam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ]
Colima's Long Eruption
Title Colima's Long Eruption
Description , University of Hawaii Manoa. ASTER image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], The Colima Volcano part of a complex of volcanoes that forms the center of the Western Mexico Volcanic Belt. Rising 3,850 meters above the forested valley around the Nevado National Park, Colima is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes. Most recently, on September 28, 2004, a new lava dome began to rise from Colima's summit crater. By September 30, block and ash flows—an avalanche of hot volcanic rock—began streaming down the mountain, and lava bubbled out starting on October 1. The eruption had not stopped by October 5, when the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm ] released their most recent report. The current eruption is a continuation of a longer eruptive phase. From February 2002 to February 2003, the volcano erupted almost continuously and has burst forth with several smaller eruptions since that time. In one of Colima's quieter moments, on January 17, 2004, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the above false-color image (Bands 3-2-1). The large snow-covered mountain to the north is Nevado de Colima. This older edifice dwarfs the younger and historically active Colima volcano to the south, shown here with a minor steam plume. Several lava flows from previous eruptions can be seen emanating from the Colima volcano summit area. ASTER is not the only instrument that has proven useful in monitoring volcanoes from space. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellites detects thermal anomalies like volcanic hotspots and fires. MODIS data are entered into the MODVOLC system, which automatically calculates the heat output from the volcano. This plot shows the 2002-2003 eruptive phase as well as later sporadic events. The first alert occurred on February 16, 2002, roughly coincident with the appearance of new lava on February 14, 2002, and the last alert of the main 2002-2003 eruptive phase was on January 25, 2003, when lava effusion was beginning to diminish. Alerts in August through December 2003, and one in February 2004, represent the periodic explosive activity that has followed the 2002-2003 lava effusion at Colima. The alert dated August 29, 2003, was acquired within hours of a large explosion on August 28, which produced a series of pyroclastic flows down Colima's flanks. To read more about the use of MODIS to monitor volcanoes, please read Sensing Remote Volcanoes [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/monvoc/ ]. Eruption information from the Global Volcanism Network. Satellite data provided by the HIGP Thermal Alerts Team [ http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu ]
Colima's Long Eruption
Title Colima's Long Eruption
Description , University of Hawaii Manoa. ASTER image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], The Colima Volcano part of a complex of volcanoes that forms the center of the Western Mexico Volcanic Belt. Rising 3,850 meters above the forested valley around the Nevado National Park, Colima is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes. Most recently, on September 28, 2004, a new lava dome began to rise from Colima's summit crater. By September 30, block and ash flows—an avalanche of hot volcanic rock—began streaming down the mountain, and lava bubbled out starting on October 1. The eruption had not stopped by October 5, when the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm ] released their most recent report. The current eruption is a continuation of a longer eruptive phase. From February 2002 to February 2003, the volcano erupted almost continuously and has burst forth with several smaller eruptions since that time. In one of Colima's quieter moments, on January 17, 2004, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the above false-color image (Bands 3-2-1). The large snow-covered mountain to the north is Nevado de Colima. This older edifice dwarfs the younger and historically active Colima volcano to the south, shown here with a minor steam plume. Several lava flows from previous eruptions can be seen emanating from the Colima volcano summit area. ASTER is not the only instrument that has proven useful in monitoring volcanoes from space. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellites detects thermal anomalies like volcanic hotspots and fires. MODIS data are entered into the MODVOLC system, which automatically calculates the heat output from the volcano. This plot shows the 2002-2003 eruptive phase as well as later sporadic events. The first alert occurred on February 16, 2002, roughly coincident with the appearance of new lava on February 14, 2002, and the last alert of the main 2002-2003 eruptive phase was on January 25, 2003, when lava effusion was beginning to diminish. Alerts in August through December 2003, and one in February 2004, represent the periodic explosive activity that has followed the 2002-2003 lava effusion at Colima. The alert dated August 29, 2003, was acquired within hours of a large explosion on August 28, which produced a series of pyroclastic flows down Colima's flanks. To read more about the use of MODIS to monitor volcanoes, please read Sensing Remote Volcanoes [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/monvoc/ ]. Eruption information from the Global Volcanism Network. Satellite data provided by the HIGP Thermal Alerts Team [ http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu ]
Deadly Earthquake, Xianjing …
Title Deadly Earthquake, Xianjing Province, China
Description A destructive earthquake of magnitude 6.4 rattled China?s Xinjiang province at 10:04 AM (local time) on February 24, 2003. Over 250 people were killed. This remote, flat, and mostly featureless area of western China (called the Tarim Basin by geologists) is different from most other regions with frequent earthquakes. Typical seismically active areas are mountainous, like Alaska and coastal California, and lie along the boundaries of tectonic plates. In contrast, the Tarim Basin (which lies on the Eurasian Plate) remains flat while it is being squeezed by the motion of the Indian Plate?which is 1000 km (620 miles) away. Instead of deforming into belts of mountain ranges, the Tarim Basin is transmitting force applied by the Indian Plate to the interior of Asia, where the Tian Shan mountains are rising. The Tian Shan can be seen at the top edge of the large image. The approximate epicenter of the earthquake is represented by a white dot in this image, acquired on August 29, 2001, (before the earthquake) by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). ASTER is an instrument aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The false-color image combines near-infrared, red, and green wavelengths. Crops, almost certainly irrigated, appear red in this scene, while barren landscape appears brown. Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Diverse Terrain of Iran's Da …
Title Diverse Terrain of Iran's Dasht-e Lut
Description Roughly 480 by 320 kilometers (300 by 200 miles), Dasht-e Lut is a large salt desert in southeastern Iran. The desert fills a low basin that stretches southward from the Khorasan province into the Kerman province. Although the entire salt desert has just one name, it has more than one appearance. These natural-color images, captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite show landscapes so different, one can scarcely imagine they come from the same part of the world, let alone the same desert basin. The picture on the left shows part of the central portion of Dasht-e Lut. The strong diagonal lines result from wind erosion that has carved deep troughs and sharp ridges into the landscape. These wind-sculpted ridges are known as yardangs, and geologic research [ http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/geomorphology/GEO_8/GEO_PLATE_E-19.HTML ] has determined that Iran contains some of the world's largest yardangs. ASTER acquired this image on May 13, 2006. The picture on the right shows part of the southeastern portion of Dasht-e Lut. This area consists of sand, and it contains some of the world's tallest dunes, some reaching a height of 300 meters (1,000 feet). In this image, the white areas are saltpans—the aftermath of water that drained into the basins among the dunes and later evaporated. Golden dunes make swirling pattenrs across the image, becoming less tightly packed in the bottom of the scene. ASTER acquired this image on July 17, 2003. Dasht-e Lut's dramatic landscapes are a popular remote-sensing target. Astronauts on the International Space Station photographed [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17226 ] salt lakes from Dasht-e Lut and nearby faulted rocks on February 28, 2006. 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/ ]
Diverse Terrain of Iran's Da …
Title Diverse Terrain of Iran's Dasht-e Lut
Description Roughly 480 by 320 kilometers (300 by 200 miles), Dasht-e Lut is a large salt desert in southeastern Iran. The desert fills a low basin that stretches southward from the Khorasan province into the Kerman province. Although the entire salt desert has just one name, it has more than one appearance. These natural-color images, captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite show landscapes so different, one can scarcely imagine they come from the same part of the world, let alone the same desert basin. The picture on the left shows part of the central portion of Dasht-e Lut. The strong diagonal lines result from wind erosion that has carved deep troughs and sharp ridges into the landscape. These wind-sculpted ridges are known as yardangs, and geologic research [ http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/geomorphology/GEO_8/GEO_PLATE_E-19.HTML ] has determined that Iran contains some of the world's largest yardangs. ASTER acquired this image on May 13, 2006. The picture on the right shows part of the southeastern portion of Dasht-e Lut. This area consists of sand, and it contains some of the world's tallest dunes, some reaching a height of 300 meters (1,000 feet). In this image, the white areas are saltpans—the aftermath of water that drained into the basins among the dunes and later evaporated. Golden dunes make swirling pattenrs across the image, becoming less tightly packed in the bottom of the scene. ASTER acquired this image on July 17, 2003. Dasht-e Lut's dramatic landscapes are a popular remote-sensing target. Astronauts on the International Space Station photographed [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17226 ] salt lakes from Dasht-e Lut and nearby faulted rocks on February 28, 2006. 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/ ]
Diverse Terrain of Iran's Da …
Title Diverse Terrain of Iran's Dasht-e Lut
Description Roughly 480 by 320 kilometers (300 by 200 miles), Dasht-e Lut is a large salt desert in southeastern Iran. The desert fills a low basin that stretches southward from the Khorasan province into the Kerman province. Although the entire salt desert has just one name, it has more than one appearance. These natural-color images, captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite show landscapes so different, one can scarcely imagine they come from the same part of the world, let alone the same desert basin. The picture on the left shows part of the central portion of Dasht-e Lut. The strong diagonal lines result from wind erosion that has carved deep troughs and sharp ridges into the landscape. These wind-sculpted ridges are known as yardangs, and geologic research [ http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/geomorphology/GEO_8/GEO_PLATE_E-19.HTML ] has determined that Iran contains some of the world's largest yardangs. ASTER acquired this image on May 13, 2006. The picture on the right shows part of the southeastern portion of Dasht-e Lut. This area consists of sand, and it contains some of the world's tallest dunes, some reaching a height of 300 meters (1,000 feet). In this image, the white areas are saltpans—the aftermath of water that drained into the basins among the dunes and later evaporated. Golden dunes make swirling pattenrs across the image, becoming less tightly packed in the bottom of the scene. ASTER acquired this image on July 17, 2003. Dasht-e Lut's dramatic landscapes are a popular remote-sensing target. Astronauts on the International Space Station photographed [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17226 ] salt lakes from Dasht-e Lut and nearby faulted rocks on February 28, 2006. 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/ ]
Haze Over the Yellow Sea
Title Haze Over the Yellow Sea
Description Dense haze was drifting eastward from China across the Yellow Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan on December 22, 2003. Winter is a time of increased coal usage for heating in east Asia, and this may account for some of the haze. This SeaWiFS image was collected starting at 4:23 UTC— just under 3 hours before winter solstice, which occurred at 7:04 UTC. Image courtesy SeaWiFS Project [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
Hurricane Ivan
Title Hurricane Ivan
Description Interstate 10 is a heavily traveled roadway connecting Florida?s panhandle to the west. The road stretches from the eastern shore of northern Florida to Los Angeles, California, skirting the Gulf shore to Houston, then following the Mexican border to California. Just before leaving Florida, a traveler on I-10 would cross Escambia Bay near Pensacola. That was before Hurricane Ivan blasted through the Florida panhandle. The storm?s fierce 130-mile-per-hour winds and possibly its storm surge cut through the bridge, leaving a wide gap in Interstate 10. The gap is visible in this image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 21, 2004, five days after Ivan made landfall. The road forms a thin white line across the dark waters of Escambia Bay in a comparison image, taken on September 28, 2003. In the 2004 image, the line is broken. Further evidence of Ivan's fury is visible in the top image. Large tracts of darker red regions along the Escambia River, left, and the Yellow River, right, are probably flooded. This pair of false-color composite images was made by combining the near infrared, red, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 3, 2, & 1), making vegetation appear red and water look black. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory from data provided by Michael Abrams and the MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Science Team.
Hurricane Ivan
Title Hurricane Ivan
Description Interstate 10 is a heavily traveled roadway connecting Florida?s panhandle to the west. The road stretches from the eastern shore of northern Florida to Los Angeles, California, skirting the Gulf shore to Houston, then following the Mexican border to California. Just before leaving Florida, a traveler on I-10 would cross Escambia Bay near Pensacola. That was before Hurricane Ivan blasted through the Florida panhandle. The storm?s fierce 130-mile-per-hour winds and possibly its storm surge cut through the bridge, leaving a wide gap in Interstate 10. The gap is visible in this image, acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 21, 2004, five days after Ivan made landfall. The road forms a thin white line across the dark waters of Escambia Bay in a comparison image, taken on September 28, 2003. In the 2004 image, the line is broken. Further evidence of Ivan's fury is visible in the top image. Large tracts of darker red regions along the Escambia River, left, and the Yellow River, right, are probably flooded. This pair of false-color composite images was made by combining the near infrared, red, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 3, 2, & 1), making vegetation appear red and water look black. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory from data provided by Michael Abrams and the MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] Science Team.
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Title Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description *Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis*, Nearly three weeks after an earthquake triggered the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, satellite analysis continues to illustrate the magnitude of the disaster. This pair of ASTER images contrasts before and after views of a portion of the western coastline of Thailand in the Phang-Nga province, about 50 kilometers north of the island of Phuket. In these images, vegetation is dark red, while bare earth is grey. On December 31, five days after the waves swept ashore, large sections of the shoreline are grey, stripped of vegetation or covered in mud and sand. Water has broken through several places along the northern beach. Tiny fingers of blue water slice into the land where no inlet existed in the image on the right. Like Phuket, this region of coastline is a tourist mecca, and beachfront on the Andaman Sea (left edge of both images) is dotted with golf courses, resorts, and other tourist-centered development, as well as national marine and terrestrial parks, including the Khao Lak-lam Ru National Park. Most of the land in the park is found in the mountainous region away from the shore, just to the south of the center of the images. However, the park?s terrain also includes the forest-covered cape that extends westward into the Andaman Sea. The image acquired before the tsunami is actually a composite of two separate ASTER images. The left third of the image was acquired on November 15, 2002, while the right two-thirds of the image was taken on February 28, 2003. Neither scene covered the same area as the December 31 image, but by combining the two, a comparison image can be made. The comparison shows an interesting pattern of damage along the coast. It is the long, smoothly curving beaches that have been devastated by the tsunami, not the land that juts into the ocean. Several factors probably contributed to this pattern. First, elevation is certainly a factor. The headland in the center of the image is probably a high rocky point that would not be easily inundated by a large wave. The wrinkle of inland mountains appears to curve out to the coast between the two damaged beaches. The beaches, on the other hand, probably have a low elevation that gently slopes toward the ocean, allowing any water that comes ashore to sweep further inland. Second, the headland itself may have contributed to the damage on its flanks. Waves approaching the point would tend to be diffracted, or broken up, sending additional energy into the beaches on either side of the point. This would amplify the waves along the beaches. By the same principle, the concave shape of the beach to the south focuses wave energy and wave run-up. Another contributing factor to the pattern of damage seen here is ocean bathymetry, the shape and depth of the ocean floor. Tsunami height and run-out (the horizontal distance the wave travels) are larger where the ocean floor has a gentle slope. Rocky coastlines that drop into deep ocean are not as affected. Finally,, vegetation patterns may have altered the type of damage the wave created when it came ashore. The forested cape appears to be untouched, possibly because the trees served as a break. The developed beach land probably had less dense vegetation to cushion the wave?s impact. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Image interpretation courtesy Tim Gubbels, SSAI.
Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Title Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis
Description *Earthquake Spawns Tsunamis*, Nearly three weeks after an earthquake triggered the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, satellite analysis continues to illustrate the magnitude of the disaster. This pair of ASTER images contrasts before and after views of a portion of the western coastline of Thailand in the Phang-Nga province, about 50 kilometers north of the island of Phuket. In these images, vegetation is dark red, while bare earth is grey. On December 31, five days after the waves swept ashore, large sections of the shoreline are grey, stripped of vegetation or covered in mud and sand. Water has broken through several places along the northern beach. Tiny fingers of blue water slice into the land where no inlet existed in the image on the right. Like Phuket, this region of coastline is a tourist mecca, and beachfront on the Andaman Sea (left edge of both images) is dotted with golf courses, resorts, and other tourist-centered development, as well as national marine and terrestrial parks, including the Khao Lak-lam Ru National Park. Most of the land in the park is found in the mountainous region away from the shore, just to the south of the center of the images. However, the park?s terrain also includes the forest-covered cape that extends westward into the Andaman Sea. The image acquired before the tsunami is actually a composite of two separate ASTER images. The left third of the image was acquired on November 15, 2002, while the right two-thirds of the image was taken on February 28, 2003. Neither scene covered the same area as the December 31 image, but by combining the two, a comparison image can be made. The comparison shows an interesting pattern of damage along the coast. It is the long, smoothly curving beaches that have been devastated by the tsunami, not the land that juts into the ocean. Several factors probably contributed to this pattern. First, elevation is certainly a factor. The headland in the center of the image is probably a high rocky point that would not be easily inundated by a large wave. The wrinkle of inland mountains appears to curve out to the coast between the two damaged beaches. The beaches, on the other hand, probably have a low elevation that gently slopes toward the ocean, allowing any water that comes ashore to sweep further inland. Second, the headland itself may have contributed to the damage on its flanks. Waves approaching the point would tend to be diffracted, or broken up, sending additional energy into the beaches on either side of the point. This would amplify the waves along the beaches. By the same principle, the concave shape of the beach to the south focuses wave energy and wave run-up. Another contributing factor to the pattern of damage seen here is ocean bathymetry, the shape and depth of the ocean floor. Tsunami height and run-out (the horizontal distance the wave travels) are larger where the ocean floor has a gentle slope. Rocky coastlines that drop into deep ocean are not as affected. Finally,, vegetation patterns may have altered the type of damage the wave created when it came ashore. The forested cape appears to be untouched, possibly because the trees served as a break. The developed beach land probably had less dense vegetation to cushion the wave?s impact. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Image interpretation courtesy Tim Gubbels, SSAI.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Title Lake Natron, Tanzania
Description Lake Natron, in Africa's Great Rift Valley, practically sends a warning with its color. This bright red lake is the world's most caustic body of water, but not to everything. An endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia, lives along the edges of the hotspring inlets, and the lake actually derives its color from salt-loving microorganisms that thrive in its alkaline waters. Spirulina, a blue-green algae with red pigments, passes its pigments along to the Lesser Flamingoes [ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/firebird/html/facts.html ] that feed on the algae and raise their young here. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) flying on the Terra satellite captured this image on March 8, 2003. This image simulates natural color, showing where the salt-loving microorganisms have colored the lake's salt crust red or pink. The salt crust changes over time, giving the lake a slightly different appearance each time it is photographed by astronauts or imaged by satellites. Volcanic ash from the Great Rift Valley has collected in local lake basins, creating a network of soda lakes hostile to most organisms. This forbidding environment enables Lake Natron to serve millions of flamingoes as the ideal nursery, would-be predators avoid the saline lake and leave young birds in peace. Flamingoes must exercise caution, however, because the lake can turn deadly even to them. Depending on rainfall, its alkalinity can approach that of straight ammonia, and when the lake is flooded with water that has heated underground, its temperature can reach a scalding 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). The uniqueness [ http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/at/at0901_full.html ] of Lake Natron prompted Tanzania to add the lake to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on July 4, 2001. NASA image courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Landslide Lake in Tibet Floo …
Title Landslide Lake in Tibet Floods India
Description *Landslide Lake in Tibet Floods India* Water levels in the Pareechu River in Tibet continue to build behind a natural dam, created by a landslide in the early summer. On September 1, 2004, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the new lake. The discolored rings around the basin provide a nice comparison point to see just how much the lake has grown since July 15, when the lower image was taken. The water appears to have filled the basin and is building upriver in the northwest. The new lake poses a threat to communities downstream in northern India, which will be flooded if the landslide-dam bursts. This false colour composite was created by combining near infrared, red, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 respectively). Both images show the lake at 15 meters per pixel. The large image acquired on October 1, 2003, shows the river before the lake formed. NASA image created from data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Eruption of Chikurachki Volc …
Title Eruption of Chikurachki Volcano in Kuril Islands
Description On April 25, 2003, the Chikurachki Volcano was continuing to erupt in the Kuril Islands between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan. The streamer of gray ash can be seen blowing southward over the Pacific Ocean in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Terra satellite. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Eruption of Chikurachki Volc …
Title Eruption of Chikurachki Volcano in Kuril Islands
Description The Chikurachki Volcano on Paramushir Island continues to erupt on May 13, 2003. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite shows a plume of ash, probably mixed with steam coming from the summit of the volcano. The plume stretches hundreds of miles to the southeast. The ongoing eruptions since April 18, 2003, have left a blanket of ash in the central part of the island. Paramushir is one of the Kuril Islands, a volcanic chain that stretches in an arc between Japan to the south and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to the north. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Eruption of Colima Volcano
Title Eruption of Colima Volcano
Description A series of explosive eruptions have thundered from the Colima Volcano, Mexico?s most active volcano. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) captured the top image of the Colima Volcano on June 3, 2005, just hours after two spectacular eruptions rumbled from the volcano. Two days later, on June 5, Colima experienced its strongest eruption in 20 years when it sent a dark column of ash more than five kilometers into the atmosphere at a rate of roughly 30 kilometers per hour, reports the Universidad de Colima?s Observatorio Vulcanologico [ http://www.ucol.mx/volcan/ ]. Colima also erupted on May 24 and May 30, and the ash from these and the June 2 and June 3 eruptions is clearly visible in the top image. A grey river of ash and rock flows down the west side of the peak, covering the vegetation that was visible on February 6, 2003, lower image. In these false-color images, the dense vegetation that surrounds the volcano is red. A light dusting of ash blankets the trees on the southeast side of the volcano, and fresh flows stream down all sides of the volcano. Because of its resemblance to the cloud in the upper right corner of the image, the cloud that rests over the summit of the volcano is probably a regular cloud, though it could also be a plume of steam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ]
Eruption of Colima Volcano
Title Eruption of Colima Volcano
Description A series of explosive eruptions have thundered from the Colima Volcano, Mexico?s most active volcano. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]) captured the top image of the Colima Volcano on June 3, 2005, just hours after two spectacular eruptions rumbled from the volcano. Two days later, on June 5, Colima experienced its strongest eruption in 20 years when it sent a dark column of ash more than five kilometers into the atmosphere at a rate of roughly 30 kilometers per hour, reports the Universidad de Colima?s Observatorio Vulcanologico [ http://www.ucol.mx/volcan/ ]. Colima also erupted on May 24 and May 30, and the ash from these and the June 2 and June 3 eruptions is clearly visible in the top image. A grey river of ash and rock flows down the west side of the peak, covering the vegetation that was visible on February 6, 2003, lower image. In these false-color images, the dense vegetation that surrounds the volcano is red. A light dusting of ash blankets the trees on the southeast side of the volcano, and fresh flows stream down all sides of the volcano. Because of its resemblance to the cloud in the upper right corner of the image, the cloud that rests over the summit of the volcano is probably a regular cloud, though it could also be a plume of steam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ]
Eruption of Colima Volcano
Title Eruption of Colima Volcano
Description Recurring eruptions of the Colima Volcanco have left visible changes on the local landscape since February 2003. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, captured images of the Colima Volcano on June 21, 2005 (top), June 3, 2005 (middle), and February 6, 2003 (bottom). In these false-color images, vegetation appears in red, and rock and ash flows appear in gray. Between June 3 and June 21, eruptions sent a silvery gray stream of ash and rock down the east side of the mountain and dusted the forest with ash. In contrast to February 2003, the area covered by rock and ash has expanded in both 2005 images. The white clouds seen in both June images may be steam from the volcano but are more likely clouds passing overhead. Recorded eruptions of the Colima Volcano date back to the 16th century, and a major eruption in 1913 destroyed the volcano?s summit. Volcanoes pose multiple hazards [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs002-97/ ], many of which have been felt by local residents. According to news reports, repeated eruptions since early May 2005 have prompted evacuations of nearby communities. Ash fall has covered local highways, forced a temporary closure of Colima International Airport, and even killed some local livestock. NASA images courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Eruption of Colima Volcano
Title Eruption of Colima Volcano
Description Recurring eruptions of the Colima Volcanco have left visible changes on the local landscape since February 2003. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, captured images of the Colima Volcano on June 21, 2005 (top), June 3, 2005 (middle), and February 6, 2003 (bottom). In these false-color images, vegetation appears in red, and rock and ash flows appear in gray. Between June 3 and June 21, eruptions sent a silvery gray stream of ash and rock down the east side of the mountain and dusted the forest with ash. In contrast to February 2003, the area covered by rock and ash has expanded in both 2005 images. The white clouds seen in both June images may be steam from the volcano but are more likely clouds passing overhead. Recorded eruptions of the Colima Volcano date back to the 16th century, and a major eruption in 1913 destroyed the volcano?s summit. Volcanoes pose multiple hazards [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs002-97/ ], many of which have been felt by local residents. According to news reports, repeated eruptions since early May 2005 have prompted evacuations of nearby communities. Ash fall has covered local highways, forced a temporary closure of Colima International Airport, and even killed some local livestock. NASA images courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Eruption of Colima Volcano
Title Eruption of Colima Volcano
Description Recurring eruptions of the Colima Volcanco have left visible changes on the local landscape since February 2003. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, captured images of the Colima Volcano on June 21, 2005 (top), June 3, 2005 (middle), and February 6, 2003 (bottom). In these false-color images, vegetation appears in red, and rock and ash flows appear in gray. Between June 3 and June 21, eruptions sent a silvery gray stream of ash and rock down the east side of the mountain and dusted the forest with ash. In contrast to February 2003, the area covered by rock and ash has expanded in both 2005 images. The white clouds seen in both June images may be steam from the volcano but are more likely clouds passing overhead. Recorded eruptions of the Colima Volcano date back to the 16th century, and a major eruption in 1913 destroyed the volcano?s summit. Volcanoes pose multiple hazards [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs002-97/ ], many of which have been felt by local residents. According to news reports, repeated eruptions since early May 2005 have prompted evacuations of nearby communities. Ash fall has covered local highways, forced a temporary closure of Colima International Airport, and even killed some local livestock. NASA images courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Lava Flows in the Grand Cany …
Title Lava Flows in the Grand Canyon
Description Over vast expanses of time, natural processes like floods and volcanoes deposit layers of rock on the Earth's surface. To delve down through layers of rock is to explore our planet's history. Sometimes rock layers are exposed through human activity, such as drilling or excavation. Other times, rivers carve through the rock. One of the best, and most well-known, examples of a river exposing ancient rocks is Colorado River in Arizona's Grand Canyon. What fewer people know is that the Grand Canyon also has a history of relatively recent (on geologic time scales) volcanism. The evidence—hardened lava—spills down the canyon walls all the way to the river. On June 22, 2003, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the Grand Canyon, near 36.2 degrees north latitude and 113.2 degrees west longitude. ASTER detects light visible to human eyes as well as "invisible" infrared light. Because different minerals reflect different portions of the light spectrum, ASTER can see varying mineral compositions of the rocks it observes, as well as detecting vegetation. In this three-dimensional visualization, lava fields appear brownish gray, darker than the layers of limestone, sandstone and other rock in the canyon. Vegetation appears green, and sparsely vegetated areas appear mustard. Water in the Colorado River is blue-purple. Geologists estimate that between 1.8 million and 400,000 years ago, lava flows actually dammed the Colorado River more than a dozen times. Some of the lava dams were as high as 600 meters (about 1,969 feet), forming immense reservoirs. Over time, enough water and sediment built up to push the river flow over the tops of these dams and eventually erode them away. Today, remnants of these lava dams remain throughout the area, along with the much older rock layers they cover. Among the most well known examples of these "frozen" lava cascades is Lava Falls, which spills down to the river next to a cinder cone known as Volcan's Throne. Numerous flows spread down into Whitmore Canyon, a Colorado River tributary, as well. You can download a 15-meter-resolution ASTER KMZ file of the lava field [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/grandcanyon_ast_2003123.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Lava Flows in the Grand Cany …
Title Lava Flows in the Grand Canyon
Description Over vast expanses of time, natural processes like floods and volcanoes deposit layers of rock on the Earth's surface. To delve down through layers of rock is to explore our planet's history. Sometimes rock layers are exposed through human activity, such as drilling or excavation. Other times, rivers carve through the rock. One of the best, and most well-known, examples of a river exposing ancient rocks is Colorado River in Arizona's Grand Canyon. What fewer people know is that the Grand Canyon also has a history of relatively recent (on geologic time scales) volcanism. The evidence—hardened lava—spills down the canyon walls all the way to the river. On June 22, 2003, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the Grand Canyon, near 36.2 degrees north latitude and 113.2 degrees west longitude. ASTER detects light visible to human eyes as well as "invisible" infrared light. Because different minerals reflect different portions of the light spectrum, ASTER can see varying mineral compositions of the rocks it observes, as well as detecting vegetation. In this three-dimensional visualization, lava fields appear brownish gray, darker than the layers of limestone, sandstone and other rock in the canyon. Vegetation appears green, and sparsely vegetated areas appear mustard. Water in the Colorado River is blue-purple. Geologists estimate that between 1.8 million and 400,000 years ago, lava flows actually dammed the Colorado River more than a dozen times. Some of the lava dams were as high as 600 meters (about 1,969 feet), forming immense reservoirs. Over time, enough water and sediment built up to push the river flow over the tops of these dams and eventually erode them away. Today, remnants of these lava dams remain throughout the area, along with the much older rock layers they cover. Among the most well known examples of these "frozen" lava cascades is Lava Falls, which spills down to the river next to a cinder cone known as Volcan's Throne. Numerous flows spread down into Whitmore Canyon, a Colorado River tributary, as well. You can download a 15-meter-resolution ASTER KMZ file of the lava field [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/grandcanyon_ast_2003123.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Mt. Asama on Honshu Island, …
Title Mt. Asama on Honshu Island, Japan
Description On September 1, 2004, Japan?s Mt. Asama erupted explosively. After a two-week rest, the volcano continued its eruption in several small bursts starting on September 14, sending plumes of ash from the its 2,568 meter-high summit crater. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this view of the smoking volcano at 1:30 UTC (10:30 a.m. Tokyo time) on September 16, 2004. In this image, the ash plume is heading due south towards Suruga Bay. About 140 kilometers to the southeast, Tokyo is the cement-colored region around the Bay of Tokyo. This activity is not unusual?Asama is the most active volcano on Honshu, Japan?s main island. Its last eruption was in 2003, though the current eruption is its most violent since 1983. The image shows the area around Mt. Asama at 500 meters per pixel. The large image shows the entire island of Honshu at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The scene is available in additional resolutions and formats [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004260-0916/Japan.A2004260.0130 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory from data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Ongoing Eruption of Mount Be …
Title Ongoing Eruption of Mount Belinda
Description *Ongoing Eruption of Mount Belinda* On October 20, 2001, the satellite monitoring system (called ?MODVOLC?) at the University of Hawaii-Manoa detected the first recorded eruption of Mount Belinda volcano on Montagu Island in the remote South Sandwich Islands. Previously, there had been no historical record of any volcanic activity on Montagu Island. But scientists were able to detect the heat escaping from Mount Belinda using thermal data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites. Above is a false-color image acquired on December 7, 2003, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), another sensor onboard Terra. The image (made using ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1) shows the eruption of Mount Belinda has progressed steadily for an impressive two years, with low-level ash emission and a 2-km long lava flow emplaced on the ice shelf on the north side of the summit. Heat output from the volcano, which is an automated product of the MODVOLC system, is shown in the graph below. The plot indicates that, far from diminishing, the eruption reached its highest intensity in October 2003. The South Sandwich Islands, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16437 ] situated approximately between the southern tip of South America and mainland Antarctica, comprise one of the most remote volcanic areas on Earth, and are probably not viewed on more than a few days each year. Due to this inaccessibility, satellite monitoring is the only viable means to keep track of this highly active volcanic arc. Data provided by the HIGP Thermal Alerts Team, [ http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu/ ] University of Hawaii-Manoa. ASTER image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Fires in Eastern Russia
Title Fires in Eastern Russia
Description Thick smoke hangs over part of Russia (top) and China (left) in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on April 10, 2003. Fires are burning throughout the region, and have been marked with red dots. Smoke from the fires is spreading eastward toward Japan, especially noticeable around Hokkaido, at right center edge. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
San Francisco Peaks Volcano …
Title San Francisco Peaks Volcano Field
Description Northern Arizona is best known for the Grand Canyon. Less widely known are the hundreds of geologically young volcanoes scattered across the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau at the eastern foothills of the San Francisco Peaks. This image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite shows the numerous cinder cones, hills of volcanic ash and rock fragments, in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in the foreground (bottom part of the scene) with San Francisco Mountain in the background. ASTER image data from October 21, 2003, were draped over topographic data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The picture is oriented as if you were looking generally westward. The large version of the image is centered near 35.3 degrees north latitude and 111.5 degrees west longitude. The developed areas of the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona, appear as bright white flecks against the surrounding vegetation. To the north of the city rises Elden Mountain, separated by a canyon from the larger San Francisco Mountain. The catastrophic result of an eruption at San Francisco Mountain about 400,000 years ago is visible in the collapsed look of the mountain's eastern flank. Lava and other volcanic material appear purple, and the cinder cone field is tinged with green, as vegetation begins to colonize the newly laid landscape. Among the most dramatic flows is the Bonito Lava Flow. Native Americans were living in this region when the cinder cone volcano known as Sunset Crater (named for the red-tinged rocks and cinders on its slopes) was born around 900 years ago. Accounts of the volcanic activity, which included several eruptions between A.D. 1064 and 1180, describe earthquakes, fire bombs, billowing ash, falling cinders, forest fires, and lava flows. The region is part of the sacred lands of several modern Pueblo peoples, and Sunset Crater is protected as a National Monument. NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Severe Floods Sweep Across H …
Title Severe Floods Sweep Across Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Description Heavy rain brought tragedy to Haiti and the Dominican Republic in late May 2004. Floods and landslides devastated large areas of the island of Hispaniola, which the two countries share. Up to 2,000 people have been reported dead, and hundreds are still missing. One of the most severely affected areas was southeast Haiti, shown in this Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] (ASTER) image. Taken on May 30, the image shows dark blue lakes over land that was dry on October 26, 2003. One of these lakes is said to cover much of Mapou, where thousands died. Gravel and other flood debris form shiny light blue tracks throughout the scene. Vegetation is red and bare land is grey. The severity of these floods has been blamed on deforestation. Without trees to absorb water and anchor the land, water and mud rushed into low-lying areas. Data courtesy MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Severe Floods Sweep Across H …
Title Severe Floods Sweep Across Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Description Heavy rain brought tragedy to Haiti and the Dominican Republic in late May 2004. Floods and landslides devastated large areas of the island of Hispaniola, which the two countries share. Up to 2,000 people have been reported dead, and hundreds are still missing. One of the most severely affected areas was southeast Haiti, shown in this Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] (ASTER) image. Taken on May 30, the image shows dark blue lakes over land that was dry on October 26, 2003. One of these lakes is said to cover much of Mapou, where thousands died. Gravel and other flood debris form shiny light blue tracks throughout the scene. Vegetation is red and bare land is grey. The severity of these floods has been blamed on deforestation. Without trees to absorb water and anchor the land, water and mud rushed into low-lying areas. Data courtesy MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Smoke from Fires in Eastern …
Title Smoke from Fires in Eastern Russia
Description This true-color image taken on May 11, 2003, by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) shows a huge plume of smoke over northeastern China, eastern Russia, and the Sea of Japan. The smoke is likely due to wildfires in eastern Russia and pollution from China. On the large image, one can also see greenish to reddish phytoplankton blooms in the Sea of Okhotsk north of the smoke plume. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
Smoke over Japan and Pacific …
Title Smoke over Japan and Pacific Ocean
Description A haze stretches out over southeastern Russia (top left), northeastern China (left), Hokkaido, Japan (bottom center), and the Pacific Ocean (right) in this image from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) on April 2, 2003. This haze is largely smoke from fires burning throughout Asia as the spring agricultural burning gets underway. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
Smoke Over Japan and the Pac …
Title Smoke Over Japan and the Pacific Ocean
Description A river of smoke almost 1,500 kilometers (937 miles) wide is stretching more than 2,200 kilometers (1,375 miles) over the Pacific Ocean from fires in eastern and southern Russia. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on May 7, 2003, shows the plume crossing over eastern Russia (left) and then over (top to bottom) Sakhalin Island, and Hokkaido and Honshu, Japan. An especially dense area of smoke can be seen as a tan streak across the southern tip of Sakhalin Island. These fires occur each spring, although the intensity of the burning varies. The fires have a variety of causes. Some are wildfires started by lightning, and others are planned fires being used as an agricultural land management tool (clearing brush, renewing pasture and farmland). In some cases, these planned fires get out of control and invade nearby boreal forests. The boreal forest fires tend to produce a lot of smoke, as not only the trees burn, but also the thick layer of peat on the forest floor. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Fires in Southern California
Title Fires in Southern California
Description This false-color image shows the devastating burn scars left behind by wildfires in southern California in late October 2003. In the image, unburned vegetation appears red, while burned areas appear charcoal-brown. The image, captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), on November 2, 2003, shows the Santa Monica Hills in the Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley regions of California northwest of the city of Los Angeles. Urban areas appear light gray, and some irrigated fields in the left part of the iamge appear brilliant red. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the U.S. /Japan ASTER Science Team.
Fires in Southern California
Title Fires in Southern California
Description *High-resolution Images:* November 2, 2003(3.9 Mb JPEG) September 22, 2003 (3.2 Mb JPEG) The image above (top) shows burn scars around Lake Piru in the Santa Susana Mountains near Santa Clara, California, northwest of Los Angeles. The earlier image shows the same area on September 22, 2003, prior to when the fires swept through. In the earlier image, healthy vegetation appears green, and naturally bare ground (or ground with sparse vegetation) appears pink. A few weeks later, fire has transformed the scene. The areas to the east and northeast of the lake appear unchanged, while the entire left and lower right portions of the scene exhibit the deep red color that burned areas take on in false-color images made from satellite observations of the near and shortwave infrared part of the electromagentic spectrum. In the November 2, 2003, image, the nothern end of the lake is quite turbid, which could have been caused by ash and fire debris. This pair of false-color ASTER image composites was created using shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 5, 3, and 1). Please also see a high-resolution view of the Santa Monica hills using a different set of ASTER bands to emphasis different details, as well as a MODIS false-color image showing a wider area. Image by NASA?s Earth Observatory, based on data from the U.S./Japan Aster Science Team.
Fires in Southern California
Title Fires in Southern California
Description *High-resolution Images:* November 2, 2003(3.9 Mb JPEG) September 22, 2003 (3.2 Mb JPEG) The image above (top) shows burn scars around Lake Piru in the Santa Susana Mountains near Santa Clara, California, northwest of Los Angeles. The earlier image shows the same area on September 22, 2003, prior to when the fires swept through. In the earlier image, healthy vegetation appears green, and naturally bare ground (or ground with sparse vegetation) appears pink. A few weeks later, fire has transformed the scene. The areas to the east and northeast of the lake appear unchanged, while the entire left and lower right portions of the scene exhibit the deep red color that burned areas take on in false-color images made from satellite observations of the near and shortwave infrared part of the electromagentic spectrum. In the November 2, 2003, image, the nothern end of the lake is quite turbid, which could have been caused by ash and fire debris. This pair of false-color ASTER image composites was created using shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 5, 3, and 1). Please also see a high-resolution view of the Santa Monica hills using a different set of ASTER bands to emphasis different details, as well as a MODIS false-color image showing a wider area. Image by NASA?s Earth Observatory, based on data from the U.S./Japan Aster Science Team.
Fires in Southern California
Title Fires in Southern California
Description *High-resolution Images:* November 2, 2003(3.9 Mb JPEG) September 22, 2003 (3.2 Mb JPEG) The image above (top) shows burn scars around Lake Piru in the Santa Susana Mountains near Santa Clara, California, northwest of Los Angeles. The earlier image shows the same area on September 22, 2003, prior to when the fires swept through. In the earlier image, healthy vegetation appears green, and naturally bare ground (or ground with sparse vegetation) appears pink. A few weeks later, fire has transformed the scene. The areas to the east and northeast of the lake appear unchanged, while the entire left and lower right portions of the scene exhibit the deep red color that burned areas take on in false-color images made from satellite observations of the near and shortwave infrared part of the electromagentic spectrum. In the November 2, 2003, image, the nothern end of the lake is quite turbid, which could have been caused by ash and fire debris. This pair of false-color ASTER image composites was created using shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 5, 3, and 1). Please also see a high-resolution view of the Santa Monica hills using a different set of ASTER bands to emphasis different details, as well as a MODIS false-color image showing a wider area. Image by NASA?s Earth Observatory, based on data from the U.S./Japan Aster Science Team.
Fires in Southern California
Title Fires in Southern California
Description This Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image reveals the scorching fire fronts of the Old and Grand Prix Fires that raged in the San Bernardino Mountains at the end of October 2003. The image combines infrared, near infrared, and green wavelengths (ASTER bands 4, 3, and 1). Vegetation is green, burned area is reddish, smoke is blue, and the blazing fire front is hot pink. Image courtesy U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.
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