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Getting a Little Air
A team from Erie High School …
6/16/08
Description A team from Erie High School in Kansas took first place in the high school division with a time of 3 minutes, 17 seconds.
Date 6/16/08
Neutral Gas Cloud Around Tit …
Description Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn.
Full Description Images from the magnetospheric imaging instrument and the ion and neutral camera onboard the Cassini spacecraft reveal aspects of the interactions between Saturn's dynamic population of hot energetic ions and the clouds of cold neutral atoms. Future observations may further explain the relationships between these interactions. The most recent image of Titan reveals the emission of high-speed neutral atoms from a globular region approximately 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) in diameter, clearly centered on Titan. It is only 1/25 as bright as the region seen toward dawn during Saturn orbit insertion, even though Cassini is now closer to Titan. There is an extended emission region around the Titan cloud, but it is much dimmer than the Titan cloud itself and even dimmer compared to the emission seen in the dawn direction at orbit insertion. In this image, the X marks the direction toward the Sun, the Y marks the direction toward Saturn's dawn, and the Z marks Saturn's rotation axis. The dot in the center marks Titan. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The magnetospheric imaging instrument team is based at Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/CASSINI/index.html . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/JHU/APL/Max-Plank-Institut f¿r Aeronomie/University of Maryland/University of Kansas/University of Arizona/CESR/Bell Laboratories
Charon Discovery Image
title Charon Discovery Image
date 06.22.1978
description On 22 June 1978, an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. was making routine measurements of photographic plates taken with the 1.55-meter (61-inch) Kaj Strand Astrometric Reflector at the USNO Flagstaff Station in Arizona. The purpose of these images was to refine the orbit of the far-flung planet Pluto to help compute a better ephemeris for this distant object. Astronomer James W. Christy had noticed that a number of the images of Pluto appeared elongated, but images of background stars on the same plate did not. Other plates showed the planet as a tiny, round dot. Christy examined a number of Pluto images from the USNO archives, and he noticed the elongations again. Furthermore, the elongations appeared to change position with respect to the stars over time. After eliminating the possibility that the elongations were produced by plate defects and background stars, the only plausible explanation was that they were caused by a previously unknown moon orbiting Pluto at a distance of about 19,600 kilometers (12,100 miles) with a period of just over six days. On 7 July 1978, the discovery was formally announced to the astronomical community and the world by the IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams via IAU Circular 3241. The discovery received the provisional designation "1978 P 1", Christy proposed the name "Charon", after the mythological ferryman who carried souls across the river Acheron, one of the five mythical rivers that surrounded Pluto's underworld. Over the course of the next several years, another USNO astronomer, the late Robert S. Harrington, calculated that Pluto and its newly-found moon would undergo a series of mutual eclipses and occultations, beginning in early 1985. On 17 February 1985 the first successful observation of one of these transits was made at with the 0.9-meter (36-inch) reflector at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, within 40 minutes of Harrington's predicted time. The IAU Circular announcing these confirming observations was issued on 22 February 1985. With this confirmation, the new moon was officially named Charon. Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory in 1930 by the late Clyde W. Tombaugh, an amateur astronomer from Kansas who was hired by the Observatory specifically to photograph the sky with a special camera and search for the planet predicted by the Observatory's founder, Percival Lowell. Lowell had deduced the existence of a "Planet X" by studying small anomalies in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. As it turned out, Pluto's discovery was almost entirely serendipitous, Pluto's tiny mass was far too small to account for the anomalies, which were resolved when Voyager 2 determined more precise masses for Uranus and Neptune. The discovery of Charon has led to a much better understanding of just how tiny Pluto is. Its diameter is about 2274 km (1413 miles), and its mass is 0.25% of the mass of the Earth. Charon has a diameter of about 1172 kilometers (728, miles) and a mass of about 22% that of Pluto. The two worlds circle their common center of mass with a period of 6.387 days and are locked in a "super-synchronous" rotation: observers on Pluto's surface would always see Charon in the same part of the sky relative to their local horizon. Normally Pluto is considered the most distant world in the solar system, but during the period from January 1979 until February 1999 it was actually closer to the Sun than Neptune. It has the most eccentric and inclinced orbit of any of the major planets. This orbit won't bring Pluto back to its discovery position until the year 2178! *Image Credit*: U.S. Naval Observatory
Amelia Earhart
Title Amelia Earhart
Full Description Amelia Earhart standing in front of the Lockheed Electra in which she disappeared in July 1937. Born in Atchison, Kansas in 1897, Amelia Earhart did not begin flying until after her move to California in 1920. After taking lessons from aviation pioneer Neta Snook in a Curtiss Jenny, Earhart set out to break flying records, breaking the women altitude records in 1922. Earhart continually promoted women in aviation and in 1928 was invited to be the first women to fly across the Atlantic. Accompanying pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon as a passenger on the Fokker Friendship, Earhart became an international celebrity after the completion of the flight. In May 1932 Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across in the Atlantic. In 1935 she completed the first solo flight from Hawaii to California. In the meantime Earhart continued to promote aviation and helped found the group, the Ninety-Nines, an organization dedicated to female aviators. On June 1, 1937, Earhart and navigator, Fred Noonan, left Miami, Florida on an around the world flight. Earhart, Noonan and their Lockheed Electra disappeared after a stop in Lae, New Guinea on June 29, 1937. Earhart had only 7,000 miles of her trip remaining when she disappeared. While a great deal of mystery surrounds the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, her contributions to aviation and womens issues have inspired people over 80 years.
Date UNKNOWN
NASA Center Headquarters
Fay Wells with the Winnie Ma …
Title Fay Wells with the Winnie Mae
Full Description Fay Gillis Wells, writer, broadcaster, foreign correspondent, sailor, designer of boat interiors and noted aviatrix, stands in the National Air and Space Museum beside the Winnie Mae. This is the plane in which Wiley Post made his record-breaking global flight in 1933. Fay Wells participated in Posts achievement by managing the fuel dumps for the Winnie Mae in Siberia and by providing Wiley Post with the maps and navigation data. These services contributed to the success of the flight by which Post broke his own global record of 1931. Invited by Wiley Post to fly with him on a global mission in 1935, she decided instead to cover the Italian-Ethiopian War with her journalist husband, Linton Wells. Thus, Will Rogers was invited by Post as her replacement and went with him on the ill- fated journey that ended in an air crash fatal to both men. One of the founders of the Ninety-Nines, an association of licensed women pilots (named for the number of charter members) established in 1929, Fay Wells later became the organizations Bicentennial program chairman. In that capacity, she initiated the founding of the International Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kansas, hometown of Amelia Earhart, the first president of the Ninety-Nines. The forest was established to honor aviation and space and those who pioneered in air and space flight. In the forest are plantings from tree seeds flown in lunar orbit during NASAs Apollo 14 mission to the Moon by astronaut Stuart Roosa. Apollo 17 astronaut Ron Evans planted the "Moon tree" seedlings at the dedication ceremony in Atchison on July 24,1986 (Amelia Earharts birthday).
Date 1976
NASA Center Headquarters
Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Ca …
Title Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Caused Ancient Extinctions
Abstract Scientists at NASA the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling -- essentially a 'what if' scenario. The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain. These scientists calculated the potential effect of ultraviolet radiation on life. Deep-sea creatures living several feet below water would be protected. Surface-dwelling plankton and other life near the surface, however, would not survive. Plankton is the foundation of the marine food chain. This visualization shows the regions of the planet most susceptible to DNA damage (shown in red) if a large gamma ray burst were to occur close to Earth. [This text is from the NASA web story on the subject. See the Story URL below.]
Completed 2005-03-30
Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Ca …
Title Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Caused Ancient Extinctions
Abstract Scientists at NASA the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling -- essentially a 'what if' scenario. The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain. These scientists calculated the potential effect of ultraviolet radiation on life. Deep-sea creatures living several feet below water would be protected. Surface-dwelling plankton and other life near the surface, however, would not survive. Plankton is the foundation of the marine food chain. This visualization shows the regions of the planet most susceptible to DNA damage (shown in red) if a large gamma ray burst were to occur close to Earth. [This text is from the NASA web story on the subject. See the Story URL below.]
Completed 2005-03-30
Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Ca …
Title Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Caused Ancient Extinctions
Abstract Scientists at NASA the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling -- essentially a 'what if' scenario. The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain. These scientists calculated the potential effect of ultraviolet radiation on life. Deep-sea creatures living several feet below water would be protected. Surface-dwelling plankton and other life near the surface, however, would not survive. Plankton is the foundation of the marine food chain. This visualization shows the regions of the planet most susceptible to DNA damage (shown in red) if a large gamma ray burst were to occur close to Earth. [This text is from the NASA web story on the subject. See the Story URL below.]
Completed 2005-03-30
Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Ca …
Title Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Caused Ancient Extinctions
Abstract Scientists at NASA the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling -- essentially a 'what if' scenario. The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain. These scientists calculated the potential effect of ultraviolet radiation on life. Deep-sea creatures living several feet below water would be protected. Surface-dwelling plankton and other life near the surface, however, would not survive. Plankton is the foundation of the marine food chain. This visualization shows the regions of the planet most susceptible to DNA damage (shown in red) if a large gamma ray burst were to occur close to Earth. [This text is from the NASA web story on the subject. See the Story URL below.]
Completed 2005-03-30
Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Ca …
Title Gamma Ray Bursts May Have Caused Ancient Extinctions
Abstract Scientists at NASA the University of Kansas say that a mass extinction on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago could have been triggered by a star explosion called a gamma-ray burst. The scientists do not have direct evidence that such a burst activated the ancient extinction. The strength of their work is their atmospheric modeling -- essentially a 'what if' scenario. The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain. These scientists calculated the potential effect of ultraviolet radiation on life. Deep-sea creatures living several feet below water would be protected. Surface-dwelling plankton and other life near the surface, however, would not survive. Plankton is the foundation of the marine food chain. This visualization shows the regions of the planet most susceptible to DNA damage (shown in red) if a large gamma ray burst were to occur close to Earth. [This text is from the NASA web story on the subject. See the Story URL below.]
Completed 2005-03-30
NO2 concentration over the U …
Title NO2 concentration over the United States from September 24, 2004, through November 7, 2004
Abstract Nitrogen dioxide, NO2, is a traffic-related pollutant. Emmisions are generally highest in urban rather than rural areas. Annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in urban areas are generally in the range 10-45 ppb, and lower in rural areas. Levels vary significantly throughout the day, with peaks generally occurring twice daily as a consequence of rush hour traffic. Concentrations can be as high as 200 ppb. Particulate matter is very fine and can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and a worsening of the condition of people with heart and lung disease. Further, the problem is not necessarily concentrated in the inner cities. Because many major road / motorway interchange complexes are situated in semi-rural areas, under conditions of near-stationary traffic, a rapid build-up of engine exhaust pollution can occur, which if the low-level atmospheric conditions are correct, will not be dispersed.
Completed 2004-12-02
B-47A Stratojet
NASA's veteran silver B-52B, …
Photo Date August 16, 2002
NASA's new white B-52H, shar …
Photo Date August 16, 2002
NASA's new white B-52H, dest …
Photo Date August 16, 2002
Research pilot Mark Stucky
Photo Date February 15, 1996
Photo Description From December 10, 1966, until his retirement on February 27, 1976, Stanley P. Butchart served as Chief (later, Director) of Flight Operations at NASA's Flight Research Center (renamed on March 26, 1976, the Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center). Initially, his responsibilities in this position included the Research Pilots Branch, a Maintenance and Manufacturing Branch, and an Operations Engineering Branch, the last of which not only included propulsion and electrical/electronic sections but project engineers for the X-15 and lifting bodies. During his tenure, however, the responsibilities of his directorate came to include not only Flight Test Engineering Support but Flight Systems and Loads laboratories. Before becoming Chief of Flight Operations, Butchart had served since June of 1966 as head of the Research Pilots Branch (Chief Pilot) and then as acting chief of Flight Operations. He had joined the Center (then known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' High-Speed Flight Research Station) as a research pilot on May 10, 1951. During his career as a research pilot, he flew a great variety of research and air-launch aircraft including the D-558-I, D-558-II, B-29 (plus its Navy version, the P2B), X-4, X-5, KC-135, CV-880, CV-990, B-47, B-52, B-747, F-100A, F-101, F-102, F-104, PA-30 Twin Comanche, JetStar, F-111, R4D, B-720, and B-47. Although previously a single-engine pilot, he became the Center's principal multi-engine pilot during a period of air-launches in which the pilot of the air-launch aircraft (B-29 or P2B) basically directed the operations. It was he who called for the chase planes before each drop, directed the positioning of fire rescue vehicles, and released the experimental aircraft after ensuring that all was ready for the drop. As pilot of the B-29 and P2B, Butchart launched the X-1A once, the X-1B 13 times, the X-1E 22 times, and the D-558-II 102 times. In addition, he towed the M2-F1 lightweight lifting body 14 times behind an R4D (Navy version of the C-47 and the DC-3). Among other awards, Butchart received the NACA Exceptional Service Medal for his decisions and actions when the X-1A exploded while attached to the B-29 launch aircraft on August 8, 1955. During his career, he wrote several technical reports and presented a number of research papers. He became one of 65 charter members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He later was elected a Fellow of the Society and became its President in 1980. After receiving primary and secondary civilian pilot training, Butchart enlisted in the U.S. Navy in July 1942. Upon his completion of flight training at Corpus Christi, Tex., he joined torpedo-bomber Air Group VT-51 and flew the Grumman-General Motors TBM Avenger from the aircraft carrier San Jacinto in the South Pacific during World War II. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Presidential Unit Citation among other service medals. While continuing to fly in the Naval Reserve, he earned bachelor, degrees in aeronautical and mechanical engineering at the University of Washington. Following graduation in 1950, he worked as a design engineer for Boeing Aircraft before beginning his career as a research pilot. Butchart passed away on October 1, 2007. _________________________________________ The B-47A (49-1900) bomber was the first in the series of tail numbers to be built at the Boeing Aircraft Company in Witchita, Kansas. NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station obtained that B-47A Stratojet (NACA 150) to study the characteristics of a large, flexible swept-wing aircraft in 1953. The B-47A testing resulted in reports that gave engineers and design teams around the country access to reliable information on the dynamic behavior and response characteristics that could be expected of large, flexible sweptwing airplanes, such as the Boeing KC-135 and the B-707 transport.
Photo Date July 14, 1954
Water Purification Product
Name of Image Water Purification Product
Date of Image 2004-04-15
Full Description Ecomaster, an affiliate of BioServe Space Technologies, this PentaPure technology has been used to purify water for our nation's Space Shuttle missions since 1981. WTC-Ecomaster of Mirneapolis, Minnesota manufactures water purification systems under the brand name PentaPure (TM). BioServe researcher Dr. George Marchin, of Kansas State University, first demonstrated the superiority of this technology and licensed it to WTC. Marchin continues to perform microgravity research in the development of new technologies for the benefit of life on Earth.
Saturn V First Stage Assembl …
Name of Image Saturn V First Stage Assembly
Date of Image 1960-01-01
Full Description This photograph shows a Saturn V first stage (S-1C). This stage was assembled at the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. With assistance by the Boeing Company, the manufacturer, this first stage was assembled using components made by Boeing in Wichita, Kansas and New Orleans.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description According to the U.S. Geological Survey, [ http://water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/wwdp?region_cd=ks ] the Marais des Cygnes River was 10 feet above flood stage in Ottawa, Kansas, on July 4, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The river is not normally visible in MODIS images. In the lower image, taken on June 8, 2007, by Terra MODIS, the river's course is defined only by the tan, plant-free land that surrounds it. But on July 4, the dark blue water of the swollen river is clearly visible. The floods along the Marais des Cygnes forced 2,000 people from their homes in Osawatomie, Kansas, reported the Kansas City Star, but by July 4, water levels on the river had started to drop. Additional flooding along the Neosho and Verdigris Rivers can be seen in the large image. These images were made with visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, water is black, though sediment may color it dark blue. Clouds are light blue and white, and plant-covered land is bright green. Bare earth is tan-pink. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA7/2007185 ] of Kansas are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System in both false color, as shown here, and photo-like true color. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description According to the U.S. Geological Survey, [ http://water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/wwdp?region_cd=ks ] the Marais des Cygnes River was 10 feet above flood stage in Ottawa, Kansas, on July 4, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The river is not normally visible in MODIS images. In the lower image, taken on June 8, 2007, by Terra MODIS, the river's course is defined only by the tan, plant-free land that surrounds it. But on July 4, the dark blue water of the swollen river is clearly visible. The floods along the Marais des Cygnes forced 2,000 people from their homes in Osawatomie, Kansas, reported the Kansas City Star, but by July 4, water levels on the river had started to drop. Additional flooding along the Neosho and Verdigris Rivers can be seen in the large image. These images were made with visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, water is black, though sediment may color it dark blue. Clouds are light blue and white, and plant-covered land is bright green. Bare earth is tan-pink. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA7/2007185 ] of Kansas are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System in both false color, as shown here, and photo-like true color. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description The skies over southeastern Kansas were filled with a mix of cloud and haze on July 2, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image. But beneath the clouds, the flood-swollen Neosho and Verdigris Rivers and tributaries can be seen. Normally these river rivers would be too small to be visible in MODIS images (as shown by the lower image from June 8, 2007), but on July 2, the rivers paint a wide blue ribbon across the Kansas plains. Water is normally black in this type of false-color image, which is made with visible and infrared light. On July 2, the rivers are blue partly because sediment colors the water and partly because sunlight is reflecting off the surface of the water. Clouds are light turquoise and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth (largely freshly planted, rectangular farm fields) is tan. Additional flooding in western Missouri is visible in the large images. By July 2, the floods had forced thousands from their homes throughout Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, reported CNN. The flood-swollen Verdigris River, image center, surrounded an oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas, where more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the river, said CNN. The polluted portion of the river is under clouds in this image. The storms and the flooding in Kansas led President Bush to declare a major disaster in the state, CNN added. The Neosho River, along the right side of the image, crested at 35 feet, 10 feet above flood stage, at its highest point on July 2, and the Verdigris reached its highest point, 49 feet, 19 feet above flood stage, in Independence, Kansas, said the National Weather Service. [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/dirlistings/data/ICT/021424_ICT_Hydrologic_Summary ]Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA7/2007183 ] of Kansas are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description The skies over southeastern Kansas were filled with a mix of cloud and haze on July 2, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image. But beneath the clouds, the flood-swollen Neosho and Verdigris Rivers and tributaries can be seen. Normally these river rivers would be too small to be visible in MODIS images (as shown by the lower image from June 8, 2007), but on July 2, the rivers paint a wide blue ribbon across the Kansas plains. Water is normally black in this type of false-color image, which is made with visible and infrared light. On July 2, the rivers are blue partly because sediment colors the water and partly because sunlight is reflecting off the surface of the water. Clouds are light turquoise and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth (largely freshly planted, rectangular farm fields) is tan. Additional flooding in western Missouri is visible in the large images. By July 2, the floods had forced thousands from their homes throughout Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, reported CNN. The flood-swollen Verdigris River, image center, surrounded an oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas, where more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the river, said CNN. The polluted portion of the river is under clouds in this image. The storms and the flooding in Kansas led President Bush to declare a major disaster in the state, CNN added. The Neosho River, along the right side of the image, crested at 35 feet, 10 feet above flood stage, at its highest point on July 2, and the Verdigris reached its highest point, 49 feet, 19 feet above flood stage, in Independence, Kansas, said the National Weather Service. [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/dirlistings/data/ICT/021424_ICT_Hydrologic_Summary ]Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA7/2007183 ] of Kansas are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description Floods that started with heavy rain on June 26, 2007, still surrounded parts of Coffeyville, Kansas, on July 9, when 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 the top image. Coffeyville was flooded on July 1, when the swollen Verdigris River burst through a levee. Water swamped neighborhoods and businesses, including the Coffeyville Resources Refinery. Though the refinery had been shut down in anticipation of the flooding, it leaked more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil into the Verdigris River, reported the Environment News Service. [ http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2007/2007-07-03-01.asp ] The Environmental Protection Agency [ http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/coffeyville/index.html ] was coordinating with Coffeyville Resources to clean up the spill and to ensure that oil did not contaminate drinking water downstream. In these false-color images, the city of Coffeeville is silver and white. Vegetation is red, bare earth is pale gray, and water is dark blue. The Coffeyville Resources Refinery is the concentrated mass of silver, accented with large, white circular storage tanks, northeast of the city. In the top image, the refinery is surrounded by a pool of blue flood water. The lower image, taken on May 19, 2007, shows the area in normal conditions. Downstream from the refinery (to the south) is a grid of streets surrounded by plant-covered land. A few clusters of buildings line the larger streets, but few other large buildings are evident in the area, indicating that this is probably a residential neighborhood. Residual oil-tainted water creates traces of dark blue in the eastern half of the neighborhood. Smudges of blue west of the refinery indicate that the river flooded this part of the city as well. Beyond these areas, the flooded river seemed to remain confined behind levees on its flood plain. The high levees resemble dark red walls hemming in defined geometric shapes, which are filled with water in the top image, but are mud-gray in the lower image. Additional flooding along the Verdigris River is shown in the large image. A broader view [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14353 ] of floods in southeastern Kansas is available in the Natural Hazards section of the Earth Observatory. You can download a 15-meter-resolution KMZ file of Coffeyville [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/kansas_ast_2007187.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.
Floods in Kansas and Missour …
Title Floods in Kansas and Missouri
Description Floods that started with heavy rain on June 26, 2007, still surrounded parts of Coffeyville, Kansas, on July 9, when 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 the top image. Coffeyville was flooded on July 1, when the swollen Verdigris River burst through a levee. Water swamped neighborhoods and businesses, including the Coffeyville Resources Refinery. Though the refinery had been shut down in anticipation of the flooding, it leaked more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil into the Verdigris River, reported the Environment News Service. [ http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2007/2007-07-03-01.asp ] The Environmental Protection Agency [ http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/coffeyville/index.html ] was coordinating with Coffeyville Resources to clean up the spill and to ensure that oil did not contaminate drinking water downstream. In these false-color images, the city of Coffeeville is silver and white. Vegetation is red, bare earth is pale gray, and water is dark blue. The Coffeyville Resources Refinery is the concentrated mass of silver, accented with large, white circular storage tanks, northeast of the city. In the top image, the refinery is surrounded by a pool of blue flood water. The lower image, taken on May 19, 2007, shows the area in normal conditions. Downstream from the refinery (to the south) is a grid of streets surrounded by plant-covered land. A few clusters of buildings line the larger streets, but few other large buildings are evident in the area, indicating that this is probably a residential neighborhood. Residual oil-tainted water creates traces of dark blue in the eastern half of the neighborhood. Smudges of blue west of the refinery indicate that the river flooded this part of the city as well. Beyond these areas, the flooded river seemed to remain confined behind levees on its flood plain. The high levees resemble dark red walls hemming in defined geometric shapes, which are filled with water in the top image, but are mud-gray in the lower image. Additional flooding along the Verdigris River is shown in the large image. A broader view [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14353 ] of floods in southeastern Kansas is available in the Natural Hazards section of the Earth Observatory. You can download a 15-meter-resolution KMZ file of Coffeyville [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/kansas_ast_2007187.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.
Floods in the Midwestern Uni …
Title Floods in the Midwestern United States
Description The rivers of northwestern Missouri were still swollen in the wake of intense spring storms when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on May 10, 2007. The image is made from a combination of infrared and visible light to make the floods more visible than they would be in a photo-like image. In this type of image, water is dark blue or black, clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is pink-tinted tan. Fires are outlined with red boxes. The Missouri River runs along the left edge of the image, then curves east along the bottom of the image. Though the most flooded regions were covered in clouds, a few breaks reveal that the Missouri was swollen far beyond its banks. Nestled in a bend in the river near the Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri border is the town of Big Lake. The image shows that the river's curve has turned into a broad lake. The town was completely submerged in the flood when levees along the river broke, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/05/11/missouri.flooding.ap/index.html ] Beyond Big Lake, many communities along the Grand and the Platte Rivers and their tributaries have also been flooded or threatened by floods. All of these rivers are clearly running high in the image. MODIS captured the lower image on April 29, 2007, not quite a week before the rains began. By providing a clear view of normal water levels, the image illustrates just how extensively the rivers were flooded on May 10. Photo-like versions of both the April 29 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3/2007119/USA3.2007119.aqua ] and May 10 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3/2007130/USA3.2007130.terra ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in the Midwestern Uni …
Title Floods in the Midwestern United States
Description The rivers of northwestern Missouri were still swollen in the wake of intense spring storms when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on May 10, 2007. The image is made from a combination of infrared and visible light to make the floods more visible than they would be in a photo-like image. In this type of image, water is dark blue or black, clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is pink-tinted tan. Fires are outlined with red boxes. The Missouri River runs along the left edge of the image, then curves east along the bottom of the image. Though the most flooded regions were covered in clouds, a few breaks reveal that the Missouri was swollen far beyond its banks. Nestled in a bend in the river near the Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri border is the town of Big Lake. The image shows that the river's curve has turned into a broad lake. The town was completely submerged in the flood when levees along the river broke, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/05/11/missouri.flooding.ap/index.html ] Beyond Big Lake, many communities along the Grand and the Platte Rivers and their tributaries have also been flooded or threatened by floods. All of these rivers are clearly running high in the image. MODIS captured the lower image on April 29, 2007, not quite a week before the rains began. By providing a clear view of normal water levels, the image illustrates just how extensively the rivers were flooded on May 10. Photo-like versions of both the April 29 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3/2007119/USA3.2007119.aqua ] and May 10 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3/2007130/USA3.2007130.terra ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in the Midwestern Uni …
Title Floods in the Midwestern United States
Description Early May 2007 brought torrential spring rains to the Midwestern United States, and by May 9, the National Weather Service [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/ ] had recorded flooding at 111 locations from North Dakota to Texas. At 15 locations, many of which were in Missouri, gauges measured major flooding. Thousands of people fled as the Missouri burst through levees in Missouri and Kansas, reported the Associated Press [ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/05/09/missouri.flooding.ap/index.html ] on May 9. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Missouri River and its tributaries on May 8. Though clouds still covered much of the Midwest on May 8, a few breaks revealed the flood-swollen Missouri, Grand, and Thompson Rivers. The large image shows additional flooding in Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas. Both this and the lower image, taken on April 29 before the rains began to fall, were made with a combination of visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, clouds are pale blue and white, water is dark blue or black, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan pink. The tan and green speckled appearance of the landscape seen in the lower image is typical of agricultural land. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3 ] of the Midwest are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in the Midwestern Uni …
Title Floods in the Midwestern United States
Description Early May 2007 brought torrential spring rains to the Midwestern United States, and by May 9, the National Weather Service [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/ ] had recorded flooding at 111 locations from North Dakota to Texas. At 15 locations, many of which were in Missouri, gauges measured major flooding. Thousands of people fled as the Missouri burst through levees in Missouri and Kansas, reported the Associated Press [ http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/05/09/missouri.flooding.ap/index.html ] on May 9. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Missouri River and its tributaries on May 8. Though clouds still covered much of the Midwest on May 8, a few breaks revealed the flood-swollen Missouri, Grand, and Thompson Rivers. The large image shows additional flooding in Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas. Both this and the lower image, taken on April 29 before the rains began to fall, were made with a combination of visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, clouds are pale blue and white, water is dark blue or black, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan pink. The tan and green speckled appearance of the landscape seen in the lower image is typical of agricultural land. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA3 ] of the Midwest are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Growing-Season Fires in Cent …
Title Growing-Season Fires in Central United States
Description Agricultural burning in preparation for the growing season was underway in the central United States at the time of this image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on March 31, 2004. Across the dun-colored witner landscape, spring green is beginning to spread across the south-central parts of the country, including (top left to bottom) Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and (top right to bottom) Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Fires have been marked with red dots in the image. The smokier fires in Arkansas may be prescribed burns on state or federal lands that are set in the spring to decrease built-up underbrush and other vegetation that could contribute to more severe wildfires later in the season. Though not necessarily hazardous, large-scale burning can have an impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. 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
Growing-Season Fires in Cent …
Title Growing-Season Fires in Central United States
Description Agricultural burning continues across the Central Plains of the United States on April 4, 2004. The fires, detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite have been marked with red dots in this image. The fires are concentrated in Kansas and Oklahoma (top left and bottom left), with additional fires in Missouri and Arkansas (top right and bottom right). The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have an impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Two large rivers flow from west to east across the scene. The Missouri River runs out of Kansas into Missouri through Kansas City, which sits right on the border of the two states. To the south, the Arkansas River flows out of Oklahoma into Arkansas where it weaves between the Boston Mountains, which appear reddish brown, and the Ouachita Mountains, whose ridges are deep brown and punctuated by green valleys. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Colorado Snow
Title Colorado Snow
Description By January 7, 2007, Colorado had endured three major snowstorms in as many weeks. The first [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14054 ] storm arrived on December 20. The second arrived on December 28, and the third struck on January 5. According to Denver's Channel 4 news station snow totals for the second storm [ http://cbs4denver.com/weatherblog/local_blogentry_363165702.html ] ranged from 15 to 70 centimeters (6 to 27.5 inches), and for the third storm [ http://cbs4denver.com/weatherblog/local_blogentry_005213333.html ] ranged from 9 to 37 centimeters (3.5 to 14.6 inches). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on January 7, 2007. In this relatively cloud-free image, nearly the entire state of Colorado is buried under a blanket of snow. Only a small patch in the southwest corner of the state remains relatively dry. Snow cover extends well into Kansas and Nebraska—not surprising as the weekly snowstorms moved off in that direction. The metropolitan Denver area appears as a pale gray patch where buildings and paved surfaces interrupt the snow cover. Likewise, the mountains to the west of Denver carve meandering lines in the snow cover. The western portion of the state generally saw less snowfall than the eastern plains. As of January 8, 2007, a fourth weekly storm was predicted to hit the area a few days later. Added to the snow were high winds, with gusts up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour creating snowdrifts up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) high on the roads between Denver and Boulder, home to the University of Colorado. The drifts trapped some drivers for hours. According to the Rocky Mountain News, another unlucky group of drivers were buried in their cars when an avalanche covered part of U.S. Highway 40 in the Colorado mountains on January 6, 2006. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_BSRN_BAO_Boulder ] of this region.
Heatwave in the Western Unit …
Title Heatwave in the Western United States
Description The oppressive heat that crept over parts of the western United States during the first few days of July 2007 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14380 ] took hold of the entire West during the week of July 4 through July 11. Deep red tones blanket every western state in this land surface temperature image, an indication that temperatures were warmer than in previous years. The image was made with data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite and shows temperatures recorded between July 4 and July 11, 2007, compared to the average of temperatures observed during the same period in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Areas that are warmer than during that three-year period are red, while cooler areas are blue. Triple-digit temperatures broke or matched records from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Great Falls, Montana, during this period. In this image, a cluster of red-black over eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and eastern Montana indicates that these regions experienced much warmer temperatures than in previous years. Western South Dakota (the Black Hills region) was also exceptionally warm. On the other end of the scale, Texas was much cooler than it had been in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Heavy rains pounded Texas on and off throughout this period, contributing to wide-spread flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14363 ] You can download a global KMZ file of Land Surface Temperature anomaly [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/kansas_ast_2007187.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Land Processes [ http://modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Heatwave in the Western Unit …
Title Heatwave in the Western United States
Description Extreme heat lingered over much of the western United States in early July 2007. Temperatures soared to triple digits, meeting or breaking records from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Great Falls, Montana, said news reports. The oppressive heat contributed to creating prime fire conditions, so that, when dry thunderstorms (lightning storms accompanied by little or no rain) rolled through on July 7, lightning sparked dozens of fast-moving wildfires. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14358 ] This image, created from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite from June 26 though July 3, 2007, shows land surface temperatures compared to average temperatures observed during the same period in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Deep red across the Southwest and the Intermountain West indicate that temperatures were much higher than they were in 2000-2002. The Southeast also experienced warmer temperatures. Northern California, Oregon, and Washington appear to be cooler than in previous years, as indicated by the blue tones. The heat wave started mid-way through the week-long period shown in this image. While temperatures may have soared at the end of the period, cooler temperatures earlier in the week dominate the signal. Land surface temperatures from July 4-11 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14393 ] show that these areas warmed significantly the following week. The Southern Plains are dark blue where temperatures were much cooler than they had been in previous years. During this period, torrential rains drenched the region, causing wide-spread flooding in Texas and Oklahoma [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14363 ] and in Kansas and Missouri. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14383 ] The gray region over Kansas and Oklahoma is an area in which MODIS could not record the land's temperature because of perpetual cloud cover during the week-long period. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Land Processes [ http://modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Heavy Rain in the US Midwest
Title Heavy Rain in the US Midwest
Description The powerful storms that moved across the U.S. Midwest during the first week of May 2007 brought wind, hail, tornadoes, and drenching rain. This image shows rainfall totals over parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska between May 1 and May 8, based in part on measurements made by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite. More than 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain fell over some regions, corresponding with locations where the National Weather Service reported severe weather. [ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070506_rpts.html ] A wide swath of red and orange (between 240 and 400 millimeters of rain) arcs in a clockwise direction from western Oklahoma, through central Kansas, and into southeastern Nebraska. The reddish-orange bull's-eye over southeastern Louisiana is evidence of the torrential rains that pounded visitors to the annual New Orleans Jazz Festival. South-central Texas' Edward Plateau was soaked with more than 240 millimeters of rain during the period, as well. From May 4 to May 8, the National Weather Service [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ ] received approximately 683 reports of severe weather, 140 of which were reports of tornadoes, including the massive F5 [ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=ddc&storyid=7828&source=0 ] tornado that devastated the city of Greensburg, Kansas. Beyond the damaging winds and tornadoes, the torrential rain triggered extensive flooding throughout the Central Plains. On the evening of May 7, flood warnings [ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=crh&storyid=7865&source=0 ] were in effect from South Dakota to southern Texas, and by May 8, the Hydrologic Information Center [ http://www.weather.gov/ahps/ ] reported moderate to major flooding at 53 stream gauge sites in South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. The floods could be as severe as the 1993 flood, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16881 ] one of the costliest floods in U.S. history, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/203d853a-www.wlos.com.shtml ] NASA image by Hal Pierce
Dust Storm over Colorado and …
Title Dust Storm over Colorado and Kansas
Description Winds in excess of 30 miles per hour blew across most of the midwestern United States on April 18, 2004. This true-color scene shows a large dust storm blowing from eastern Colorado into western Kansas, as a result of the strong winds, measured at near hurricane force in this region. According to news reports, the storm reduced visibility at the surface to less than a mile and contributed to a number of car accidents in the region, including a 17-car pileup near Burlington, CO. This image was acquired on April 18 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Image courtesy Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center, [ http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/ ] University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dust Storm over Colorado and …
Title Dust Storm over Colorado and Kansas
Description Winds in excess of 30 miles per hour blew across most of the midwestern United States on April 18, 2004. This true-color scene shows a large dust storm blowing from eastern Colorado into western Kansas, as a result of the strong winds, measured at near hurricane force in this region. According to news reports, the storm reduced visibility at the surface to less than a mile and contributed to a number of car accidents in the region, including a 17-car pileup near Burlington, CO. This image was acquired on April 18 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Image courtesy Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center, [ http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/ ] University of Wisconsin-Madison
Killer Storms in the souther …
Title Killer Storms in the southern Plains and the Southeast
Description *animations: * small movie (848 KB) large movie (2.8 MB) Severe thunder storms formed over the midwestern United States on May 4, 2003, and spawned dozens of tornadoes that swept through parts of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, leaving a wake of destruction and killing as many as 35 people. Eighty-three tornadoes were reported, according to an official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the official count has not yet been confirmed. Pierce City, MO, was among the locations hardest hit. Residents of the small town in southwestern Missouri report that almost every structure in the town—houses and businesses alike—were flattened in a span of about 30 seconds by the tornado that roared through there. After forming late in the day over southeastern Kansas and Missouri, the line of thunder storms moved quickly eastward. Much of the damage appears to be along the Kansas-Missouri border. One official with the National Weather Service estimates that the storm that ripped through Pierce City was at least a Category F3 tornado—packing winds between 158 and 206 miles per hour. Eastern states have been put on alert as the storm system moves toward the southern states, bringing the potential for more tornadoes to occur in Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. The image above was acquired by the NOAA GOES-12 satellite on May 4. The time series animation shows cloud tops of the storm system forming over southeastern Kansas and Missouri and then moving eastward as night falls. Image and animation courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, GOES data courtesy Dennis Chesters, NASA GSFC
Killer Storms in the souther …
Title Killer Storms in the southern Plains and the Southeast
Description TRMM Eyes Great Plains Severe Thunderstorms On Sunday, May 4, a super outbreak of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms swarmed across the southern Plains region of the United States. According to the Storm Prediction Center, there were 275 reports of large hail, 89 reports of wind damage and 84 tornadoes. On this day, 187 tornado warnings were issued across Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission, which contains the world's only spaceborne weather radar, overflew several of these deadly thunderstorm cells late on May 4. The image shows the white, cloudy tops of several thunderstorm cells from the vantage of the GOES satellite. The TRMM orbit (dark shading) is superimposed on this cloudy background. There is a particularly intense storm cell located over western Oklahoma (left side of image). Whereas the GOES satellite shows this to be a single, isolated storm, the TRMM precipitation radar reveals that it is actually composed of three smaller precipitation cores in various stages of development. The vertical scale of the rain features has been greatly exaggerated to show details. The dark blue colors correspond to the tallest rain cells (approaching 15-16 km depth) while red colors indicated shallower rain features. This particular "multicell" storm produced damaging hail as it moved from west to east across Oklahoma. For more TRMM views of this historical thunderstorm day, visit the TRMM website (trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov). Image created by Hal Pierce of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Fires in Central U.S.
Title Fires in Central U.S.
Description This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on April 10, 2003, shows scores of fires (red dots) burning in the central United States. Fires are concentrated in Kansas (top) and Oklahoma (below), and are likely agricultural. To the southeast, a few fires are associated with large plumes of white smoke. 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 Central U.S.
Title Fires in Central U.S.
Description While ice still clings to the shores of Lakes Superior (top) and Michigan (bottom), spring's green is creeping up from the south in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Aqua satellite on April 11, 2003. Brush clearing and other fires probably related to agricultural activities were detected by MODIS and are marked with red dots. Fires are concentrated in Oklahoma (bottom left) and Kansas (to the north), but are scattered across other states as well. 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
Rain in the U.S. Midwest
Title Rain in the U.S. Midwest
Description The powerful storms that moved across the U.S. Midwest during the first week of May 2007 brought wind, hail, tornadoes, and drenching rain. This image shows rainfall totals over parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska between May 1 and May 8, based in part on measurements made by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite. More than 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain fell over some regions, corresponding with locations where the National Weather Service reported severe weather. [ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/070506_rpts.html ] A wide swath of red and orange (between 240 and 400 millimeters of rain) arcs in a clockwise direction from western Oklahoma, through central Kansas, and into southeastern Nebraska. The reddish-orange bull's-eye over southeastern Louisiana is evidence of the torrential rains that pounded visitors to the annual New Orleans Jazz Festival. South-central Texas' Edward Plateau was soaked with more than 240 millimeters of rain during the period, as well. From May 4 to May 8, the National Weather Service [ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ ] received approximately 683 reports of severe weather, 140 of which were reports of tornadoes, including the massive F5 [ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=ddc&storyid=7828&source=0 ] tornado that devastated the city of Greensburg, Kansas. Beyond the damaging winds and tornadoes, the torrential rain triggered extensive flooding throughout the Central Plains. On the evening of May 7, flood warnings [ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=crh&storyid=7865&source=0 ] were in effect from South Dakota to southern Texas, and by May 8, the Hydrologic Information Center [ http://www.weather.gov/ahps/ ] reported moderate to major flooding at 53 stream gauge sites in South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. The floods could be as severe as the 1993 flood, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16881 ] one of the costliest floods in U.S. history, reported the Associated Press. [ http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/203d853a-www.wlos.com.shtml ] NASA image by Hal Pierce.
Fires in Mississippi Valley
Title Fires in Mississippi Valley
Description What they lack in drama, the fires in the Southeast U.S. make up for in numbers each year. There are more fires in the Mississippi Valley, the Plains and the Southeast every year than there are out West, but they are generally much smaller and do not gain the attention of the national news media. This image captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on September 16, 2003, shows dozens of actively burning fires (red dots) in the states east and west of the Mississippi River Plain, which cuts vertically through the image. States shown include (bottom row, left to right) Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. North of Louisiana, numerous fires are burning in Arkansas. Left and right of Arkansas are Oklahoma and Tennessee, respectively. Across the top (left to right) are Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. The vegetation that is spread over the region is showing little sign of the approaching autumn equinox. 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
Severe Weather in the US Mid …
Title Severe Weather in the US Midwest
Description A stationary front draped across the Midwest provided the focus for several days of strong springtime thunderstorms that delivered severe weather and heavy rains to the region. On May 21, 2004, a strong complex of thunderstorms known as an MCS or mesoscale convective system moved across southern Michigan, Ohio and into parts of the Appalachians leaving behind numerous reports of wind damage. Long-lived MCSs that generate wind damage over a wide area are also known as 'derechos' as was the case for this event. On May 22, there were numerous reports of tornados from Nebraska into Iowa. One woman was killed in Nebraska, and the town of Hallam, Nebraska was flattened by a tornado. On May 23, two children were swept away in Wisconsin as runoff from heavy rains drained into the Milwaukee river. And on May 24, there were more tornados, large hail and wind damage across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. In addition to tornados, hail and wind damage, strong thunderstorms can produce heavy rains and flooding especially when storms occur over the same area. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite uses onboard sensors to measure rainfall from space. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for May 21-24, 2004 over the Midwest. Red areas indicate rainfall totals in excess of 10 inches across portions of northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, eastern Michigan, northeast Ohio and southeast Ontario. Areas in between shaded in green received near 5 inches. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Severe Weather in the US Mid …
Title Severe Weather in the US Midwest
Description A stationary front draped across the Midwest provided the focus for several days of strong springtime thunderstorms that delivered severe weather and heavy rains to the region. On May 21, 2004, a strong complex of thunderstorms known as an MCS or mesoscale convective system moved across southern Michigan, Ohio and into parts of the Appalachians leaving behind numerous reports of wind damage. Long-lived MCSs that generate wind damage over a wide area are also known as 'derechos' as was the case for this event. On May 22, there were numerous reports of tornados from Nebraska into Iowa. One woman was killed in Nebraska, and the town of Hallam, Nebraska was flattened by a tornado. On May 23, two children were swept away in Wisconsin as runoff from heavy rains drained into the Milwaukee river. And on May 24, there were more tornados, large hail and wind damage across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. In addition to tornados, hail and wind damage, strong thunderstorms can produce heavy rains and flooding especially when storms occur over the same area. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite uses onboard sensors to measure rainfall from space. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals are shown for May 21-24, 2004 over the Midwest. Red areas indicate rainfall totals in excess of 10 inches across portions of northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, eastern Michigan, northeast Ohio and southeast Ontario. Areas in between shaded in green received near 5 inches. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Smoke over Southern United S …
Title Smoke over Southern United States
Description A thick cloud of aerosols hung over part of North America on March 12, 2006. Aerosols, tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere, can result from a variety of sources, including dust storms, pollution, and smoke. This aerosol cloud, extending from northern Mexico through Kansas, likely resulted in a large part from fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13411 ] in Texas and Oklahoma. Windy conditions that helped spread some wildfires might also have lofted dust particles into the air. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) [ http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/instruments/omi/index.html ] flying onboard the Aura [ http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html ] satellite captured this image on March 12, 2006. This false-color image shows the thickness of dust, smoke, or pollution in the atmosphere. The most intense aerosol concentrations appear in bright red, followed by yellow and green. A band of thick aerosols appears just south of a large swath of cloud cover (appearing in white) in the Midwestern United States. This aerosol cloud, stretching from the New Mexico-Mexico border northeast into Kansas, shows patches of high concentrations throughout, although the biggest patches of intense aerosols appear in Oklahoma and Kansas. More diffuse aerosol clouds appear throughout North America, extending into Canada. Images courtesy Colin Seftor and Omar Torres, Aura Science Team.
Snow Across the Western Unit …
Title Snow Across the Western United States
Description The Sunday after Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year in the United States as people return home from the four-day weekend. Sunday, November 28, 2004, was no exception, but this year, Mother Nature snarled traffic across a large swath of the west with an intense snow storm. The storm dumped up to 24 inches (0.6 meters) of snow on the mountains of southern Utah, and blanketed the surrounding states. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the following day, on November 29, after the clouds moved out. The storm's path is clearly visible in this image: a track of white extends from southeastern Oregon and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California to Colorado and New Mexico in the east. The National Weather Service reports that the storm moved east across the Plains States of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Iowa on November 29 and November 30. The snow highlights some interesting features of the Western United States that might not otherwise be obvious in satellite imagery. Sandwiched between the straight diagonal line of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the west (the straight edge of the snow) and the Rocky Mountains in Central Utah in the east is the Great Basin Desert. This high desert basin covers a heart-shaped region of southern Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and southern Idaho and is clearly outlined in snow. Hemmed between two large mountain ranges that trap moisture from the east and the west, it is the United States' largest desert. It receives on average 7-12 inches of precipitation every year. The water that does fall in the region drains to interior, closed basins instead of the ocean, giving the region its name. The Great Basin Desert is made up of a series of mostly north-south running mountain ranges and valleys that give the land a wrinkled, wash-board appearance, particularly in Nevada. The snow highlights elevation change elsewhere in the image. The imposing Rocky Mountains appear slightly darker than the valleys around them, and the peaks and high plateaus in the south are covered in snow while the pink desert lowlands remain bare. On the right edge of the image, the flat plains of eastern Wyoming and Colorado are an even, uninterrupted white. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Land Processes DAAC
Snow Storm in Colorado
Title Snow Storm in Colorado
Description A big snowstorm brought much-needed moisture to the state of Colorado on January 19, 2006. As reported by the Rocky Mountain News, before the storm, the state's assistant climatologist had warned that drought was beginning to affect the foothills west of the Denver metro area and the plains to the east of the city. A week later, relief arrived, although opinions varied as to whether it was enough to stop the developing drought conditions. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture of Colorado and surrounding states on January 20, 2006. In this image, snow blankets the Rocky Mountains and extends to the east in a counterclockwise direction towards Kansas and Nebraska. The same storm system that brought moisture to Colorado continued dropping precipitation through the Midwest. For Colorado residents, the snow was a mixed blessing. On January 19, temperatures remained warm enough to melt much of the snow as soon as it hit the ground. Overnight temperatures, however, plummeted. The day this image was taken, commuters throughout the state were contending with roads like ice rinks. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, authorities urged commuters to drive slowly to avoid crashes. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Snowstorm in New Mexico
Title Snowstorm in New Mexico
Description Heavy snow left New Mexico in a state of emergency on February 25, 2004, after a large storm swept across the region the previous day. Roads, schools, businesses, and even the state government were all forced to close in the height of the storm. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite tracked a blue trail of snow across northern Texas, New Mexico, and Southern Colorado on February 25. Blue patches of snow also appear in southern Utah, upper left corner. In this false-color image, the snow is blue, bare ground is pink, vegetation is bright green, and clouds are white and light blue. The states shown in this image include, starting in the upper left corner and going clockwise, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Northern Mexico forms the bottom left corner of the image. The high-resolution image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the EOS Data Pool at NASA GSFC
Snowstorm in the American Mi …
Title Snowstorm in the American Midwest
Description The vernal equinox marks the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. But after a record-setting warm winter, the start of spring 2006 came with an ironic twist: a powerful snowstorm that blanketed most of the American Midwest in heavy snow. According to the Associated Press, snow fell as rapidly as two inches an hour in Illinois and Indiana, while in parts of Nebraska, total accumulations were as much as two feet (roughly 60 centimeters) of snow, closing sections of Interstate 80. In Colorado and Kansas, the same snow system also forced closings along Interstate 70 on March 20. The AP was also reporting that at least five deaths had been attributed to the snow in Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the wake behind the storm at 12:55 p.m. Mountain Time (19:45 UTC) on March 21, 2006. In this false-color image, clouds appear white, snow and ice appear blue, and land colors vary from reddish tans to greens in areas of lesser or greater vegetation. While a thin layer of cloud covers much of the area where the heaviest snow fell the previous day, the long, wide swath of blue, occasionally visible through the thin cloud cover, shows the path of the snowstorm. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
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