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Marjorie Townsend and SAS-1
Title Marjorie Townsend and SAS-1
Full Description Marjorie Townsend discusses the X-ray Explorer Satellite's performance with a colleague during preflight tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Townsend, a Washington DC native, was the first woman to receive an engineering degree from The George Washington University. She joined NASA in 1959 and later advanced to become the project manager of the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS) Program. The satellite shown in the picture, SAS-1, was the 42nd in NASA's Explorer series, a family of small, simple satellites sent to perform important scientific missions for minimal cost. The first Explorer satellite launched in 1958, months prior to the formation of NASA, initiating a program of exploration that has continued into the twenty-first century. SAS-1 continued the tradition of crucial science projects by carrying the first set of sensitive instruments designed to map X-ray sources both within and beyond our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Also known as Explorer 42 and the X-ray Explorer, it became the first American spacecraft launched by another country when an Italian space team launched it on December 12, 1970 from a mobile launch platform located in international waters off the coast of East Africa. It mapped the universe in X-ray wavelengths and discovered X-ray pulsars and evidence of black holes. The satellite was named Uhuru, which means freedom in Swahili, because it was launched from San Marco off the coast of Kenya on Kenya's Independence Day. In the 1970's the Italian Government made Townsend a Knight of the Italian Republic Order for her contributions to the United States-Italian space efforts. In 1990, Townsend joined BDM International Inc., as the director of Space Systems Engineering with the Space Science and Applications Division.
Date 12/02/1970
NASA Center Goddard Space Flight Center
Floods in West Africa
Title Floods in West Africa
Description Sandwiched between the vast Sahara Desert of northern Africa and the equatorial forest of central Africa is the semi-arid, but fertile Sahel grassland. One of Africa's most significant crop areas, the Sahel swings between frequent drought and frequent floods. In September 2007, floods dominated. Unusually heavy and persistent rains hammered much of the Sahel, swelling rivers from Senegal on the Atlantic coast to Kenya on the Indian Ocean coast. As many as 17 countries across the Sahel were flooded, affecting more than a million people, reported BBC News [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6994995.stm#anchor ] on September 17. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods in Nigeria on September 14, 2007. The lower image, taken by Aqua MODIS on May 25, 2007, shows the region under normal conditions and is provided here for reference. On September 14, both the Niger River and its tributary, the Benue River, were running over their banks. Pools of water, dark blue to black in this false-color image, line the swollen rivers. The large image reveals that the floods extend along the full length of both rivers. Smaller tributaries are also notably flooded in the large image. The combination of infrared and visible light used in this image gives clouds a pale blue tint. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. A photo-like, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257/NAfrica_3_04.2007257.aqua ] true-color version of the image is available from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257 ] of Nigeria. The floods took a heavy toll on Nigeria. As of September 14, 41 people had died in floods in northern and central Nigeria, reported Agence France-Presse. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/TBRL-772N8M?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000123-NGA ] NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in West Africa
Title Floods in West Africa
Description Sandwiched between the vast Sahara Desert of northern Africa and the equatorial forest of central Africa is the semi-arid, but fertile Sahel grassland. One of Africa's most significant crop areas, the Sahel swings between frequent drought and frequent floods. In September 2007, floods dominated. Unusually heavy and persistent rains hammered much of the Sahel, swelling rivers from Senegal on the Atlantic coast to Kenya on the Indian Ocean coast. As many as 17 countries across the Sahel were flooded, affecting more than a million people, reported BBC News [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6994995.stm#anchor ] on September 17. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods in Nigeria on September 14, 2007. The lower image, taken by Aqua MODIS on May 25, 2007, shows the region under normal conditions and is provided here for reference. On September 14, both the Niger River and its tributary, the Benue River, were running over their banks. Pools of water, dark blue to black in this false-color image, line the swollen rivers. The large image reveals that the floods extend along the full length of both rivers. Smaller tributaries are also notably flooded in the large image. The combination of infrared and visible light used in this image gives clouds a pale blue tint. Plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth is tan. A photo-like, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257/NAfrica_3_04.2007257.aqua ] true-color version of the image is available from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_04/2007257 ] of Nigeria. The floods took a heavy toll on Nigeria. As of September 14, 41 people had died in floods in northern and central Nigeria, reported Agence France-Presse. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/TBRL-772N8M?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000123-NGA ] NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Up to 3.3 million people are facing starvation after severe drought stunted crops in parts of Kenya. The rainy season that supplies Kenya with the water needed to grow crops typically runs from March to June. This year, the rains fell from the second week of April through the first week of May, and though the rains were heavy in places, much of the country remained dry during May and June. The severe drought has led to food shortages in Kenya?s Eastern, Coastal and Central provinces, and the situation may not improve soon. On July 14, Kenya?s President Mwai Kibaki announced that poor rainfall caused at least a 60-percent crop failure in five of Kenya?s seven provinces. In the same statement, he declared a national disaster and requested nearly $100 million in international aid. Subsequently, Kenya?s Ministry of Agriculture has once again reduced its national long-rains season maize projection to 1.97 million metric tons, 13 percent lower than the 2.27 million metric tons originally anticipated. While normal to above normal maize output is anticipated in western Kenya and the North Rift, well below normal output is expected in the lowlands of the Coast, Eastern, Nyanza and Central Provinces. The effects of the drought are visible in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) composite image. The image shows the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is a measure of how dense and green plant leaves are?an indicator of plant health. By comparing current NDVI values with the long-term average for the region at a particular time of year, scientists can determine the condition of vegetation in a region. The above image shows the NDVI anomaly or the deviation from the average values obtained in 2001, 2002, and 2003, for June 9 to June 24, 2004. The region of drought, shown in brown, extends from Lake Turkana in the north southwards through central and eastern Kenya to the coastal region, where spots of brown are visible through the grey cloud in the south. Green regions in the southwest mark areas where above-normal maize production is expected. The above MODIS image was produced by the joint Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ].
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Drought has been looming over Kenya for several years, leaving many regions of the country parched and hungry. Now, as the 2004/2005 harvest draws to a close, the cereal deficit has grown to 300,000 metric tons, which means that up to 2.7 million people will need food aid this season?an unusually high number for Kenya. The second maize crop, scheduled to be harvested in March, is predicted to be 20 percent below average because of a lack of rain. The most recent shortages stem from a lack of rainfall during the short rainy season, which normally runs from November to January. Though some parts of Kenya received adequate rain, crop-growing regions in the Eastern, Central, and Coast Provinces received far-below-average rainfall. In Central Province alone, about 400,000 people are facing famine, according to government estimates. The impact of drought on the crops can be seen in this image, which shows the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomaly for Kenya as measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) during the first two weeks of January. NDVI is a measure of vegetation density and health. The anomaly image compares current conditions to average conditions in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 during the first two weeks of January. Between January 1 and January 16, 2005, brown clusters in the Coast and Eastern provinces show patterns of dryness where vegetation is less dense than it has been in the past. More pronounced drought areas surround Central Province. Grey pixels indicate regions where data were not available. An arch of green through the center of the country reveals where rainfall was plentiful and vegetation is thriving. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the joint Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ].
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Six successive years of poor rain have left Eastern Africa in severe drought. Rain typically falls between February and June, and 2005 looked promising when rains started to fall in January. The promise dried up, however, when the rains stopped, leaving the latter half of March and the first half of April dry. The cumulative impact of poor rainfall on plants is visible in this vegetation anomaly image. The image was created using data collected by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer between April 11, and April 20, 2005, compared to average conditions. Brown blankets regions where vegetation was less healthy and thick than normal, while green shows thicker vegetation than average. The band of brown that stretches west from Somalia reveals that the poor rainfall has withered vegetation across the region. Rainfall is essential for reviving pastoral lands and filling water catchments in this water-scarce region. Life in the pastoral societies impacted by this drought revolves around livestock. The poor rain and lack of vegetation have led to a decline in milk production and livestock deaths?a formula for famine. Millions throughout Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya are in need of food aid. In Ethiopia, where 7.5 million require food aid, the most severely affected populations live in the south and the east. This correlates well with the image, which shows the most drought-affected vegetation in southeast Ethiopia. Heavy rains fell in Ethiopia and Somalia in late April, triggering deadly floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12846 ] in southeast Ethiopia. Though tragic, the rains may help alleviate the drought. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of Molly Brown, NASA GIMMS Group [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ ] at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Six successive years of poor rain have left Eastern Africa in severe drought. Rain typically falls between February and June, and 2005 looked promising when rains started to fall in January. The promise dried up, however, when the rains stopped, leaving the latter half of March and the first half of April dry. The cumulative impact of poor rainfall on plants is visible in this vegetation anomaly image. The image was created using data collected by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer between April 11, and April 20, 2005, compared to average conditions. Brown blankets regions where vegetation was less healthy and thick than normal, while green shows thicker vegetation than average. The band of brown that stretches west from Somalia reveals that the poor rainfall has withered vegetation across the region. Rainfall is essential for reviving pastoral lands and filling water catchments in this water-scarce region. Life in the pastoral societies impacted by this drought revolves around livestock. The poor rain and lack of vegetation have led to a decline in milk production and livestock deaths?a formula for famine. Millions throughout Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya are in need of food aid. In Ethiopia, where 7.5 million require food aid, the most severely affected populations live in the south and the east. This correlates well with the image, which shows the most drought-affected vegetation in southeast Ethiopia. Heavy rains fell in Ethiopia and Somalia in late April, triggering deadly floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12846 ] in southeast Ethiopia. Though tragic, the rains may help alleviate the drought. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of Molly Brown, NASA GIMMS Group [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ ] at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description The failure of the short-season rains left large sections of East Africa in severe drought in late 2005 and early 2006. In eastern Africa, most areas experience one of two rainfall patterns. Some places have a single "long rains" season that runs from March until November or December. Other areas have two rainy seasons: long rains between March/April and July/August, and "short rains" from October to December or January. The rains recharge lakes and reservoirs and nurture plants from crops and pasture lands to natural vegetation. For East Africa, 2005 was anything but a normal year. The long rainy season produced little rain, and the short rainy season failed altogether. As a result, rainfall totals for the year were only 20-60 percent of normal, depending on the region, reported the Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS NET). The drought's impact on vegetation can be seen in this vegetation index image, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) at the end of the short rainy season. The image shows how well plants were growing between December 19 and January 3 compared to average conditions between 2000 and 2004. The prevalence of deep reddish-brown across the image indicates that plants were growing poorly, if at all, in the dry conditions. The drought area shown in this image circles Lake Victoria in a north-south-oriented oval that stretches from southern Sudan and Ethiopia in the north to Tanzania in the south. Grey areas show where clouds covered the area throughout the composite period. The impact of the drought has been severe. "This drought has resulted in crop failures, pasture degradation, water shortages, and has raised serious food security concerns for the region," FEWS NET warned. By the end of January 2006, millions were in need of food aid, particularly pastoralists who depend on rain-fed pasture lands to maintain their livestock. Not all of East Africa has been affected. Kenya (center right) had a bumper harvest in 2005, but little of the crop made its way to the drought-hit pastoral districts of the country. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring. [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ]
Earthquake in Eastern Africa
Title Earthquake in Eastern Africa
Description A strong earthquake rattled East Africa on December 5, 2005. Measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake was centered under Lake Tanganyika, the oldest and deepest of the Rift Valley lakes, and was felt as far away as Nairobi, the capital of Kenya some 975 kilometers (600 miles) from the epicenter. Though the region has been relatively quiet in recent years, the same forces that shook eastern Africa in December 2005 also carved out Lake Tanganyika and the surrounding landscape. The lake lies along the western edge of the Great Rift Valley, a 5,000-kilometer-long geologic feature that runs north-south from Lebanon to Mozambique. The Great Rift is being created as the Arabian, Nubian, and Somalian tectonic plates move apart, stretching and thinning the Earth's crust as they do. The result is a long chain of depressions, valleys, and deep lakes alongside towering volcanoes like Mount Kilimanjaro and steep mountains. The volcanoes [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/East_Africa.html ] form as magma pushes its way through the thinned crust. Volcanic tremors and the forces that are pulling the plates apart combine to break the weakened and thinned crust into earthquake-generating faults. When the faults slip, one side rises while the other falls. Over time, steep mountains form along one side of the fault. As a result, Africa's tallest mountains line the Great Rift. The complex topography of the Great Rift around Lake Tanganyika is shown in this image, created using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The lake is hemmed in by mountains, shown in white and pink, that run parallel with its shores. The mountains and the lake are all oriented northwest to southeast along the boundary of the Somalian and Nubian plates. The most dramatic elevation change—not visible in this image—is beneath the surface of the lake. Offshore, Lake Tanganyika plunges to a depth of 1,470 meters, making it the second deepest lake in the world, after Lake Baikal. If the geologic forces that created Lake Tanganyika continue, eastern Africa will eventually break away from the rest of Africa and the Great Rift Valley will become ocean. SRTM data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility.
East Africa Greens Up from H …
Title East Africa Greens Up from Heavy Rains
Description After devastating drought in 2005, eastern Africa experienced heavy rains and flooding during the 2006 "short rains" season that usually lasts from around October until December. Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania all experienced significant, sometimes deadly, flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14026 ] What has been difficult for people and livestock, however, has been good for vegetation, including grazing areas and croplands. The resulting green-up is evident in this image, which compares satellite-observed vegetation in November 2006 to the average November conditions from 2000-2005. Places where vegetation was more luxuriant than normal are shown in green, while places where vegetation conditions were below normal are colored brown. Places near average are yellow. The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Among the most changed areas is Kenya's Eastern province. Both the Marsabit National Reserve, which is next to the Ethiopia border, and the Merti Plateau to its south were dramatically more lush than they were near the end of 2005. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13329 ] Evidence of extensive flooding along the Shebele River in southeast Ethiopia (Shabelle in Somalia) is clear: unusually green vegetation traces out the path of the river and several of its tributaries. Although water levels in Lake Victoria have rebounded somewhat from the extremely low levels [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Victoria/ ] measured in 2005, the vegetation in areas surrounding the lake appears to be slower to respond. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jen Small and Assaf Anyamba of the GIMMS Group [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ ] at NASA GSFC.
Fires in Eastern Africa Near …
Title Fires in Eastern Africa Near Lake Victoria
Description North of Lake Victoria in eastern Africa fires (red dots) were scattered across the savanna, and were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on February 2, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Solar Eclipse over Africa
Title Solar Eclipse over Africa
Description Eastern Africa was cloaked in darkness when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite caught this image on October 3, 2005. The inky blackness that covers much of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and parts of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in this image was caused when the Moon crossed in front of the Sun in an annular solar eclipse. During such an eclipse, the Sun is visible as a fiery circle around the black disk of the moon. In the dimness beneath the Moon's shadow, very little light remained for MODIS to capture this image. Under normal conditions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07/2005276 ], the land in the lower half of the image is a lush green, with patches of tan where the land is bare. Here, the tan areas have a red tint in the low light, while the green is completely black. Red dots show where fires were burning in vegetated areas. In the top half of the image, the orange of the Sahara desert is shown in darker tones than normal [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07/2005276 ]. Only in the upper right corner of the image, where full daylight has returned, does the desert look normal. Gradations of darkness within the shadowed area can be seen in the clouds. Bright white clouds reflect light well, so they are easily visible, even in the shadow. Since some light reached the Earth, the clouds remain bright along the outer edges of the shadowed region. As the eclipse progressed, the moon's shadow traveled southeast across the globe. When this image was taken, the deepest shadow lay over Kenya in the lower right corner of the image. Here the clouds are darker, an indication that there was less light to reflect back to the satellite. If this had been a total solar eclipse, the shadow cast by the moon would have been complete. The difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular eclipse is caused by the Moon's orbit around the Earth. The Moon's orbit is not circular, it is elliptical, like a squashed circle with the Earth at its center. This means that the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth. When it is close to the Earth, the Moon appears larger than when it is far away. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is closer to the Earth and so is able to block out the Sun entirely. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther from the Earth, and so the Moon's disk is not large enough to cover the Sun. The large image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. It is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Tiny blue flecks in the large image are defects in the data. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Flooding in Eastern Africa
Title Flooding in Eastern Africa
Description During the first two weeks of May, heavy, incessant rains pelted east Africa, giving rise to floods and mudslides that killed dozens of people and drove thousands from their homes. This false-color image of Tanzania was acquired on May 13, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. Dramatic flooding can be seen in the plains of Tanzania due south of Lake Victoria?the large body of water at the top of the images. While this is the rainy season in eastern Africa, the rainfall has been much heavier than usual. Meteorologists blame the extreme rainfall on higher than average temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Though Tanzania lost nine people to the floods, the damage and loss of life was far worse farther north. In Kenya, tens of thousands of people have been driven from their homes, and in Rwanda, nearly 50 people have lost their lives in mudslides and flooding. The rainy season doesn?t end until mid-June, so flooding could become even worse. In these false-color images, green shows land surface and black is water. The pinkish-white patches are clouds. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC
Floods in Chad
Title Floods in Chad
Description Ghana, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14528 ] Senegal, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14526 ] Mali, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14534 ] Uganda, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14536 ] and Sudan [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14499 ] are available on the Earth Observatory. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/ ] of Africa's Sahel region, where the floods were concentrated, 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., The Sahel grassland is a rain-dependent ecosystem. With no mountain snowpacks to provide water during the dry season or daily infusions of water from moist air masses, the fortunes of the great African grasslands depend entirely on seasonal rain. The contrast between the dry season and the rainy season is illustrated by this pair of images, both captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. MODIS took the top image on September 18, 2007, after several weeks of unusually heavy rain had fallen over the Sahel. At the time, as many as 17 countries were flooded, from Senegal, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean in the west, to Kenya on the continent's east coast. The lower image was taken on July 4, 4007, a short time before the rains started in earnest. The images show Lake Firtri and the Batha River in southern Chad, a short distance east of Lake Chad. In the combination of infrared and visible light used to create these images, water is typically black, though in this case, it is bright blue. Sediment in the water scatters light, creating the blue color. In July, the only visible water is in Lake Fitri. Traces of green vegetation in the wetlands around the lake and along the Batha River are the only indication that water might be present elsewhere in the scene. Beyond these green areas, the landscape around the lake is mostly the rosy tan of barren land. The cluster of waves in the land to the north of Lake Fitri is likely a dune field along the southernmost edge of the Sahara Desert. Clouds, turquoise blue in this false-color image, gather on the southern edge of the scene. By September 18, water had changed southern Chad completely. The region went from dry to flooded. Lake Fitri had nearly doubled in size as the wetlands filled with water. The Batha River ran high, its channel clearly defined by a bold blue line of water. The land is vibrant green, covered with the grasses that sprang up in response to the rains. The rains and resulting floods cut off or severely hampered access to refugee camps along Chad's southeastern border with the Darfur region of Sudan, making the delivery of supplies difficult, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a report [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LRON-778HGZ?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000151-TCD ] issued on September 20. The rains were expected to continue through early October. Chad was just one of many African countries that were flooded in September 2007. As many as 17 countries and more than a million people were affected by flooding across Africa, reported BBC News on September 17. Images of flood areas in Nigeria, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14532 ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description As East Africa's short rainy season progressed into November, the downpour continued to stress rivers throughout Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The widespread flooding began with the rains in mid-October, and continued through the end of November when unusually heavy rain fell on drought-hardened earth, said the Famine Early Warning System Network [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6VXLLM?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] (FEWS NET). Between October 1 and November 10, 2006, most regions in southern Somalia received more than 300 percent of their normal rainfall, FEWS Net added. The rain had a dual effect on the land. In the long term, the rains will help the region recover from drought, but in some river basins, the rains triggered floods that destroyed crops. Among the river basins most severely affected by flooding is the Shabeelle River (Shabele River in Ethiopia). The top image, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 17, 2006, shows just how much the Shabeelle River had swollen compared to 2005, when the region was in drought. Flooding along this section of the Shabeelle drove 50,000 from their homes in the town of Beletweyne, which was uninhabitable by November 17, said the United Nations. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKEE-6VLP43?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] The floods are visible through scattered clouds, which are pale blue in this image. Water is black, plant-covered land is bright green, and sparsely vegetated land is tan-pink. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description As East Africa's short rainy season progressed into November, the downpour continued to stress rivers throughout Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The widespread flooding began with the rains in mid-October, and continued through the end of November when unusually heavy rain fell on drought-hardened earth, said the Famine Early Warning System Network [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6VXLLM?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] (FEWS NET). Between October 1 and November 10, 2006, most regions in southern Somalia received more than 300 percent of their normal rainfall, FEWS Net added. The rain had a dual effect on the land. In the long term, the rains will help the region recover from drought, but in some river basins, the rains triggered floods that destroyed crops. Among the river basins most severely affected by flooding is the Shabeelle River (Shabele River in Ethiopia). The top image, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 17, 2006, shows just how much the Shabeelle River had swollen compared to 2005, when the region was in drought. Flooding along this section of the Shabeelle drove 50,000 from their homes in the town of Beletweyne, which was uninhabitable by November 17, said the United Nations. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKEE-6VLP43?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] The floods are visible through scattered clouds, which are pale blue in this image. Water is black, plant-covered land is bright green, and sparsely vegetated land is tan-pink. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description An estimated 723,000 people were affected by devastating floods in Kenya in November 2006, according to reports [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-6VYK45?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] from the ReliefWeb organization. The heavy rains caused rivers to overflow their banks and inundate villages and farmland, produced landslides, and increased the risk of cholera and other diseases that spread when water and sanitation systems are overwhelmed by floods. The United Nations World Food Program estimates that emergency workers had been unable to reach as many 150,000 affected people as of November 28 due to impassable roads. Among the most severely hit areas was the Tana River District in southwest Kenya's Coast Province. This pair of images shows the river during the flooding on November 27, 2006 (top), compared to November 28, 2005, when the river was in a more normal state for this time of year. These "false-color" images are made from visible and infrared light observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. In this kind of image, bare or thinly vegetated ground appears light tan or pinkish, vegetation appears bright green, and water appears blue. Clouds are light blue or white. The Tana River runs though the center side of the scene. In the non-flood image, the river is visible as an indistinct, green ribbon of vegetation. To the west of the river, only the faintest hints of ephemeral stream beds can be seen though the clouds in the non-flood image. On November 27, the Tana River had spilled out of its banks, the combination of flood water and vegetation gives the river a turquoise color. In the low-lying area to the west of the Tana River, numerous streams and rivers have fanned across the landscape. At the bottom center of the scene, a dark pool of flood waters spans an area up to 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) wide in places. The whole landscape has responded to the rains, bright green vegetation has sprung up across much of the area. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description An estimated 723,000 people were affected by devastating floods in Kenya in November 2006, according to reports [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-6VYK45?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] from the ReliefWeb organization. The heavy rains caused rivers to overflow their banks and inundate villages and farmland, produced landslides, and increased the risk of cholera and other diseases that spread when water and sanitation systems are overwhelmed by floods. The United Nations World Food Program estimates that emergency workers had been unable to reach as many 150,000 affected people as of November 28 due to impassable roads. Among the most severely hit areas was the Tana River District in southwest Kenya's Coast Province. This pair of images shows the river during the flooding on November 27, 2006 (top), compared to November 28, 2005, when the river was in a more normal state for this time of year. These "false-color" images are made from visible and infrared light observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. In this kind of image, bare or thinly vegetated ground appears light tan or pinkish, vegetation appears bright green, and water appears blue. Clouds are light blue or white. The Tana River runs though the center side of the scene. In the non-flood image, the river is visible as an indistinct, green ribbon of vegetation. To the west of the river, only the faintest hints of ephemeral stream beds can be seen though the clouds in the non-flood image. On November 27, the Tana River had spilled out of its banks, the combination of flood water and vegetation gives the river a turquoise color. In the low-lying area to the west of the Tana River, numerous streams and rivers have fanned across the landscape. At the bottom center of the scene, a dark pool of flood waters spans an area up to 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) wide in places. The whole landscape has responded to the rains, bright green vegetation has sprung up across much of the area. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description On December 6, 2006, Kenya got a brief respite from the unusually heavy rains that brought deadly floods to the country during November. The break in the clouds afforded the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite this view of the mouth of the Tana River, one of the most severely flooded regions in Kenya. By this time, floodwater from the upper reaches of the river had drained to the river's mouth, causing the floods seen here. Scattered clouds, pale blue in the combination of infrared and visible light used to make the image, float over the swollen river and bright green, plant-covered landscape. The lower image, taken a little over a week earlier on November 27, shows the river before the floods reached this particular section. At that time, the central portions of the river were severely flooded. The floods seen on the Tana River were caused by a combination of torrential rain and a release of water from Kenya's overwhelmed hydroelectric dams, reported the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/AMMF-6W9H9K?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] People in hundreds of communities along the Tana River were displaced when the river burst its banks. The Tana River was just one of many rivers to burst their banks in East Africa during the short rainy season of 2006. The short rains, which typically run from late October through early December, fell on drought-hardened ground in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, and gathered into raging floods. As of December 7, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/cf7293789b8a679ee1e8c27b46a2040f.htm ] estimated that 1.8 million people had been affected by the flooding in the three countries. Not only had the floods directly damaged homes, businesses, public buildings, and agricultural fields, but they cut off roads and contaminated drinking water. The lack of clean water and access to health care, food, and other supplies may lead to a health crisis, warns the World Health Organization. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6WAMS2?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] Diseases such as cholera, malaria, diarrhea, and measles have already started to spread among displaced people living in unsanitary conditions with limited access to clean water. Though early December gave the region a break from the rains, more rain and additional flooding were predicted through December. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description On December 6, 2006, Kenya got a brief respite from the unusually heavy rains that brought deadly floods to the country during November. The break in the clouds afforded the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite this view of the mouth of the Tana River, one of the most severely flooded regions in Kenya. By this time, floodwater from the upper reaches of the river had drained to the river's mouth, causing the floods seen here. Scattered clouds, pale blue in the combination of infrared and visible light used to make the image, float over the swollen river and bright green, plant-covered landscape. The lower image, taken a little over a week earlier on November 27, shows the river before the floods reached this particular section. At that time, the central portions of the river were severely flooded. The floods seen on the Tana River were caused by a combination of torrential rain and a release of water from Kenya's overwhelmed hydroelectric dams, reported the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/AMMF-6W9H9K?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] People in hundreds of communities along the Tana River were displaced when the river burst its banks. The Tana River was just one of many rivers to burst their banks in East Africa during the short rainy season of 2006. The short rains, which typically run from late October through early December, fell on drought-hardened ground in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, and gathered into raging floods. As of December 7, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/cf7293789b8a679ee1e8c27b46a2040f.htm ] estimated that 1.8 million people had been affected by the flooding in the three countries. Not only had the floods directly damaged homes, businesses, public buildings, and agricultural fields, but they cut off roads and contaminated drinking water. The lack of clean water and access to health care, food, and other supplies may lead to a health crisis, warns the World Health Organization. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6WAMS2?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] Diseases such as cholera, malaria, diarrhea, and measles have already started to spread among displaced people living in unsanitary conditions with limited access to clean water. Though early December gave the region a break from the rains, more rain and additional flooding were predicted through December. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description As the short rainy season in East Africa drew closer to its seasonal end, waters continued to rise on rivers and in wetlands throughout the region. Devastating floods swept through Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and parts of surrounding countries starting at the end of October 2006 and continuing through December, as the short rainy season unleashed unusually heavy rains. According to the United States Agency for International Development, [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6WD3QS?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] as many as 1.5 million people have been affected by floods in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Though the rainy season typically ends in December, the rains were predicted to continue into January and possibly longer in some regions. The Lotagipi Swamp, in northwestern Kenya and southern Sudan, brimmed with water when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on 's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on December 11, 2006. The lower image was acquired a month earlier, when the swamp was relatively dry. Silty water, pale blue, streams through the swamp, with sections of deeper, clear water forming a dark blue boundary on the northern and eastern edges. The Lotagipi Swamp lies in the Ilemi Triangle, [ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html ] a segment of land that by treaty is in Sudan, but is administered by Kenya. The rain has turned the landscape a vibrant green with the growth of fresh vegetation. Patches of tan indicate areas where few or no plants are growing. Scattered clouds are pale blue and white in this image made from a combination of visible and infrared light. Photo-like, true-color images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07/2006345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team twice daily. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description As the short rainy season in East Africa drew closer to its seasonal end, waters continued to rise on rivers and in wetlands throughout the region. Devastating floods swept through Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and parts of surrounding countries starting at the end of October 2006 and continuing through December, as the short rainy season unleashed unusually heavy rains. According to the United States Agency for International Development, [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6WD3QS?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2006-000169-SOM ] as many as 1.5 million people have been affected by floods in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Though the rainy season typically ends in December, the rains were predicted to continue into January and possibly longer in some regions. The Lotagipi Swamp, in northwestern Kenya and southern Sudan, brimmed with water when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on 's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on December 11, 2006. The lower image was acquired a month earlier, when the swamp was relatively dry. Silty water, pale blue, streams through the swamp, with sections of deeper, clear water forming a dark blue boundary on the northern and eastern edges. The Lotagipi Swamp lies in the Ilemi Triangle, [ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html ] a segment of land that by treaty is in Sudan, but is administered by Kenya. The rain has turned the landscape a vibrant green with the growth of fresh vegetation. Patches of tan indicate areas where few or no plants are growing. Scattered clouds are pale blue and white in this image made from a combination of visible and infrared light. Photo-like, true-color images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07/2006345 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team twice daily. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Night Trails of Africa
Title Night Trails of Africa
Explanation Spanning southern to northern skies, stars trail [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/BEGINNER.HTM ] across this panoramic view of the African night from equatorial Kenya [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html ]. The three hour long exposure [ http://www.astroleague.org/al/astrnote/astnot16.html ] was made on a clear, dark, mid November evening facing due west and covers just over 180 degrees along the horizon. So, the South Celestial Pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000715.html ] is at the center of the concentric arcs on the left and the North Celestial Pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980912.html ] is at the far right (scroll right). And, you guessed it(!), the stars setting along the Celestial Equator [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/bsf2-2.html ] leave the straight trails near the middle of the picture. Well illustrated in this thoughtfully composed panorama [ http://www.photosymphony.com/ ], the star trails in the African night are, of course, not due to motions of the individual stars but simply reflect the daily rotation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010110.html ] of planet Earth itself [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour_def/the_universe/ uts/earth2.html ].
Nalubaale Dam, Uganda: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Dam KML file for use with ea …
nalubaale_etm_2001331
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date 2001-11-27
creator NASA -- NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Landsat-7 data provided by the UMD glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility.
identifier nalubaale_etm_2001331
Floods in West Africa: Natur …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
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Flooding in Eastern Africa: …
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During the first two weeks o …
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Flooding in the Horn of Afri …
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An estimated 723,000 people …
kenya_amo_2006331
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identifier kenya_amo_2006331
Floods in Chad: Image of the …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
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Chad_TMO_2007261
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creator NASA -- NASA images courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
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Floods in East Africa: Natur …
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* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
Somalia_TMO_2006321
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El Nino and Rainfall: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
At the end of 2006, East Afr …
precipanom_trmm_200611
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identifier precipanom_trmm_200611
Drought in East Africa: Natu …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Six successive years of poor …
eafrica_avhrr_11-20apr05
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creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
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Drought in East Africa: Natu …
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Six successive years of poor …
eafrica_avhrr_11-20apr05
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
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creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
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Locusts in Kenya: Image of t …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
'For the first time since 19 …
kenyandvia_spt_2007324
mediatype IMAGE
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Water Hyacinth Re-invades La …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
It started out small, as suc …
Victoria_TMO_2005351_lrg
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-12-18
creator NASA -- MODIS images courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC, photo and additional caption information courtesy Assaf Anyamba, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology Center (GEST/UMBC) and NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Biospheric Sciences.
identifier Victoria_TMO_2005351_lrg
Water Hyacinth Re-invades La …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
It started out small, as suc …
Victoria_TMO_2005351_lrg
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-12-18
creator NASA -- MODIS images courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC, photo and additional caption information courtesy Assaf Anyamba, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology Center (GEST/UMBC) and NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Biospheric Sciences.
identifier Victoria_TMO_2005351_lrg
Solar Eclipse over Africa: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Eastern Africa was cloaked i …
EastAfrica_AMO_2005276
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-10-03
creator NASA -- NASA images courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
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East Africa : Image of the D …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
This image shows the East Af …
seawifs_ethiopia
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2000-11-29
creator NASA -- Provided by the seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
identifier seawifs_ethiopia
Floods in East Africa: Natur …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
NKenya_AMO_2006303
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-10-30
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier NKenya_AMO_2006303
Deforestation in Guinea's Pa …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In western Africa, a small p …
parrot_l7_1999353
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 1999-12-19
creator NASA -- NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility .
identifier parrot_l7_1999353
Lake Naivasha, Kenya: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Outside the ground is frozen …
ge_08599
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008-02-02
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08599
Lake Naivasha, Kenya: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Outside the ground is frozen …
ge_08599
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2008-02-02
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_08599
Lake Naivasha, Kenya: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
naivasha_etm_2000027
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 1986-01-28
creator NASA -- Images by Jesse Allen, based on data provided by University of Maryland glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility
identifier naivasha_etm_2000027
East Africa Greens Up from H …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
After devastating drought in …
eafricandvia_spt_200611
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jenn Small and Assaf Anyamba of the ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at NASA GSFC.
identifier eafricandvia_spt_200611
East Africa Greens Up from H …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After devastating drought in …
ge_17782
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-11-30
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_17782
East Africa Greens Up from H …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After devastating drought in …
ge_17782
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-11-30
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_17782
East Africa Greens Up from H …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After devastating drought in …
ge_17782
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-11-30
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_17782
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