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Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse Image S
…
On August 1, a total solar e
…
8/4/08
| Description |
On August 1, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China. The eclipse swept across Earth in a narrow path that began in Canada's northern province of Nunavut and ended in northern China's Silk Road region. Though the eclipse was not visible in most of North America, NASA TV and the Exploratorium made streaming video of the event available online. These images are taken from that video. The sun appears differently in some of the images because of the different filters used to capture the event. Times listed are approximate. At 6:54 a.m. ET, clouds began to roll in, threatening to block out the total eclipse. The clouds began to break at 7:06 a.m., and the sky cleared long enough for views of totality at 7:10 a.m. > Larger, unlabeled image Credit: NASA TV/The Exploratorium |
| Date |
8/4/08 |
|
Tuva, Central Asia L & C ban
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This spaceborne radar image
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7/18/96
| Date |
7/18/96 |
| Description |
This spaceborne radar image shows part of the remote central Asian region of Tuva, an autonomous republic of the Russian Federation. Tuva is a mostly mountainous region that lies between western Mongolia and southern Siberia. This image shows the area just south of the republic's capital of Kyzyl. Most of the red, pink and blue areas in the image are agricultural fields of a large collective farming complex that was developed during the era of the Soviet Union. Traditional agricultural activity in the region, still active in remote areas, revolves around practices of nomadic livestock herding. White areas on the image are north-facing hillsides, which develop denser forests than south-facing slopes. The river in the upper right is one of the two major branches of the Yenesey River. Tuva has received some notoriety in recent years due to the intense interest of the celebrated Caltech physicist Dr. Richard Feynman, chronicled in the book "Tuva or Bust" by Ralph Leighton. The image was acquired by Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) onboard the space shuttle Endeavour on October 1, 1994. The image is 56 kilometers by 74 kilometers (35 miles by 46 miles) and is centered at 51.5 degrees north latitude, 95.1 degrees east longitude. North is toward the upper right. The colors are assigned to different radar fequencies and polarizations of the radar as follows: red is L-band, horizontally transmitted and received, green is L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received, and blue is C- band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received. SIR-C/X- SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. ##### |
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Dust clouds over eastern Chi
…
The desert takes to the skie
…
5/9/01
| Date |
5/9/01 |
| Description |
The desert takes to the skies in these images of eastern China from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). A hazy summer view from July 9, 2000, (left) compares with a spectacularly dusty spring view from April 7, 2001, (middle). The two images cover an area from central Manchuria near the top to portions of North and South Korea at the bottom. The image on the right is a higher resolution MISR nadir- camera view of a portion of the April 7, 2001, dust cloud. When viewed at full magnification, a number of atmospheric wave features, like the ridges and valleys of a fingerprint, are apparent. These are probably induced by surface topography, which can disturb the wind flow. A few small cumulus clouds are also visible and are casting shadows on the thick lower dust layer. According to the Xinhua News Agency in China, nearly one million tons of Gobi Desert dust blow into Beijing each year. During a similar dust outbreak last year, the Associated Press reported that the visibility in Beijing had been reduced to the point where buildings were barely visible across city streets and airline schedules were significantly disrupted. The dust has also been implicated in adverse health effects such as respiratory discomfort and eye irritation. Asia's desert areas are prone to soil erosion, as underground water tables are lowered by prolonged drought and by industrial and agricultural water use. Heavy winds blowing eastward across the arid and sparsely vegetated surfaces of Mongolia and western China pick up large quantities of yellow dust. Airborne dust clouds from the April 2001 storm blew across the Pacific Ocean and were carried as far as North America. The minerals transported in this manner are believed to provide nutrients for both oceanic and land ecosystems. The left-hand and middle images are from Terra orbits 2,967 and 6,928 respectively. They are approximately 380 kilometers (236 miles) in width. The right-hand image covers an area roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) wide by 470 kilometers (292 miles) high. Analyses of images such as these constitute one phase of MISR's participation in the Asian-Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment, an international campaign aimed at studying the offshore transport of airborne particles from the Asian continent. More information about this international endeavor is available online at http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/aceasia/ . MISR, built and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is one of several Earth-observing experiments aboard Terra, launched in December 1999. MISR acquires images of the Earth at nine angles simultaneously, using nine separate cameras pointed forward, downward, and backward along its flight path. More information about MISR is available at http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov . JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. # # # # # |
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China Dust Storm during Apri
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm during April 2001 (WMS) |
| Abstract |
A major dust storm occurred in April 2001 over parts of China and Mongolia. Dust from this storm was transported all the way to the coast of the United States. Although dust from the Sahara Desert is routinely transported across the Atlantic to the east coast of the United States, Asian dust rarely makes the distance across the Pacific to the west coast. These airborne microscopic dust and smoke particles, or aerosols, were measured by the TOMS instrument on the Earth Probe satellite. For governments struggling to meet national air quality standards, knowing more about the sources and movement of pollution across national borders has become an important issue. |
| Completed |
2004-06-14 |
|
Earth At Night (WMS)
| Title |
Earth At Night (WMS) |
| Abstract |
This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya. |
| Completed |
2004-02-16 |
|
Earth At Night (WMS)
| Title |
Earth At Night (WMS) |
| Abstract |
This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya. |
| Completed |
2004-02-16 |
|
Earth At Night (WMS)
| Title |
Earth At Night (WMS) |
| Abstract |
This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface. The brightest areas of the Earth are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated. (Compare western Europe with China and India.) Cities tend to grow along coastlines and transportation networks. Even without the underlying map, the outlines of many continents would still be visible. The United States interstate highway system appears as a lattice connecting the brighter dots of city centers. In Russia, the Trans-Siberian railroad is a thin line stretching from Moscow through the center of Asia to Vladivostok. The Nile River, from the Aswan Dam to the Mediterranean Sea, is another bright thread through an otherwise dark region. Even more than 100 years after the invention of the electric light, some regions remain thinly populated and unlit. Antarctica is entirely dark. The interior jungles of Africa and South America are mostly dark, but lights are beginning to appear there. Deserts in Africa, Arabia, Australia, Mongolia, and the United States are poorly lit as well (except along the coast), along with the boreal forests of Canada and Russia, and the great mountains of the Himalaya. |
| Completed |
2004-02-16 |
|
China Dust Storm Pollutes Ai
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm Pollutes Air in the Eastern United States in April 2001 (Flatmap) |
| Abstract |
A large dust storm develops over China on April 6 and 7, 2001. This animation shows the dust moving over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and Canada, settling over the United States. |
| Completed |
2004-06-10 |
|
China Dust Storm Pollutes Ai
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm Pollutes Air in the Eastern United States in April 2001 (Flatmap) |
| Abstract |
A large dust storm develops over China on April 6 and 7, 2001. This animation shows the dust moving over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and Canada, settling over the United States. |
| Completed |
2004-06-10 |
|
China Dust Storm Pollutes Ai
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm Pollutes Air in the Eastern United States in April 2001 (Flatmap) |
| Abstract |
A large dust storm develops over China on April 6 and 7, 2001. This animation shows the dust moving over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and Canada, settling over the United States. |
| Completed |
2004-06-10 |
|
China Dust Storm Pollutes Ai
…
| Title |
China Dust Storm Pollutes Air in the Eastern United States in April 2001 (Flatmap) |
| Abstract |
A large dust storm develops over China on April 6 and 7, 2001. This animation shows the dust moving over China, Russia, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and Canada, settling over the United States. |
| Completed |
2004-06-10 |
|
Gobi Desert Dust Storm
| Title |
Gobi Desert Dust Storm |
| Description |
A dust storm blew across the Gobi Desert on March 30, 2007. The same day, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the storm. This picture shows the storm's source points in Mongolia: the start of a very pale plume in the north, and the beginnings of thicker, slightly darker plumes in the south. All the plumes flare out as they sweep across the Gobi in a counter-clockwise direction toward China. Just south of the dust plumes, opaque white clouds follow a similar path. According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's Meteorology Education and Training program, the Gobi Desert ranks among the world's leading sources of dust storms, along with the Sahara, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust and Pollution over Chin
…
| Title |
Dust and Pollution over China |
| Description |
There is a thick pall of haze (greyish pixels) over Eastern China, while there appears to be a new dust storm (brownish pixels) blowing out from the deserts of Mongolia on March 29, 2002. This true-color image of the region was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] spacecraft. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust and Smog in Northeast C
…
| Title |
Dust and Smog in Northeast China |
| Description |
Much of the land surface is obscured in this oblique image of the North China Plain and parts of Inner Mongolia. In this image, a mass of gray smog—mainly industrial pollution and smoke from domestic burning—obscures Beijing and surrounding cities. Numerous plumes with their source points appear within the mass. Beijing suffers some of the worst air pollution in the world from these chronic sources, and the characteristic colors and textures of the smog can be easily seen through the windows of the International Space Station. The pale brown material in Bo Hai Bay, about 300 kilometers east of Beijing, is sediment from the Yellow River and other rivers. Separated from the smog mass by a band of puffy, white cumulus clouds is a light brown plume of dust. The line of white clouds has developed along the steep slope that separates the heavily populated North China Plain—the location of the largest population concentration on Earth—and the sparsely populated semi-desert plains of Inner Mongolia. Most Northern Hemisphere deserts saw dust storms in the spring of 2006, and the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts of western China were no exception. Dust plumes originating in these deserts typically extend hundreds of kilometers eastward, regularly depositing dust on Beijing, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. Some plumes even extend over the Pacific Ocean. In extreme cases, visible masses of Gobi-derived dust have reached North America. An astronaut handheld-camera image taken in 1996 shows a broad corridor of smog moving off the mainland out into the Pacific Ocean from China's more southerly population center near Taiwan. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15295 ] Astronaut photograph ISS013-E-21250 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=21250 ] was acquired March 2, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 50 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Heavy Smoke over China
| Title |
Heavy Smoke over China |
| Description |
Thick smoke (greyish pixels) from many fires (red pixels) burning in northeastern Asia filled the skies above parts of Russia and China on September 25, 2002. This true-color scene was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. The scene spans from Mongolia and Southeastern Russia (on the left) across Manchuria, China (on the right). The southern half of Russia?s Lake Baikal can be seen in the upper left of this image.Image courtesy Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, based upon data provided by the MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan
| Title |
Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan |
| Description |
The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard Orbview-2, captured this true-color perspective on the large Asian dust storm visible over the Sea of Japan and the North Pacific Ocean on March 17, 2002. Dust storms such as this one originate in the deserts of China and Mongolia. They are an annual spring time event in East Asia and have been exacerbated in recent years by decades of deforestation. The black regions are gaps between consecutive SeaWiFS? viewing swaths and represent areas where no data were collected. SeaWiFS image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
|
Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan
| Title |
Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan |
| Description |
A few days earlier than usual, a large, dense plume of dust blew southward and eastward from the desert plains of Mongolia?quite smothering to the residents of Beijing. Citizens of northeastern China call this annual event the ?shachenbao,? or ?dust cloud tempest.? However, the tempest normally occurs during the spring time. The dust storm hit Beijing on Friday night, March 15, and began coating everything with a fine, pale brown layer of grit. The region is quite dry, a problem some believe has been exacerbated by decades of deforestation. According to Chinese government estimates, roughly 1 million tons of desert dust and sand blow into Beijing each year. This true-color image was made using data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard the OrbView-2 satellite, on March 18, 2002. The massive dust storm (brownish pixels) can easily be distinguished from clouds (bright white pixels) as it blows across Japan and out over the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
|
Dust in Northern China
| Title |
Dust in Northern China |
| Description |
A late-spring dust storm skirted the China-Mongolia border on May 26, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust storm appears as a beige blur over a buff-colored landscape, and the plume remains close to but south of the border. You can download a 250-meter-resolution dust storm KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/May2007/mongolia_amo_2007146.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Dust Storm in China Spreads
…
| Title |
Dust Storm in China Spreads to Sea of Japan |
| Description |
The prevailing westerly winds in the mid-latitudes often blow dust from deserts in China and Mongolia toward Japan. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites, a dust storm ripples across the deserts of Inner Mongolia on April 14, 2005 (Aqua MODIS, top), and spreads out over the Sea of Japan to the east on April 15 (Terra MODIS, bottom). The high-resolution image provided above is 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides these images (April 14 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005104-0414/China.A2005104.0435 ]and April 15 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005105-0415/SeaofJapan.A2005105.0200 ]) at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust Storm in China Spreads
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| Title |
Dust Storm in China Spreads to Sea of Japan |
| Description |
The prevailing westerly winds in the mid-latitudes often blow dust from deserts in China and Mongolia toward Japan. In this pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites, a dust storm ripples across the deserts of Inner Mongolia on April 14, 2005 (Aqua MODIS, top), and spreads out over the Sea of Japan to the east on April 15 (Terra MODIS, bottom). The high-resolution image provided above is 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides these images (April 14 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005104-0414/China.A2005104.0435 ]and April 15 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005105-0415/SeaofJapan.A2005105.0200 ]) at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Dust Storm in the Russian Fa
…
| Title |
Dust Storm in the Russian Far East |
| Description |
A dust plume hovered over the border between Russia's Far East and China on April 30, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust plume appears as a tan blob over the border between Russia and China. The dust plume likely originated in the arid west, perhaps in Mongolia. The dust particles enjoy plenty of company as they cloud the skies over eastern Asia. Surrounding the dust are not only white clouds but also dingy gray haze, likely resulting from fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14238 ] in the region. Just east of the dust plume are three distinct fingers of smoke that blow toward the northwest in a counterclockwise direction. The high-resolution image shows a burn scar (dark brown areas) at the southeastern base of these smoke plumes. South of the dust plume, the haze may result from pollution. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
According to Chinese news reports, a dust storm had been predicted for northern and central China between March 9 and March 12, 2006, and the prediction proved correct. On March 10, a dust storm struck the region of Beijing. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on March 10, 2006. In this mage, dust mingles with clouds over northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula. The dust cloud appears as a pale tan, slightly lighter than the underlying landscape. Dust clouds obscure the view of the city of Beijing. According to Reuters News Service, the dust resulted in a rare phenomenon in South Korea: yellow snow. Snow laced with dust can pose a health hazard, and the Korean weather bureau issued a dust warning. In northeastern China and Mongolia, the storm posed the usual hazards to respiratory tracts and eyes. The Gobi Desert was the likely source of at least some of this dust. Dust storms are far from rare in the Gobi Desert in March. Dust storms in March and April can actually exceed the number of storms for all other months combined. This storm resulted from cold air from Siberia combined with low pressure from Mongolia. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Dust Storm over the Yellow S
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| Title |
Dust Storm over the Yellow Sea |
| Description |
On November 6, 2005, a massive dust storm swept southward over the Yellow Sea from northern China. This storm followed on the heels of perhaps the worst air pollution [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13250 ] in nearby Beijing in six months, according to news reports. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on November 6. In this image, pale beige dust plumes streak southward over the Bo Hai, Korea Bay, and Yellow Sea, likely mixing with air pollutants from other parts of the country as the dust passes over the ocean. According to a news report [ http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1605041,00.html ] in The Guardian, China was named the "air pollution capital of the world" in the fall of 2005. This dust storm, however, owes its existence to more than pollution. The sandy deserts of Mongolia lie to the north, and Mongolia is one of the world's most prolific sources of dust. Yet this region produces some treasures along with natural hazards. Sandwiched between Mongolia to the north, and Bo Hai to the south, is Liaoning, a part of China that has become famous in recent years for its fossils, such as feathered dinosaurs [ http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs/diorama/forest.php ]. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Large Fires in Mongolia
| Title |
Large Fires in Mongolia |
| Description |
On April 23, 2006, large fires were burning in the foothills of the mountains that separate Russia (north) from Mongolia (south). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the fires (actively burning areas outlined in red) and their accompanying large burn scars (dark brown). The smoke is blowing southeastward. To the southeast, a burn scar more than 50 kilometers across darkens the light tan landscape. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006113-0423/ ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Large Fires in Mongolia
| Title |
Large Fires in Mongolia |
| Description |
Large fires were burning at the border of Russia and Mongolia on May 1, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite passed over the region. The actively burning portions of the fires are outlined in red, and plumes of thick, brownish-gray smoke blow southeast. Dark, almost charcoal-colored burn scars are spread across the landscape. At upper left, snow still covers mountain peaks despite the arrival of spring more than a month before. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
Particle Pollution in Easter
…
| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
This true-color image reveals much of eastern China covered by a thick blanket of smog, on September 12, 2004. The gray-colored haze, easily distinguished in this scene from the brighter white clouds, extends from the province of Mongolia (top center) all the way south to the Hunan Province (bottom center). Such intense, long-lived pollution events are particularly concerning in light of new research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health which shows that air pollution can reduce children's lung function. [ http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2004/niehs-08a.htm ] According to the researchers' findings, published in the "New England Journal of Medicine," "Children who live in polluted communities are five times more likely to have clinically low lung function—less than 80 percent of the lung function expected for their age." The researchers conducted their study over an 8-year period in some of the most polluted areas across the greater Los Angeles area. They tracked levels of air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, acid vapor, elemental carbon, and particulate matter in areas where children live and found that children living in the most polluted areas showed "significant reductions in the volume of air that they could exhale after taking a deep breath as compared to children living in areas with cleaner air." This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. The high-resolution copy available here is 250 meters per pixel. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] Team |
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Sandstorms Sweep Across Nort
…
| Title |
Sandstorms Sweep Across Northern China |
| Description |
Thick clouds of dust sweep across the Gobi Desert in Northern China and Southern Mongolia in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image taken by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 27, 2004. According to China's official news agency, about 70 million people in 11 provinces were affected by sandstorms on March 27 and 28. The worst of the storm was concentrated here, in Inner Mongolia, where yellow sand blew for sixteen hours. Mongolia, top, was also affected by the storm. The high resolution image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004087-0327/China.A2004087.0340 ]. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Smog and Sand over Beijing
| Title |
Smog and Sand over Beijing |
| Description |
Thick sand from one of China's famed sandstorms clouded the air over Beijing on April 17, 2006. The storm swept east from the border region between China and Mongolia and blanketed cities across China with gritty yellow sand. The storm was the eighth and worst such storm of 2006, reported the BBC. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on the morning of April 17. In this image, a thick band of tan dust obscures the view of the land surface below. Immediately east of the sandstorm are thick clouds, colored tan by the airborne dust. Along the coastlines, brownish sediments from both China and the Korean Peninsula cloud the Yellow Sea. As Terra captured this image, The Korea Times predicted that the storm would strike Korea on the evening of April 17, 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
Smoke from Fires in Eastern
…
| Title |
Smoke from Fires in Eastern Russia |
| Description |
Between May 3-8, 2003, carbon monoxide filled the skies over southern Russia (top), Mongolia (below left), and China (below right). This image shows measurements of carbon monoxide captured by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) sensor on the Terra satellite, with values ranging from zero (dark blue) to 360 parts per billion (red). The carbon monoxide was coming from hundreds of fires burning in the region at the start of the farming season. Smoke plumes from these fires spread far out over the Pacific Ocean to the east. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MOPITT Team |
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Spring Dust Storms Scour Chi
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| Title |
Spring Dust Storms Scour China |
| Description |
A river of dust stretched hundreds of kilometers over China on April 28, 2005. The dust storm originated in the Gobi Desert near the border with Mongolia. Blown by powerful winds from Mongolia, the dust crossed the Luliang Mountains, the peaks of which divide the tan cloud that filled the lower valleys, and blanketed the North China Plain, a highly populated region where several large cities, including Beijing, are located. This image of the storm was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on the morning of April 28. Such dust storms occur frequently in the spring when winds blow out of the north. The large image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions, including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Spring Dust Storms Scour Chi
…
| Title |
Spring Dust Storms Scour China |
| Description |
Just as flowering and greening plants, migrating birds, and flooding herald the coming of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, dust storms are a sign of spring in northern China. Cold fronts from Siberia to the north bring strong winds to the deserts of Inner Mongolia. The winds pick up sand and carry it southeast over the densely populated region surrounding the Bo Hai and the Yellow Sea. In the most powerful storms, the dust may be carried all the way across the Pacific Ocean to North America. The storms subside in mid-May when warm air moves up from the southwest. On April 20, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of dust over the Yellow Sea. The storm that generated this dense brown cloud of dust covered much of Northern China, including Beijing, with a dusty haze. The dust blew east into Korea, where officials referred to it as the worst dust storm so far this year. The winds are expected to calm on Friday, April 22, 2005. Not all of the brown seen in this image is caused by airborne dust. Near the shores, sediment colors the water of the Yellow Sea. The brown of the sediment fades to green as the dirt is diluted in the sea. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides the image in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Fires Near Lake Baikal
| Title |
Fires Near Lake Baikal |
| Description |
In southern Russia's Irkutsk region, dozens of fires were burning between the snow-capped Vostochnny Mountains and the Angara River on May 26, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image and fire detections (marked in red) as it passed overhead that day. A large, smoky fire was also burning in Mongolia on this day. Lake Baikal still had ice clinging to its shoreline in places, and part of the Angara River was still ice-covered as well. The ITAR-TASS Russian news service reported major fire activity in Russia's Far East in the spring of 2006. According to their reports, which cite the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations, the area burned as of the third week of May was 17 times greater than the area burned in 2005. Hundreds of thousands of hectares (1 hectare is about 2.5 acres) of taiga (boreal forest) and non-forest areas had burned. At this time of year, fires in the area are triggered by both lightning and people. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Fires Surrounding Lake Baika
…
| Title |
Fires Surrounding Lake Baikal |
| Description |
Fires burning in southern Russia (top) east of Lake Baikal (upper left) are still billowing dense smoke over parts of Mongolia (below, left) and China (below, right). This image of the fires (red dots) and smoke was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on May 14, 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 |
|
Fires Surrounding Lake Baika
…
| Title |
Fires Surrounding Lake Baikal |
| Description |
Fires in southern Russia continue to churn out thick smoke, which is drifting hundreds of miles to the south and east. This combination image is made of a MODIS image from the Terra satellite (left) and MODIS image from the Aqua satellite (right) a few hours later on May 19, 2003. Active fires are marked with red dots. The fires are burning on either side of Like Baikal, in the upper left quadrant of the image, and smoke spills over Mongolia (below, left) and China (below, right). A few fires are burning in northern China. The high-resolution image provided above is 1 kilometer per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at a spatial resolution of 500 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires Surrounding Lake Baika
…
| Title |
Fires Surrounding Lake Baikal |
| Description |
East of Lake Baikal (left center edge) in southern Russia, scores of forest fires continue to rage out of control and choke the skies with smoke. The smoke stretches far southward into Mongolia (bottom left) and northern China (bottom right). This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was captured by the Terra satellite on June 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 Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Fires Surrounding Lake Baika
…
| Title |
Fires Surrounding Lake Baikal |
| Description |
Fires surrounding Lake Baikal in southeastern Russia continue to burn largely out of control on May 30, 2003. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Terra satellite shows active fires marked with red dots all around the lake. Huge, dark burn scars mark the forests in the region, and smoke streams across Mongolia (below left) and China (right). 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 |
|
Flooding in Southern Siberia
| Title |
Flooding in Southern Siberia |
| Description |
Springtime flooding in southern Siberia is not unusual. Melting snow fills the north-flowing rivers in the south even as upstream sections of the river are still frozen. Floods build up behind dams of ice, or simply build under the fast flow of spring runoff. Spring of 2006 was not exceptional. The Ob River of southern Siberia bulged with melted snow 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 7, 2006. A little over two weeks earlier, lower image, the river was still partially frozen, as evidenced by the strips of light blue ice on the river. Snow, pale blue here, was just beginning to melt on April 21. By May 7, most of the snow was gone, and the river had expanded out over its flood plain. Under the clouds along the right edge of the image is the city of Biysk, where 1,350 houses were flooded, according to news reports. Approximately 5,000 people had evacuated from the region. The Ob forms near Biysk where two smaller rivers converge. The smaller rivers flow out of the Altay Mountains of southern Russia and Mongolia near the borders of China and Kazakhstan. From the segment of the river shown here, the Ob will flow 3,700 kilometers (2,260 miles) north to the Kara Sea, a branch of the Arctic Ocean. NASA images created Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
When Diamonds Aren't Forever
| Title |
When Diamonds Aren't Forever |
| Explanation |
The track of totality for the first solar eclipse of 2006 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/ TSE2006.html ] began early yesterday on the east coast of Brazil and ended half a world away at sunset in western Mongolia [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020209.html ]. In between, the shadow [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040926.html ] of the Moon crossed the Atlantic Ocean, northern Africa, and central Asia, and so came for a moment to the small Greek island of Kastelorizo [ http://www.hri.org/infoxenios/english/dodecanese/kastelorizo/ history.html ] in the eastern Aegean. Astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis reports that the islanders and many eclipse-watching [ http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/ gallery_29mar06.htm ] visitors were indeed treated to an inspiring display of the beautiful solar corona [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010408.html ] as totality lasted about three minutes. As the total phase [ http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html ] of the eclipse ended, he was able to capture this striking "diamond ring" image [ http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-Eclipses-2006-03-29b.htm ]. In it, the first rays of sunlight shining through edge-on lunar valleys create the fleeting appearance of glistening diamonds set in a bright ring around the Moon's silhouette [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050506.html ]. |
|
Moon Over Mongolia
| Title |
Moon Over Mongolia |
| Explanation |
Fighting clouds and the glow of city lights, a young Moon shines over the western horizon of Mongolia's [ http://www.mol.mn/ ] capital, Ulaan-Baatar [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ mg.html ]. The thin sunlit crescent [ http://www.allthesky.com/various/earthshine.html ] is about 2 days old and strongly over exposed in this image taken on March 10, 1997. The night side of the Moon is also visible due to earthshine [ http://www.bbso.njit.edu/Research/EarthShine/ ] - sunlight reflected from the Earth to the Moon. Just below the Moon, bright Saturn [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/ photogallery-saturn.html ] shines through the clouds. Skygazers [ http://www.spaceweather.com/planets/gallery_nov01.html ] will have a chance to watch the Moon actually pass in front [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010908.html ] of the ringed planet in February, March, and April this year. In fact, an excellent lunar occultation of Saturn will be visible from parts of North America on February 20th [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/occultations/ article_297_1.asp ] as Saturn disappears behind the dark limb of a first quarter Moon. Some may even take this opportunity to search for Saturn's lost ring [ http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets2002/ 0221ring.htm ]. |
|
Moon Over Mongolia
| Title |
Moon Over Mongolia |
| Explanation |
Fighting clouds and the glow of city lights, a young Moon shines over the western horizon of Mongolia's [ http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/ middle_east_and_asia/Mongolia2.jpg ] capital [ http://www.bluemarble.net/~mitch/mong/mf/mf.html ] Ulaan-Baatar. The thin sunlit crescent is 1.5 days old and strongly over exposed in this image taken on March 10. The night side of the moon is also visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960919.html ] due to Earthshine [ http://www.delos.physics.wm.edu/~mhagger/earthshine/ ] - sunlight reflected from the Earth to the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960530.html ]. Just below the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950903.html ], bright Saturn shines through the clouds. Early morning risers can see the Moon near Saturn this week. In fact, from North America the Moon can be seen to pass in front of the ringed planet [ http://www.skypub.com/whatsup/9709satu.html ] on Thursday morning, September 18th. |
|
Earth observations taken dur
…
johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
Earth observations taken dur
…
STS059-L17-085
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1997-04-14 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
STS059-L17-085 |
|
Dust over Mongolia and China
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Near the end of May 2008, a
…
china_tmo_2008149
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
china_tmo_2008149 |
|
Dust and Smog in Northeast C
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Much of the land surface is
…
ISS012-E-21250
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-03-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- Astronaut photograph eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=21250 ISS013-E-21250 was acquired March 2, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 50 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. |
| identifier |
ISS012-E-21250 |
|
Fires Surrounding Lake Baika
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Fires surrounding Lake Baika
…
ERussia.TMOA2003150
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-05-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ERussia.TMOA2003150 |
|
Gobi Desert Dust Storm: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A dust storm blew across the
…
gobi_amo_2007089
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-03-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
gobi_amo_2007089 |
|
Dust Storm in the Russian Fa
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A dust plume hovered over th
…
russia_amo_2007120
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-04-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
russia_amo_2007120 |
|
Floods on the Yellow River:
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
YellowRiver_TMO_2008084
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-03-24 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
YellowRiver_TMO_2008084 |
|
Various views of the ISS tak
…
johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
Various views of the Interna
…
STS096-715-014
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1999-06-16 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
STS096-715-014 |
|
Dust over Mongolia and China
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A springtime dust storm spre
…
china_amo_2008148
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-27 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
china_amo_2008148 |
|
Dust in Northern China: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A late-spring dust storm ski
…
mongolia_amo_2007146
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-05-26 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
mongolia_amo_2007146 |
|
|
