Browse All : Images of Nevada and California

Printer Friendly
1 2 3 4 5
1-50 of 225
     
     
Earth Resources Project
Ames Earth Resources project …
3/23/09
Description Ames Earth Resources project U-2 aircraft shot this oblique image off the coast of California, USA in 1972. The Golden Gate is in the foreground. As the image looks out across California the blue spot at the top enter is Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada. Photo Credit: NASA Ames Research Center
Date 3/23/09
SR-71 Over Snow Capped Mount …
Title SR-71 Over Snow Capped Mountains
Full Description Dryden's SR-71B, NASA 831, slices across the snowy southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California after being refueled by an Air Force Flight Test Center tanker during a recent flight. The Mach 3 aircraft are being flown by the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California as testbeds for high-speed, high-altitude aeronautical research. Capable of flying more than 2200 mph and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet, they are excellent platforms for research and experiments in aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization.
Date 01/01/1995
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Farallon Plate Remnants
Title Farallon Plate Remnants
Abstract The Rockies are fifteen hundred kilometers, or one thousand miles, to the east. The cause must be the tectonic plate that built these mountains. Its name is Farallon. Farallon started off normally enough. It plunged beneath the North American Plate at a forty-five degree angle. This process sprouted volcanoes to form the Sierra Nevada in what is now California. Next, mantle motions pulled North America westward over Farallon, and the plate scraped along the bottom of the continent - for fifteen hundred kilometers. As North America continued its westward trek, Farallon settled to the bottom of the mantle.
Completed 2000-12-19
Farallon Plate Remnants
Title Farallon Plate Remnants
Abstract The Rockies are fifteen hundred kilometers, or one thousand miles, to the east. The cause must be the tectonic plate that built these mountains. Its name is Farallon. Farallon started off normally enough. It plunged beneath the North American Plate at a forty-five degree angle. This process sprouted volcanoes to form the Sierra Nevada in what is now California. Next, mantle motions pulled North America westward over Farallon, and the plate scraped along the bottom of the continent - for fifteen hundred kilometers. As North America continued its westward trek, Farallon settled to the bottom of the mantle.
Completed 2000-12-19
Farallon Plate Remnants
Title Farallon Plate Remnants
Abstract The Rockies are fifteen hundred kilometers, or one thousand miles, to the east. The cause must be the tectonic plate that built these mountains. Its name is Farallon. Farallon started off normally enough. It plunged beneath the North American Plate at a forty-five degree angle. This process sprouted volcanoes to form the Sierra Nevada in what is now California. Next, mantle motions pulled North America westward over Farallon, and the plate scraped along the bottom of the continent - for fifteen hundred kilometers. As North America continued its westward trek, Farallon settled to the bottom of the mantle.
Completed 2000-12-19
Global Snow Cover from MODIS
Title Global Snow Cover from MODIS
Abstract The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides data in 36 spectral bands, some of which are used in an algorithm to map global snow cover. The animation shows the dynamic behavior of the advance and retreat of continental snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere for the winter of 2001 - 2002 from MODIS-derived 8-day composite snow maps with a spatial resolution of about 5 km. A time series of MODIS snow-cover maps of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, derived from MODIS-derived daily snow maps with 500-m resolution, is also shown for the winter and spring of 2001.
Completed 2002-06-26
Global Snow Cover from MODIS
Title Global Snow Cover from MODIS
Abstract The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides data in 36 spectral bands, some of which are used in an algorithm to map global snow cover. The animation shows the dynamic behavior of the advance and retreat of continental snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere for the winter of 2001 - 2002 from MODIS-derived 8-day composite snow maps with a spatial resolution of about 5 km. A time series of MODIS snow-cover maps of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, derived from MODIS-derived daily snow maps with 500-m resolution, is also shown for the winter and spring of 2001.
Completed 2002-06-26
National Map Showing Habitat …
Title National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion
Abstract The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk.
Completed 2005-10-18
National Map Showing Habitat …
Title National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion
Abstract The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk.
Completed 2005-10-18
National Map Showing Habitat …
Title National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion
Abstract The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk.
Completed 2005-10-18
National Map Showing Habitat …
Title National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion
Abstract The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk.
Completed 2005-10-18
National Map Showing Habitat …
Title National Map Showing Habitat Suitability for Tamarisk Invasion
Abstract The spread of invasive species is one of the most daunting environmental, economic, and human-health problems facing the United States and the World today. It is one of several grand challenge environmental problems being addressed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate through a national application partnership with the US Geological Survey. NASA and USGS are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) for the management and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands. The system provides a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process MODIS, ETM+, ASTER and commercial remote sensing data, to create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species likely habitats. Recent work on the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) project has shown the importance of remotely-sensed time-series data in geostatistical models for mapping the distribution of Tamarisk and other invasive plant species. This video shows the habitat suitability for a Tamarisk invasion in the continental United States. Red indicates areas that are highly suitable and yellow indicates areas which are less suitable. Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada are the most highly suitable states. Utah and Arizona have the next greatest risk. California, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Wyoming, and Florida also have a significant risk.
Completed 2005-10-18
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Fires
Abstract Fire outlines for 8/18/01 in orange and yellow. Burn scars from 8/13/01 to 8/17/01 are in black and gray. Underlying true color image from 8/13/01. Animation pans over the Trough, Fish, Blue Complex, and Quartz fires respectively.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Smoke Plumes
Abstract True color data on 8/13/01.
Completed 2001-08-20
Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response F …
Title Terra/MODIS Rapid-Response Fires: California Smoke Plumes
Abstract True color data on 8/13/01.
Completed 2001-08-20
Lake Mead Shrinks!
Title Lake Mead Shrinks!
Abstract Lake Mead reservoir is nestled between Arizona and Nevada and runs up to the Hoover Dam. The reservoir stores Colorado River water and supplies it to farms, homes and business in Southern Nevada, Arizona, southern California and northern Mexico. Scientists at NASA are releasing dramatic pictures of the dwindling water supplies in the drought-stricken western United States. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado Basin is in its fourth year of drought and computer models project water levels will go down another 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) by next year. Despite low water levels, The National Park Service says there is still plenty of water for recreation. The Landsat 7 satellite captured images of Lake Mead May 2000, and May 2003. The 2003 image clearly shows a shrinking lake.
Completed 2003-07-03
Lake Mead Shrinks!
Title Lake Mead Shrinks!
Abstract Lake Mead reservoir is nestled between Arizona and Nevada and runs up to the Hoover Dam. The reservoir stores Colorado River water and supplies it to farms, homes and business in Southern Nevada, Arizona, southern California and northern Mexico. Scientists at NASA are releasing dramatic pictures of the dwindling water supplies in the drought-stricken western United States. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado Basin is in its fourth year of drought and computer models project water levels will go down another 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) by next year. Despite low water levels, The National Park Service says there is still plenty of water for recreation. The Landsat 7 satellite captured images of Lake Mead May 2000, and May 2003. The 2003 image clearly shows a shrinking lake.
Completed 2003-07-03
Lake Mead Shrinks!
Title Lake Mead Shrinks!
Abstract Lake Mead reservoir is nestled between Arizona and Nevada and runs up to the Hoover Dam. The reservoir stores Colorado River water and supplies it to farms, homes and business in Southern Nevada, Arizona, southern California and northern Mexico. Scientists at NASA are releasing dramatic pictures of the dwindling water supplies in the drought-stricken western United States. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado Basin is in its fourth year of drought and computer models project water levels will go down another 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) by next year. Despite low water levels, The National Park Service says there is still plenty of water for recreation. The Landsat 7 satellite captured images of Lake Mead May 2000, and May 2003. The 2003 image clearly shows a shrinking lake.
Completed 2003-07-03
MODIS Snow Cover over the Si …
Title MODIS Snow Cover over the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Abstract The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides data in 36 spectral bands, some of which are used in an algorithm to map global snow cover. The animation shows a time series of MODIS snow-cover maps of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, derived from MODIS-derived daily snow maps with 500-m resolution for the winter and spring of 2001.
Completed 2002-06-26
MODIS Snow Cover over the Si …
Title MODIS Snow Cover over the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Abstract The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides data in 36 spectral bands, some of which are used in an algorithm to map global snow cover. The animation shows a time series of MODIS snow-cover maps of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, derived from MODIS-derived daily snow maps with 500-m resolution for the winter and spring of 2001.
Completed 2002-06-26
The Farallon Plate
Title The Farallon Plate
Abstract Farallon Plate sinks beneath North American Plate and scrapes along bottom of continent for 1,500 kilometers before sinking again.
Completed 2000-10-11
ACC-00281-107
Ames Earth Resources project …
6/1/72
Description Ames Earth Resources project U-2 aircraft shot this oblique image off the coast of California, USA in 1972. The Golden Gate is in the foreground. As the image looks out across California the blue spot at the top enter is Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the California Nevada border.
Date 6/1/72
ACC-00281-107
Ames Earth Resources project …
6/1/72
Description Ames Earth Resources project U-2 aircraft shot this oblique image off the coast of California, USA in 1972. The Golden Gate is in the foreground. As the image looks out across California the blue spot at the top enter is Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the California Nevada border.
Date 6/1/72
ACC 00281-107
Ames Earth Resources project …
6/1/72
Description Ames Earth Resources project U-2 aircraft shot this oblique image off the coast of California, USA in 1972. The Golden Gate is in the foreground. As the image looks out across California the blue spot at the top enter is Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the California Nevada border.
Date 6/1/72
X-15 #3 in flight (USAF Phot …
Photo Date 1960s
SR-71A - in Flight over Sout …
Photo Description NASA Dryden Flight Research Center?s SR-71A, tail number 844, banks away over the Sierra Nevada mountains after air refueling from a USAF tanker during a 1997 flight.
Project Description Two SR-71 aircraft have been used by NASA as testbeds for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. The aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer aircraft, have been based here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. They were transferred to NASA after the U.S. Air Force program was cancelled. As research platforms, the aircraft can cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. For thermal experiments, this can produce heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This operating environment makes these aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a variety of areas -- aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, high-speed and high-temperature instrumentation, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization. The SR-71 was used in a program to study ways of reducing sonic booms or over pressures that are heard on the ground, much like sharp thunderclaps, when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Data from this Sonic Boom Mitigation Study could eventually lead to aircraft designs that would reduce the "peak" overpressures of sonic booms and minimize the startling affect they produce on the ground. One of the first major experiments to be flown in the NASA SR-71 program was a laser air data collection system. It used laser light instead of air pressure to produce airspeed and attitude reference data, such as angle of attack and sideslip, which are normally obtained with small tubes and vanes extending into the airstream. One of Dryden's SR-71s was used for the Linear Aerospike Rocket Engine, or LASRE Experiment. Another earlier project consisted of a series of flights using the SR-71 as a science camera platform for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. An upward-looking ultraviolet video camera placed in the SR-71?s nosebay studied a variety of celestial objects in wavelengths that are blocked to ground-based astronomers. Earlier in its history, Dryden had a decade of past experience at sustained speeds above Mach 3. Two YF-12A aircraft and an SR-71 designated as a YF-12C were flown at the center between December 1969 and November 1979 in a joint NASA/USAF program to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The YF-12As were prototypes of a planned interceptor aircraft based on a design that later evolved into the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Dave Lux was the NASA SR-71 project manger for much of the decade of the 1990s, followed by Steve Schmidt. Developed for the USAF as reconnaissance aircraft more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. The aircraft can fly at speeds of more than 2,200 miles per hour (Mach 3+, or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a, wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible fuel weight of 80,280 pounds. The airframes are built almost entirely of titanium and titanium alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained Mach 3 flight. Aerodynamic control surfaces consist of all-moving vertical tail surfaces, ailerons on the outer wings, and elevators on the trailing edges between the engine exhaust nozzles. The two SR-71s at Dryden have been assigned the following NASA tail numbers: NASA 844 (A model), military serial 61-7980 and NASA 831 (B model), military serial 61-7956. From 1990 through 1994, Dryden also had another "A" model, NASA 832, military serial 61-7971. This aircraft was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance purposes in 1995. It has since returned to Dryden along with SR-71A 61-7967. The last SR-71 flight was made on Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Edwards AFB air show. The aircraft used was NASA 844. The aircraft was also scheduled to make a flight the following day, but a fuel leak grounded the aircraft and prevented it from flying again. The NASA SR-71s were then put in flyable storage, where they remained until 2002. They were then sent to museums.
Photo Date February 1997
Angora Fire
Title Angora Fire
Description South of Lake Tahoe, which straddles the Nevada-California state line, a large fire destroyed at least 165 homes over the weekend of June 23, 2007. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows the Angora Fire on June 24. The area in which MODIS detected actively burning fire is outlined in red. A plume of brownish-gray smoke spreads northeast. According to the June 25 report from the National Interagency Fire Center, the Angora Fire was burning in timber and grass, was about 1,800 acres, and was zero percent contained. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA1 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that makes the burned area stand out from the surrounding, unburned vegetation. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Angora Fire
Title Angora Fire
Description On the weekend of June 23, 2007, a wildfire broke out south of Lake Tahoe, which stretches across the California-Nevada border. By June 28, the Angora Fire [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14323 ] had burned more than 200 homes and forced some 2,000 residents to evacuate, according to The Seattle Times and the Central Valley Business Times. On June 27, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the burn scar left by the Angora fire. The burn scar is dark gray, or charcoal. Water bodies, including the southern tip of Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake, are pale silvery blue, the silver color a result of sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water. Vegetation ranges in color from dark to bright green. Streets are light gray, and the customary pattern of meandering residential streets and cul-de-sacs appears throughout the image, including the area that burned. The burn scar shows where the fire obliterated some of the residential areas just east of Fallen Leaf Lake. According to news reports, the U.S. Forest Service had expressed optimism about containing the fire within a week of the outbreak, but a few days after the fire started, it jumped a defense, forcing the evacuation of hundreds more residents. Strong winds that had been forecast for June 27, however, did not materialize, allowing firefighters to regain ground in controlling the blaze. On June 27, authorities hoped that the fire would be completely contained by July 3. According to estimates provided in the daily report from the National Interagency Fire Center, [ http://www.nifc.gov/information.html ] the fire had burned 3,100 acres (about 12.5 square kilometers) and was about 55 percent contained as of June 28. Some mandatory evacuations remained in effect. You can download a 15-meter-resolution KMZ file of the Angora fire [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/tahoe_ast_2007178.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.
Blizzards in the Western Uni …
Title Blizzards in the Western United States
Description A series of heavy winter storms pummeled parts of the western United States between December 24, 2003, and January 3, 2004, blanketing the region with deep snow. Salt Lake City, Utah, reported more than six feet of snow, according to news reports. The blizzards that rolled through California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado closed roads, knocked out power, and claimed at least two lives in subsequent avalanches. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images, taken on January 5, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, show the extent of the snowfall from California in the west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado in the east. The Great Salt Lake is the two-toned body of water in the center of the images. In the top image, shown in true color, only a sliver of green land west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains can be see on the left side of the image?clouds and snow obscure the rest of the landscape. The bottom image shows the same scene in false color. Here, snow and ice are dark red and orange, while clouds are white and peach. Water is black. The false color image helps differentiate between cloud cover and snow and ice on the ground. The high resolution images provided above are at 500 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Blizzards in the Western Uni …
Title Blizzards in the Western United States
Description A series of heavy winter storms pummeled parts of the western United States between December 24, 2003, and January 3, 2004, blanketing the region with deep snow. Salt Lake City, Utah, reported more than six feet of snow, according to news reports. The blizzards that rolled through California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado closed roads, knocked out power, and claimed at least two lives in subsequent avalanches. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images, taken on January 5, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, show the extent of the snowfall from California in the west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado in the east. The Great Salt Lake is the two-toned body of water in the center of the images. In the top image, shown in true color, only a sliver of green land west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains can be see on the left side of the image?clouds and snow obscure the rest of the landscape. The bottom image shows the same scene in false color. Here, snow and ice are dark red and orange, while clouds are white and peach. Water is black. The false color image helps differentiate between cloud cover and snow and ice on the ground. The high resolution images provided above are at 500 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Blizzards in the Western Uni …
Title Blizzards in the Western United States
Description A series of heavy winter storms pummeled parts of the western United States between December 24, 2003, and January 3, 2004, blanketing the region with deep snow. Salt Lake City, Utah, reported more than six feet of snow, according to news reports. The blizzards that rolled through California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado closed roads, knocked out power, and claimed at least two lives in subsequent avalanches. These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images, taken on January 5, 2004, by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, show the extent of the snowfall from California in the west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado in the east. The Great Salt Lake is the two-toned body of water in the center of the images. In the top image, shown in true color, only a sliver of green land west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains can be see on the left side of the image?clouds and snow obscure the rest of the landscape. The bottom image shows the same scene in false color. Here, snow and ice are dark red and orange, while clouds are white and peach. Water is black. The false color image helps differentiate between cloud cover and snow and ice on the ground. The high resolution images provided above are at 500 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Cannon Fire in California an …
Title Cannon Fire in California and Nevada
Description *Cannon Fire in California and Nevada* South of Lake Tahoe and north of Yosemite National Park, the Cannon Fire has crossed the California State Line and is burning northward into the Walker River area in Nevada. More than 1000 people were evacuated from homes and camps in the mountains near Walker River, and at least one residence has been destroyed. The fire nearly tripled in size on Monday, June 17, 2002, growing from 5,000 acres to just under 15,000. It was while fighting the Cannon Fire that an air tanker crashed as it made a flame-retardant drop, killing all three on board. The Canon is the largest fire (red dot) seen in this MODIS image acquired on June 17, 2002. Other large fires include the Sudden Ranch Fire on the Vandenberg Air Force Base (westernmost fire in the image), and the Bluecut Fire north of Los Angeles (easternmost fire in the images), which has produced numerous evacuations. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Cannon Fire in California an …
Title Cannon Fire in California and Nevada
Description *Cannon Fire in California and Nevada* South of Lake Tahoe and north of Yosemite National Park, the Cannon Fire has crossed the California State Line and is burning northward into the Walker River area in Nevada. The Canon is the largest fire (red dot) seen in this MODIS image acquired on June 18, 2002. Other large fires include the Sudden Ranch Fire on the Vandenberg Air Force Base (westernmost fire in the image), and the Bluecut Fire north of Los Angeles (easternmost California fire in the images), which has produced numerous evacuations. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Cannon Fire in California an …
Title Cannon Fire in California and Nevada
Description The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite detected numerous fires burning in California on June 20, 2002. Along the California-Nevada border, southeast of Lake Tahoe, the Cannon Fire is more than 22,000 acres and is 75 percent contained. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Cloudy winter in Mexico and …
Title Cloudy winter in Mexico and the Southern United States
Description February was a cloudy and, in some places, a rainy month for much of the southern United States and Mexico. Heavy rains flooded southern California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. This image hints at patterns of cloud cover during February. The image is a measurement of outgoing longwave radiation, the heat emitted by the Earth's surface. Clouds are cooler than land, so outgoing longwave radiation is less intense where there are clouds. The above image shows anomalies—where February 2005 differed from average values measured in February 1979-1995. Regions where there were more clouds than normal are blue, while areas with fewer clouds are red. The blue regions seen here confirm the days of rain that southern North America experienced in February. This image was derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Assaf Anyamba and NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction.
Death Valley
Title Death Valley
Description Now the driest place in North America, Death Valley was once a verdant, water-filled haven. Between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago, ice covered the Sierra Nevada and rivers flowed into the long valley, feeding Lake Manly. At nearly 100 miles long and 600 feet deep, this massive lake filled Death Valley. To the west, on the other side of the Panamint Range (capped with snow in the top image), was the slightly smaller Panamint Lake. Though the lake and rivers dried as the ice retreated and the climate warmed, water has left its mark on the landscape. Evaporating water left a white salt pan in its place, so the beds of both lakes are clearly visible in these images, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 10, 2005, (top) and March 11, 2004 (bottom). Driven by a mild El Niño, winter 2005 was wet. Southern California was inundated with heavy rain from December through late February. The effects on the landscape hearken back to an earlier age when water was more prevalent. On March 10, 2005, water had pooled in the former Lake Manly and, less noticeably, in Lake Panamint. To the northwest, Owens Valley?another remnant of the last ice age?is also filling with water. Aside from darkening the dry salt pans with water, the winter weather had another effect on the landscape. The mountains are darker and slightly greener with growing vegetation. On average, Death Valley receives less than two inches of rain per year. When the rain does fall, the desert springs to life, blossoming with flowers. This year, Death Valley National Park received over six inches of rain, and the result is a rainbow of wildflowers?one of the best blooms in modern history, the National Park Service reports. For daily wildflower updates, visit the Death Valley National Park [ http://www.nps.gov/deva/ ] home page. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Death Valley
Title Death Valley
Description Now the driest place in North America, Death Valley was once a verdant, water-filled haven. Between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago, ice covered the Sierra Nevada and rivers flowed into the long valley, feeding Lake Manly. At nearly 100 miles long and 600 feet deep, this massive lake filled Death Valley. To the west, on the other side of the Panamint Range (capped with snow in the top image), was the slightly smaller Panamint Lake. Though the lake and rivers dried as the ice retreated and the climate warmed, water has left its mark on the landscape. Evaporating water left a white salt pan in its place, so the beds of both lakes are clearly visible in these images, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 10, 2005, (top) and March 11, 2004 (bottom). Driven by a mild El Niño, winter 2005 was wet. Southern California was inundated with heavy rain from December through late February. The effects on the landscape hearken back to an earlier age when water was more prevalent. On March 10, 2005, water had pooled in the former Lake Manly and, less noticeably, in Lake Panamint. To the northwest, Owens Valley?another remnant of the last ice age?is also filling with water. Aside from darkening the dry salt pans with water, the winter weather had another effect on the landscape. The mountains are darker and slightly greener with growing vegetation. On average, Death Valley receives less than two inches of rain per year. When the rain does fall, the desert springs to life, blossoming with flowers. This year, Death Valley National Park received over six inches of rain, and the result is a rainbow of wildflowers?one of the best blooms in modern history, the National Park Service reports. For daily wildflower updates, visit the Death Valley National Park [ http://www.nps.gov/deva/ ] home page. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team and the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.
Heatwave in Southern Califor …
Title Heatwave in Southern California
Description September 5, 2007, marked the end of a week-long heat wave that led to 31 deaths and triggered power outages across southern California, reported the L.A. Times. Temperatures climbed above 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) when a high-pressure system blocked cool air from the Pacific. The effect of the heat wave on different locations in the Southwest is shown in this pair of images, taken on September 5, at 11:25 a.m. local time (18:25 UTC) by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ], in Northern California filters down from the top edge of the scene. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data obtained from the Goddard Land Processes data archives (LAADS). [ http://laads.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], satellite. The photo-like, natural-color image (top) and corresponding land surface temperature image (bottom) illustrate the relationship between land cover, elevation, and temperature. The images show much of California and Nevada, and a smaller portion of Arizona and Utah. Not surprisingly, the hottest areas, shown in yellow, correspond with sparsely vegetated desert regions. In the natural-color image, the brush-covered Mojave Desert on the California-Nevada border is tan with splashes of pink where iron-rich sandstone is exposed. The small-leafed, woody vegetation provides little shade, allowing the Earth's surface to be exposed to the Sun. The rock-and-dirt desert absorbs sunlight, and temperatures climb (yellow areas of bottom image). The other hot spots in the image occur in the cactus-dotted Sonoran Desert, which encompasses the southernmost portions of inland California and southwestern Arizona, and the much smaller Colorado Desert west of the Salton Sea. Irrigated land south of the Salton Sea and along the Colorado River is a web of brown-green. The presence of water and vegetation in these irrigated areas makes the land cooler. Elevation also plays a role in the surface temperatures of the Sonoran Desert. Pockets of low-elevation land are much warmer than the lines of mountains that separate them, particularly in southwestern Arizona. The coolest parts of California, shown in purple and blue, are in the mountains, most prominently the Sierra Nevada, but also the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. In the photo-like images, the mountain ranges are dark green, colored by trees. The vegetation cover and the high elevation keep the land cooler than surrounding low-elevation sites. The other significant cool spot in the image is the San Joaquin Valley. Like the irrigated farm land bordering the Salton Sea and the Colorado River, this area is kept cool by the presence of water and plants. The coldest areas in the image appear to be in Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, which are marked by streaks of dark purple. These cold signatures are from clouds.The final correlation between land cover and temperature can be seen in urban areas along the coast. In the photo-like image, Los Angles sprawls as a silver-gray patch from the coast to the San Bernardino Mountains. Since urban surfaces absorb heat, Los Angles is slightly warmer in the surface temperature image than the surrounding landscape. In the north, the San Francisco urban area is similarly warmer than its surroundings. Though the extreme temperatures raised the fire danger in Southern California, MODIS did not detect any fires in the region. Fires, marked with red dots, were burning in Central California south and east of San Francisco. Smoke from a large fire [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14497 ]
Heatwave in the Western Unit …
Title Heatwave in the Western United States
Description Extreme heat lingered over much of the western United States in early July 2007. Temperatures soared to triple digits, meeting or breaking records from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Great Falls, Montana, said news reports. The oppressive heat contributed to creating prime fire conditions, so that, when dry thunderstorms (lightning storms accompanied by little or no rain) rolled through on July 7, lightning sparked dozens of fast-moving wildfires. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14358 ] This image, created from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite from June 26 though July 3, 2007, shows land surface temperatures compared to average temperatures observed during the same period in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Deep red across the Southwest and the Intermountain West indicate that temperatures were much higher than they were in 2000-2002. The Southeast also experienced warmer temperatures. Northern California, Oregon, and Washington appear to be cooler than in previous years, as indicated by the blue tones. The heat wave started mid-way through the week-long period shown in this image. While temperatures may have soared at the end of the period, cooler temperatures earlier in the week dominate the signal. Land surface temperatures from July 4-11 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14393 ] show that these areas warmed significantly the following week. The Southern Plains are dark blue where temperatures were much cooler than they had been in previous years. During this period, torrential rains drenched the region, causing wide-spread flooding in Texas and Oklahoma [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14363 ] and in Kansas and Missouri. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14383 ] The gray region over Kansas and Oklahoma is an area in which MODIS could not record the land's temperature because of perpetual cloud cover during the week-long period. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Land Processes [ http://modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Drought in Southwestern Unit …
Title Drought in Southwestern United States
Description The southwestern United States pined for water in late March and early April 2007. This image is based on data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite from March 22 through April 6, 2007, and it shows the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, for the period. In this NDVI color scale, green indicates areas of healthier-than-usual vegetation, and only small patches of green appear in this image, near the California-Nevada border and in Utah. Larger areas of below-normal vegetation are more common, especially throughout California. Pale yellow indicates areas with generally average vegetation. Gray areas appear where no data were available, likely due to persistent clouds or snow cover. According to the April 10, 2007, update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, [ http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html ] most of the southwestern United Sates, including Utah, Nevada, California, and Arizona, experienced moderate to extreme drought. The hardest hit areas were southeastern California and southwestern Arizona. Writing for the Drought Monitor, David Miskus of the Joint Agricultural Weather Facility reported that March 2007 had been unusually dry for the southwestern United States. While California's and Utah's reservoir storage was only slightly below normal, reservoir storage was well below normal for New Mexico and Arizona. In early April, an international research team published an online paper in Science noting that droughts could become more common for the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, as these areas were already showing signs of drying. Relying on the same computer models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in early 2007, the researchers who published in Science concluded that global warming could make droughts more common, not just in the American Southwest, but also in semiarid regions of southern Europe, Mediterranean northern Africa, and the Middle East. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef, Global Agricultural Monitoring Project [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/glam.cfm ].
Heavy Rains in Northern Cali …
Title Heavy Rains in Northern California
Description A powerful storm system brought high winds and heavy downpours to parts of central and northern California, causing localized flooding and knocking out power in the San Francisco Bay area. The weather station on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay measured strong wind gusts, including one that peaked at 156 kilometers per hour (98 miles per hour). This storm system was brought in by a powerful subtropical jet steam, which provided moisture and strong upper-level winds. The system spawned thunderstorms that brought lightning and sizeable hail around Sacramento. Coastal regions also measured heavy rainfall, though there was no widespread flooding there. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) monitors rainfall based on a near-real-time, Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. This image shows MPA rainfall totals for the central and northern West Coast from February 22 to March 1, 2006. The highest rainfall totals for the period are around 120 millimeters, about 5 inches, shown in red. These rainfall amounts occur along the western slopes of the coastal range, in the Klamath Mountains near the border with Oregon, and over the northern Sierra Nevada on the downwind side of the Sacramento Valley. The mountains forced moisture from the humid air rising over the slopes. MPA rainfall totals for the San Francisco Bay area are rather light, while the areas around Sacramento received a little over 70 millimeters, about 3 inches, shown in the brighter greens. The TRMM satellite was launched into service in November of 1997. It was engineered to measure rainfall over the global Tropics using both passive and active sensors, including the first and only precipitation radar in space. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).
Late Season Fires in Califor …
Title Late Season Fires in California
Description On Monday afternoon, November 25, 2002, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of fires (red outlines) burning in California. At upper right is Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. At lower left is San Francisco. Plumes of smoke stream westward from the fires, which are burning in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Other fires are scattered across the state, and in the full scene, what could be a mixture of smoke and urban air pollution is nestled into the San Joaquin Valley. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Levee Break Floods Central C …
Title Levee Break Floods Central California
Description A broken levee near the San Joaquim-Sacramento River delta flooded nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in Central California on June 3, 2004. According to news reports, about 300 people were evacuated from the flood region. An intricate series of levees and canals channel the fresh water from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the farmland in California?s Central Valley. A break on one levy can affect the distribution of water to others. In this case, up to one million acres of farmland may receive less water during June, the typical peak irrigation month. Additionally, the change in the water level could draw salty water from the San Francisco Bay into the freshwater delta, threatening to contaminate the drinking water of many of California?s cities. The levee that broke is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Stockton, and the breach allowed water from the Middle River to create a vast lake, visible in imagery taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on June 5. A false-color MODIS image taken on June 2 shows the water network before the levee broke. In both scenes, tan and bright green squares are agricultural fields. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution. Both the June 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004157-0605/California.A2004157.2110.721 ] and June 2 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004154-0602/California.A2004154.1900.721 ] images are available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Levee Break Floods Central C …
Title Levee Break Floods Central California
Description A broken levee near the San Joaquim-Sacramento River delta flooded nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in Central California on June 3, 2004. According to news reports, about 300 people were evacuated from the flood region. An intricate series of levees and canals channel the fresh water from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the farmland in California?s Central Valley. A break on one levy can affect the distribution of water to others. In this case, up to one million acres of farmland may receive less water during June, the typical peak irrigation month. Additionally, the change in the water level could draw salty water from the San Francisco Bay into the freshwater delta, threatening to contaminate the drinking water of many of California?s cities. The levee that broke is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Stockton, and the breach allowed water from the Middle River to create a vast lake, visible in imagery taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on June 5. A false-color MODIS image taken on June 2 shows the water network before the levee broke. In both scenes, tan and bright green squares are agricultural fields. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution. Both the June 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004157-0605/California.A2004157.2110.721 ] and June 2 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004154-0602/California.A2004154.1900.721 ] images are available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
1 2 3 4 5
1-50 of 225