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MISR View of Liquefaction Ef
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On January 26, 2001, a magni
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4/26/01
| Date |
4/26/01 |
| Description |
On January 26, 2001, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake devastated the Kachchh region in the Gujarat province of western India, killing 20,000 people and destroying buildings, dams and port facilities. These images from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) show the affected area. The two upper MISR images are pre- and post-earthquake scenes acquired on January 15 (left) and January 31, 2001 (right). They are "true-color" images made by combining the red, green and blue bands from MISR's nadir (vertically down-looking) camera. The two lower views are "false-color" images made by combining the red bands from three different cameras. Blue is assigned to the camera pointing 70 degrees forward (more sun-facing), green is assigned to the nadir camera and red is assigned to the camera pointing 70 degrees aftward. The earthquake epicenter was just below the southern tip of the large, white area on the right-hand side of the images, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of the city of Bhuj. The earthquake may have occurred on the Kachchh Mainland fault, which extends from the region of the epicenter westward along the curved boundary between the darker brown region to the south and the lighter brown area north of it. The compressive stresses responsible for the earthquake are related to the ancient collision of India with Asia and the resulting rise of the Himalayas to the northeast. That part of the Kachchh region that lies north of the Kachchh Mainland fault includes the Banni Plains and the Rann of Kachchh. It is a low, flat basin characterized by salt pans and mud flats. The salt forms in the Rann of Kachchh as mineral-laden waters evaporate. The salt flats can be seen in the nadir images as highly reflective white and gray areas. During the earthquake, strong shaking produced liquefaction in the fine silts and sands below the water table in the Rann of Kachchh. The shaking caused the mineral grains to settle, squeezing the water out from between the grains and forcing it to the surface. Field investigations have found abundant evidence of mud volcanoes, sand boils and fissures from which salty ground water erupted over an area exceeding 10,000 square kilometers (3,860 square miles). Evidence of the expelled water can also be seen on the MISR images. Delicate, dendritic patterns of stream channels run throughout many of the salt flats on the post-earthquake image, especially due north of the epicenter. These channels carried water brought to the surface by liquefaction during the earthquake. Areas where shallow surface water is present are much easier to see on the "false-color" multi-angle composite images. Wet areas exhibit a combination of enhanced forward- scattered light due to the reflection by the water, and enhanced backward scattering due to surface roughness or the presence of sediments. This combination results in blue to purple hues. The region of sand dunes in the upper right and the Indus River valley and delta in the upper left are inside Pakistan. Near the top of the images, an east-west trending linear feature separates the Thar desert of Pakistan from the Rann of Kachchh. This is the Nagar Parkar Fault. On both pre- earthquake images, this feature is evident only from the contrasting brown colors on either side of it. On the post- earthquake images, a narrow ribbon defines the boundary between the two geologic provinces. However, only in the "false-color" image do we see evidence that this ribbon may be a water-filled channel. Because this area is politically sensitive and fairly inaccessible, no field teams have been able to verify liquefaction effects or the presence of water there. MISR, built and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is one of several Earth-observing experiments aboard Terra, which was launched in December 1999. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. |
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Terra/CERES views the Pakist
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| Title |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave: May 2001 |
| Abstract |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave. |
| Completed |
2001-06-11 |
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Terra/CERES views the Pakist
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| Title |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave: May 2001 |
| Abstract |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave. |
| Completed |
2001-06-11 |
|
Terra/CERES views the Pakist
…
| Title |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave: May 2001 |
| Abstract |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave. |
| Completed |
2001-06-11 |
|
Terra/CERES views the Pakist
…
| Title |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave: May 2001 |
| Abstract |
Terra/CERES views the Pakistan heat wave. |
| Completed |
2001-06-11 |
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Floods in India and Banglade
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| Title |
Floods in India and Bangladesh |
| Description |
Though flood waters have begun to recede in Bangladesh, much of the country remains water-logged. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image, taken on August 2, 2004, by the MODIS sensor on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, shows dark blue and black flood water over much of the eastern half of the country. Light blue clouds partially obscure the false-color scene where vegetation is bright green. According to the Associated Press, 586 had died in Bangladesh as a result of the floods as of August 1, bringing the toll of this year's floods to 1,551 in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. Up to 30 million are homeless. The above image shows the floods at 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Bangladesh/2004215/FAS_Bangladesh.2004215.aqua.721 ]. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Agricultural Fires in Northe
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| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northern India |
| Description |
At the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in northwest India, a broad swath of fertile terrain is created where the rivers and streams of the region spill out of the mountains. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on October 21, 2003, numerous agricultural fires have been detected by the sensor and are marked with red dots. At image left is Pakistan and the broad, northern part of the Indus River Valley. 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 |
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Agricultural Fires in Northe
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| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northern India |
| Description |
Fires crowd up to the border of India (right) and Pakistan (left) at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. The fires are likely for agricultural purposes, and they have been marked in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite with red dots. The image was captured on October 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 |
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Agricultural Fires in Northw
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| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northwest India |
| Description |
While a dust storm blows out of the deserts of southern Afghanistan and Pakistan and southward down the Indus River Plain (image left), numerous active fires were burning in northwestern India in the shadow of the Himalaya (upper right). The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year suggest that they are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. This image of the fires (marked in red) and the dust storm was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on October 9, 2004. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Agricultural Fires in Northw
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| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northwest India |
| Description |
A tight cluster of red dots in the top left of this image marks the location of numerous actively burning fires at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in northwest India. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on October 22, 2004, and also shows a thick haze dammed up at the base of the towering mountains at upper right. While smoke from the fires almost certainly contributed to the haze, there may also be residual dust from dust storms in the deserts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in previous weeks, as well as urban pollution from cities in Pakistan and India. The border between the two countries runs mostly along the eastern edge of the fertile Indus River floodplain, where vegetation stands out sharply against the paler, more arid terrain in the far left portion of the image. The Indus flows southward and empties into the Arabian Sea. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Agricultural Fires in Northw
…
| Title |
Agricultural Fires in Northwest India |
| Description |
On October 27, 2004, a thick curtain of aerosols hung over parts of northwestern India and Pakistan. A tight cluster of agricultural fires (marked in red) was burning and contributing smoke, which may have mixed with dust from nearby arid terrain and urban pollution from regional cities. Air pollution is a serious environmental problem for the region. In 1999, an international team of scientists conducted an intensive field campaign to study the air pollution and its possible impacts on regional and global climate. Called the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), [ http://www-indoex.ucsd.edu/ ] the effort provided worrisome evidence that the aerosol (particle) pollution existed in a layer as thick as 3 kilometers and spread thousands of kilometers away from the source. It persisted for weeks at a time throughout the winter. In addition to the impact on public health, the "brown cloud" may be diminishing the monsoon-related rainfall in southern Asia and reducing crop yields through the filtering of sunlight. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite on October 27, 2004. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
The Asian monsoon annually triggers floods along the major river systems of South Asia from the Indus River [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] in Pakistan to the Ganges and its tributaries [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13875 ] in India and the Mekong and Tonle Sap [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] in Cambodia and Vietnam. Draining Myanmar (Burma) from north to south, the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River also rose when late-season monsoon rains inundated the country in mid-September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Ayeyarwady on September 25, 2006. Compared to its extent three weeks earlier (lower image), the river had spread several kilometers over its flood plain on September 25. Like many rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into several branches across its wide, triangular delta, and it is this branching portion of the river that is shown in these images. Additional flooding is visible along the full extent of the river in the large image provided above. The images were made with both visible light (light that is visible to the human eye) and infrared light. This light combination makes it easier to distinguish water from land. Water is dark blue or black, while plant-covered land is bright green, bare land is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. Photo-like versions of both the September 25 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006268 ] and September 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006248 ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
The Asian monsoon annually triggers floods along the major river systems of South Asia from the Indus River [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] in Pakistan to the Ganges and its tributaries [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13875 ] in India and the Mekong and Tonle Sap [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] in Cambodia and Vietnam. Draining Myanmar (Burma) from north to south, the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River also rose when late-season monsoon rains inundated the country in mid-September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Ayeyarwady on September 25, 2006. Compared to its extent three weeks earlier (lower image), the river had spread several kilometers over its flood plain on September 25. Like many rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into several branches across its wide, triangular delta, and it is this branching portion of the river that is shown in these images. Additional flooding is visible along the full extent of the river in the large image provided above. The images were made with both visible light (light that is visible to the human eye) and infrared light. This light combination makes it easier to distinguish water from land. Water is dark blue or black, while plant-covered land is bright green, bare land is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. Photo-like versions of both the September 25 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006268 ] and September 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006248 ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
A blistering heat wave [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12916 ] settled over southern Asia for much of June. The high temperatures melted mountain snowpacks, sending torrents of flood water down the rivers of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The top Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image shows flooding along the Kabul River on June 27, 2005. The image was acquired by the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite and is shown in false color with water being dark blue, clouds light blue and white, and vegetation bright green. The lower image was taken on June 15, 2005, by the MODIS sensor flying aboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite as the river was beginning to rise. Though slightly swollen in the lower image, the river has not spread widely beyond its banks, as it appears to have done in the top image. The large images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of the region in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
A blistering heat wave [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12916 ] settled over southern Asia for much of June. The high temperatures melted mountain snowpacks, sending torrents of flood water down the rivers of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The top Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image shows flooding along the Kabul River on June 27, 2005. The image was acquired by the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite and is shown in false color with water being dark blue, clouds light blue and white, and vegetation bright green. The lower image was taken on June 15, 2005, by the MODIS sensor flying aboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite as the river was beginning to rise. Though slightly swollen in the lower image, the river has not spread widely beyond its banks, as it appears to have done in the top image. The large images provided above are at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of the region in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
Normally floods are triggered by heavy rains, but the floods along the Indus River were caused by a heat wave followed by monsoon rains. High temperatures across southern Asia rapidly melted mountain snow packs, sending a gush of water down rivers across the region. The result has been widespread flooding along the arc of the Himalaya, the Hindu Kush, and the Pamirs spanning from Nepal to Tajikistan. Many of the flooded rivers empty into the Indus River, leaving it swollen beyond its normal size. Between June 18, 2005, right, and July 10, left, the river has nearly tripled in size. Both of these images were acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]). This false color combination highlights the presence of water, which is dark blue. Clouds are light blue and white. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained by the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
Normally floods are triggered by heavy rains, but the floods along the Indus River were caused by a heat wave followed by monsoon rains. High temperatures across southern Asia rapidly melted mountain snow packs, sending a gush of water down rivers across the region. The result has been widespread flooding along the arc of the Himalaya, the Hindu Kush, and the Pamirs spanning from Nepal to Tajikistan. Many of the flooded rivers empty into the Indus River, leaving it swollen beyond its normal size. Between June 18, 2005, right, and July 10, left, the river has nearly tripled in size. Both of these images were acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]). This false color combination highlights the presence of water, which is dark blue. Clouds are light blue and white. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained by the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
Rivers across Pakistan were grossly swollen on July 21, 2005, 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. A combination of monsoon rains and high temperatures have caused these floods. The rivers were already running high after a heat wave sent torrents of melted snow out of the mountains of northern Pakistan and India, when monsoon rain started pounding the country in early July. The taxed rivers pushed beyond their banks. In the top image, The Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab Rivers are all flooded when compared to conditions on June 24, 2005, lower image. The land near the Indian border (upper right corner), where a series of canals link small rivers, appears to be entirely covered with dark blue water. Clouds, which are light blue and white, partially obscure these floods. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that 29 people have died in Pakistan?s Punjab province, the region shown in the images, since the floods began. At least 452,000 people have been affected by the flooding, with farm communities along the Indus River being particularly hard hit. To track these floods, see the daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Afghanistan ] generated by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
Rivers across Pakistan were grossly swollen on July 21, 2005, 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. A combination of monsoon rains and high temperatures have caused these floods. The rivers were already running high after a heat wave sent torrents of melted snow out of the mountains of northern Pakistan and India, when monsoon rain started pounding the country in early July. The taxed rivers pushed beyond their banks. In the top image, The Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab Rivers are all flooded when compared to conditions on June 24, 2005, lower image. The land near the Indian border (upper right corner), where a series of canals link small rivers, appears to be entirely covered with dark blue water. Clouds, which are light blue and white, partially obscure these floods. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that 29 people have died in Pakistan?s Punjab province, the region shown in the images, since the floods began. At least 452,000 people have been affected by the flooding, with farm communities along the Indus River being particularly hard hit. To track these floods, see the daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Afghanistan ] generated by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Floods in Pakistan
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan |
| Description |
A dual disaster hit Pakistan in the final week of June 2007. On June 23, rare heavy rains and winds swept over much of the country, and three days later, on June 26, Cyclone Yemyin (03B) blew ashore in southern Pakistan. The two storms caused extensive flooding in the country's southwest from the Arabian Sea coast to the border with Afghanistan. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured this image of flooding near the Indus River on July 2, 2007. The large image shows additional flooding along the coast. In this type of false-color image, made with infrared and visible light, water is dark blue or black. The lighter blue color in the north is either water-soaked land or mud-laden water. The desert landscape is tan-pink, while cropland near the Indus is green. Clouds are pale blue and white. The lower image, taken on June 23 before the storm moved in, shows normal conditions. The white streak near the right edge of the image is sunlight reflected off the wetlands around the Indus River. In the area shown here, more than 100,000 people were displaced when 800 villages were submerged by floods, said Relief Web. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Sa.nsf/luFullMap/4B4253F15CBDB7D6C125730F003DC643/$File/rw_FL_pak070705.pdf?OpenElement ] As of July 4, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-74SGLW?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=FF-2007-000082-PAK ] estimated that approximately 300 lives had been lost throughout Pakistan, and 550,000 people had been displaced. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of the flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jul2007/pakistan_tmo_2007183.kmz ] and comparison imagery from June 23, suitable 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. |
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Floods in Pakistan and and I
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| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and and India |
| Description |
In mid-July, heavy monsoon rains caused major flooding along the Indus River in Southern Pakistan (top left) and in India?s Gujarat Province, which spreads over the two peninsulas in the bottom part of the image. In these false-color images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), standing flood waters are dark blue, vegetation is bright green, clouds are light blue, and bare ground is shades of tan and brown. On July 20, 2003 (left), the flood waters create a bruised appearance in the vegetation along the Indus River, and cause the gulfs that intrude into the Gujarat Province to appear much deeper than normal. The image at right from May 2, 2001, shows the usual appearance of the landscape before the onset of the summer monsoon. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Floods in Pakistan and and I
…
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and and India |
| Description |
In mid-July, heavy monsoon rains caused major flooding along the Indus River in Southern Pakistan (top left) and in India?s Gujarat Province, which spreads over the two peninsulas in the bottom part of the image. In these false-color images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), standing flood waters are dark blue, vegetation is bright green, clouds are light blue, and bare ground is shades of tan and brown. On July 20, 2003 (left), the flood waters create a bruised appearance in the vegetation along the Indus River, and cause the gulfs that intrude into the Gujarat Province to appear much deeper than normal. The image at right from May 2, 2001, shows the usual appearance of the landscape before the onset of the summer monsoon. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Floods in Pakistan and India
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and India |
| Description |
Even as the summer monsoon season was drawing to a close, the rivers of eastern Pakistan flooded once again in early September 2006. Unusually heavy monsoon rains starting in May triggered floods throughout southern Asia during the summer of 2006, and India and Pakistan were among the hardest hit. In Pakistan, floods during August caused further devastation in the northeast, a region still recovering from a massive earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13192 ] in October 2005. Though the August floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] had subsided by August 25 (lower image), a fresh round of flooding filled rivers in the east in early September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding along the Chenab River on September 5, 2006. Both the Chenab and the Jhelum flow out of the Himalaya Mountains in Kashmir, where heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides during the first week of September. Floods in Pakistan's Punjab state, the area shown in these images, killed 20 and inundated 200 villages, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ] These images were created with infrared light to create more contrast between water and land. In this type of image, water is black or dark blue, but appears lighter when it is clouded with sediment. Plant-covered land is bright green, while barren or sparsely vegetated land is tan. Clouds are turquoise blue and white. A photo-like, true-color version [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of these images is available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan and India
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and India |
| Description |
Even as the summer monsoon season was drawing to a close, the rivers of eastern Pakistan flooded once again in early September 2006. Unusually heavy monsoon rains starting in May triggered floods throughout southern Asia during the summer of 2006, and India and Pakistan were among the hardest hit. In Pakistan, floods during August caused further devastation in the northeast, a region still recovering from a massive earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13192 ] in October 2005. Though the August floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] had subsided by August 25 (lower image), a fresh round of flooding filled rivers in the east in early September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding along the Chenab River on September 5, 2006. Both the Chenab and the Jhelum flow out of the Himalaya Mountains in Kashmir, where heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides during the first week of September. Floods in Pakistan's Punjab state, the area shown in these images, killed 20 and inundated 200 villages, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ] These images were created with infrared light to create more contrast between water and land. In this type of image, water is black or dark blue, but appears lighter when it is clouded with sediment. Plant-covered land is bright green, while barren or sparsely vegetated land is tan. Clouds are turquoise blue and white. A photo-like, true-color version [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of these images is available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan and India
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and India |
| Description |
Though water levels had started to recede 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 September 10, 2006, the Jhelum River had previously risen to dangerous levels in early September 2006. Fueled by monsoon rains, floods on the Jhelum and landslides in the mountainous terrain of Indian Kashmir killed 19 and affected thousands, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]. In the top image, new pools of blue water surround the slightly swollen river. The lower image shows conditions 10 days earlier, before the flooding started. Clouds, pale blue and white, cover the mountains on either side of the river valley. These images were created with infrared light to create more contrast between water and land. In this type of image, water is black or dark blue, but appears lighter when it is clouded with sediment. Plant-covered land is bright green, while barren or sparsely vegetated land is tan. Clouds are turquoise blue and white. Photo-like, true-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of these images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Pakistan and India
| Title |
Floods in Pakistan and India |
| Description |
Though water levels had started to recede 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 September 10, 2006, the Jhelum River had previously risen to dangerous levels in early September 2006. Fueled by monsoon rains, floods on the Jhelum and landslides in the mountainous terrain of Indian Kashmir killed 19 and affected thousands, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]. In the top image, new pools of blue water surround the slightly swollen river. The lower image shows conditions 10 days earlier, before the flooding started. Clouds, pale blue and white, cover the mountains on either side of the river valley. These images were created with infrared light to create more contrast between water and land. In this type of image, water is black or dark blue, but appears lighter when it is clouded with sediment. Plant-covered land is bright green, while barren or sparsely vegetated land is tan. Clouds are turquoise blue and white. Photo-like, true-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of these images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Fog Blankets Pakistan
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Fog Blankets Pakistan |
| Description |
A blanket of fog over parts of Pakistan on November 27, 2004, created poor visibility and led to several traffic-related deaths. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite that morning shows the foggy area in the center and left-center of the scene. The fog sits over the fertile region through which rivers draining out of the Himalaya Mountains (upper right) flow southward into the Indus River. By the time the MODIS sensor on the Aqua satellite captured an image of this area in the afternoon, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1/2004332/FAS_India1.2004332.aqua ] the fog had partially receded. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fog Blankets Pakistan
| Title |
Fog Blankets Pakistan |
| Description |
A blanket of fog over parts of Pakistan on November 27, 2004, created poor visibility and led to several traffic-related deaths. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite that morning shows the foggy area in the center and left-center of the scene. The fog sits over the fertile region through which rivers draining out of the Himalaya Mountains (upper right) flow southward into the Indus River. By the time the MODIS sensor on the Aqua satellite captured an image of this area in the afternoon, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1/2004332/FAS_India1.2004332.aqua ] the fog had partially receded. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Haze along the Himalaya
| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya |
| Description |
Thick haze clouded the skies over Pakistan on December 20, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. Several of Pakistan's largest cities, including Lahore and Islamabad, are sandwiched between the Indus River and the Indian border in the area shown in this image. Cars burning low-quality fuel pump out pollutants in these densely populated regions, making air pollution a serious problem, reports the Energy Information Administration, [ http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Pakistan/Environment.html ] a part of the United States Department of Energy. As this image shows, geography compounds the problem. Grey, pollution-laden air concentrates at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. This polluted air will eventually blow east over India and dissipate over the Bay of Bengal. For daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_India1 ] of Pakistan, please visit the MODIS Rapid Response web site. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Haze along the Himalaya Fron
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| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya Front Range |
| Description |
What may be a mixture of haze and dust is spread out in a band at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in northern India (occupying most of the scene) and Pakistan (at upper left) and in a second swath in the center of the scene. The haze stretches out over the Mouths of the Ganges River (right center edge) and the Bay of Bengal to the south. Beyond the high peaks of the Himalaya (top), skies are clear over the Tibetan Plateau. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on November 15, 2004. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Haze along the Himalaya Fron
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| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya Front Range |
| Description |
A film of haze hangs over northern India along the dark green curve of the Himalaya Mountains in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, taken on November 10, 2004, by NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The haze is probably being caused by widespread agricultural fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12558 ] burning along the mountain front. The fires have been marked with small red dots. Urban pollution and industry may also have contributed to the pollution. This pattern of haze is common in India and Nepal because the southern air mass cannot pass over the barrier formed by the Himalaya. The mountains also seem to be blocking clouds from moving from China, top right, to India and Pakistan, lower left. China is cloudy, but the areas southwest of the mountains are mostly clear. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Haze along the Himalaya Fron
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| Title |
Haze along the Himalaya Front Range |
| Description |
This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the sensor on the Aqua satellite shows different types of aerosols (particles suspended in the atmosphere) over India and Pakistan on December 1, 2004. In the center of the image, the Indus River runs in a sinuous, thick green braid from the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains (top right, hidden by clouds) to the Arabian Sea (bottom left). Backed up against the mountains, a grayish pall is likely human-made particle pollution, from vehicles, energy production, and household heating and cooking fires. At the mouth of the Indus, a tan-colored cloud of aerosols is probably blowing dust from the region?s arid landscapes. To the west of the Indus, a rugged line of mountains separates Pakistan from Afghanistan. The large roan-colored desert is the Margo Desert of southern Afghanistan. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Heat Wave in Pakistan
| Title |
Heat Wave in Pakistan |
| Description |
Six people died and dozens more fell ill as temperatures soared to 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) in central Pakistan on May 21 and 22, 2004. Land temperatures, as measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, reflected the extreme air temperatures. Afternoon land temperatures are often higher than air temperatures because the land retains heat. In this MODIS image, taken on May 21, the land around the Indus River, the bright red line running from north to south through the center of the image, has reached 67 degrees Celsius (153 Fahrenheit). In the top right corner, the temperature gradient in the Himalaya Mountains might correlate with elevation, as the temperature climbs up the color scale from the frigid, snow-capped peaks (blue) to the hot valleys (red). The pattern is more distinct in the high-resolution image, which shows a larger region to the north, including Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, and China at 500 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions, including MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres and Ana Pinheiro, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at GSFC |
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Heat Wave in Pakistan
| Title |
Heat Wave in Pakistan |
| Description |
It was not even officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but Pakistan was in the midst of a deadly heat wave 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 June 10, 2007. The image shows land surface temperatures—how hot the land would feel to the touch. Except for the snow-covered mountain tops in western Pakistan and Afghanistan, land surface temperatures are all on the top end of the scale, as indicated by the prevalence of yellow and warm pink tones in the image. The Indus River is defined by its cooler surface. The vegetation and wetlands surrounding the river are cooler than the sand-and-rock landscape beyond the river valley. Airborne dust [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14300 ] over India masks the hot sands of the Great Indian Desert. The lower image shows land surface temperatures on May 18, 2007, well before the heat wave started. The dark purple regions area the frigid tops of clouds. Compared to May 18, yellow tones cover a much wider area in the June image, indicating how much the land surface had warmed. Land surface temperatures can be warmer or cooler than the air temperatures cited in weather reports. The land takes longer to heat up or cool down than the air. This is why a tile floor is so cold on a chilly winter morning, or why a sandy beach burns your feet on a summer's day. On June 10, air temperatures in parts of Pakistan reached above 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), and this image indicates that ground temperatures climbed to about 70 degrees Celsius (160 Fahrenheit) in rocky desert regions. By June 13, the heat wave had caused 232 heat-related deaths in Pakistan, said news reports, [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LRON-745C6X?OpenDocument ] with additional deaths in neighboring India. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Heat Wave in Pakistan
| Title |
Heat Wave in Pakistan |
| Description |
It was not even officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but Pakistan was in the midst of a deadly heat wave 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 June 10, 2007. The image shows land surface temperatures—how hot the land would feel to the touch. Except for the snow-covered mountain tops in western Pakistan and Afghanistan, land surface temperatures are all on the top end of the scale, as indicated by the prevalence of yellow and warm pink tones in the image. The Indus River is defined by its cooler surface. The vegetation and wetlands surrounding the river are cooler than the sand-and-rock landscape beyond the river valley. Airborne dust [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14300 ] over India masks the hot sands of the Great Indian Desert. The lower image shows land surface temperatures on May 18, 2007, well before the heat wave started. The dark purple regions area the frigid tops of clouds. Compared to May 18, yellow tones cover a much wider area in the June image, indicating how much the land surface had warmed. Land surface temperatures can be warmer or cooler than the air temperatures cited in weather reports. The land takes longer to heat up or cool down than the air. This is why a tile floor is so cold on a chilly winter morning, or why a sandy beach burns your feet on a summer's day. On June 10, air temperatures in parts of Pakistan reached above 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), and this image indicates that ground temperatures climbed to about 70 degrees Celsius (160 Fahrenheit) in rocky desert regions. By June 13, the heat wave had caused 232 heat-related deaths in Pakistan, said news reports, [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LRON-745C6X?OpenDocument ] with additional deaths in neighboring India. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan
| Title |
Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan |
| Description |
Heavy rain and snow hammered Pakistan in the first two weeks of February 2005, leaving more than 300 people dead as a result of floods and avalanches throughout the country. More than 200 of the deaths occurred in southwestern Pakistan, where a week of rain taxed river and irrigation systems. This image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on February 11, 2005, shows streaks of blue-green floodwater all along the coast. The most deadly floods swept through the region around the coastal city of Pasni when an irrigation dam burst on February 10, washing away several villages and flooding the city with water. Pale blue lines trace out the contours of the flood water on the following day. The city itself is covered with a small cloud, but further evidence of flooding can be seen in the Arabian Sea to the south. Bright blue clouds of sediment fill the waters where floods washed dirt and debris into the sea. To the west, the Dasht River is dramatically flooded, having expanded from a thin green line that was barely visible on February 6 to a sprawling blue wetland. On the right side of the image, the entire coastline around Ormara has been inundated with water. If this scene were depicted in true color, as a human eye would see it, the mud-laden flood water would blend with the tan desert landscape. To make the flood water more visible, the image is in false color, with sediment-filled water represented in blue, while deeper ocean water is black. The bare or sparsely vegetated land has a pink tint, and the clouds are light blue. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan
| Title |
Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan |
| Description |
Heavy rain and snow hammered Pakistan in the first two weeks of February 2005, leaving more than 300 people dead as a result of floods and avalanches throughout the country. More than 200 of the deaths occurred in southwestern Pakistan, where a week of rain taxed river and irrigation systems. This image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on February 11, 2005, shows streaks of blue-green floodwater all along the coast. The most deadly floods swept through the region around the coastal city of Pasni when an irrigation dam burst on February 10, washing away several villages and flooding the city with water. Pale blue lines trace out the contours of the flood water on the following day. The city itself is covered with a small cloud, but further evidence of flooding can be seen in the Arabian Sea to the south. Bright blue clouds of sediment fill the waters where floods washed dirt and debris into the sea. To the west, the Dasht River is dramatically flooded, having expanded from a thin green line that was barely visible on February 6 to a sprawling blue wetland. On the right side of the image, the entire coastline around Ormara has been inundated with water. If this scene were depicted in true color, as a human eye would see it, the mud-laden flood water would blend with the tan desert landscape. To make the flood water more visible, the image is in false color, with sediment-filled water represented in blue, while deeper ocean water is black. The bare or sparsely vegetated land has a pink tint, and the clouds are light blue. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan
| Title |
Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan |
| Description |
Ongoing rain continues to flood southern Pakistan. On March 4, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the taxed Dasht and Koja River basins. Sediment-laden water is light blue in contrast to the pink of the surrounding soil. Compared to February 6, the entire region is sodden with flood water. Flooding continues along the coast as well, particularly near Gwadar, where the Akra Kaur dam has overflowed. The flooded reservoir submerged several villages and cut Gwadar off from the rest of the country. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team, and the Goddard Land Processes DAAC. |
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Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan
| Title |
Heavy Rains Flood Pakistan |
| Description |
Ongoing rain continues to flood southern Pakistan. On March 4, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the taxed Dasht and Koja River basins. Sediment-laden water is light blue in contrast to the pink of the surrounding soil. Compared to February 6, the entire region is sodden with flood water. Flooding continues along the coast as well, particularly near Gwadar, where the Akra Kaur dam has overflowed. The flooded reservoir submerged several villages and cut Gwadar off from the rest of the country. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team, and the Goddard Land Processes DAAC. |
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Heavy Snows in Central Asia
| Title |
Heavy Snows in Central Asia |
| Description |
On October 8, 2005, a large earthquake [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13192 ] shook the mountainous Kashmir region near the border of Pakistan and India. Tens of thousands of people died, and many more were isolated in the mountains by damage to roads and bridges as well as by landslides. Heavy winter snowfall poses an additional threat to millions of survivors made homeless by the quake. In the first week of January 2006, a new snow storm blanketed the mountains of Pakistan, including the region around the epicenter of the quake. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows snow highlighting the ridges and ravines in the mountains northeast of the city of Islamabad on January 6. According to news reports on the BBC Website, the snow is hampering aid efforts to some areas, and avalanches triggered by earthquake aftershocks continue to threaten people in some mountainous areas. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Dust Blowing off the Coast o
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| Title |
Dust Blowing off the Coast of Pakistan |
| Description |
Dust, likely mingled with smoke from agricultural fires, blew off the coast of Pakistan on May 13, 2006. As dust hovered over the coastline, the people of both Pakistan and India struggled with a heat wave that sent temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), according to news reports. Rainfall the following day brought lower temperatures to the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on May 13, 2006. In this image, tendrils of dust sweep southward off the coast of Pakistan. Thick sediment, appearing in brownish-green, can also be seen in the sea water along part of the coastline. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Dust Blowing off the Coast o
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| Title |
Dust Blowing off the Coast of Pakistan |
| Description |
Intense heat can spawn dust storms, and Pakistan and India saw their share of heat and dust in the spring of 2006. A dust storm blew off the coasts of these countries and over the Arabian Sea on June 4, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. The dust cloud shown in this image is thin enough to reveal the ocean and land surface below the dust. Along the coast of India, thick sediment has turned the water a brownish-green color, near the right edge of the image. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Dust from Pakistan and Iran
| Title |
Dust from Pakistan and Iran |
| Description |
Winds blowing down from the Makran Coast Range in Western Pakistan (right) and Eastern Iran (left) are carrying dust over the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Such wind patterns commonly blow dust from the coastal valleys into the water. This storm was recorded by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 23, 2004. The horizontal stripes evident over the water mark the beginning and the end of the rotation of MODIS' double-sided scan mirror. The lines are caused by minute differences in the two sides of the scan mirror. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004083-0323/Pakistan.A2004083.0855 ]. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust from Southwest Asia ove
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| Title |
Dust from Southwest Asia over Arabian Sea |
| Description |
On May 8, 2005, a veil of dust from the arid landscapes of southern Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan hung over the Arabian Sea. The S-shaped, olive green path of the Indus River in western Pakistan appears washed out beneath the dust. When this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the wind was stirring dust from valley deserts and spreading it southward across the mountainous coastal terrain of Iran (which occupies most of the upper left of the scene) and Pakistan (which occupies most of the upper right). NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust from Southwest Asia ove
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| Title |
Dust from Southwest Asia over Arabian Sea |
| Description |
On May 8, 2005, a veil of dust from the arid landscapes of southern Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan hung over the Arabian Sea. The S-shaped, olive green path of the Indus River in western Pakistan appears washed out beneath the dust. When this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the wind was stirring dust from valley deserts and spreading it southward across the mountainous coastal terrain of Iran (which occupies most of the upper left of the scene) and Pakistan (which occupies most of the upper right). NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust in Afghanistan
| Title |
Dust in Afghanistan |
| Description |
Across a wide portion of southwestern Asia, winds were whipping across deserts, sending a froth of dust into the skies on April 8, 2005. The wind raised particularly thick streamers of dust from the surfaces of the Margo Desert in southern Afghanistan and the Thar Desert, which straddles the border between Pakistan and India. Like an atmospheric alter ego of the Indus River, an airborne river of dust flows southward from the Thar Desert and out over the Arabian Sea. This image of the event was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Dust in the Indus Valley
| Title |
Dust in the Indus Valley |
| Description |
From the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains (upper right) to the east of the broad swath of olive-green vegetation along the Indus River Plain, blowing dust and sand make their own river that flows past the Thar Desert and out over the Arabian Sea (lower left). The winds must be wide-spread and fierce over the region, as pale dust plumes are streaming away from orange-colored deserts in Afghanistan (upper left), as well. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on May 23, 2004. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Iran and Pakistan |
| Description |
Dust plumes blew off the coasts of Iran and Pakistan and over the Arabian Sea on January 4, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. Here, the dust plumes appear as pale beige wisps. One apparent source for the dust can be seen in Pakistan, perhaps 150 kilometers inland from the coast. South of the dust plumes, white clouds dot the sky. Aside from bands of greenish blue—resulting from shallow water and/or sediment—along the coast, the ocean appears dark blue. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Iran and Pakistan |
| Description |
Dust plumes blew off the coasts of Iran and Pakistan on October 29, 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 pale beige plumes fan out over the deep blue Arabian Sea. The plumes appear thickest along the Iran-Pakistan border, and grow thinner to the east. The air over the land surface appears largely clear, implying that these dust plumes have arisen very near the coastline. Isolated clouds hover over the water in the south. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?ArabianSea ] of this region. |
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Dust off Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Pakistan |
| Description |
Plumes of dust blew off the coasts of Pakistan and Iran on November 22, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the dust plumes blowing over the Arabian Sea the same day. In this image, the dust appears as elongated clouds of pale beige heading towards the southwest. The thickest plume blows off Pakistan, some 500 kilometers east of the border with Iran. Other plumes appear more transparent. As the plumes advance far enough off the coast, they appear to change direction, perhaps due to a weather system associated with the clouds in the south. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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