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Flight Day 1
Among the first group of sti
…
5/13/09
| Description |
Among the first group of still images downlinked by the STS-125 crew members aboard the space shuttle Atlantis was this high oblique scene looking toward the Sinai Peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea. The Red Sea is just out of frame at bottom right. Saudi Arabia is in the right foreground and Egypt's Nile River and its delta can be seen (lower left) toward the horizon. Jordan and a small portion of Israel can be seen near the top of the frame. The Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba extend from the Red Sea toward the Mediterranean. Photo credit: NASA May 12, 2009 |
| Date |
5/13/09 |
|
ASTER View of Sharm
El Sheik, Egypt--The Red Sea
…
8/25/00
| Date |
8/25/00 |
| Description |
El Sheik, Egypt--The Red Sea golf resort in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, where President Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, stands out against the desert landscape in this image acquired on August 25, 2000. This image of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula shows an area about 30 by 40 kilometers (19 by 25 miles) in the visible and near infrared wavelength region. Vegetation appears in red. The blue areas in the water at the top and bottom of the image are coral reefs. The airport is visible just to the north of the golf resort. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. Dr. Anne Kahle at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is the U.S. Science team leader, Moshe Pniel of JPL is the project manager. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The primary goal of the ASTER mission is to obtain high- resolution image data in 14 channels over the entire land surface, as well as black and white stereo images. With revisit time of between 4 and 16 days, ASTER will provide the capability for repeat coverage of changing areas on Earth's surface. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands Evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. ##### |
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Red Sea Dust Storm
| title |
Red Sea Dust Storm |
| date |
05.13.2005 |
| description |
A thick snake of tan dust slithers across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Red Sea in this dramatic true-color image acquired by the Aqua MODIS instrument on May 13, 2005. The dust is so thick that it is completely opaque for well over 700 miles across its south-moving front, from the border of Iraq, across the Arabian Desert of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and all the way past the green ribbon of the Nile to the Libyan Desert in western Egypt. |
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Hurricane Isabel Genesis
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Genesis |
| Abstract |
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic. |
| Completed |
2004-07-31 |
|
Hurricane Isabel Genesis
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Genesis |
| Abstract |
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic. |
| Completed |
2004-07-31 |
|
Hurricane Isabel Genesis
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Genesis |
| Abstract |
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic. |
| Completed |
2004-07-31 |
|
Hurricane Isabel Genesis
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Genesis |
| Abstract |
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic. |
| Completed |
2004-07-31 |
|
Hurricane Isabel Genesis
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Genesis |
| Abstract |
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic. |
| Completed |
2004-07-31 |
|
African Dust over the Red Se
…
| Title |
African Dust over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Blowing dust swirled over (top left to bottom) Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea, and the Red Sea (center) on July 16, 2004. Summertime dust storms such as these have a significant cooling influence on regional temperatures there and to a lesser extent on temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite captured this scene. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at GSFC |
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Dust and Smoke over Iraq and
…
| Title |
Dust and Smoke over Iraq and the Middle East |
| Description |
On Tuesday, March 25, the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) captured this true-color scene of a very large dust storm blowing eastward over the Middle East region. The line of dust (tan pixels) can be seen in this image extending from Sudan, Africa, northeastward over the Red Sea across northern Saudi Arabia and into western Iraq. News reports indicate visibility on the ground is as low as 500 meters in some places hit by the storm. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Dust Blowing over the Red Se
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| Title |
Dust Blowing over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Between eastern Africa (left) and Saudi Arabia (right) a dust cloud was blowing over the Red Sea on June 18, 2003, and was captured in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. An especially dense plume of dust (tan pixels) sits about halfway up the East African coastline, which is right at the border of Sudan (north) and Eritrea (south). Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Blowing over the Red Se
…
| Title |
Dust Blowing over the Red Sea |
| Description |
An immense dust storm was blowing over the Red Sea from East Africa on June 21, 2003. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite shows a thick cloud of desert dust shrouding (top left to bottom) Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. The thick plume stretches across the Red Sea (center) and breaks like a wave across the shores of Saudi Arabia and Yemen (top and bottom right). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Blowing over the Red Se
…
| Title |
Dust Blowing over the Red Sea |
| Description |
For almost a week, dust has been sweeping over the Red Sea (center) from East Africa. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Aqua satellite shows the region on June 25, 2003. A thick dust plume (tan pixels) is stretching out from the Sudan coastline (left) and has almost reached Saudi Arabia (right). The entire scene is thinly veiled with a layer of dust, giving the image a soft appearance. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Blowing over the Red Se
…
| Title |
Dust Blowing over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Thick plumes of tan-colored dust are blowing across the Red Sea in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on June 30, 2003. The dust is especially thick across Sudan (top left), but also covers Eritrea (to the south), and Saudi Arabia and Yemen (north and south, respectively) across the Red Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Red Sea |
| Description |
A dust storm blew across the Red Sea on June 9, 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. In this image, a dust plume partially obscures the view of the Red Sea, between Egypt in the west, and Saudi Arabia in the east. Extreme summer heat increases the likelihood of dust storms, and the sand seas of the Middle East produce many of the planet's dust plumes. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Dust Plume off the Coast of
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| Title |
Dust Plume off the Coast of Sudan |
| Description |
*Dust Plume off the Coast of Sudan* On June 23, 2007, a dust storm began blowing off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea. By the following day, the dust storm had expanded considerably, stretching across hundreds of kilometers in a southeastern arc. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took these pictures on June 23 (top) and June 24 (bottom). Besides showing the progress of the dust storm, the June 24 image looks generally fuzzier than the image from the previous day. This is probably not due entirely to dust. The image acquired on June 24 was near the edge of the satellite sensor's field of view. Because it was looking at the Red Sea at an angle that day, the sensor was also looking through a longer path through the atmosphere. Such oblique views can exaggerate the appearance of dust and smog. 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/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Plume off the Coast of
…
| Title |
Dust Plume off the Coast of Sudan |
| Description |
*Dust Plume off the Coast of Sudan* On June 23, 2007, a dust storm began blowing off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea. By the following day, the dust storm had expanded considerably, stretching across hundreds of kilometers in a southeastern arc. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took these pictures on June 23 (top) and June 24 (bottom). Besides showing the progress of the dust storm, the June 24 image looks generally fuzzier than the image from the previous day. This is probably not due entirely to dust. The image acquired on June 24 was near the edge of the satellite sensor's field of view. Because it was looking at the Red Sea at an angle that day, the sensor was also looking through a longer path through the atmosphere. Such oblique views can exaggerate the appearance of dust and smog. 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/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Plume off the Coast of
…
| Title |
Dust Plume off the Coast of Sudan |
| Description |
On June 23, 2007, a dust storm began blowing off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea. Dust continued blowing off the coast for the next several days. On June 28, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. This image shows two principal plumes blowing off the coast of Sudan, with numerous smaller plumes in between them. The plumes blow mostly toward the northeast, creating tan-colored blurs over the ocean surface below. Not all of the Red Sea's pale color, however, is due to dust. Some of its light appearance results from sunglint caused by the Sun's light reflecting off the ocean surface and directly back into the satellite sensor. 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/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Plume over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Plume over the Red Sea |
| Description |
More dust blew off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea on June 13, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears as an opaque tan blur over southeastern Sudan and the western fringe of the Red Sea. As in many other dust storms in this area, the dust moves in a clockwise direction, first toward the northeast, then toward the southeast. 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/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Plume over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Plume over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Dust blew off the coasts of Sudan and Eritrea on June 7, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows the tan plume of dust billowing off the arid land surface and over the Red Sea, forming an arc that heads southeast. Overhead, opaque white clouds clutter the sky. 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/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Plumes Over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Plumes Over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Arcing plumes of tan-colored dust hang over the blue waters of the Red Sea in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured on February 8, 2004, by the Terra satellite. The plumes originate on the Arabian Peninsula (image right) and stretch toward northeastern Africa (bottom left). Dust storm activity has been high across a large part of Africa and the Middle East during early February. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm in Sudan
| Title |
Dust Storm in Sudan |
| Description |
On December 27, 2004, a dust storm was blowing over the Nubian Desert in northeastern Sudan, reaching from the Red Sea (top right) to the Nile River (left). The pair of images above shows the event in natural-color, like a digital photograph, as well as a rainbow-colored image that shows temperatures. Both images are made from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite. Although the tan-colored dust?concentrated in the center of the images?can be difficult to see against a similarly pale land surface in the natural-color scene at left, the temperature image reveals the location of the dust quite clearly. The airborne dust has a cooling effect on the observed temperatures. The thicker the dust, the cooler the temperatures. In the center of the images, a particularly thick area of dust is as much as 30 degrees Celsius cooler (blue-green area in temperature image) than the surrounding desert. The high-resolution image provided above is 1 kilometer per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides the temperature and natural-color images at additional spatial resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust Storm off Egypt
| Title |
Dust Storm off Egypt |
| Description |
A large plume of Saharan Desert dust (light brownish pixels) blew over Egypt northward and eastward over the Middle East, on February 3, 2003. In this scene, the dust plume appears particularly thick over the Red Sea (lower right), blowing eastward toward the Arabian Peninsula. This true-color image was acquired on February 3, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. The high-resolution image available here is 500 meters per pixel. Visit the MODIS Rapid Response Team, for a copy of this scene at MODIS? full resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm Over Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm Over Red Sea |
| Description |
On August 14, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image of a dust-swept Red Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm Over Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm Over Red Sea |
| Description |
A great cloud of dust and sand hangs over the Red Sea (image center) in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured on August 20, 2003. The cloud of dust begins at the border of Egypt (top left) and Sudan (below) and stretches southward to Eritrea and eastward across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over the Nile, Su
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| Title |
Dust Storm over the Nile, Sudan |
| Description |
Large, twin plumes of dust blew eastward over the Nile River in northeastern Sudan on May 18, 2004. The Nile River is the dark, meandering ribbon that enters the upper lefthand side of this scene, turns sharply and runs southward down through the left center and wends its ways toward the bottom lefthand corner. The dust storms are the golden-brown smudges running from west to east in the center of the image. The plumes extend for hundreds of kilometers and appear to be traveling toward Sudan?s east coast and the Red Sea. This true-color image was acquired on May 18, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. The image is available in additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Streamers of dust from the Afar Depression in northeastern Ethiopia are blowing out over Eritrea (to the north) and the islands of the Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea, which lies between northeastern Africa and the Middle East. The dark splotches in the depression are lava fields, the Afar region contains several active volcanoes. A few fires have been detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite and are marked with red dots in this image from November 24, 20003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
A dust storm swept over the Red Sea on June 21, 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://www.aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. Dust obscured the satellite?s view of the Red Sea and the neighboring countries: Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia on the west, and Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the East. Most of Earth?s dust storms arise in a few regions, including the Sahara and the Middle East. As desertification increases, dust storms are likely to follow. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has just released its Desertification Synthesis [ http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx ]. The report predicts that the planet?s dry regions will spread as the land surface responds to increased human pressure from poor crop and soil management and irrigation misuse. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
An enormous cloud of dust blanketed the Red Sea on July 26, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. It is hard to tell just where the dust is coming from here, the Red Sea is sandwiched between several deserts that are capable of producing spectacular dust storms. On the west side of the sea, the Nubian Desert of Sudan (center left) appears slightly blurred through a light haze of dust, hinting that the dust may have come from the west as such storms often do. On the top of the image, however, the dust appears to be blowing out of the east. Desert flanks the Red Sea on the east in the form of the Tihamat ash Sham, the pale strip of land barely visible along the eastern shore of the sea. The dust is thicker here, pooling in a distinct line at the foot of the Jabal al Hijaz (Hijaz Mountains). Beyond the mountains are the great sand deserts of Saudi Arabia. To the north of the dust storm, the air over the Red Sea is clear. Coral reefs around the islands create flashes of brilliant turquoise in the clear black of the sea. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
The dust plume [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13665 ] that blew off the coast of Sudan on June 21, 2006, had petered out a day later. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on June 22. In this image, the dust plume has dissipated and heads southward over the Red Sea toward the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen. Largely opaque the day before, the dust plume is now thin enough to show the ocean's surface. 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 Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
A thick plume of dust blew off the east coast of Sudan and over the Red Sea on June 21, 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. In this image, the dust plume blows off the coast and forms an arc headed toward the southeast. A dry salt lake sits along the coast of Sudan near the source point for this storm, and it may have contributed to the dust. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Just days after a June 21 dust storm, another thick plume of dust blew off the east coast of Sudan on June 28, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust plume blows off the coast and forms an arc over the Red Sea, headed toward the southeast. Along the Sudanese coast is a dry salt lake, which could provide some of the dust in this storm. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Another dust storm blew off the coast of Sudan on July 4, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, a thick plume of tan dust blows off the coast, near the border with Eritrea, gradually fanning out as it moves over the Red Sea. Another plume blows off the coast of Sudan to the north. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Another plume of dust blew off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea on July 25, 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. In this image, the dust appears as a beige plume that sweeps over the Red Sea in a clockwise direction toward the south. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07 ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Another dust storm blew off the coast of Sudan over the Red Sea on August 5, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears in beige. Multiple plumes of varying width and opacity all blow toward the east in a slightly clockwise direction over the Red Sea. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07 ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
Another dust storm blew off the coast of Sudan on August 26, 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. In this image, two plumes of tan-colored dust blow off the coast. The plume to the north is thicker. The plume to the south is slightly thinner, with less distinct margins, especially on its southwest side. Both plumes curve in a clockwise direction to the east and then the south. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_2_07/ ] of this region. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
On December 17, 2006, a plume of dust from Saudi Arabia crossed the Red Sea toward Sudan. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the northern plume looks like a funnel cloud laid on its sidea thin band that spreads out in the west. Tiny white dots of clouds fringe the plume along its western edge. These clouds could have formed along the edge of an air mass that prevents the plume from pushing farther west. At the origin of the northern plume is a red dot indicating a hotspotan unusually warm area detected by MODIS. Although the hotspot suggests the plume is smoky, its color so closely matches the ground it came from that it is probably dust, not smoke. A smaller plume, also likely comprised of dust, appears to 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/?NAfrica_2_07 ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over the Red Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
In the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, dust storms originating in the deserts around the Arabian Peninsula have a significant impact on the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface. Winds sweep desert sands into the air and transport them eastward toward India and Asia with the seasonal monsoon. These airborne particles absorb and deflect incoming radiation and can produce a cooling effect as far away as North America. According to calculations performed by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the terrain surrounding the southern portions of the Red Sea is one of the areas most dramatically cooled by the presence of summertime dust storms. That region is shown experiencing a dust storm in this true-color image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired on July 11, 2002. The GISS model simulations indicate that between June and August, the temperatures would be as much as 2 degrees Celsius warmer than they are if it weren't for the dust in the air?a cooling equivalent to the passage of a rain cloud overhead. The image shows the African countries of Sudan (top left), Ethiopia (bottom left), with Eritrea nestled between them along the western coast of the Red Sea. Toward the right side of the image are Saudi Arabia (top) and Yemen (bottom) on the Arabian Peninsula. Overlooking the Red Sea, a long escarpment runs along the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and in this image appears to be blocking the full eastward expansion of the dust storm. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust storms out of Egypt
| Title |
Dust storms out of Egypt |
| Description |
The deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea were shrouded in dust from North African deserts on January 29, 2005. A dusty haze stretches across the center and top parts of the scene from the Gulf of Sirte (left center edge), past the Nile Delta (right of center), all the way to Turkey (top right). The Red Sea (lower right corner) appears to be dust free. Between the knob of land in Libya just east of the Gulf of Sirte and the green fan of the Nile Delta lies a large desert called the Great Sand Sea. Dust storms are a serious natural hazard in the region, particularly for aircraft. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Jebel at Tair Eruption
| Title |
Jebel at Tair Eruption |
| Description |
Jebel at Tair, a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, erupted late in the day on September 30, 2007, causing several casualties and leaving a number of Yemeni soldiers missing, according to news reports. A Canadian Navy spokesman, who was in the area at the time, described a "giant light show" with spewing lava and an ash cloud reaching hundreds of meters into the air. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of the diminutive volcanic island on October 1, 2007. The haze over the ocean likely results from the eruption, probably a combination of ash and vogvolcanic smog that arises from the mixture of sulfur dioxide, oxygen, and moisture. North of the island appears an area of potentially disturbed water, perhaps caused by ash in the water and/or hot lava leading to water heating and discoloration. Midway between Yemen and Eritrea, Jebel at Tair [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0201-01= ] is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks ejected by previous eruptions. The island is also known as Jabal al-Tair, Jabal al-Tayr, Tair Island, Al-Tair Island, and Jazirat at-Tair. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Yemen has maintained a military base since 1996 on this volcanic island, which is only about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) long. Yemen's oil minister stated that earthquakes, registering between 4 and 4.3 in magnitude struck the island on September 30 and likely triggered the eruption. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. Thanks to Simon Carn, Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology [ http://www.jcet.umbc.edu/ ] (JCET), University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and Gene Carl Feldman, Goddard Space Flight Center, for image interpretation. |
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Jebel at Tair Eruption
| Title |
Jebel at Tair Eruption |
| Description |
Jebel at Tair, a volcanic island in the Red Sea, erupted at the end of September 2007. The eruption released lava and ash, and created a spectacular light show, according to observers in the area. On October 15, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite acquired this image. This shows a largely quieted volcano releasing only a faint volcanic plume. ASTER measures light visible to human eyes and infrared light, enabling the sensor to detect thermal anomalies caused by substantial temperature differences. The bright red spot at the summit is a thermal anomaly. A smaller, fainter anomaly appears just northwest of the summit. The volcano's slopes bear the marks of previous eruptions, the darker streaks indicating more recent lava flows.Jebel at Tair [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0201-01= ] is a stratovolcanoa cone composed of alternating layers of ash, lava, and rocks from earlier eruptions. The latest eruption is a continuation of activity on this island, where explosive eruptions were recorded in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The volcano is known by multiple names and spellings, including Jabal al-Tair, Jabal al-Tayr, Tair Island, Al-Tair Island, Djebel Teyr, and Jibbel Tir. You can download a 15-meter-resolution KMZ file of Jebel al-Tair [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2007/jebelaltair_ast_2007288.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Locust Swarms in Africa and
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| Title |
Locust Swarms in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula |
| Description |
Alone, the desert locust is nothing to worry about. It is a solitary creature that stays out of sight munching on plants. But when enough locusts are packed into a small area, they form aggressive swarms that migrate from place to place, consuming all vegetation in their path. The transformation from solitary insect to plaguing swarm happens when conditions force the locusts into close confinement. Along the shores of the Red Sea, the locusts' winter breeding area, swarms develop when rain falls on the sandy soil to initiate the hatching of locust eggs. If conditions are rightplenty of water and vegetation for foodin the locust breeding areas, a large number of the insects hatch and form swarms. In March 2007, locust swarms were sighted in the coastal plains along the Red Sea coast in Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, said Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in its Desert Locust Bulletin. [ http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/index.html ] The small swarms were breeding in the lush vegetation left by abundant winter rains. As the vegetation dries, the swarms are likely to move north and inland, warned the FAO. While locusts are not visible from space, the conditions that allow swarms to develop are easy to spot. This image, created from data collected by the SPOT satellite, shows vegetation conditions. Dark green areas indicate that vegetation was more thick and lush in March 2007 than the average March between 1999 and 2006. Brown areas show where vegetation was more sparse than average. Strips of dark green line the shores of the Red Sea in the same areas where locust swarms were spotted. The image also shows that plants are flourishing inland in Sudan, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia, where the locusts could migrate. Because such satellite images map the conditions in which locust swarms develop, scientists use them as an early warning to identify areas that should be monitored for locust outbreaks. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the United State Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service and processed by Jennifer Small and Assaf Anyamba, NASA GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Locusts in Sudan
| Title |
Locusts in Sudan |
| Description |
Rain is both a blessing and a curse in the deserts of northern Africa and southwest Asia. While water brings life, it also creates the conditions that bring crop-destroying locusts. On November 5, 2007, Locust Watch [ http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/index.html ] of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned of an outbreak of desert locusts in Sudan. While not yet severe enough to cause extensive damage, the bands and small swarms of locusts had the potential to develop into more dangerous swarms. This image shows the conditions that allowed large groups of locusts to develop. The image is a vegetation anomaly image, and it shows plant growth between November 110, 2007, compared to average growth seen during the same period in 1998 through 2002 as recorded by the SPOT satellite. Strokes of green dominate much of Sudan in this image, indicating that plants were healthier, more numerous, or more lush than average. The green anomaly traces out the path of the Nile and Atbara Rivers. To the east of the Atbara River, a deep green streak surrounds the Gash River. Many of these areas, particularly the land along the Gash River, were submerged in floodwater for much of the summer. The rainy season of 2007 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14546 ] was unusually wet throughout Africa's Sahel. In Sudan, the heavy rain triggered widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14499 ], that persisted for months and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Only at the end of September did the rains ease and the land begin to dry. In the wake of the floods, plants clearly flourished. The combination of wet, sandy soil and plenty of food also allowed a large number of locusts to hatch. Locust Watch reported sightings of locust swarmsdensely packed groups of locustsalong the Nile River and near the Gash River where the vegetation anomaly shows an ample source of food. As the vegetation in these regions dies throughout the winter dry season, the locusts will be forced into more small groups. Eventually, these groups will migrate north and east to the shores of the Red Sea, their winter breeding ground. Because a large group of locusts will likely be breeding, a potentially dangerous situation could develop on the western shore of the Red Sea, said Locust Watch. When a large number of locusts are forced into a small area, as could happen when the eggs hatch, the insects become an aggressive group, capable of migrating long distances, destroying crops and other plants in their path. According to Locust Watch, a small part of an average locust swarm can eat the same amount of food as 10 elephants, 25 camels, or 2,500 people in a single day. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the United State Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service and processed by Jennifer Small and Assaf Anyamba, NASA GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Northern Africa Fire Season
| Title |
Northern Africa Fire Season |
| Description |
In Northern Africa, the Sahara Desert transitions into a semi-arid zone of grass and scattered shrubby vegetation known as the Sahel. Farther south, the Sahel turns into more thickly vegetated savanna. For thousands of years, African farmers and herders have set fires in these regions to manage natural resources, for example, to clear brush, to stimulate new growth of pasture grasses, or to drive game. These continent-spanning fires occur in different seasons, depending on the latitude. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured on November 20, 2006, captures the northern Africa fire season fully underway. Hundreds, possible thousands, of active fires that MODIS detected are marked with red dots. The fires span countries all the way across Africa from the Atlantic Ocean (image left) to the Red Sea (upper right). Although these fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can nevertheless have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The spottier vegetation of the Sahel has a dull, faint brownish-green appearance, while the savannas appear darker green. The dark-colored rocks that crop up out the sands of the Sahara Desert document the region's volcanic past. In the center of the image, a bright plume of dust whisks west-southwest from the Bodele Depression, one of the world's single largest sources of dust. Southwest of the depression, a bright green patch is vegetation growing in and around Lake Chad. The haze farther west of the lake may be a mixture of smoke and dust. This image was made from three successive overpasses of the Aqua satellite over North Africa. The white strips in the scene are the gaps between swaths. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 1 kilometer per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides twice-daily images of sub-sections of North Africa in additional (higher) resolutions via a clickable map. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/ ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Plume from Jebel at Tair
| Title |
Plume from Jebel at Tair |
| Description |
Jebel at Tair, a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, which had erupted [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14559 ] in late September 2007, released a volcanic plume on November 8, 2007. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) [ http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/Technology/ALIhome1.htm ] on NASA's EO-1 [ http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] captured this image the same day. In this image, volcanic plume appears as billowing puffs of white emanating from the summit. Evidence of earlier lava flows appears as dark stains on the volcano's slopes. Midway between Yemen and Eritrea, Jebel at Tair [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0201-01= ] is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks ejected by previous eruptions. Jebel at Tair is known by multiple names and spellings. It has alternately been referred to as Jabal al-Tair, Jabal al-Tayr, Tair Island, Al-Tair Island, Djebel Teyr, and Jibbel Tir. Image courtesy Ashley Davies, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
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Saharan Dust over the Red Se
…
| Title |
Saharan Dust over the Red Sea |
| Description |
A thick plume of desert dust (tan colored) was blowing eastward out of southern Egypt and Sudan, and out over the Red Sea on September 1, 2004. The dust is so thick in many places that it completely blocks the view of the surface. This true-color scene was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The high-resolution image available here is 250 meters per pixel. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] |
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Severe Storm over the Red Se
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| Title |
Severe Storm over the Red Sea |
| Description |
An Egyptian ferry carrying more than 1,300 people sank on February 2, 2006, in the northern Red Sea as strong storms swept across the region. While the exact cause of the disaster was not certain, the most likely reason was bad weather and high seas. At the time of the incident, a potent storm was advancing eastward over Egpyt and the western Mediterranean Sea. Out ahead of this advancing storm, strong southerly winds drew warm moist air up from the south. These conditions favour the development of severe storms. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the storm at 04:20 UTC on February 3, 2006 (6:20 a.m. in Egypt), just a few hours after radar contact with the ferry was lost. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates (top-down view) observed by the TRMM satellite. The image reveals that an intense thunderstorm complex had just come ashore on the Saudi Arabia coastline, after having crossed the northern Red Sea. The storm complex contained a sizeable area of heavy rain, with rates of 50 millimeters per hour (dark red areas). While not a direct measure of storm intensity, the heavy rain and the shape and orientation of the storm complex indicate that the storm was severe. In this image, rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager. The rain rates are overlaid on infrared data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner. The TRMM satellite was launched into service in November of 1997. Designed to measure rainfall over the global tropics, TRMM is armed with 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. NASA images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Sharm El Sheik, Egypt
| Title |
Sharm El Sheik, Egypt |
| Description |
The Red Sea golf resort in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, where President Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, stands out against the desert landscape in this image acquired on August 25, 2000. This image of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula shows an area about 30 by 30 kilometers (19 by 19 miles) in the visible and near infrared wavelength region. Vegetation appears in red. The blue areas in the water at the top and bottom of the image are coral reefs. The airport is visible just to the north of the golf resort. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The primary goal of the ASTER mission is to obtain high- resolution image data in 14 channels over the entire land surface, as well as black and white stereo images. With revisit time of between 4 and 16 days, ASTER will provide the capability for repeat coverage of changing areas on Earth's surface. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands Evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. Image courtesy NASA GSFC, MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team |
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Texas-sized Dust Storm Sweep
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| Title |
Texas-sized Dust Storm Sweeps over Egypt |
| Description |
The massive Saharan dust storm, originating on Jan. 22, continued spreading north and eastward across Egypt on Jan. 23, 2004. In this true-color scene, the dust (tan pixels) can be seen blowing over the Sinai Peninsula and blanketing parts of Israel, Syria, western Iraq, and almost all of Jordan. To the south, the Red Sea is almost completely obscured as the dust also crosses over into Saudi Arabia. The bright white patches are clouds. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiomater (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. Notice the vertical discontinuity running vertically down through the image just right of center. This shows where two images from consecutive satellite overpasses were stitched together to make one image. The high-resolution version available above is 500 meters per pixel, but the scene is also available at MODIS' fullest resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] NASA GSFC |
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Earth From Space - Apollo 17
| Title |
Earth From Space - Apollo 17 |
| Description |
View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the moon. This translunar coast photograph extends from the Meditierranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the southern hamisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Penninsula can be seen at the northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the northeast. The Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea can be seen. Astronauts on this mission were: Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. Schmidt. |
| Date |
12.07.1972 |
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