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Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Widespread drought in eastern Africa has withered the grass and other vegetation of northern Tanzania's famous Serengeti Plain in January 2006. The region&#8217s "short rains" season should have begun around October (2005), but by mid-January, had failed to arrive. According to some news reports, the severe drought created great stress among the Serengeti's migrating wildlife, including wildebeest and zebras, as well as less nomadic animals such as giraffes. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite shows the parched, brown landscape on January 9, 2006 (top), compared to January 12, 2005 (bottom). The region appears desert-like in 2006 compared to the green vegetation which blanketed the area in 2005. Lakes Eyasi and Manyara (lower right) appear to be completely dry. The conditions shown in this image have been developing over several seasons. In eastern Africa, most areas experience one of two rainfall patterns. Some places have a single "long rains" season that runs from March until November or December. Other areas have two rainy seasons: long rains between March/April and July/August, and "short rains" from October to December or January. In 2005, the long rains were far below normal, and the short rains failed altogether. As a result, rainfall totals for the year were only 20-60 percent of normal, depending on the region, reported the Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS NET). "This drought has resulted in crop failures, pasture degradation, water shortages and has raised serious food security concerns for the region," FEWS NET warned. The drop of water levels in regional water levels also impacted the region's energy supply, which depends largely on hydroelectric power, said news reports. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description The failure of the short-season rains left large sections of East Africa in severe drought in late 2005 and early 2006. In eastern Africa, most areas experience one of two rainfall patterns. Some places have a single "long rains" season that runs from March until November or December. Other areas have two rainy seasons: long rains between March/April and July/August, and "short rains" from October to December or January. The rains recharge lakes and reservoirs and nurture plants from crops and pasture lands to natural vegetation. For East Africa, 2005 was anything but a normal year. The long rainy season produced little rain, and the short rainy season failed altogether. As a result, rainfall totals for the year were only 20-60 percent of normal, depending on the region, reported the Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS NET). The drought's impact on vegetation can be seen in this vegetation index image, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) at the end of the short rainy season. The image shows how well plants were growing between December 19 and January 3 compared to average conditions between 2000 and 2004. The prevalence of deep reddish-brown across the image indicates that plants were growing poorly, if at all, in the dry conditions. The drought area shown in this image circles Lake Victoria in a north-south-oriented oval that stretches from southern Sudan and Ethiopia in the north to Tanzania in the south. Grey areas show where clouds covered the area throughout the composite period. The impact of the drought has been severe. "This drought has resulted in crop failures, pasture degradation, water shortages, and has raised serious food security concerns for the region," FEWS NET warned. By the end of January 2006, millions were in need of food aid, particularly pastoralists who depend on rain-fed pasture lands to maintain their livestock. Not all of East Africa has been affected. Kenya (center right) had a bumper harvest in 2005, but little of the crop made its way to the drought-hit pastoral districts of the country. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring. [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ]
East Africa Greens Up from H …
Title East Africa Greens Up from Heavy Rains
Description After devastating drought in 2005, eastern Africa experienced heavy rains and flooding during the 2006 "short rains" season that usually lasts from around October until December. Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania all experienced significant, sometimes deadly, flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14026 ] What has been difficult for people and livestock, however, has been good for vegetation, including grazing areas and croplands. The resulting green-up is evident in this image, which compares satellite-observed vegetation in November 2006 to the average November conditions from 2000-2005. Places where vegetation was more luxuriant than normal are shown in green, while places where vegetation conditions were below normal are colored brown. Places near average are yellow. The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Among the most changed areas is Kenya's Eastern province. Both the Marsabit National Reserve, which is next to the Ethiopia border, and the Merti Plateau to its south were dramatically more lush than they were near the end of 2005. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13329 ] Evidence of extensive flooding along the Shebele River in southeast Ethiopia (Shabelle in Somalia) is clear: unusually green vegetation traces out the path of the river and several of its tributaries. Although water levels in Lake Victoria have rebounded somewhat from the extremely low levels [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Victoria/ ] measured in 2005, the vegetation in areas surrounding the lake appears to be slower to respond. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jen Small and Assaf Anyamba of the GIMMS Group [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ ] at NASA GSFC.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Title Lake Natron, Tanzania
Description This image of the southern half of Lake Natron shows the characteristic colors of lakes where very high evaporation occurs. As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving organisms begin to thrive. Salt-loving organisms include some cyanobacteria, tiny bacteria that grow in water and make their own food with photosynthesis as plants do. The red pigment in the cyanobacteria produce the deep reds of the open water of the lake, and orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake. In the inset, numerous, near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper the shallowest parts of the lake. Bright white clouds are also visible just right of center and on the top margin. The lake is quite shallow, less than three meters deep, and varies in width depending on its water level. In this image, the lake is about ten kilometers wide. Tan lines run north-south, parallel to the eastern lake shore on the right side of the image. Called fault scarps, these lines are the steep, step-like slopes created when the land was pushed up during earthquakes along faults in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. Also part of the rift system is Gelai Volcano, the slopes of which appear in the lower right corner. The four main environments typical of salt (alkali) lakes in East Africa are illustrated well in the image. The delta of one of two dominant streams that flow into the lake (top left) shows where fresh water enters the basin. Open water, salt flats with salt crusts, and mud flats succeed each other in a west-to-east progression towards the shallow side of the lake. Vast numbers of the pink Lesser Flamingo (2.5 million by one calculation) rely on Lake Natron as their only breeding ground in the Rift Valley. The flamingoes feed on the nutrient-rich cyanobacteria. As salinity increases, so do the number of cyanobacteria, and the lake can support more nests. Threats to the salinity balance from increased fresh water influxes will come from projected logging in Natron watersheds and a planned hydroelectric power plant. Although development plans include construction of a dike at the north end of the lake to contain the fresh water, the threat of dilution to this breeding ground may still be serious. The government of Tanzania recognized both the threat and the uniqueness of the habitat in 2001, when it placed Lake Natron on the list of Wetlands of International Importance [ http://www.ramsar.org/key_sitelist.htm ] as part of the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty meant to protect wetlands. Images of Lake Natron from four other dates can be seen on the Earth Observatory [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=10852 ], and associated links. The area and shape of the open water and salt-raft zones depend on lake levels, controlled mainly by local rainfall and evaporation. Patterns of these sub-environments therefore appear different across the span of a few years. Astronaut photograph ISS012-E-20456 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=20456 ] was acquired March 15, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ]
Fires in Mozambique and Tanz …
Title Fires in Mozambique and Tanzania
Description East of where Lake Malawi fills one of the many cracks in the earth that mark Africa's Great Rift Valley, scores of fires were burning on October 1, 2006. The winds at the time of this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite were pushing smoke southwest, creating a grayish haze over the western part of the image. The fires are scattered across southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique, places where the peak seasonal burning typically occurs in September or October. African savanna fires are mostly caused by humans for agricultural activities such as clearing pasture or cropland or driving game. Although the fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, the frequency and wide extent of the burning can have strong influence on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA imagery created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Flooding in Tanzania
Title Flooding in Tanzania
Description For drought-stricken Tanzania, rainfall was a boon. The rare rain soaked the countryside, bringing floods to the areas shown in this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, captured on February 3, 2006. In contrast to January 27, turquoise-colored water has swollen rivers and streams and filled dry lake beds. The dry tan and pink land also acquired a pale green tint as plants began to grow after the rain. Despite the floods shown here, Tanzania was still being affected by severe drought in early February 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Flooding in Tanzania
Title Flooding in Tanzania
Description For drought-stricken Tanzania, rainfall was a boon. The rare rain soaked the countryside, bringing floods to the areas shown in this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, captured on February 3, 2006. In contrast to January 27, turquoise-colored water has swollen rivers and streams and filled dry lake beds. The dry tan and pink land also acquired a pale green tint as plants began to grow after the rain. Despite the floods shown here, Tanzania was still being affected by severe drought in early February 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Fires in Mozambique and Tanz …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
East of where Lake Malawi fi …
tanzania_amo_2006274
mediatype IMAGE
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date 2006-10-01
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tanzania_amo_2006274
East Africa Greens Up from H …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
After devastating drought in …
eafricandvia_spt_200611
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jenn Small and Assaf Anyamba of the ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at NASA GSFC.
identifier eafricandvia_spt_200611
Floods in East Africa: Natur …
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* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima …
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East Africa Greens Up from H …
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After devastating drought in …
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creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
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East Africa Greens Up from H …
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After devastating drought in …
ge_17782
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creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier ge_17782
East Africa Greens Up from H …
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After devastating drought in …
ge_17782
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identifier ge_17782
Drought in Eastern Africa: I …
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In eastern Africa, most area …
africandvia_spt_200602_palet …
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
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creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of Jennifer Small, NASA ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center.
identifier africandvia_spt_200602_palette
Drought in Eastern Africa: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In eastern Africa, most area …
africandvia_spt_200602_palet …
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of Jennifer Small, NASA ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center.
identifier africandvia_spt_200602_palette
Drought in Eastern Africa: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In eastern Africa, most area …
africandvia_spt_200602_palet …
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of Jennifer Small, NASA ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center.
identifier africandvia_spt_200602_palette
Drought in Eastern Africa: I …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
In eastern Africa, most area …
africandvia_spt_200602_palet …
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of Jennifer Small, NASA ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ GIMMS Group at Goddard Space Flight Center.
identifier africandvia_spt_200602_palette
Lake Natron, Tanzania: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
This image of the southern h …
ISS012-E-20456
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-03-15
creator NASA -- Astronaut photograph eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=20456 ISS012-E-20456 was acquired March 15, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
identifier ISS012-E-20456
General Description International Space Station Imagery
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