Uploads from NASA Goddard Photo and Video, tagged satellite, with geodata

NASA Satellite Sees New Island Forming in the Red Sea

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:42:16 -0800

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

Top image: acquired December 23, 2011. Bottom image: acquired October 24, 2007

An eruption occurred in the Red Sea in December 2011. According to news reports, fishermen witnessed lava fountains reaching up to 30 meters (90 feet) tall on December 19. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites observed plumes on December 20 and December 22. Meanwhile, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite detected elevated levels of sulfur dioxide, further indicating an eruption.

The activity in the Red Sea included more than an eruption. By December 23, 2011, what looked like a new island appeared in the region. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured these high-resolution, natural-color images on December 23, 2011 (top), and October 24, 2007 (bottom). The image from December 2011 shows an apparent island where there had previously been an unbroken water surface. A thick plume rises from the island, dark near the bottom and light near the top, perhaps a mixture of volcanic ash and water vapor.

The volcanic activity occurred along the Zubair Group, a collection of small islands off the west coast of Yemen. Running in a roughly northwest-southeast line, the islands poke above the sea surface, rising from a shield volcano. This region is part of the Red Sea Rift where the African and Arabian tectonic plates pull apart and new ocean crust regularly forms.

NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: EO-1 - ALI

To vie more images from this event go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=76807

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

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Wildfires in Texas

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:23:13 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired April 15, 2011

Since April 6, more than a million acres have burned throughout the state of the Texas, says the Texas Forest Service. This image, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite, shows conditions on April 15, 2011. Wind whips both smoke and dust southeast across the state. The fires that MODIS detected are marked in red.

The image illustrates one of the primary reasons fire danger is extremely high in Texas: strong winds. Warm temperatures, dry vegetation for fuel, and low humidity are also contributing to creating hazardous fire conditions. Normally a rainy month, March 2011 was the driest March on record, said the Texas Forest Service. Plentiful rains in 2010 spurred grass and shrubs to grow. The recent lack of rain, warm temperatures and low humidity has turned all of that vegetation into dry tinder, creating unprecedented fire danger.

As of April 18, 23 large wildfires were burning in Texas. Seven of the largest fires are labeled in the image. The image also shows two wildfires burning in northern Mexico. So far in 2011, the Texas has responded to 7,807 fires, which burned 1,528,714 acres of land and 244 structures, said Governor Rick Perry in an April 16 request to President Obama that the state be declared a major disaster.

Most of the seven fires shown in the image are larger than ten thousand acres, and many have threatened communities. As of April 18, the Texas Forest Service reported their status as follows:

Cannon Fire Complex Fire – Three fires collectively burned 63,427 acres, 80 percent contained;
Cooper Mountain Ranch Fire – 152,000 acres burned, 4 homes destroyed, 50 percent contained;
Jackson Ranch Fire – 2,200 acres burned, community evacuated, 50 percent contained;
PK West – 50,739 acres burned, 31 homes destroyed and 495 threatened, 25 percent contained;
Swenson Fire – 122,500 acres burned, 90 percent contained;
Wichita Complex Fire – 11,785 acres burned, 20 homes destroyed, Shepard Air Force Base and surrounding housing threatened, 90 percent contained;
Wildcat Fire – 103,772 acres burned, multiple communities evacuated, unknown containment.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Holli Riebeek.

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

To download the full high res file go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=50168

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Dust storm in Saudi Arabia

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:50:10 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired: March 26, 2011

A dense wall of dust barreled across the Arabian Peninsula on March 26-27, 2011. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on March 26 at 9:55 UTC.

In this image, the storm stops short of Oman and Yemen, and the opaque mass of dust is bordered by crystal-clear skies to the south. Some plumes blow across the Persian Gulf toward Iran. The following day, the dust had moved southward, and was especially thick over Yemen.

According to local news reports, the storm started in the late afternoon on March 25 in Iraq and Kuwait. The fast-moving storm dropped visibility to near zero, cloaking Kuwait in premature darkness. The dust storm shut down the airport in Kuwait and disrupted traffic across the Arabian Peninsula.

Intense northwest winds called shamal winds drove the fast-moving storm. They blow in from the northwest with the passing of a storm with a strong cold front, which is the leading edge of a mass of cold air. In this case, the cold front was over Iraq. It brought winds greater than 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) to Kuwait and slightly weaker winds to the rest of the region.

The winds picked up dust and sand from Iraq and Kuwait and blew it across the peninsula. The storm may have also picked up material over the Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali). An incredibly rich sand sea, the Empty Quarter contains about half as much sand as the Sahara Desert.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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GPM Testing on GSFC's Centrifuge

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:30:45 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

GPM Testing on GSFC's Centrifuge on March 31, 2011

The Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission will use an international constellation of satellites to study global rain, snow and ice to better understand our climate, weather, and hydrometeorological processes.

To learn more about GPM go to: gpm.gsfc.nasa.gov/

NASA/GSFC/Rebecca Roth

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Emerald Isle, White Coating

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:05:36 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired December 2, 2010

The green gem of northwestern Europe got a coating of white this week, the latest expression of an unusually early and brisk start to winter. Ireland, the United Kingdom, and most of northern Europe have endured record cold temperatures and debilitating snow and ice storms for the past two weeks.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color image of Ireland in the early afternoon on December 2, during a rare break in cloud cover. Since the last week of November, Ireland and the UK have been locked in a pattern of record snowfalls and cold temperatures.

Meteorologists at the UK Met Office explained that persistent high pressure over the North Atlantic has been stalling and deflecting the westerly ocean breezes that usually keep the weather mild. Instead, frigid Arctic air has descended upon much of northern Europe. The cooler northerly and easterly winds blowing across the North Sea have been picking up moisture and dumping it as snow and rain on land.

Schools and airports have been closed on several occasions, and roads were clogged with traffic and accidents on the islands and across Europe. Dozens of deaths have been reported from exposure to the cold and from accidents. Temperatures have been 5 to 10 degrees Celsius below average, and dropped as low as -33 C in Poland. More snow and ice is predicted for this weekend in Ireland.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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NASA Satellite Captures Ireland on March 16th

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:05:34 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA satellite captures Ireland and the United Kingdom on March 16, 2011.

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Tsunami Damage near Ishinomaki, Japan

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:19:04 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

The Japanese city of Ishinomaki was one of the hardest hit when a powerful tsunami swept ashore on March 11, 2011. When the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired the bottom image three days later, on March 14, water still inundated the city. The top image, from August 8, 2008, shows water levels under normal circumstances.

Water is dark blue in this false-color image. Plant-covered land is red, exposed earth is tan, and the city is silver. Standing water is most evident in the flat, open places that were once fields. The most extensive flooding is around the Matsushima Air Base in the lower left corner of the image. According to news reports, several airplanes were damaged in the tsunami. The neighborhoods immediately around the airstrip are also flooded.

Dark blue fills in the spaces between buildings in sections of Ishinomaki near the harbor in the center of the image and by the river in the upper right. These areas are probably flooded. Survivors in parts of Ishinomaki were being rescued in boats, reported CNN. The large image shows additional flooding near Ishinomaki and farther south in Sendai.

Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

To download the high res go here: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=49648

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Heavy black plume of smoke streams southeast from Sendai, Japan [detail]

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:08:02 -0800

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired March 12, 2011

A heavy black plume of smoke streams southeast from Sendai, Japan, in this photo-like image from March 12, 2011. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired the image at 12:10 p.m. local time. Clouds prevented MODIS from identifying the location of the fire within the city, however this type of black smoke usually originates from oil or gas fires. According to news reports, a refinery in Sendai was on fire following the 8.9 earthquake that hit the region on March 11.

The earthquake generated a massive tsunami that devastated the coastal areas show in the image. Clouds of blue and green sediment in the ocean may be mud and other debris from the powerful waves. Images from earlier in the day show extensive flooding along the coast in the wake of the tsunami. Both images are from the MODIS Rapid Response System, which provides twice-daily images of Japan.

NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Holli Riebeek.

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

Go here to download the full high res file of this image: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/49000/49628...

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Satellite Captures Massive Storm System

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:03:58 -0800

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

Image captured March 9, 2011 at 10:45 a.m.

On March 9 at 1445 UTC (10:45 a.m. EST), the GOES-13 satellite captured a visible image of the massive storm system that covers about one-third of the U.S.

Satellites have been busy this week covering severe weather across the U.S. Today, the GOES-13 satellite and NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the huge stretch of clouds associated with a huge and soggy cold front as it continues its slow march eastward. Earlier this week, NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured images of severe weather that generated tornadoes over Louisiana.

To read more about this weather system go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/severe-weather.html

Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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GLORY on the Launch Pad Ready for Liftoff

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:48:33 -0800

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

Glory is slated to launch March 4, 2011 aboard a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Credit: NASA

Glory will Increase Our Understanding of the Earth's Energy Balance

The Earth's energy balance and the effect on climate requires measuring black carbon soot and other aerosols, and the total solar irradiance. Glory is a low Earth orbit (LEO) scientific research satellite designed to achieve two major goals:

+ Collect data on the properties of aerosols, including black carbon, in the Earth's atmosphere and climate system. It will enable a greater understanding of the seasonal variability of aerosol properties.

+ Collect data on solar irradiance for the long-term effects on the Earth climate record. Understanding whether the temperature increase and climate changes are by-products of natural events or whether the changes are caused by man-made sources is of primary importance.

To learn more about the Glory mission go to: glory.gsfc.nasa.gov/

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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GLORY on the Launch Pad Ready for Liftoff

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:48:35 -0800

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder, Colorado

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:23:49 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired Sept 6, 2010 at 18 :15 UTC

Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder, Colorado

TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE FIRE GO HERE: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4971685874/

Satellite: Terra

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

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Tropical Storm Hermine in the Gulf of Mexico

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:23:54 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired Sept 6, 2010 at 16 :45 UTC

Tropical Storm Hermine (10L) in the Gulf of Mexico

Satellite: Terra

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2010/h2010...

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

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Fires in Eastern Siberia

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:37:10 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired August 1, 2010

Intense fires continued to burn in the boreal forests of eastern Siberia on August 1, 2010. The fires are outlined in red in this image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. The fires span the borders of Russia’s Chukotskiy, Magadan, and Koryakskiy provinces.

Burning in coniferous (evergreen) forests, the fires blanketed northeastern Siberia with thick brown smoke. The smoke hugs the ground near the fires, filling valleys, and soars over clouds farther away from the flames. On August 1, the smoke flowed north from the fires and over the Arctic Ocean. A wide view of the Arctic shows the smoke crossing the Bering Strait and clouding skies over northern Alaska.

This image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team here: rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2010213-0801/Russia....

To view more images from this event go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=44561

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.

Caption by Holli Riebeek

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

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Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico July 12th View

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:03:00 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired July 12, 2010

To download a high res file of this image go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/44000/44613...

Oil lingered on the water surface in the Gulf of Mexico on July 12, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image the same day.

A dull gray patch of oil appears south of the approximate location of the well. To the south, the slick fans out, one edge of the slick extending some 25 kilometers (15 miles) to the east. West-southwest of the large oil slick, another patch of oil appears, this one running east-west. Slivers of oil also appear just east of the Mississippi Delta. Much of the discolored water around the delta, however, results from sediment.

Sunglint enhances the oil’s visibility in MODIS imagery. Oil smooths the water surface, changing the way it reflects and absorbs light. Close to where the Sun’s reflection would appear on a totally calm sea, oil-coated water usually looks brighter than surrounding oil-free water. Only when the Sun is at the correct angle in relation to the satellite does the oil slick appear in MODIS imagery.

NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: Aqua - MODIS

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico July 4, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:30:19 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired July 4, 2010

Oil from the damaged Deepwater Horizon oil well lingered off the Mississippi Delta on July 4, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra captured this natural-color image the same day. The oil appears as an uneven light gray shape east-southeast of the delta.

The oil was visible to MODIS on July 4 thanks to sunglint. Oil smoothes the surface of the water, making it a better mirror of sunlight. As a result, close to the Sun’s reflection, the oil is brighter than surrounding water. This is especially true between the Mississippi Delta and the Deepwater Horizon location. East of the rig, however, sunglint lightens most of the water, making it more difficult to distinguish oil from oil-free water. Please see the links below for more information.

To view more images from the oil spill go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=43733

NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: Terra - MODIS

NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 26, 2010 [Detail]

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:12:07 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image captured June 26, 2010

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Gulf of Mexico on June 26 at 19:05 UTC (3:05 p.m. EDT) and the satellite's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured an image of the thickest part of the oil slick.

To see a full view of this image go to: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4736680633

To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oil-creep.html

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Oil Slick Around Mississippi Barrier Islands

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:55:21 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired June 26, 2010

As of June 27, 2010, the entire gulf-facing beachfront of several barrier islands in eastern Mississippi (offshore of Pascagoula) had received a designation of at least “lightly oiled” by the interagency Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team that is responding to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. A few small stretches of Petit Bois Island had been labeled heavily or moderately oiled.

To see a close up of this image go to:

This high-resolution image shows Petit Bois Island (top right) and the eastern end of Horn Island (top left) on June 26. In general, oil-covered waters are silvery and cleaner waters are blue-gray. This pattern is especially consistent farther from the islands. The intensely bright patches of water directly offshore of the barrier islands, however, may be from a combination of factors, including sediment and organic material, coastal currents and surf, and oil.

The islands provide a sense of scale for the ribbons of oil swirling into the area from the south. Petit Bois Island is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) long. It is one of seven barrier islands that, along with some mainland areas of Mississippi and Florida, make up the Gulf Islands National Seashore. According to the National Park Service Gulf Islands National Seashore Website, all the islands remained open to the public as of June 28, 2010, and clean-up crews were on hand to respond to any oil coming ashore.

The large version of this image, which was captured by the Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite, shows a larger area, including the Mississippi Sound and parts of mainland Mississippi. Although oil has been observed in the Sound, it is unlikely that all the bright patches of water in that area are thickly oil-covered. Differences in brightness in coastal area waters may be due to other factors, including freshwater runoff, strong currents, and water depth and clarity.

NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team.

Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Instrument: EO-1 - ALI

To see more images go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Oil Slick Around Mississippi Barrier Islands [detail]

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:55:18 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image acquired June 26, 2010

As of June 27, 2010, the entire gulf-facing beachfront of several barrier islands in eastern Mississippi (offshore of Pascagoula) had received a designation of at least “lightly oiled” by the interagency Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team that is responding to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. A few small stretches of Petit Bois Island had been labeled heavily or moderately oiled.

(To view this image without a description go to:

This high-resolution image shows Petit Bois Island (top right) and the eastern end of Horn Island (top left) on June 26. In general, oil-covered waters are silvery and cleaner waters are blue-gray. This pattern is especially consistent farther from the islands. The intensely bright patches of water directly offshore of the barrier islands, however, may be from a combination of factors, including sediment and organic material, coastal currents and surf, and oil.

The islands provide a sense of scale for the ribbons of oil swirling into the area from the south. Petit Bois Island is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) long. It is one of seven barrier islands that, along with some mainland areas of Mississippi and Florida, make up the Gulf Islands National Seashore. According to the National Park Service Gulf Islands National Seashore Website, all the islands remained open to the public as of June 28, 2010, and clean-up crews were on hand to respond to any oil coming ashore.

The large version of this image, which was captured by the Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite, shows a larger area, including the Mississippi Sound and parts of mainland Mississippi. Although oil has been observed in the Sound, it is unlikely that all the bright patches of water in that area are thickly oil-covered. Differences in brightness in coastal area waters may be due to other factors, including freshwater runoff, strong currents, and water depth and clarity.

NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team.

Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Instrument: EO-1 - ALI

To see more images go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 26, 2010 [Close up]

nobody@flickr.com (NASA Goddard Photo and Video) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:25:55 -0700

NASA Goddard Photo and Video posted a photo:

NASA image captured June 26, 2010

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Gulf of Mexico on June 26 at 19:05 UTC (3:05 p.m. EDT) and the satellite's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured an image of the thickest part of the oil slick.

To see the full frame go to: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4736680633

To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oil-creep.html

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.