MODIS News and Events
In early April 2013, clouds stretched in parallel rows for hundreds of kilometers over the Bering Sea. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image of the phenomenon on April 7, 2013. Read more
On July 27, 2013, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the Mile Marker 28 fire burning about 15 miles northeast of Goldendale, Washington. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fire. The lower image, a photograph taken by a firefighter on the Washington Incident Management Team 2, shows a column of smoke billowing from the blaze on July 28. Read more
On May 31, 2013, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the Powerhouse fire burning in steep terrain north of Los Angeles, California. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires. Read more
This article from IEEE talks about how satellite data can predict agricultural output and famine. Terra plays a large role in measuring the National Data Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is measured using spectral bands 1 and 2 (infrared to visible light) of the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. NDVI compares the amount of light reflected in near-infrared with that reflected in visible light; if there is more infrared, the vegetation in that spot is likely to be dense and thus yield more of the crop.” Armed with this information and data from other satellites researchers are able to get a better picture of how the worlds crops are faring. Read more
For the third time this century, Alaska’s Pavlof Volcano is erupting. The Alaska Volcano Observatory first detected earthquakes associated with the movement of magma and heat at Pavlof’s summit on May 13, 2013. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of a small ash plume and lava flow on the morning of May 14. Read more