Our world is amazingly beautiful and thanks to the advent of satellite technology we get to view this beauty from fantastic new angles. check out some of our favourite pics from the Earth Observation image of the week by ESA
This image features Peru’s Quelccaya ice cap, the largest in the Tropics.
Resting high up in the Cordillera Oriental of the Peruvian Andes, the ice cap has been shrinking due to rising temperatures in the region, losing over 20% of its area since the 1970s. Downstream communities rely on this water source for drinking and electricity in this dry region, but some estimates show that the ice cap will vanish in a matter of decades, draining the water supply for millions of people. In the far upper-left corner of the image, we can see the Qori Kalis Glacier, the ice cap’s main outlet. This glacier is retreating – and this retreat has accelerated in recent years – losing about 50% of its total length since the 1960s. As a result of the glacier’s melting, a lake began to form in late 1980s and has grown over the years.
Other smaller lakes have also formed around the ice cap. Meltwater lakes are generally lighter in colour through the presence of fine particles produced by the grinding of the ice over bedrock – called ‘rock flour’. When this ‘flour’ turns the water white or cloudy, it is referred to as ‘glacial milk’. The false-colour of this image makes vegetation appear bright red, and we can clearly see how vegetation grows mainly in the valleys and along the paths of water runoff.
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Korea’s Kompsat-2 satellite captured this image over the sand seas of the Namib Desert on 7 January 2012. The blue and white area is the dry river bed of the Tsauchab. Black dots of vegetation are concentrated close to the river’s main route, while salt deposits appear bright white. Running through the river valley, a road connects Sossusvlei to the Sesriem settlement. At the road’s 45th kilometre, seen at the lower-central part of the image, a white path shoots off and ends at a circular parking area at the base of a dune. This is Dune 45, a popular tourist stop on the way to and from Sossusvlei. In this image, there appears to be some shadow on the western side. From this we can deduce that the image was acquired during the late morning.
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Lake Gairdner in central South Australia is pictured in this image acquired by Japan’s ALOS satellite on 1 December 2009. The Lake Gairdner National Park – which includes the nearby lakes Everard and Harris – was established in 1991 for its significant wildlife habitat and natural features. While the area is hot and dry in summer, spring brings water and is a popular destination for birdwatchers. Red and western grey kangaroos, emus and feral camels can also be seen here. When flooded, Gairdner is one of the largest salt lakes in Australia, more than 160 km long and 48 km wide. But when dry, the vast salt pan attracts racers attempting to set land speed records and is the site for the annual Speed Week event. This image shows mostly the dry, salt-crusted lakebed, while the islands appear brick-red.
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This false-colour image from Japan’s ALOS satellite was acquired over part of southern Kenya and the border with Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania can be seen in the lower-left corner. At 5895 m above sea level, this dormant volcano is Africa’s highest mountain. Kilimanjaro is a critical water catchment area for both Kenya and Tanzania, but over the past century more than 80% of its ice cover – which acts as a water storage – has disappeared. The receding ice cap together with deforestation have caused several rivers to dry up, affecting forests and farmland below.
In this image, bright red areas show the rich vegetation of the forested area on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, as well as vegetation of the agricultural areas and along rivers and streams. False colour allows for better discrimination between different vegetation types. This is particularly helpful when satellite data are used in agricultural monitoring for mapping and classifying land use, crop type, crop health, change detection, irrigated landscape mapping and crop area mapping. The upper section of the image is dominated by plains in southern Kenya. Nearby are a number of national parks (not shown) that attract tourists looking to see the wildlife. Animals found in this area include elephants, cape buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest, among many others.
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For hundred more fantastic hir-res satallite images don’t forget to visit Earth Observation image of the week by ESA
Stay curious – C.Costigan
