• MODIS Pic of the Day 08 May 2022

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Sunday, May 08, 2022 12:00:58
    May 8, 2022 - Expanding Burn Scars in New Mexico

    Expanding Burn Scars in New Mexico
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    Many of New Mexico’s wildfires continue to burn strongly through the
    first week of May 2022, leaving behind expanding scars that can easily
    be seen from space. On May 5, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging
    Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a
    false-color image of the burn scar from three of the northern New
    Mexico fires. The Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak complex is the largest,
    with the Cerro Pelado fire to the west (left) and the Cooks Peak fire
    to the northeast.

    By using visible and near-infrared light (bands 7,2,1) burn scars –
    which may appear black, brown, or brick red - stand out in stark
    contrast to vegetation, which appears bright green. Open land appears
    tan, deep water is colored deep blue and clouds, when present, may
    appear either white or tinted with electric blue. The color variation
    in burn scars depends on type of vegetation burned, the completeness of
    the burn, the amount of residue remaining after the burn, and the age
    of the burn. These three large burn scars all are a variation on brick
    red, indicating freshly burned area. At the edges of some fires,
    particularly the Cerra Pelado and the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak
    complex, orange areas indicate actively burning fires.

    The Cerro Pelado fire was first reported on April 22 in timber and
    brush in the Santa Fe National Forest. On May 7, it had burned 33,163
    acres, which is 15,308 acres more than on May 2 and is only 11 percent
    contained. The Cook’s Peak fire ignited on April 17 from an
    undetermined caused. It has burned 59, 379 acres, or only 300 acres
    more than on May 2, and has now reached 97 percent containment.

    The Calf Canyon fire began on April 19, and the cause is under
    investigation. On April 6, the Hermits Peak fire began as a prescribed
    burn in part of the Sant Fe National Forest, but erratic, gusty winds
    blew it out of control. Strong winds on April 22-23 pushed the fire
    through steep terrain and caused a merger with the Calf Canyon fire,
    creating a fire complex with more than 180 miles of perimeter. On May
    2, the fire complex had scorched 120,653 acres in size, but as of May
    7, the fire stretches over 170,665 acres and is still only 21 percent
    contained.

    While this single image shows dramatic burn scars and continuing fire
    expansion, the change is burn scar is best visualized by comparing two
    images acquired on two different days. Thanks to the NASA Worldview
    App, a roll-over comparison of MODIS false-color images of northern New
    Mexico acquired on May 1, 2022, and this one, acquired on May 5 can be
    found here,

    NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
    Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse
    over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then
    download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are
    updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the
    entire Earth as it looks "right now".

    Image Facts
    Satellite: Terra
    Date Acquired: 5/5/2022
    Resolutions: 1km (76.6 KB), 500m (169.2 KB), 250m (89.2 KB)
    Bands Used: 7,2,1
    Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



    https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-05-08

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