The Art and Beauty of Nature - Malaspina Glacier, Mt. Saint Elias, Yakutat Bay, Alaska

     This image is of the Malaspina Glacier in southeast Alaska. I have included a false color image and a "true color" image for comparison.  The Malaspina Glacier is the largest piedmont (located at the foot of a mountainous region) glacier in North America, and according to Wikipedia "it is the largest piedmont glacier in the world." This image was taken through use of the OLI sensor onboard Landsat 8 on Sept. 24, 2014.

     Of all the 100,000+ glaciers in Alaska, the Malaspina Glacier is unique because it is a compound glacier formed by the merging of the Agassiz Glacier to the left and the better known Seward Glacier (alpine or valley glacier) from above. Resembling an alluvial fan, the Malaspina Glacier is approximately 40 miles "wide" x 30 miles "long."  Also pictured are the Agassiz Glacier to the left and Hayden Glacier to the right. 

https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/2000/2749/landsat_art_malaspina_lrg.jpg

https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/86000/86767/malaspina_oli_2014267_lrg.jpg

References:

www.caltech.edu

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

Imagery of the Day, July 2nd

Description: 

From left to right, the date is 10/29/2017, 11/30/2017, 12/16/2017.

The location I focus on is Bali, Indonesia. Which is in the left part of each imagery. If we zoom in, we can see Mountain Agung, an active volcano. In the first imagery, we can clearly see the red, bright magma. And there are lots of ash in the second imagery. The ash went off in the third, but the magma still exists, meaning an unfinished eruption. 

Links to relevant website(s): 

http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=264020

Image of the day, July 9, 2018

Description: 

This image displays the before and after satellite images of an area in Tambopata National Reserve, a protected area in Peru. The one on the left is the before image (September 2015) of when the area was in its more or less natural state. The one on the right is the after image (November 2015) taken after the area was invaded by an illegal gold mining operation. You can see that some of the forests have been cut and parts of the river have been invaded with mining equipment. Deforestation as a result of illegal mining is apparently a big problem in the area.  Gold mining not only causes habitat loss and endangers different species because of that, it also causes mercury pollution, as well as violence to the local communities. 

This image is important because it shows how we can use satellite images to detect illegal activities that have negative impacts on our forests, the environment, and the communities. 

Links to relevant website(s):

https://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/illegal-gold-mining-spreads-to-protected-peruvian-reserve/

https://blog.globalforestwatch.org/gfw-community/partner-posts/guest-post-maap-21-illegal-gold-mining-deforestation-enters-tambopata-national-reserve-madre-de-dios-peru-high-resolution-view

The dramatic change of Jiuzhai Valley after an earthquake

Description: 

This is a image that shows the views in Jiuzhai Valley before and after an earthquake which happened in August 8th,2017.  Jiuzhai Valley is a beautiful attraction of Sichuang Province in China, but the earthquake destroyed the scenery. From the image, we can see that where used to be a beautiful lake is buried with soil and trees. The image can give us a clear look of the disaster situation. Additionally, the road laid beside the lake has been destroyed, so aerial photos can make us accessible to the inside conditions which may not be able to see in person and help us to make preparations for repair works. And it is said that the landscape restoration in Jiuzhai Valley may be a long process.

Source:

http://www.china.com.cn/newphoto/2017-08/14/content_41407189_3.htm

Lake Erie Blue-Green Algae Bloom, July 2, 2018

This image shows an aerial view of Lake Erie taken in 2011 of a toxic blue-green algae bloom. The neon green of the algal bloom can be seen coating the surface of the dark blue water of the lake. The bright neon green swirly algae has tendrils that stretch a great distance of the lake in this image. Some almost stretching across the entire width in some places. Most of the algae is concentrated around the coast between the blue lake and the brown/green land.

This image is important because these algal blooms can cause harm and even death in humans or animals that swim in these areas. Algal blooms also impact the water quality and the organisms that live in the water. Phosphorus is the main factor that contributes to algal blooms. When the algae feed they take many essential nutrients out of the water. Most important of all is the large quantity of oxygen taken from the lake. This high decrease in oxygen kills other plants and aquatic organisms. The algal blooms are indicators of runoff from agriculture (fertilizers, animal waste), wastewater treatments plants, and industry. This image could be used in researching methods to decrease these blooms. Such as, if implementing new policy on fertilizer runoff  impacts the size/amount of algal blooms.

Links to relevant website(s):

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/huge-toxic-algae-bloom-expected-for-lake-erie-1.1412532

https://www.vox.com/2014/8/4/5967177/why-are-toxic-algae-blooms-making-a-comeback-in-lake-erie

Images of Mendota/Monona algal bloom: http://blooms.uwcfl.org/mendota/

Image of the day, June 26, 2018

 "Restless Kilauea" -- Imagery from Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA

Kilauea has been undergoing increased activity since earthquakes began at the beginning of May, 2018, leading to major eruptions beginning on the 17th of May, according to USGS. The European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellites have been tracking visible-spectrum macro-scale changes in the lava flow on the eastern flank of the Big Island of Hawaii. The earthquakes beginning on May 3rd opened fissures to the northeast of the main caldera of Kilauea. The opening of these fissures led to a drop in lava levels. In the main caldera, this has led to the formation of a lava created by the crumbling crater walls and groundwater seeping into the crater and cooling the lava below its melting point. This cap re-pressurized the magma chamber, forcing lava out of the newly-formed fissures to the east and northeast of the Kilauea Caldera. The GIF below shows the changes in the lava flows as the various fissures in the area have opened and closed from May 23rd to June 12th. The steam caused by the flow of lava into the ocean heavily obscures the two images taken in June.

Source: Copernicus Sentinel data, ESA, http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2018/06/Restless_Kilauea

Other sources on the new Kilauea eruption:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05206-w
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/multimedia_chronology.html
https://www.space.com/40862-hawaii-kilauea-volcano-lava-flow-photos.html
https://www.space.com/40784-hawaii-kilauea-volcano-new-satellite-photos.html
https://www.livescience.com/62563-hawaii-volcano-eruption-2018.html?_ga=2.115401092.386934565.1531144519-586181630.1519932818

Image of the Day, June 25, 2018

Section of West Antarctic Ice Sheet from a NASA Operation Icebridge Airplane on October 31, 2016.

Sources: 

https://www.axios.com/west-antarctica-rising-could-halt-melting-glaciers-325bec72-e20e-47d1-bb5f-2e1d2f9f4857.html

Barletta et al. (2018)

Mudslides in Montecito, January 12, 2018

Check out these Digital Globe images captured before and after the mudslides in Montecito, California.  For the full story, check out

http://www.latimes.com/visuals/framework/la-me-before-after-mudslides-slider-20180112-htmlstory.html

and

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/montecito-before-after/?utm_term=.190c738d60cf

Image of the Day November 22

I thought this was an interesting image. At first I assumed this was a village that may have been flooded. At first glance there appears to be buildings underwater to me. However, when I looked into it, it turns out this is a fishing village built on stilts. This is the Ko Panyi Village in Thailand. It was originally built by Indonesian fisherman back in the 18^th century. You can see white spots on the water which I assume are boats creating wakes as there is little other way to move from place to place in an area like this other than boat. This is a very old village that has withstood the test of time. It makes me wonder why it was built. There is land surrounding this village that it may have been able to build on way back when. There even appears to be a building on the right side of the river on the shore as well as one above the village. What could have happened that the idea of building a village on stilts was better than building on the land?

Image source:  http://twistedsifter.com/2011/03/25-mind-blowing-aerial-photographs/

Information source: http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/phang-nga/phang-nga_attractions_town.html

Image of the Day: December 5th, 2017

This image is of waterfowl, mostly ducks, along the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources uses aerial surveys to estimate population numbers for many species, including wolves and deer. In 2013, the Wisconsin DNR turned to aerial imaging and surveying to estimate deer populations in the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone, a section of southwestern and south-central Wisconsin where the disease had been found. CWD is a deer prion disease, much like Mad Cow Disease, that is highly infectious in regions with high deer populations. To prevent the spread of the disease, the DNR sought to drastically reduce the number of deer in the afflicted areas by issuing more hunting licenses and hiring sharpshooters. Before setting harvest quotas, an accurate assessment of the deer population was needed, Normally, game managers use roadside surveys and demographic information from deer harvests to create life tables that can be used to estimate herd size. However, these data sources have implicit bias, Using aerial surveys allowed game managers to create a more detailed and accurate assessment of deer populations. Surveys had to be conducted when the ground was entirely covered with snow, otherwise the dark-colored deer would be nearly impossible to spot. Predetermined survey tracts were chosen, and flown by both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. In other studies, drones have been used. Unfortunately, the CWD containment was largely ineffective, and CWD remains a threat to Wisconsin's deer population. This tactic of aerial sensing for wildlife is used extensively around the world to refine population estimates. I found examples of it being used to survey moose, manatee, ostrich, alligator, elephant, rhinoceros, seals, and nesting shorebirds, as well as waterfowl and deer, of course.