NASA Suomi NPP Satellite Reveals Images of Earth's Vegetation (Video)

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

NASA Suomi NPP Satellite Reveals Images of Earth's Vegetation (Video)

Suomi NPP's mission is to help monitor and predict the course of long-term climate change and short-term weather conditions.

The satellite is actually part of the Earth Observing System (EOS), which consists of a series of satellites that reveal critical insights into the dynamics of the entire Earth system, including our planet's clouds, oceans, vegetation and ice. In fact, Suomi NPP serves as a bridge between EOS satellites and the forthcoming series of Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites. In this particular case, though, Suomi has focused on the world's vegetation, showing exactly how rainfall patterns have increased or decreased.

After collecting a year's worth of data, NASA's Suomi NPP satellite has produced a vivid depiction of worldwide vegetation with these new pictures, revealing how areas have changed over time. Subtle vegetation changes are visible in this year-long visualization. Large-scale patterns vary with seasons, but the local variations in green are also sensitive precipitation, drought and fire. High values of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, represent dense green functioning vegetation and low NDVI values represent sparse green vegetation or vegetation under stress from limiting conditions, such as drought. (Photo : NASA/NOAA)

The picture doesn't look like much. In fact, it seems to show an image that we're all familiar--planet Earth with its well-known continents. Yet this picture is far more than it seems, and is actually the triumph of NASA's Suomi NPP satellite. After collecting a year's worth of data, the satellite has produced a vivid depiction of worldwide vegetation with these new pictures, revealing how areas have changed over time.

This data is important. It will be incorporated into many Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI-based products and services. This vegetation index measures and monitors plant growth, vegetation cover and biomass production. In addition, it represents the photosynthetic potential of plants, which means that it's crucial for developing models that deal with calculating global temperatures and the impact of climate change. In addition, it allows researchers to better see the effects of drought in certain areas.The new images show the differences between the green and arid areas of Earth as seen in data from the Visible-Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, instrument aboard Suomi NPP. VIIRS detects changes in the reflection of light, producing images that measure vegetation changes over time.

Want to learn more about Suomi NPP? Check out the NASA website here.

You can check out the changing vegetation over time in the video below, courtesy of NASA and YouTube.

Although 75% of the planet is a relatively unchanging ocean of blue, the remaining 25% of Earth's surface is a dynamic green. Data from the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite is able to detect these subtle differences in greenness. The resources on this page highlight our ever-changing planet, using highly detailed vegetation index data from the satellite, developed by scientists at NOAA. The darkest green areas are the lushest in vegetation, while the pale colors are sparse in vegetation cover either due to snow, drought, rock, or urban areas. Satellite data from April 2012 to April 2013 was used to generate these animations and images.

Info source: http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/7743/20130625/nasa-suomi-npp-satellite-reveals-images-earths-vegetation-video.htm

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CFN - California Fire News 2013

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Tuesday, June 25, 2013