• MODIS Pic of the Day 03 January 2023

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Tue Jan 3 11:00:06 2023
    January 3, 2023 - Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand

    Southern Alps
    Tweet
    Share

    On December 26, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
    (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
    an early summer day in New Zealand.

    Stretching hundreds of miles across New Zealand’s South Island, the
    Southern Alps form a spine of white that contrasts with the surrounding
    green and brown landscape. The highest peak in the mountain range,
    known as Aoraki Mount Cook, rises approximately 3,750 meters (12,300
    feet) above sea level and appears as the brightest and largest area of
    snow atop the Southern Alps.

    The elevation of the range creates a rain-shadow effect east of the
    mountain range. The mountains and their foothills on the west side,
    which is also nearest the coastline, experience frequent rain and
    snowfall year-round, while the downwind (east side) of these peaks have
    a more arid climate and many cloud-free days. This difference is
    apparent in this image, with the coastal area (actually the west side
    of the island) covered with green vegetation while the opposite side is
    colored in tans.

    South Island is also marked by the Alpine Fault, the major surface
    expression of the boundary between the Indo-Australian and the Pacific
    tectonic plates. The central section of the fault runs the length of
    South Island. As the plates progressively converge, the Southern Alps
    should continue to rise skyward over time.

    Image Facts
    Satellite: Terra
    Date Acquired: 12/26/2022
    Resolutions: 1km (247.1 KB), 500m (662.7 KB), 250m (492.6
    KB)
    Bands Used: 1,4,3
    Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



    https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-01-03

    --- up 44 weeks, 1 day, 20 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)