"Mike Tullett" wrote in message
...
A thread earlier this week, started by JPG, prompted me go to the MODIS
site to look at today's image - given the clear skies over most places.
I downloaded the 11.20Z Terra 500m resolution image and cropped/enhanced
again.

Yet again, the contrast in land colour between eastern counties and the
rest is clear to see. There is also some fascinating detail in the high
cloud over the English Channel and nearby areas.

I flew through this image (well, between 0845 and 0930Z ... and, yes,
in an aeroplane). The clarity of the air was very apparent - rarely have
I seen so much detail and colour from 20,000+ ft, and the browns of
the fields and very dark greens of woodland areas were very noticeable.
The water level in the big reservoirs just south of Heathrow could be seen
to be very low too. And clouds of dust were flying from Hertfordshire
fields where ploughing and harrowing was taking place on the
journey back from Stansted.

Philip Eden
(Aug 1.7mm, Sept 21.1mm, Oct so far 6.0mm)

What are the red dots on the image Mike ?

How do you find when the UK's in the image, I've not managed to work that out
yet...
--
Nick
Just an interested weather watcher !
www.whelan.me.uk
nrw7 on Yahoo Messenger & nickw7coc on MSN Messenger too !

On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 13:58:11 +0100, Nick in
wrote:

What are the red dots on the image Mike ?

I believe (but could stand corrected) the red dots indicate places where
the satellite detects a temperature anomaly (or recent change). The oil
fires in Iraq were marked as such.

How do you find when the UK's in the image, I've not managed to work that out
yet...

I am sure there must be a better way, but I look at the thumbnails, try to
spot West Africa and then look at the images above and below, and then
click on the 2km image to see where I am:-). The satellite doesn't always
cover the British Isles as well as it did yesterday. Quite often we are on
the edge (with the associated blurring) or split in two.

I have to add how grateful I am to the MODIS site for making these images
freely available. This is what is at the start of their FAQ:

quote
All the images that appear on our site are in the public domain and can be
freely used and reproduced for any purpose. Please credit the MODIS Rapid
Response Project appropriately: "Image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response
Project at NASA/GSFC". For more information on use and credit, contact the
MODIS Rapid Response Outreach Coordinator.
endquote

--
Mike posted to uk.sci.weather 17/10/2003 13:23:05 UTC
Coleraine
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On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 13:58:11 +0100, Nick in
wrote:

What are the red dots on the image Mike ?

A quick follow up. This is in their FAQ:

"The red boxes indicate the location of a thermal anomaly that was detected
by MODIS using data from the middle infrared and thermal infrared bands. In
most cases, this thermal anomaly is a fire, but sometimes it is a volcanic
eruption, or even the flare from a gas well. We have no way of knowing
which it is based on the MODIS data alone. In areas of known volcanic
activity, we can verify an eruption using published reports of volcanic
activity worldwide. The red outlines don't represent the actual size of the
fire. They indicate the perimeter of 1km-resolution pixels containing the
thermal anomaly detected by MODIS."


--
Mike posted to uk.sci.weather 17/10/2003 13:24:53 UTC
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On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 13:58:11 +0100, Nick
wrote:

What are the red dots on the image Mike ?


Fires, usually.

How do you find when the UK's in the image, I've not managed to work that out
yet...

When you come to the page with all the dates, and then click on the required
date, you will come to the thumbnails page

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/

you will see two small world maps at the top of this page showing the orbital
paths for both the Terra and the Aqua satellite.

Click on the maps and you will see the paths in detail with times. I find that
the UK, if it is not on the edge of the image, is usually available at about
1030-1130 on Terra and 1230-1330 on Aqua.

I sometimes use Mike's technique as well, looking for North Africa or Iberia in
the thumbnails.

JPG

- And on Fri, 17 Oct 2003 15:33:45 +0100, it was spake thus said in message JPG :


Fires, usually.

Many thanks to both of you, - well done finding it in the FAQ Mike.

And many thanks to both of you for the pointer on finding GB

I also applaud MODIS with you Mike, in putting such amazing images up in the
public domain

It's heartening when this sort of stuff is made freely available
--
Bye for now, Nick
www.whelan.me.uk
nrw7 on Yahoo Messenger & nickw7coc on MSN Messenger too !

"Col" wrote in message
...

"Mike Tullett" wrote in message
...
A thread earlier this week, started by JPG, prompted me go to the MODIS
site to look at today's image - given the clear skies over most places.
I downloaded the 11.20Z Terra 500m resolution image and cropped/enhanced
again.
It came from this larger image:



http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/r...12500.500m.jpg


Are you southern guys living in a desert or something?
The contrast is quite remarkable.


Went on the train to Weymouth last Saturday. Fields on the river gravel
west of Wareham are completely "burnt off", not a blade of green grass on
them. Similar experience a week or so beforehand in the area you mention
(near Windsor).

I live on the edge of the New Forest. Where we live is clay, not sand and
gravel, and normally lies "wet". The grass is now dying even on the heavy
clay. Haven't been to the "top" of the Forest recently (which is a gravel
plateau) but must be very barren up there now.

Bad news for the "commoners" (owners of the famous New Forest Ponies) if we
don't get rain PDQ. If it doesn't rain within the next two weeks or so, it
will be too late for any more grass growth this year, meaning the ponies
will either have to be taken off the Forest or the owners will have to go to
the expense of putting out hay for them.
--
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