# Presentation: 903178

## Hurricane 

**Hurricane **
**Juliette**
**26 September 2001**

**Notes:**
A classical intense hurricane is shown in this view of Juliette, captured by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer on September 26, 2001.
On the left is a true-color image produced by MISR's nadir (vertical-viewing) camera. Impressive spiral arms wrapped around the eye are apparent. Several areas of convective cloud can be discerned along the arms. The eye of the storm is centered at 18.8N latitude and 109.8W longitude (about 480 kilometers south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico). On the right is the cloud-top height field derived using automated computer processing of the data from multiple MISR cameras. Relative height variations re well represented, such as the clearing within the storm's eye. The stereoscopic data processing algorithm used to generate these results is still being refined. Future versions of this product may show modest changes in the height values compared to the preliminary values displayed here. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown in black. The observations cover a 380-kilometer swath width, and were acquired during Terra orbit 9442.
On September 25, Air Force reconnaissance aircraft recorded minimum sea level pressures of 923 millibars -- the lowest measurement for an eastern North Pacific hurricane since 1973. According to the National Hurricane Center, deep convection surrounding Juliette's eye began to weaken on the morning of September 26. The strength of this potentially dangerous hurricane continued to diminish over the next few days as the storm approached cooler waters. It travelled in a north-northwest direction over the Pacific Ocean until reaching the tip of Baja Peninsula, where the heaviest rainfall and winds were confined. Juliette was downgraded to a tropical storm on September 29, and to a tropical depression on September 30. The National Hurricane Center predicted Juliette's cyclonic circulation to be mostly dissipated by October 4.
Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace!
--William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet: Act v. Sc. 3.

## The Land of

**Ice and Fire**
**16 August 2001**

## Deforestation near Rio Branco, Brazil 

**Notes:**
Settlement and deforestation surrounding the Brazilian town of Rio Branco are seen here in the striking "herring bone” deforestation patterns that cut through the rainforest. Rio Branco is the capital of the Brazilian state of Acre and is situated near the border with northeastern Bolivia. The town is a center for the distribution of goods, including rubber, metals, medicinal plants, Brazil nuts and timber. Colonization projects in the region are supported by farming, logging activities, and extensive cattle ranching. Much of the the surrounding terrain is of a poorly-draining clay hardpan soil, and heavy rainfall periodically converts parts of the forested region to swamp.
The large overview image was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on July 28, 2000, and covers an area of 336 kilometers x 333 kilometers. A plume of smoke is visible north of the Rio Branco road, which roughly parallels the slender, twisting Rio Abuna. Most of the major rivers in the image provide reference points for state or international (Bolivia- Brazil) boundaries, and flow northeast to the Rio Madeira (east of the smoke plume). The border between Acre and the Bolivian department of Pando is marked by the Rio Abuna. Pando's southern boundary with the department of Beni is marked by the Rio Madre de Dios, the large river in the lower half of the image. 
The two higher-resolution inset images highlight a settled area north of the town of Rio Branco. These nadir views cover an area of 60 kilometers x 67 kilometers, and were acquired eleven months apart during Terra orbits 3251 and 8144. In the later image, more haze is present, possibly due to smoke from fires on that day. Comparing the two images provides a method of measuring the changes and expansion in the area of cleared land. One newly cleared patch is apparent near the middle of the later image, slightly off to the right. This polygon represents an area of about 16 square kilometers, or 4000 acres. Other recent clearings can be observed directly beneath this area, as well as toward the lower right-hand corner. 

## Aerosols over India

**15 October 2001**

**Notes:**
Large abundances of aerosols, or airborne particulates, over the low-lying plains of northeastern India appear in dramatic contrast with the relatively pristine air of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. This contrast is illustrated in these Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer images from October 15, 2001. The aerosols that contribute to poor air quality over much of the Indian subcontinent are believed to originate from industrial smoke, vehicle emissions, and biomass burning.
The two images at left show the scene from MISR's 26-degree and 70-degree forward viewing angles, respectively. The high evels of aerosols are accentuated in the 70-degree forward image, due to the longer atmospheric path length associated with the more oblique viewing angle. The abundance of aerosols is derived from the variation of scene brightness and contrast as a function of observation angle, and is displayed in the third panel from the left as optical depth. This quantity is logarithmically related to the atmosphere's ability to transmit light, and is one of several variables used to characterize the climatic and environmental influence of aerosols. Areas where retrievals were not obtained, such as the topographically complex Himalayas in Nepal, and cloudy or very turbid areas, are shown in dark gray. 
Surface calculations for the 26-degree view direction are shown in the rightmost panel. These calculations use the optical depth field to estimate surface reflectances as if the intervening atmosphere were not present. Making corrections for atmospheric scattering is important when using reflectances measured from space in surface classification and physical process studies. Note that the algorithms used to produce these results are still being refined, and future product versions may show some differences from the preliminary values displayed here.
These data were obtained during Terra orbit 9711, and represent an area of about 400 kilometers x 1600 kilometers.

## Where on Earth...?

**MISR Mystery Image**
**Quiz #4**
**29 October 2000**