Nasa Imagery of New Zealand Storm
An intense winter storm hit New Zealand 12 June 2006. As it turns out, the storm was one of the worst in 50 years, dumping snow across much of the South Island. We had snow here in Christchurch which I have posted in Our First Snow of the Season. Around 3-5cm of snow fell here in downtown Christchurch, but much of the Canterbury Plain received 20-50cm of snow, with some areas of higher elevation receiving roughly 1 meter. Snow level was down to sea level with the waves washing up the beach over the newly fallen snow! The heavy snow caused long term power outages to outlying areas in inland and south Canterbury.
This image was captured 13 June 2006 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Nasa's Aqua satellite.
There is also a high resolution version (2.08MB) if you would like to see the awesome detail of this image. Please note the high-resolution version is a large file.
"The view from above tells the story/
Of Winter in majestic glory."
This image was captured 13 June 2006 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Nasa's Aqua satellite.
There is also a high resolution version (2.08MB) if you would like to see the awesome detail of this image. Please note the high-resolution version is a large file.
"The view from above tells the story/
Of Winter in majestic glory."
posted by Unknown at 10:06
8 Comments:
Wow, that's quite a picture!
I really like satellite images like that. One of my favorite sites is Nasa's rapidfire, which features images from Aqua and Terra for over the past 2 years for many places in the world, but not New Zealand :(
Is New Zealand flat now?
I thought we had an earthquake here yesterday, so I went to USGS to see what I could find. Turns out we didn't, but I discovered that USGS has a really cool program that will overlay dots indicating the location, magnatude, and everything else you can think of onto Google Earth. Boy, Alaska is screwed!
caverrich: I keep thinking of the famous image of Earth Rising, taken from the Moon; for many people that was possibly the first image to encompass the "bigger picture" as it were - it allowed folks to see more than is possible from their restricted personal point of view standing on the planet surface (lost in the forest) - and allowed them to see the "forest" and the "trees." Besides, now when I say we had a really powerfull winter storm I can provide concrete evidence, visible from several miles up :-)
frances goodman: New Zealand is not flat yet, although the snow cover does emphasize the relatively low relief of the Canterbury Plains. The USGS also has a feature where you can sign up to receive information about earthquakes of any chosen magnitude and/or position around the world, and have that information sent as an email - very cool. You can also download a neat dashboard widget for the Mac called TremorSkimmer which updates a list of the most recent earthquakes and provides a small map of the world pinpointing the locations.
Hey Steven, thanks for the link :^D Nice blog; it's good to see blogs like this, with good, original content from and about our country. Especially when they're from people who have real lives; who get out and enjoy the real world.
And, I was born in Christchurch and have a particular fondness for it. The Port hills and Peninsula are special places for me.
Actually, although the MODIS image is spectacular, it's the sediment that fascinates me. That's an awful lot of erosion...
Me again... just looked at your post about the walk to Taylor's Mistake and was delighted to see you met Rocky. I had the feeling he does this — waits for people he can tag along with. My brother and I had a marvellous walk with Rocky about a year ago. Right out to Godley Head and back. I'd love to know more about him, but maybe that would diminish his charm.
pohanginapete: We were thankfull for Rocky's company: such a graceful host. I was introduced to your blog through Jo Bind's Kiwi Tracks. I often lose track of time while reading your beautiful entries. Your writing style is elegant and your images are captivating. Pohanginapete is inspirational, a standard not easily achieved - your hard work and creativity are evident throughout your blog. Writing The Wandering Albatross has encouraged me to investigate not just the physical world around us, but also the interaction of our experiences and how it changes us as people. I have also been fascinated with how I have matured over time. As I mature I tend to notice images, smells, sounds which I might have overlooked as a youth. The world is infinitely more complex than I ever imagined as a child; even the smallest bits not only play a part, but are often integral and necessary.
Thanks for those generous comments, Steven. I like hearing how you're becoming more appreciative of the world around; sometimes I feel it's the reverse for many people, who, as they age, progressively lose their delight in exploring and discovering.
Give Rocky a pat for me next time you meet him :^)
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