Images
February 14, 2011 - Snow in northeastern China
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Snow blanketed Northeast China as the Year of the Rabbit began, bringing hope that the new year would bring much needed precipitation to drought-stricken farmlands throughout China. Despite the winter’s snow, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters stated that the drought continues, and much of China’s winter wheat crop may be lost before harvest. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua captured this true-color image on February 10, 2011 as it passed over the region.
In this image, the dry agricultural lands of the Northeastern Plain (Manchurian Plain) appear almost entirely white, with mottled spotting that indicates cities and towns. Near the center of the image and to the right is a large dark circle. This is the city of Harbin, also known as the Ice City, which was nearing the end of celebrations surrounding the International Ice and Snow Festival on the day this image was captured. Harbin is connected to Changchun, to the southwest by what appears to be a line etched in snow, but is actually a roadway. The small dark spots on the line are almost certainly small towns between the two cities.
From Harbin eastward, the Songhua River Valley is covered with white. To the west, the Greater Khingan Mountains are grayish, while the vein-like valleys that run through the range are bright white, filled with the winter’s snow.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/10/2011
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Snow blanketed Northeast China as the Year of the Rabbit began, bringing hope that the new year would bring much needed precipitation to drought-stricken farmlands throughout China. Despite the winter’s snow, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters stated that the drought continues, and much of China’s winter wheat crop may be lost before harvest. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua captured this true-color image on February 10, 2011 as it passed over the region.
In this image, the dry agricultural lands of the Northeastern Plain (Manchurian Plain) appear almost entirely white, with mottled spotting that indicates cities and towns. Near the center of the image and to the right is a large dark circle. This is the city of Harbin, also known as the Ice City, which was nearing the end of celebrations surrounding the International Ice and Snow Festival on the day this image was captured. Harbin is connected to Changchun, to the southwest by what appears to be a line etched in snow, but is actually a roadway. The small dark spots on the line are almost certainly small towns between the two cities.
From Harbin eastward, the Songhua River Valley is covered with white. To the west, the Greater Khingan Mountains are grayish, while the vein-like valleys that run through the range are bright white, filled with the winter’s snow.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 2/10/2011
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
