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September 24, 2017 - Islands of Hokkaido and Kunashir
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On September 22, 2017, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image that captured the small island of Kunashir and the eastern portion of Hokkaido. The Sea of Okhotsk lies in the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
Hokkaido is Japan’s second-largest island and the 21st largest in the world. It is also the northernmost of Japan’s large islands. Eastern Hokkaido contains some of the less-populated areas on the island. The Shiretoko Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and most of it is protected as Shiretoko National Park. The rugged landscape of the peninsula is due to several volcanoes located there.
The smaller island of Kunashir lies parallel to the Shiretoko Peninsula. It is part of the Kuril Islands. Occupied by Russia in 1945, it is one of the several islands in dispute between Japan and Russia. Japan claims the island as theirs; Russia makes a similar claim.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/22/2017
Resolutions:
1km (83.3 KB), 500m (184.6 KB), 250m (294 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On September 22, 2017, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image that captured the small island of Kunashir and the eastern portion of Hokkaido. The Sea of Okhotsk lies in the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
Hokkaido is Japan’s second-largest island and the 21st largest in the world. It is also the northernmost of Japan’s large islands. Eastern Hokkaido contains some of the less-populated areas on the island. The Shiretoko Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and most of it is protected as Shiretoko National Park. The rugged landscape of the peninsula is due to several volcanoes located there.
The smaller island of Kunashir lies parallel to the Shiretoko Peninsula. It is part of the Kuril Islands. Occupied by Russia in 1945, it is one of the several islands in dispute between Japan and Russia. Japan claims the island as theirs; Russia makes a similar claim.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/22/2017
Resolutions:
1km (83.3 KB), 500m (184.6 KB), 250m (294 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
