Images
March 10, 2026 - Southern California
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This gorgeous true-color image of a sunny winter day in California’s San Joaquin Valley was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 8, 2026.
Snow tops the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the east, while lush green vegetation covers the foothills of the Sierra Nevada as well as the Coastal Range, which forms the western boundary of the Valley. In the center, agricultural cropland (green and tan) mixes with several large cities and towns (gray tones).
The San Joaquin Valley is the southern section of the larger Central Valley and is a rich agricultural region. Major crops include grapes, cotton, almonds, pistachios, citrus, and a variety of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The area also produces a large amount of oil, and oil extraction is expanding. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “California regulators have approved more new oil and gas wells in Kern County during the first two months of 2026 than in the last three years combined.” Between January 1 and March 6, the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) approved 128 new drilling permits, which is 7 more permits approved for the entire state of California between 2023 through 2025. According to the article, the approval comes after a new law that strongly loosens environmental regulation for oil drilling, specifically in Kern County, which sits in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/8/2026
Resolutions:
1km (161.7 KB), 500m (429.6 KB), 250m (792.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
This gorgeous true-color image of a sunny winter day in California’s San Joaquin Valley was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 8, 2026.
Snow tops the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the east, while lush green vegetation covers the foothills of the Sierra Nevada as well as the Coastal Range, which forms the western boundary of the Valley. In the center, agricultural cropland (green and tan) mixes with several large cities and towns (gray tones).
The San Joaquin Valley is the southern section of the larger Central Valley and is a rich agricultural region. Major crops include grapes, cotton, almonds, pistachios, citrus, and a variety of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The area also produces a large amount of oil, and oil extraction is expanding. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “California regulators have approved more new oil and gas wells in Kern County during the first two months of 2026 than in the last three years combined.” Between January 1 and March 6, the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) approved 128 new drilling permits, which is 7 more permits approved for the entire state of California between 2023 through 2025. According to the article, the approval comes after a new law that strongly loosens environmental regulation for oil drilling, specifically in Kern County, which sits in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/8/2026
Resolutions:
1km (161.7 KB), 500m (429.6 KB), 250m (792.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
