Images
May 2, 2020 - New Mexico and West Texas
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On April 29, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of parts of New Mexico and Western Texas. Texas sits along the lower border of the image as well as in the east (right).
Two major rivers flow through the region: the Pecos and the Rio Grande. The Pecos River, seen near the center of the image flanked by green, rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico and flows through that state before reaching Texas and ultimately flowing into the Rio Grande. Bright green areas of irrigated agriculture can be seen along the river. The larger Rio Grande flows southward along the western edge of the image. This river rises in Colorado and flows through New Mexico before forming the boundary between the United States and Mexico.
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert, which stretches from the southwestern United States into northern Mexico, sits a field of gleaming white sands. Rich in brilliant white gypsum deposits, the entire area spans about 275 square miles (715 sq. km). About 40 percent of the area falls within the White Sands National Monument, managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
To the north of the white sands and curving to the northeast a charcoal-colored scar undulates across the arid landscape. The scar is the Carrizozo Malpais, a massive lava flow left over from volcanic activity that occurred several thousand years ago. Stretching roughly 75 kilometers (47 miles), Carrizozo is one of Earth’s longest known lava flows from the Holocene Epoch (the geologic time span since the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age).
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 4/29/2020
Resolutions:
1km (127.8 KB), 500m (323.7 KB), 250m (650.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On April 29, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of parts of New Mexico and Western Texas. Texas sits along the lower border of the image as well as in the east (right).
Two major rivers flow through the region: the Pecos and the Rio Grande. The Pecos River, seen near the center of the image flanked by green, rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico and flows through that state before reaching Texas and ultimately flowing into the Rio Grande. Bright green areas of irrigated agriculture can be seen along the river. The larger Rio Grande flows southward along the western edge of the image. This river rises in Colorado and flows through New Mexico before forming the boundary between the United States and Mexico.
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert, which stretches from the southwestern United States into northern Mexico, sits a field of gleaming white sands. Rich in brilliant white gypsum deposits, the entire area spans about 275 square miles (715 sq. km). About 40 percent of the area falls within the White Sands National Monument, managed by the U.S. National Park Service. To the north of the white sands and curving to the northeast a charcoal-colored scar undulates across the arid landscape. The scar is the Carrizozo Malpais, a massive lava flow left over from volcanic activity that occurred several thousand years ago. Stretching roughly 75 kilometers (47 miles), Carrizozo is one of Earth’s longest known lava flows from the Holocene Epoch (the geologic time span since the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age).
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 4/29/2020
Resolutions:
1km (127.8 KB), 500m (323.7 KB), 250m (650.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
