Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired December 31 - 31, 2003 800 x 1050 249 KB - JPEG
Data acquired December 31 - 31, 2003 1600 x 2100 1 MB - JPEG
Data acquired December 31 - 31, 2003 3200 x 4200 3 MB - JPEG
New Year’s Eve 2003 was exceptionally warm and sunny over the Mid-Atlantic states. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Aqua satellite shows substantial portions of the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina. Most of the region is free from early-winter snow, with the exception of the western flank of the Appalachian Mountains.
The folds of this ancient, heavily eroded range of mountains stretch from the lower left to the upper right of the image. Brown deciduous forests (without their leaves) extend to the west, while scattered evergreen forests, colored dark green, lie between the mountains and the Atlantic coast. Fallow fields and agricultural areas are light green, while urban areas appear grey.
The Chesapeake Bay, along the right edge of the image, exhibits the distinctive branching shape of a drowned river valley. Albemarle and Pamlico sounds separate the long, thin islands of the Outer Banks from mainland North Carolina.
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published January 2, 2004 Data acquired December 31 - 31, 2003