ISS005-E-21295
| NASA Photo ID | ISS005-E-21295 |
| Focal Length | 800mm |
| Date taken | 2002.11.23 |
| Time taken | 22:11:19 GMT |
1000 x 640 pixels 540 x 346 pixels 1000 x 640 pixels 540 x 346 pixels 540 x 346 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
Photo center point:
Photo center point by machine learning:
Country or Geographic Name: | AUSTRALIA |
Features: | LINEAR DUNES, FIRE SCARS |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 28° |
Sun Azimuth: | 101° |
Camera: | Kodak DCS760c Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 800mm |
Camera Tilt: | Low Oblique |
Format: | 3060E: 3060 x 2036 pixel CCD, RGBG array |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 640 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 346 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 1000 pixels | 640 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 346 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 346 pixels | No | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 3032 pixels | 2064 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 639 pixels | 435 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
Bright orange fire scars show up the underlying dune sand in the Simpson Desert, 300 kilometers east of Alice Springs. The background is an intricate pattern of sand cordons that angle across the view from lower left to upper right. These cordons are now mostly green, showing that, although they were once shifting, they have become more or less static--"tied down" by a vegetation mat of desert scrub.
The fire scars were produced in a recent fire, probably within the last year. The image suggests a time sequence of events. Fires first advanced into the view from the lower left--parallel with the major dune trend and dominant wind direction. Then the wind shifted direction by about 90 degrees so that fires advanced across the dunes in a series of frond-like tendrils. Each frond starts at some point on the earlier fire scar, and sharp tips of the fronds show where the fires burned out naturally at the end of the episode. The sharp edges of the fire scars are due to steady but probably weak southwesterly winds--weaker winds reduced sparking of additional fires in adjacent scrub on either side of the main fire pathways. Over time, the scars will become less distinct as vegetation grows back.
