Category: David Hsu

Gravity Wave over United States

By Elijah Mt. Castle

The propagation of a gravity wave has been detected in cloud cover over the Eastern United States. A gravity wave is a wave generated in a fluid by the force of gravity or buoyancy attempting to restore equilibrium in the medium, i.e. the waves are caused by the fluid attempting to return to its resting place. When fluid is displaced from its equilibrium the fluid will move back and forth producing a wave. Gravity waves are responsible for many natural phenomena: ocean waves generated by wind; tsunamis; cloud patterns; and ocean tides. Pictured is an effect of a gravity wave on cloud cover over the United States. The rippled effect in the clouds could have been caused by a variety of interactions. This is a rare event to be captured so clearly by satellites.

February 7, 2021

Hawaiian Volcano Becomes Active Once More

By Elijah Mt. Castle

The Hawaiian volcano Kīlauea has become active. Kīlauea has been erupting since December 30th 2020. All lava flows are currently in the uninhabited lava lake and pose no threat. Kīlauea last erupted in 2018, when it erupted for 3 months straight. It was believed that a volcano the size of Kīlauea would only stop erupting when it was out of magma. However, the 2018 eruption only used a third of the available magma in the chamber. It was believed the volcano would remain dormant for much longer than it has. Chemical analysis of the lava shows it is not a new production of lava, but rather the remnants of the 2018 eruption. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is monitoring the eruption for new information and any risk it may pose. Pictured are the VNF detections for January 29th-31st 2021 for the volcano. Also pictured is the EOG Nighttime Lights for January 31st 2021, where the volcano can clearly be seen.

February 1, 2021

Country Wide Power Outage in Pakistan

By Elijah Mt. Castle and Feng Chi, Hsu

Pakistan’s national power grid experienced a blackout lasting 18 hours in most areas. The power failure was caused by “an engineering fault” in southern Pakistan. The fault engaged safety systems across the grid and shut down the power plants across the country. The blackout left millions of people in the dark. Airports were disrupted and major cities were left in the dark. Power has since been restored. No major accidents were reported. In 2018 Pakistan’s grid was partially disrupted for more than nine hours. A major power outage also occurred in 2015 a major power line broke down which knocked out power for around 80 percent of Pakistan, allegedly the outage in 2015 was caused by rebel groups. Pictured are the EOG nighttime lights for January 8th and 9th.

January 11, 2021

Mount Etna Erupts

By Elijah Mt. Castle

The Sicilian volcano of Etna erupted on Dec 13th in the night. Etna is the most active volcano in Europe. The eruption does not threaten the surrounding city of Catania. The eruption produced a jet of lava an estimated 100m into the air and an ash plume of approximately 5km in height. Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations. The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes that are heavily monitored since they have historically deadly/damaging eruptions and are in close proximity to populated areas. In 1669 Mount Etna’s most destructive eruption destroyed 10 villages and flowed around the walls of Catania and into the harbor, the lava then breached the walls and destroyed several buildings. Etna is also a World Heritage Site. In Greek Mythology Zeus, the king of the gods, trapped the giant serpent Typhon beneath the mountain. The forge of the gods is also said to be beneath the mountain. Pictured are the VNF detections for Dec 12-13th, as well as the Nighttime lights for Dec 13th.

December 22, 2020

A Million Hectares Burned in Bolivia

By Elijah Mt. Castle

Fire season has been devastating across the world. Bolivia has reported that 1.4 million hectares of land have been burned from forest fires this year. As of October 8th there are 57 active wildfires in the country. Bolivian officials have opened over 450 cases against individuals accused of starting various fires. 20 of these cases are criminal charges. This is the first time in Bolivian history that people have been sentenced for wildfire. The various wildfires have begun encroaching on National parks in the area that are difficult to access. Parts of Bolivia are experiencing a drought that is providing dry fuel for the fires and hampering suppression. Lax environmental policies have not helped the areas affected. Pictured are the VNF detections for the month of October 2020. The more pronounced the color the longer the fire has been burning.

November 24, 2020

Creek Fire containment Date Pushed Back

The California fire season is well underway. The Creek Fire has been burning since September 4th. The fire is now the largest single fire in California history. Over 900 structures have been damaged or destroyed and the fire has caused 45,000 people to be evacuated from surrounding areas. As of October 30th, the fire has burned 379,571 acres and is currently 70% contained. Due to weather conditions and the rugged terrain in the Sierra National Forest where the fire has spread to, the expected containment date of the fire has been pushed back from the original date, October 31st, to November 15th. Fire crews have to be airlifted into the park since it is so remote. Additional fire crews have been called in from around the country to assist with the fire, including a team from Alaska. Federal aid is being offered to victims of the fire. Pictured are the VNF detections for the fire in Sierra National Forest for Oct 29th – Nov 1st.

November 4, 2020

East Troublesome Fire Grows Over 100,000 Acres Overnight

By Elijah Mt. Castle

The East Troublesome Fire grew over 100,000 acres overnight October 21. The fire is threatening various towns and national parks in the area and is currently the fourth largest fire in Colorado History. The town of Estes Park was evacuated October 22 and Great Lake was evacuated the day before. The fire is at risk of merging with the neighboring Cameron Peak Fire which is only 55% contained. The fire also has posed risks to many ranches in the area. Hundreds of horses and cattle have been evacuated in face of the fire. It is expected that the snow will slow the various fires plaguing Colorado, but it will not end fire season. Pictured are the VNF detections for October 21st and 22nd.

10/25/2020

Chinese Fishing Fleet Threatens Biodiversity in Galapagos

Cameron Peak Fire in Colorado

By Joseph Hall and Elijah Mt. Castle

The team at Earth Observation Group gathered this image of the Cameron Peak Fire in Larimer County, Colorado just outside of Estes Park and about 60 miles from The Payne Institute for Public Policy headquarters in Golden. Our team utilized VIIRS Nightrire technology to not only pinpoint fire hotspots, but accurately calculate average temperatures of the flames within the area. This fire has currently burned 102,596 acres, and is only 4% contained since it started on August 13th. The fire is burning in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest which includes part of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado’s largest and most visited park. The Cameron Peak Fire is eerily similar to the High Park Fire which “burned more than 87,000 acres and destroyed 259 homes in Larimer County in 2012.” Colorado received snow on the 7th and 8th, so firefighters were able to have some success fighting the fire and identified that 50 structures had been destroyed, 25 of them being residences. Due to the fire’s proximity to Estes Park, Fort Collins, and Denver, many Colorado residents have observed air quality warnings along with an orange sky and haze. Even with the recent snow, Colorado and the western United States remains extremely dry and at high risk for more fires. EOG will continue to monitor fires around the world, and we urge everyone to obey fire bans, and regional safety mandates so our land can remain beautiful and our homes can stay safe.

9/15/2020

Historical Lick Observatory Surrounded by Wild Fire

By Elijah Mt. Castle and Mitch Burcham

The Lick Observatory operated by the University of California is slowly being encroached upon by a surrounding wildfire in the Mt. Hamilton area of California. The images below gathered by the team at Earth Observation Group of the Payne Institute for Public Policy show the extensive burn area around the observatory as well as images form a local news sources of the flames rising around the buildings. As of right now there has been no reported damage to buildings on the property but as the fire continues to rage the risk increases. Firefighters have been working around the clock to protect the 132-year-old observatory that is so valuable for university research and public education. Earth Observation Group will continue to monitor fires around the world.

8/24/2020