Category: EOG

Multiple Wildfires in Manitoba Contained

By Elijah Mt. Castle

The Canadian province of Manitoba has been experiencing multiple wildfires over the last couple of weeks. Dry conditions are to blame for the fires. As of May 14th, all blazes have been contained. The most recent wildfire sparked the 13th and grew to around 80 hectares (198 acres). This fire is now around 50 hectares in size. Several RVs and trailers from a storage site were damaged, however there is no other reported property damage. Due to the incredibly dry conditions, Manitoba has banned campfires and back-country camping. Numerous trails have been closed for the safety of hikers. Officials say the trails are closed so focus can be placed on fighting wildfires instead of rescue. Pictured are the VNF detections for May 13th-14th 2021. Contains information licensed under the Open Government License – Canada.

May 19, 2021

Earth Day 2021

By Elijah Mt. Castle

Earth Day is an international day of environmental protection. Started on April 22, 1970 Earth Day is now observed in over 193 countries. Earth Day was first proposed at the 1969 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by activist John McConnell. The event originally took place on March 21, but it was moved to April 22nd when United States Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested hosting nationwide sessions to raise environmental awareness. Earth Day is a day to celebrate conservation and peace between the nations of the world. The Paris Climate Agreement was signed on Earth Day in 2016 by over 120 countries around the world. This agreement has helped strengthen both diplomatic ties and global climate change mitigation. We here at the Earth Observation Group would like to wish you a happy Earth Day.

April 22, 2021

Cargo Vessels Waiting to Pass the Suez Canal Doubled in 24 Hours

By Fengchi Hsu

Ever Given, one of the largest cargo vessels in operation, was stuck in the Suez Canal for days. This incident blocks the two-way traffic of the canal, which causes the number of cargo vessels waiting to pass the canal doubled in 24 hours from March 25th to 26th, 2021.
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March 26, 2021

Weeks Long Fire Contained in Similipal National Park

By Elijah Mt. Castle

Similipal National Park has been aflame since February 24th 2021, and is now contained according to government officials. The associated tiger sanctuary also caught fire. The park, located in Odisha India, is an important biosphere for the country. Roughly one third of the forest has been destroyed or gutted for fire breaks. Fires have also been raging in surrounding areas for weeks. There have not been any reports of loss of life because of the fire, and most of the larger animals have moved to the inner-part of the preserve to escape the fire. Smaller animals and flora were not so lucky. Many reptiles and medicinal plants were killed in the fire. The exact cause of the fire is not known, but it is speculated to be man made. Many locals will burn away dead leaves to collect seeds and flowers used in alcohol and other products. The Odisha government is currently taking volunteers and paying locals to help keep the blaze contained. Pictured are the VNF detections for February 24th – March 12th 2021 in and around Similipal. The more pronounced the color is the longer the fire has been burning at that location. Also pictured are the EOG Nighttime Lights for March 6th.

March 14, 2021

Mt. Etna Erupts 4 Times in Four Days

by Elijah Mt. Castle

Mt. Etna, in the Sicilian province of Catania, has been intermediately erupting for four days now. The eruptions began on February 16th 2021. At this time the volcano is no danger to any of the surrounding villages and the lava is flowing into the uninhabited valley below the summit. As one of the most active volcanoes in the world the people of Catania are accustomed to frequent eruptions from the 3km peak. Volcanic ash and rocks have blanketed the surrounding towns and villages. As a precaution Catania’s airport was closed the 16th, but has since been opened. One of the mountain’s eruptions launched lava 700m into the air. More eruptions are expected in the coming days or weeks. Pictured are the VNF detections for February 17th to the 20th 2021, accompanied with EOG Nighttime lights for Feb 18th. The lava flow can be seen in Nighttime Lights, as well as the accompanying photograph. For supplementary information about Mt. Etna please see our post about the December 2020 eruption.

February 26, 2021

Power Outage in Texas Due to Extreme Weather

By Feng Chi, (David) Hsu

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Texas was hit by snow and freezing temperatures in mid-February 2021. Numerous areas experienced power outages as power plants and renewable energy sources shutdown and have been slow to restart. The outages can be detected as losses in satellite observed lighting, which show up as red in the image presented here from early morning on February 16. There are numerous power outage areas in Houston, while Dallas, Austin and San Antonio show smaller pockets of outage. Many of the gas flares in the Eagle Ford oil field are also shutdown because of the power outages.

February 16, 2021

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