EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Fallstreak Hole and Circumzenithal Arc over Hong Kong

March 22, 2022

1F276D7A-5F4E-4C55-9CA8-1A422AAF30EC

Photographer: Li Yuen Han

Summary Authors: Li Yuen Han; Cadan Cummings

The photo above features both a fallstreak hole and
circumzenithal arc observed from Jordon, Hong Kong. Fallstreak
holes, also referred to as hole punch clouds, are created when a cloud
layer composed of supercooled water droplets is unsettled and
produces ice crystals. This phenomenon is often caused in cirrocumulus
or altocumulus clouds by jet aircraft that pass through a cloud deck
producing turbulent air behind their wings and engines. As the ice
crystals nucleate, the surrounding water evaporates and ice
crystals slowly fall to the ground to form this unique circular hole in
the cloud. Looking at the center of the cloud hole, one can also see a
faint circumzenithal arc. These two phenomena are likely correlated
because as the ice crystals accumulate in the air, they act like a
prism and refract incoming light to produce what looks like an
upside-down rainbow. Photo taken December 9, 2021.
* Jordan, Hong Kong Coordinates: 22.3049, 114.1692

Related EPODs

Fallstreak Hole and Circumzenithal Arc over Hong Kong Cloud
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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 3 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


The Plastic Littering Our Shores

April 22, 2022

Lavinia_EarthDay_Picture1

Lavinia_EarthDay_Picture2

Photographer: Geoff Dennis

Summary Authors: Geoff Dennis, Lavinia Gadsden; Jim Foster

The photo at top shows what I collected along shore here in East
Island, Rhode Island, on November 23, 2021. Sadly, I come across this
stuff all too often. Of course, it’s not just the beaches in Rhode
Island that are being contaminated by plastics, trash, flotsam and
other debris; it’s happening pretty much everywhere. The oceans can
deal with a lot but have found their match with plastic. It doesn’t
degrade on the scale of human lifetimes.

Included in my “catch” on November 23, are 27 mylar balloons. They
came in this summer, blew to higher ground on the island and laid in
wait until the vegetation died off, which revealed their hiding places.
In addition, I found 25 single use, plastic bottles that had come
ashore since September 6. The running tally on these two most numerous
items collected, which began in 2015, now stands at 489 bottles/cans
(99.9% plastic bottles) and 558 mylar balloons. Note that the four
lobster pots washed in on a nor’easter earlier in November.

Today marks the 52^nd Earth Day. Few would argue that our lives
would be better without plastic, but our ocean’s health, and indeed our
planet’s health, suffers as this plastic waste increasingly litters our
shores.

On occasion, my debris removal runs are happily interrupted by
unexpected sightings that take my breath away, such as the snowy
owl (bottom photo) -- one of three I spotted in a time span of an hour
or so. These sporadic wintertime visitors were part of an irruption
in the autumn of 2021.
* East Island, Rhode Island Coordinates: 41.5312, -71.2716

Related EPODs

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Applied Sciences Links

* BBC: World Water Crisis
* Indoor Air Quality
* Mathematics in Nature
* A Mathematical Nature Walk
* NASA: Applied Earth Sciences
* Remote Sensing Tutorial

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 7 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Icons of Arizona

June 22, 2022

TomMc_CactusSaguaroMoonCaveCreekMarch19.2022#18ajpg (003)

TomMc_CactusSaguaroMoonCaveCreekMarch19.2022#8e (003)

Photographer: Thomas McGuire

Summary Author: Thomas McGuire

The images above combine two iconic symbols of Arizona, the stately
saguaro cactus and “ The Valley of the Sun,” as the greater
Phoenix area is often called. Both photos were taken on March 18, 2022,
at sunset as the full moon was rising.

Saguaro cacti are endemic to the Sonoran Desert and are the tallest
cactus species native to North America –- some specimens are over 50 ft
(15 m) in height. The word “saguaro” originated in an indigenous
language spoken by peoples of the Sonoran Desert in what is now Mexico.
It’s pronounced “sah WAH roh.”

Taking sunset or sunrise images with the moon in view is
challenging. The images featured here required a confluence of
conditions. My first task was finding a photogenic saguaro cactus on a
clear eastern horizon. Then I consulted astronomical tables in an
ephemeris to determine when the Moon would be fullest, as well as
the precise time and geographic direction of sunset. An added timing
and positioning consideration is that at this location the land rises
to the east about 5° above a flat horizon. Of course, a little luck
with clouds and stray light is also helpful. Note that the 2nd image
was taken in diminishing light, so it shows significantly more noise
( graininess and color error) than the top photo.
* Cave Creek, Arizona Coordinates: 33.8334, -111.9507

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Geography Links

* Atlapedia Online
* CountryReports
* GPS Visualizer
* Holt Rinehart Winston World Atlas
* Mapping Our World
* Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
* Types of Land
* World Mapper

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 16 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Nature Reclaims Lost Shoe

July 22, 2022

Epod-tris

Photographer: Rosario Catania

Summary Author: Rosario Catania

The picture above shows a lost shoe in the woods near the Etna
volcano. As is happening above, nature always reclaims the spaces that
belong to her. It’s just a matter of time before plants and organisms
begin to grow and utilize the discarded items on the forest floor.
Commonly found on fallen trees and rocks, moss is considered both a
producer and decomposer since it typically helps breaking down
items into available nutrients. This work has a larger significance
within the lifecycle of ecosystems because it makes nutrients available
for surrounding organisms.

Now in perfect camouflage, time for the shoe pictured above will pass,
but it will devour its contents. A time that for our existence means a
lot, but in the cycle of nature is only a flash.
* Bronte, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 37.7883, 14.8307

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Plant Links

* Discover Life
* Tree Encyclopedia
* What are Phytoplankton?
* Encyclopedia of Life - What is a Plant?
* USDA Plants Database
* University of Texas Native Plant Database
* Plants in Motion
* What Tree is It?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 20 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Lunar Pareidolia: Profile of Woman’s Face

August 22, 2022

Screenshot_20220512_074746
Photographer: Emanuele Nifosi

Summary Author: Emanuele Nifosi

Emanuele_Screenshot_20220512_074746 (002) Around the eighteenth
century, the astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini first noticed light
reflecting off the Moon's landscape along the edge of Golfo delle Iridi
resembled the profile of a woman with long hair. This lunar feature
specifically appeared in close relation to the Promontorium
Heraclides and coincided with the Moon's 10th and 11th day of its
synodic orbit. Later, Giovanni Cassini also engraved a female
figure in a lunar map he published in 1679, according to some scholars
identifiable with his wife Genevieve Laistre.

Shown above, surrounded by a pronounced radial pattern, the Copernicus
crater is visible resembling a human profile. As a note, the photo of
the Moon is upside down as viewed through the reflector telescope - as
it would also have been seen by Gian Domenico Cassini. Click here
to see a video of the Moon changing illumination angles.

Photo Details: Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope 6 inch diameter telescope,
Hyperion Morpheus 9mm, mounted smartphone, ISO 1.250, f/1.9 exp 1/130
* Scicli, Italy Coordinates: 36.7932, 14.7070

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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 25 weeks, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Frost Crack in Linden Tree

September 22, 2022

Dale_H_linden_a

Photographer: Dale Hugo

Summary Author: Dale Hugo

This scar running about 10 ft (3 m) on our linden (or basswood)
tree out front is probably a frost crack. Cracks like this are
caused on extremely cold days, usually at night or early morning when
it is coldest, as sap under the bark expands enough to cause a rupture
or even an explosion, sounding like a gun shot. However, I don’t recall
hearing such a retort coming from our linden. But here in northeastern
Illinois, temperatures dropped to at least -25 F (-32C) the past
several winters. This tree has been in place since 1974, between the
sidewalk and the street.

Often such scars are attributed to lightning strikes. We had one
across the street on a giant cottonwood, but the effect was to kill 1/3
of the tree, leaving a scar that never will heal.

A frost wound is referred to by foresters and arborists as a frost
rib or frost ridge. The split heals and the health of the tree is
unaffected. Further evidence is that the scar doesn’t continue up the
trunk toward the top of the tree but is localized. This linden was in
full flower this past spring and the fragrance was wonderful.
Incidentally, the flowers of a linden can be collected to make a
fragrant tea.


Arlington Heights, Illinois Coordinates: 42.0884, -87.9806


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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 29 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Dust Devils on a Dry Lakebed

November 22, 2022


Dust-devils
Photographer: Dale Chadwick
Summary Author: Dale Chadwick
The photo above shows dust devils on a dry lakebed southwest of
Winnemucca, Nevada, as observed in the early afternoon of July 4, 2022.
I was about 2 to 3 miles (3-5 km) away from when I noticed dust and
sand swirling in the air. The largest of these devils appears to be
over 100 feet (30 m) high and perhaps 30 feet (9 m) in width. I was
surprised at how long they persisted -- visible for at least 10
minutes.

Dust devils occur when the surface becomes sufficiently heated to
form a weak updraft in the lower atmosphere, just above the ground.
Once formed, the little rotating column of air may twist
counterclockwise or clockwise and is typically barely strong enough to
lift grains of sand.

Photo details: Two views taken with a 300MM zoom lens.

Winnemucca, Nevada Coordinates:


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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 38 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Colorful Clouds Observed at Sunset

December 22, 2022


CloudColors

Photographer: Spyros Antonopoulos
Summary Author: Spyros Antonopoulos

The photo above showing colorful cloud colors at sunset was taken near
Chalkeia, Greece. Of course, the color of a cloud depends primarily
upon the color of the light it receives. When the Sun is low in the
sky, because the path the Sun's rays take across the sky is longer
than if they were coming from straight above (zenith), the shorter
wavelength colors (greens and blues) tend to be scattered from our
view. This leaves the red, yellow and orange colors to paint any clouds
lying in the track of the Sun's lingering rays. The closer the Sun is
to the horizon, the longer the path-length of its rays, and thus the
redder the color. Photo taken on July 10, 2022.

Chalkeia, Greece Coordinates: 38.431270, 21.684530

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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 42 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)