Interstate 10 across Pensacola Bay, Florida was severely damaged by
Hurricane Ivan. The ASTER image acquired September 21 (left) clearly
shows the destruction, compared with an image acquired September 28, 2003
(right). The Florida Department of Transportation awarded a contract to
repair the twin bridges that connect Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Traffic could resume crossing the bay in mid-October. These images display
vegetation in red, buildings and roads in white and gray, and water in
dark blue and green.
With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared
wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters
(about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing
surface of our planet.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,
1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team
is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the
data products.
The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides
scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface
mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example
applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring
potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud
morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution
monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils
and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.
The U.S. Science Team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL), Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science
Mission Directorate..
Size: 6 by 6.5 kilometers (3.7 x 4 miles)
Location: 30.5 degrees North latitude, 87.1 degrees West longitude
Orientation: North at top
Image Data: ASTER bands 3,2, and 1
Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet)
Dates Acquired: September 21, 2004, and September 28, 2003