The highest tides on Earth occur in the Minas Basin, the eastern extremity
of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada, where the tide range can reach
16 meters when the various factors affecting the tides are in phase. The
primary cause of the immense tides of Fundy is a resonance of the Bay of
Fundy-Gulf of Maine system. The system is effectively bounded at this
outer end by the edge of the continental shelf with its approximately 40:1
increase in depth. The system has a natural period of approximately 13
hours, which is close to the 12h25m period of the dominant lunar tide of
the Atlantic Ocean. Like a father pushing his daughter on a swing, the
gentle Atlantic tidal pulse pushes the waters of the Bay of Fundy-Gulf of
Maine basin at nearly the optimum frequency to cause a large to-and-fro
oscillation. The greatest slosh occurs at the head (northeast end) of the
system. The high tide image (top) was acquired April 20, 2001, and the low
tide image (bottom) was acquired September 30, 2002. The images cover an
area of 16.5 by 21 km, and are centered near 64 degrees west longitude and
45.5 degrees north latitude.
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,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.
Size: 16.5 by 21 kilometers (10.2 by 13 miles)
Location: 45.4 degrees North latitude, 64 degrees West longitude
Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1
Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet)
Dates Acquired: September 30, 2002
