Satellite Image of the Day: June 26, 2007
(click here for previous images of the day from RUSMART)

NOAA's Hydrometeorologial Prediction Center (HPC) "Daily National Forecast" image shows a daily national weather prediction

NOAA's National Hurricane Center

Satellites: NOAA-15, NOAA 16, NOAA 17 and NOAA-18, part of NOAA's 850km-high (530 mile-high) Polar Orbiting satellites

"Heat Island"

The city "heat island" effect is illustrated by the city of Richmond at the center of the images below.
Heat-absorbing asphalt, dry concrete (no evaporation), heat produced by buildings (air conditioners), etc. conspire to pump a lot of heat into the atmosphere above cities.
In the left-hand image the urban sprawl of Richmond is seen where the James River is finally wide enough to be seen by these satellites.
In the right-hand image Richmond is seen as a higher-temperature (darker red color) area.
Other urban heat islands may be seen in North Carolina where I-40 passes along the Research Triangle sprawl.
The James River eventually empties into Chesapeake Bay.

Click on the image for a high-resolution version (~290k).

False color image, centered on eastern Virginia	Temperature distribution, same area as image to the left