These views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) portray the
Lutzow-Holm Bay region of Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica, on September 5,
2002. Although Queen Maud Land remains one of the least studied regions of
Antarctica, Lutzow-Holm Bay is an exception. Syowa (pronounced 'Showa')
Station is the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition base situated on Ongul
Island, just off the eastern coast of the Bay (in the top right-hand portion
of these views). Scientists there have studied changes in the ice sheet and
sea level for several decades. Large outlet glaciers, such as the
fast-flowing Shirase Glacier in the lower right-hand corner of these
images, are the primary drainage systems for the Antarctic ice sheet.
These two views provide information on both the spectral and angular
reflectance properties of the region and can be used to understand
the geophysical environment. The top panel shows the region from
MISR's downward-looking (nadir) camera and is a false-color view in
which the near-infrared, green and blue spectral bands have been
displayed as red, green and blue. Because of the tendency of water to
absorb near-infrared wavelengths, some ice types exhibit an
especially bright blue hue in this display.
The lower panel is a multi-angular composite from three MISR cameras in which
changes in reflection at different view angles, as well as in the
near-infrared spectral region, assist with the identification of rough and
smooth ice surfaces. In this display, red band data from MISR's 60-degree
forward and backward-viewing cameras are displayed as red and blue,
respectively, and near-infrared data from the nadir camera are displayed
as green. Using this technique, surfaces that predominantly exhibit
backward scattering (generally rough surfaces) appear red/orange, and surfaces
that predominantly exhibit forward scattering (generally smooth surfaces)
appear in blue hues. Clouds (and other surfaces that exhibit both
forward and backward scattering) appear purple.
The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously
and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees
south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery
acquired during Terra orbit 16454. The panels cover an area of about 335
kilometers x 257 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 145 to 147 within
World Reference System-2 path 151.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.
Text acknowledgment: Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
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