Envirocast® On-Line Feature of the Week -- October 17, 2006
 

Fall Colors in the U.S. Midwest

The images in this Envirocast® On-Line were taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Terra satellite on August 15 and October 14, 2006. The vegetation has gone from a deep green to a vibrant orange as autumn steals over the U.S. Midwest.

Fall Colors in the Midwest

 

Zoom-in: Fall Colors in Iowa

On August 15th, 2006, the Midwest was filled with green vegetation with cities including Des Moines, Davenport, and Cedar Rapids visible in the animations denoted by the contrasting tan and brown colors. By October 14th, the onset of fall’s lower temperatures had painted the vegetation of the Midwest in shades of rust, orange, and brown as fall foliage peaked for the season.

Related Information:

  • The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Terra satellite took above image of fall foliage in the U.S. Midwest on October 14, 2006 compared with the deep green summer colors on August 15. The vegetation has gone from a deep green to a vibrant orange as autumn steals over the region.

  • Chlorophyll, the agent of photosynthesis, is what gives the leaves their green color. When the nights get longer and the temperatures begin to cool, chlorophyll breaks down in the leaves and their other pigments become unmasked giving leaves their fall colors.

  • Temperature and moisture are the main influences that determine the amount and brilliance of color in the leaves.

Supplementary Material:

NASA's TERRA Satellite:

  • The Terra spacecraft (formally known as EOS-AM) was successfully launched on Saturday, December 19, 1999 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in Lompoc, California. It is flying at an altitude of 705 km (438 miles) observing the Earth. The life expectancy of the Terra mission is 6 years. It will be followed in later years by other EOS spacecraft that take advantage of new developments in remote sensing technologies. [Terra 3D Animation], [Animation showing Terra Orbit]

  • Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, and thus it passes over us at the same local time every day, approximately 10:30-10:45 a.m.

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