On July17th, 2006, the Mid-Atlantic was filled with green vegetation
with cities including New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington
DC visible in the
animations denoted by the contrasting tan and brown colors. By
October 30th, the onset of fall’s lower temperatures had painted
the vegetation of the Mid-Atlantic in shades of rust, orange, and brown
as fall foliage peaked for the season.
The colors may not look as brilliant
as the red and gold you would see on the ground, but even from
space, the difference between the summer and fall attire of the
U.S. Mid-Atlantic is dramatic. Forested slopes of the Appalachian
Mountains are deeper green than the interwoven valleys, which are
often occupied by farms and pastures. By October 30, 2006, fall’s
cooler temperatures and diminishing daylight have burnished the
higher elevations, including almost all of West Virginia, the Blue
Ridge Mountains in Virginia, and the Allegheny Range in
south-central Pennsylvania. Agriculture-dominated lands, such as
western Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, are still green.
One feature common to both seasons'
images is the appearance of cities and roads. The route of
Interstate 95 is easy to follow as a cement-colored line through
eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Several large
eastern cities dot the corridor like knots in a rope:
Philadelphia, along the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey;
Baltimore, in central Maryland; Washington, D.C., sandwiched
between Maryland and Virginia; and Richmond, in central Virginia.
