This pair of false-color images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra shows the volcano before (bottom) and after (top) the devastating event. The images combine visible and infrared wavelengths of light to make vegetation (red) stand out more clearly from bare ground (bluish gray). The paths of more than a dozen lahars radiate down the flanks of the volcano in all directions, but the largest and longest flows appear to have occurred on the west and north flanks. A lahar that coursed down the western slopes of the volcano clipped the eastern edge of the small town of Guadelupe, but its northern neighbor, Verapaz, was not as fortunate. A lahar appears to have headed directly into town. At least 16 people were killed and nearly 50 were missing according to news reports from November 9. Across El Salvador, more than 130 people were killed by landslides or flooding during the event. (Credits: NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.)
Satnews Daily
November 24th, 2009
Here's Looking @ Earth... Landslides Laden With Lahars In El Salvador...
This pair of false-color images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra shows the volcano before (bottom) and after (top) the devastating event. The images combine visible and infrared wavelengths of light to make vegetation (red) stand out more clearly from bare ground (bluish gray). The paths of more than a dozen lahars radiate down the flanks of the volcano in all directions, but the largest and longest flows appear to have occurred on the west and north flanks. A lahar that coursed down the western slopes of the volcano clipped the eastern edge of the small town of Guadelupe, but its northern neighbor, Verapaz, was not as fortunate. A lahar appears to have headed directly into town. At least 16 people were killed and nearly 50 were missing according to news reports from November 9. Across El Salvador, more than 130 people were killed by landslides or flooding during the event. (Credits: NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.)