Pacific Dust Storm Images and Data From the MISR Instrument

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument offers a new view of Earth's atmosphere and surface. MISR obtains precisely calibrated images at nine different angles and four wavelengths to provide radiance, aerosol, cloud, and land surface data, with global coverage every nine days. MISR was launched on December 18, 1999, on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra satellite. The unique perspective of the nine cameras, pointed at fixed angles in the nadir, forward and aftward directions, provides new data for detecting and analyzing aerosol composition and transport. True-color imagery from three of the four MISR spectral bands (446, 558 and 672 nm) and visualization of derived aerosol products from a recent Asian dust storm illustrate MISR's capability for detecting and monitoring dust storm episodes. The NASA Langley Atmospheric Sciences Data Center (ASDC) processes, archives and distributes MISR data. Information describing MISR data products, documentation, and tools for working with the data are available at the ASDC web site, http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov.