Hi-resolution poster of the Hawaiian Islands
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lossless compression (34.9 MB TIFF)
Boasting snow-covered mountain peaks and tropical forest, the Island of Hawaii,the largest of the Hawaiian Islands, is stunning at any altitude. Thisfalse-color composite (processed to simulate true color) image ofHawaii was constructed from data gathered between1999 and 2001 by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) instrument, flying aboardthe Landsat 7satellite. The Landsat data were processed by the National Oceanographic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) to develop a landcover map. This map will be used as a baseline tochart changes in land use on the islands. Types of change include the construction ofresorts along the coastal areas, and the conversion of sugar plantations to other croptypes.
Hawaii was created by a “hotspot” beneath the ocean floor. Hotspots form in areas where superheated magma in the Earth’s mantlebreaks through the Earth’s crust. Over the course of millions of years, thePacific Tectonic Plate has slowly moved over this hotspot to form the entireHawaiian Island archipelago.
The black areas on the island (in this scene) that resemble a pair of sun-baked palm fronds arehardened lava flows formed by the active Mauna Loa Volcano. Just to the northof Mauna Loa is the dormant grayish Mauna Kea Volcano, which hasn’t erupted inan estimated 3,500 years. A thin greyish plume of smoke is visible near the island’s southeastern shore, rising from Kilauea—the mostactive volcano on Earth. Heavy rainfall and fertile volcanic soil have givenrise to Hawaii’s lush tropical forests, which appear as solid dark green areasin the image. The light green, patchy areas near the coasts are likely sugarcane plantations, pineapple farms, and human settlements.
References & Resources
Courtesy of the NOAA Coastal Services Center Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project
