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Tsunami Kills Tens of Thousands
in South Asia; NOAA Says No Risk to Western United States
Hawaii (HDW) December 28, 2004 -
Scientists from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) in the United States acted quickly when a warning was issued
about the powerful undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean that
triggered a devastating tsunami. The NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center in Hawaii issued an information bulletin at 8:14 p.m. EST
Saturday, indicating that a magnitude 8.0 earthquake had occurred
off the west coast of Northern Sumatra. Because the earthquake,
reported to be one of the strongest in the world in the past 40
years, occurred in the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific, there was
no threat of a tsunami to the West Coast of North America. (full
article...)
 “Brown
Cloud” from Asia Pollutes the United States and other Continents
Greenbelt, MD (HDW) December 18, 2004
- In the picture taken from a NASA
satellite shown above, a “Brown Cloud” of haze follows
the course of the Ganges River in northern India, flowing eastward
along the base of the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains (upper right)
before turning south and spreading out in gray streamers over the
Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean (lower right). Although the pollution
in this brown cloud comes from human activities like agricultural
fires, home heating sources (that rely on wood, kerosene, or dung
burning), industry, and vehicle emissions, it lingers because of
topography and atmospheric circulation patterns. In the winter phase
of the Indian Ocean Monsoon, winds typically blow seaward, which
carries the large, thick “brown cloud” of pollution
far out over the ocean. (full article...)
 Large
Dust Storm hits Iraq
Persian Gulf (HDW) May 14, 2004 - On May 14, 2004, this image
was captured on a morning pass of a large dust storm spreading a
veil of dust over the water and the countries surrounding the shores.
(full article...)
 Storm
Rolls out of the Himalaya Mountains into India and Afghanistan
Afghanistan (HDW)
May 23, 2004 - From the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains
(upper right) to the east of the broad swath of olive-green vegetation
along the Indus River Plain, blowing dust and sand make their own
river that flows past the Thar Desert and out over the Arabian Sea
(lower left). (full article...)
 Monsoon
and Floods in India and Bangladesh Displace Hundreds of Thousands
India (HDW) June
28, 2004 - Intense monsoon rains beginning in mid-June combined
with melting snow running out of the Himalaya Mountains to trigger
extensive flooding across Bangladesh and northeastern India at the
end of June and beginning of July 2004. (full
article...)
 Floods
Will Kill Over 1000 in Bangladesh and India India
(HDW) August 4, 2004 - A web of dark
blue and black flood water covers the region surrounding the Bangladeshi
capital, Dhaka, in this image, acquired on August 3, 2004. The Ganges
River runs into the image from the upper left corner, and the Meghna
River flows down from the upper right corner. (full
article...)
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