Satellite images – Recap 2020
Taking a look back at a few of the satellite images of 2020
Just like 2017, 2018, and 2019, I will again recap this year with a selection of the more beautiful or interesting satellite images I processed.
Aside from this selection, you can find all my images (many, many more) in full resolution here on my Flickr.
So let’s get started: You can click each image to enlarge it somewhat for a quick view.
ImportantThe full-resolution and quality images are available for download at the Flickr-link provided in each image description in case you want to use the image somewhere else, and I encourage you to use those bigger versions, as they look much better.
TipIn case you want to download all of these images in full resolution I prepared a ZIP archive for you to download. You can get it here (544 MB!).
Image 1, 2 – Smoke from the Australian bushfires reaching New Zealand and the Southern Pacific Ocean
These January 2020 images are showing a smoke plume from the massive Australian bushfires. Look at the scale, hard to imagine stuff like this. Flickr: Image 1, Image 2
Image 3, 4, 5 – Mount Shishaldin in Alaska
Images of the Mount Shishaldin Volcano in Alaska. The first showing some lava flows and an ash cloud, the second showing a long ash trail nicely visible on the snow-packed landscape. Third is a scenic view of it peeking through the clouds. Flickr: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3
Image 6, 7 – The shattered Iceberg B49 at Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica
Images of the shattered Iceberg B49 at Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica. Flickr: Image 1, Image 2
Image 8 – Drygalski Ice Tongue, Scott Coast, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
The Drygalski Ice Tongue, Scott Coast, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica on February 6th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 9 – Calima (Bruma Seca), Saharan dust reaching the Canary Islands – February 22nd, 2020
A Calima (Bruma Seca) event, Saharan dust reaching the Canary Islands – February 22nd, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 10 – Mount Michael Volcano, Saunders Island, South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom – March 13th, 2020
Mount Michael Volcano, Saunders Island, South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom, with what appears to be a small plume coming from it. Also visible are the waves generated by the wind. The image is showing false colors. Flickr: Image
Image 11 – English Channel and surroundings – March 25th, 2020
A rare cloud-free image of the English Channel and surroundings as seen by Copernicus Sentinel-3. Flickr: Image
Image 12, 13 – Cyclone Amphan east of India – May 17th and 19th, 2020
One of the major cyclones of 2020, Cyclone Amphan east of India. Flickr: Image 1, Image 2
Image 14 – Leaked diesel fuel in the River Ambarnaya, near Norilsk, Siberia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, on May 31st and June 1st, 2020.
Leaked diesel fuel (reddish) in the River Ambarnaya, near Norilsk, Siberia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, on May 31st and June 1st, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 15 – Wildfire in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, within the Arctic Circle, Russia (Lat: 67.62007, Lng: 162.75009) – June 20th, 2020
One of the many Arctic wildfires of 2020’s wildfire season. A wildfire in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, within the Arctic Circle, Russia (Lat: 67.62007, Lng: 162.75009) on June 20th, 2020. Flickr: Image
More images of Arctic wildfires can be found here.
Image 16 – A wildfire in the Sakha Republic, Arctic Circle, Siberia, Russia (Lat: 68.64893, Lng: 108.09105) creating some pyrocumulonimbus clouds – July 9th, 2020
And another Arctic wildfire, intense enough to create pyrocumulonimbus clouds. A wildfire in the Sakha Republic, Arctic Circle, Siberia, Russia (Lat: 68.64893, Lng: 108.09105) creating some pyrocumulonimbus clouds on July 9th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 17, 18 – Floods in the Dhubri district, Assam, India (Lat: 25.86787, Lng: 90.14282) Comparison image before – June 7th, 2020 and after, July 13th, 2020
2020 saw devastating floods in the Dhubri district, Assam, India (Lat: 25.86787, Lng: 90.14282) and other regions. Flickr: Image 1, Image 2
Image 19 – Several wildfires in the Sakha Republic, within the Arctic Circle, Russia (Lat: 67.00475, Lng: 150.96313) – July 22nd, 2020
And more of the massive wildfires within the Arctic Circle in 2020. Several wildfires in the Sakha Republic, within the Arctic Circle, Russia (Lat: 67.00475, Lng: 150.96313) on July 22nd, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 20 – Mount Tambora volcano caldera, Sumbawa, Indonesia – July 28th, 2020 – Enhanced natural colors with IR overlay 3d rendering
Mount Tambora volcano caldera, Sumbawa, Indonesia. Tambora’s 1815 eruption was the largest in recorded human history. – July 28th, 2020 – Enhanced natural colors with IR overlay 3d rendering. Flickr: Image
Image 21 – West Greenland dark band (Lat: 67.04495, Lng: -49.58405) and melt ponds – July 22nd, 2020
West Greenland dark band (Lat: 67.04495, Lng: -49.58405) and melt ponds – July 22nd, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 22, 23, 24, 25 – The massive wildfires in California
Big smoke plumes from the August Complex and other fires heading out to the Pacific Ocean, California, USA – September 2nd, 2020. Flickr: Image
August Complex wildfire close-up showing hot spots producing plumes of rising smoke, California, USA – October 4th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Wildfires and smoke in California, USA – August 19th, 2020. Flickr: Image
SQF Complex wildfire with huge amounts of smoke, California, USA – September 13th, 2020. Flickr: Image
You can find more images on the California and Oregon wildfires in this Flickr album here.
Image 26 – Mediterranean hurricane (Medicane) Ianos over Greece – September 18th, 2020
Mediterranean hurricane (Medicane) Ianos over Greece – September 18th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 27 – Wildfires in the Sakha Republic, west of Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia – September 26th, 2020
Wildfires in the Sakha Republic, west of Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia – September 26th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 28 – Mount Shasta peeking through smoke plumes caused by the Californian wildfires, California, USA – October 4th, 2020
Mount Shasta peeking through smoke plumes caused by the Californian wildfires, California, USA – October 4th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 29 – High latitude dust storm (silt), Nuussuaq Peninsula, Greenland – October 1st, 2020
High latitude dust storm (silt), Nuussuaq Peninsula, Greenland – October 1st, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 30 – Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Klyuchevskoi) Volcano with lava flow, Kamchatka, Russia – October 31st, 2020
Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Klyuchevskoi) Volcano with lava flow, Kamchatka, Russia – October 31st, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 31 – Typhoon Vamco near Vietnam – November 14th, 2020
Typhoon Vamco near Vietnam – November 14th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 32 – Eye of Hurricane Iota closing in to Central America – November 16th, 2020
Eye of Hurricane Iota closing in to Central America – November 16th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 33 – 3D view of Mount Everest and surroundings from the North, China, Nepal – November 18th, 2020
3D view of Mount Everest and surroundings from the North, China, Nepal – November 18th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 34 – 3D view of Mount Ararat and the Lesser Ararat, Turkey – November 22nd, 2020
3D view of Mount Ararat and the Lesser Ararat, Turkey – November 22nd, 2020. Flickr: Image
Image 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 – Iceberg A-68A close to South Georgia Island
Iceberg A-68A SW of South Georgia SW of South Georgia Island – November 21st, 2020. Flickr: Image
Iceberg A-68A close to South Georgia Island – November 25th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Close-up of Iceberg A-68A near South Georgia Island (Distance now less than 100 kilometers) – December 9th, 2020 – Sentinel-1 SAR. Flickr: Image
Iceberg A-68D and smaller pieces near South Georgia Island – December 18th, 2020. Flickr: Image
Iceberg A-68A (yellow), A-68D (green), A-68E (cyan), and A-68F (red) near South Georgia Island – December 22nd, 2020 – Sentinel-1 SAR EW-HH – North is to the left. Flickr: Image
Iceberg A-68A, A-68E (shedding new bergs), and A-68F (broken up) south of South Georgia Island – December 26th, 2020. Flickr: Image
More Iceberg images are available here.
Image 41 – Mount Etna Volcano with lava flows, Sicily, Italy – December 23rd, 2020
Mount Etna Volcano with lava flows, Sicily, Italy – December 23rd, 2020. Flickr: Image
A few more words
In case you would like to see even more images, you can find them here on my Flickr. I would also like to thank all of you who shared my satellite images on Twitter (Not yet following me on Twitter? Change it here) or other social media in 2020 and those who gave me ideas, advice, or feedback.
Wanna give it a try yourself?
If you would like to give satellite imagery a try yourself, the EO Browser made by Sentinel Hub is a good place to start and get quick results. Not only is it easy, even for beginners, but you will find many people on Twitter using it as well and willing to help you, should you ask nicely.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank Sentinel Hub for their continuous support. I’d also like to thank the European Copernicus Programme as well as NASA, the USGS, NOAA, and many other open data providers. Without them, there would not be that much data to explore and process.
And I should also mention the unbelievably interesting and welcoming GIS and Remote Sensing communities on Twitter. For me, Twitter has become a wonderful tool to engage with like-minded people, see new cool things, and learn new stuff. It is also a pretty neat and quick interface to journalists and media.
Journalists and Media
If you want to reuse images, take a look here for more information, and please use the full-size versions from Flickr. You might also want to read this article, talking about satellite image use in media and giving you some tips on where to find good satellite images.
Sentinel-1, 2, and 3: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2020]
Suomi NPP VIIRS and Aqua/Terra MODIS data through NASA Worldview
Himawari-8 data courtesy of the Japan Meteorological Agency and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
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