Nasa’s satellite images reveal the significant impact of the historic flooding that occurred in Death Valley National Park on August 5th.
Satellite images of Death Valley taken on July 11 and August 7. (Image: NASA Earth Observatory)
The effects of the “1,000-year flood” that struck Death Valley National Park in early August were so substantial that they could be observed from space. NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites captured images of Death Valley on July 11, prior to the flooding, and again on August 7, two days after the record rainfall.
On August 5th, the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley received 3.71 cm of rain in one day, equivalent to about 75% of the annual average rainfall. In recent decades, the only time this national park recorded more rain was on April 15, 1988, with 3.73 cm.
“The heavy rainfall that caused the flooding in Death Valley is a 1,000-year event, extremely rare. A 1,000-year event does not mean it occurs once every 1,000 years, but rather has only a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year,” said Daniel Berc, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
The images of the flooding viewed from space were released by NASA’s Earth Observatory. The images were created by combining infrared light and visible light to display water areas. In the images, the floodwaters appear dark blue while the saturated land is light blue. The bare land is brown, and the vegetation is bright green.
Cars in Death Valley pushed against each other by the flood. (Image: Death Valley NPS)
Such flooding is very rare in Death Valley. The cause is related to the “rain shadow effect,” according to expert Sara Pratt at NASA. As moist air from the Pacific Ocean moves inland, it must cross four mountain ranges before reaching Death Valley. The air is forced upward over the mountains, causing moisture to condense and fall. By the time it reaches Death Valley, the air is devoid of moisture. Roads through Death Valley have been closed since the flooding occurred.
According to a park announcement on August 10th, the most visited areas remain closed due to debris and damage from the flood. Some visitors are avoiding blocked roads by using rough dirt paths. This has led staff to search for stranded individuals instead of conducting flood recovery operations.
Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth, having recorded a temperature of 56.7 degrees Celsius on July 10, 1913. This measurement was noted during a heatwave where temperatures exceeded 53.9 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days.
