A NASA satellite acquired two images that dramatically show recent flooding in eastern Australia. The first image, below, is from this week (February 4, 2013). The second image is from January 23, 2013. On January 23, the Weir River in southern Queensland was barely discernible. By February 4, the river had broken its banks and spread onto the surrounding floodplain, as had nearby rivers. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology warned of major river flooding in the region, including floods along the Weir and Macintyre Rivers.
These images show an area 300 kilometers (200 miles) inland from Australia’s east coast, where a network of rivers runs along the border between Queensland and New South Wales.
Bottom line: Two satellite images – taken less than two weeks apart in late January and early February 2013 – show dramatic flooding in eastern Australia.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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