NASA's Terra satellite captured from Space land surface temperature anomalies for Alaska in the last week of January. Between 23 and 30 January 2014, Alaska has seen record-breaking warmth.
The data compiled by the MODIS sensor on Terra was processed into a map showing the differences in temperature between the 2014 temperatures and the 2001–2010 average for the same week. Areas with warmer than average temperatures are shown in red.
NASA points out why these unusual temperatures have a high impact: "The combination of heat and rain has caused Alaska’s rivers to swell and brighten with sediment, creating satellite views reminiscent of spring and summer runoff. On January 25, 2014, the Aqua satellite collected this image of sediment flowing into the Gulf of Alaska from numerous rivers along the state’s southeastern coast."
