Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 April 23

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April 23

Nighttime satellite photo--bright region in Dakotas/Montana region?

Supposedly this is an actual nighttime satellite photograph of the USA: [1]. Clearly most of the bright spots are major US cities. However, if you take a look in the Montana/North Dakota area, there seems to be a very big bright spot. What is the source of this light? There are no major cities in that area, yet it appears to be much brighter than, for example, Denver. Does anyone have an idea of what that is? Thanks. 72.221.64.29 (talk) 00:23, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Any idea what the original source of the picture is? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:30, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

I believe the photo is from NASA, and supposedly it is taken by a NASA-NOAA satellite. See here: [2] 72.221.64.29 (talk) 00:36, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

And to be clear, it is actually a composite image made from actual nighttime satellite photographs. 72.221.64.29 (talk) 00:38, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

The NASA source indicates that picture includes phenomena besides just city lights. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:41, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Wikipedia has a similar photo which doesn't show that blob out in the middle of nowhere:File:Earthlights_dmsp_US.jpg. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:39, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Interesting. So why the discrepancy? Are you saying the NASA image is for some reason not an accurate image, or is there some real change in the lights coming from that region between the two photographs (for example, maybe Montana and South Dakota only turn on their middle-of-nowhere lighting during a certain season and not the others?) 72.221.64.29 (talk) 01:06, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

In case anyone missed it, the article below combined with the details of the image on wikipedia explains the discrepancy. This is a new thing, according to the article below from early 2013 the fracking and associated burning wasn't going on (at least to that extent to leave visible light evidence) even 6 years ago let alone the 12+ years for the image on wikipedia which is from late 2000. Nil Einne (talk) 13:43, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

I see you said that the NASA image indicates other light sources besides city lights... but still, what in that region (maybe not city lights) would be causing such a big bright spot? 72.221.64.29 (talk) 01:11, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

And if you look at the high-res version here [3] you can see clearly that the lights appear to have a definite ordering--in stripes, suggestive of a man-made source. 72.221.64.29 (talk) 01:15, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Maybe something to do with gas and oil industry work in the area? Although it's hard to believe you would end up with a blob of light that big. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:21, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

That's in fact what it is. NPR asked and answered the question in January 2013.[4] I found it by googling "usa at night, large lighted area". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:25, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Thanks a lot, Bugs. That article is very interesting, and actually quite disturbing. 72.221.64.29 (talk) 01:58, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Yes, it is. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:12, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Can you give me a set of co-ordinates for that site? Is it visible on Google Maps? --Viennese Waltz 11:59, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

If you read the article brought up by Bugs, it's a very large area around Williston, ND, with that city at the western edge of the circle of light. --Xuxl (talk) 12:30, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Thanks, but I had already read the article, and there is no mention of Williston in it. I'm asking for the co-ordinates of the oil and gas field. --Viennese Waltz 12:49, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Google "oil rigs near williston nd" and you'll find a number of references, at least to the companies. It would probably require more drilling to get specifics. And of course Google Maps shows things at daytime. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:58, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Bakken formation has several maps of the field and wells. Katie R (talk) 12:59, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

And this map, from Google Maps Images, which shows where shale petroleum can be found, by no coincidence indicates a very large area near Williston. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:04, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Here is one of the wells (selected at random) on Google Maps. If you look around on the map, you'll see that such wells are scattered all over the region. Deor (talk) 19:55, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

Thanks Deor, that's exactly what I was looking for. It's interesting that if you go to Google Street View at that point there is nothing there except for fields, since the street view images were taken in 2009. --Viennese Waltz 08:33, 24 April 2014 (UTC)