Measuring Hot Plains

The surface temperature of the southern California desert can reach 120F during summer days. The top image shows temperatures of a playa at the Zyzxx Research Station near Baker, Ca., obtained with PSI's FLIR Systems thermal infrared camera. Relatively "cold" objects appear dark: vegetation, the sky. Warmer objects appear bright: the playa and gravel road. The lower image shows the visible appearance for comparison. Dr. Karl Hibbitts, a PSI research scientist, is using FLIR infrared imaging on playas to determine the extent that temperature and thermal inertia indicate a wet (and therefore treacherous) subsurface.