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Carbon Monoxide over Indones …
Title Carbon Monoxide over Indonesia
Description Thick haze is an annual problem on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra during the dry season, which runs from about May through September. Along with the dry season comes large fires, often set to clear land for agriculture. This year, the choking haze and smoke produced by such fires grew particularly bad during the third week of August. On August 21, 2004, air traffic was temporarily suspended because of the low visibility. In addition to decreasing visibility, the fires burning in Indonesia produce high levels of carbon monoxide (CO), which are detected from satellite by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT [ http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/MOPITT/home.html ]) instrument. The image above shows the CO mixing ratio at 850 hectopascals (roughly 1-2 kilometers altitude) derived from MOPITT observations for August 5-20, 2004. The mixing ratio is given in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). Red and yellow colors represent high CO levels, blue colors mark low levels of pollution. Gray areas indicate where no data have been collected due to persistent cloud cover. The image above correlates well with images taken by the MODIS instrument on board the Aqua satellite showing the location of the fires and the outflow of smoke, see Fires on Borneo [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12351 ]. Here, black outlines show the shape of the islands under the data. The largest island on the top right is Borneo. Yellow pixels, indicating high carbon monoxide concentrations, color the southeast corner of the island where the MODIS images also show fires and haze. Carbon monoxide concentrations also appear to be high on Sumatra, the long island pointing into the upper left corner of the image. Data courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT Teams.
Carbon Monoxide over Indones …
Title Carbon Monoxide over Indonesia
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA?s Aqua satellite detected widespread fire activity on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12530 ] The burning of biomass produces, among other pollutants, high amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) which is detected by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument launched on board the Terra satellite in December 1999. The false-color image below shows the atmospheric carbon monoxide concentrations at 700 hPa (about 3 km altitude) over Borneo averaged for September 15 - October 15, 2004. Only data collected during daytime have been included in this image. Carbon monoxide retrievals from daytime observations are, compared to retrievals from nighttime observations, more sensitive to CO concentrations at lower altitudes and better represent the location of sources. Regions with high amounts of CO are represented in red and yellow colors and correlate well with the location of the MODIS fire counts. Areas where no data have been collected due to persistent cloud coverage are shown in gray. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT teams.
Dust Storm out of Northern A …
Title Dust Storm out of Northern Africa
Description On March 29, 2007, the Shiveluch Volcano (sometimes spelled Sheveluch) on the Russian Federation's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory [ http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo ] the volcano underwent an explosive eruption between 01:50 and 2:30 UTC, sending an ash cloud skyward roughly 9,750 meters (32,000 feet), based on visual estimates. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture at 02:00 UTC on March 29. The top image shows the volcano and its surroundings. The bottom image shows a close-up view of the volcano at 250 meters per pixel. Satellites often capture images of volcanic ash plumes, but usually as the plumes are blowing away. Plumes have been observed blowing away from Shiveluch [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14078 ] before. This image, however, is different. At the time the Aqua satellite passed overhead, the eruption was recent enough (and the air was apparently still enough) that the ash cloud still hovered above the summit. In this image, the bulbous cloud casts its shadow northward over the icy landscape. Volcanic ash eruptions inject particles into Earth's atmosphere. Substantial eruptions of light-reflecting particles can reduce temperatures and even affect atmospheric circulation. Large eruptions impact climate patterns [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Volcano/ ] for years. A massive eruption of the Tambora Volcano [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/03oct_novarupta.htm ] in Indonesia in 1815, for instance, earned 1816 the nickname "the year without a summer."Shiveluch [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1000-27= ] is a stratovolcano—a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks. One of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes, it sports a summit reaching 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Shiveluch is also one of the peninsula's most active volcanoes, with an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of the North African dust storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/nafrica_tmo_2007087.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Er …
Title Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Erupts
Description *Full-resolution Images:* ÿÿÿTerra MODIS at 1:55 UTC (1.1 MB) ÿÿÿAqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC (748 KB) Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in the Indonesian Sulawesi Islands, erupted on September 25, 2002, sending a large plume of ash (gray pixels) streaming westward toward Borneo and Sumatra. The eruption was preceded by earthquakes on the day before, followed by a thick, black column of volcanic ash ejected as high as 5,000 m into the sky on the 25th. While no fatalities were reported, more than 1,000 residents on Ruang Island were forced to evacuate to a nearby island. This comparison pair of true-color images was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, on September 25. The top image was acquired by Terra MODIS at 1:55 UTC, while the bottom image was acquired by Aqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC. Notice how much the plume grew in that 3-hour span of time. (Note: the Aqua image appears noticeably different because the relative sun angle makes both the plume and the ocean surface appear much brighter.) Images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC
Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Er …
Title Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Erupts
Description *Full-resolution Images:* ÿÿÿTerra MODIS at 1:55 UTC (1.1 MB) ÿÿÿAqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC (748 KB) Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in the Indonesian Sulawesi Islands, erupted on September 25, 2002, sending a large plume of ash (gray pixels) streaming westward toward Borneo and Sumatra. The eruption was preceded by earthquakes on the day before, followed by a thick, black column of volcanic ash ejected as high as 5,000 m into the sky on the 25th. While no fatalities were reported, more than 1,000 residents on Ruang Island were forced to evacuate to a nearby island. This comparison pair of true-color images was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, on September 25. The top image was acquired by Terra MODIS at 1:55 UTC, while the bottom image was acquired by Aqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC. Notice how much the plume grew in that 3-hour span of time. (Note: the Aqua image appears noticeably different because the relative sun angle makes both the plume and the ocean surface appear much brighter.) Images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC
Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Er …
Title Indonesia?s Ruang Volcano Erupts
Description *Full-resolution Images:* ÿÿÿTerra MODIS at 1:55 UTC (1.1 MB) ÿÿÿAqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC (748 KB) Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in the Indonesian Sulawesi Islands, erupted on September 25, 2002, sending a large plume of ash (gray pixels) streaming westward toward Borneo and Sumatra. The eruption was preceded by earthquakes on the day before, followed by a thick, black column of volcanic ash ejected as high as 5,000 m into the sky on the 25th. While no fatalities were reported, more than 1,000 residents on Ruang Island were forced to evacuate to a nearby island. This comparison pair of true-color images was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, on September 25. The top image was acquired by Terra MODIS at 1:55 UTC, while the bottom image was acquired by Aqua MODIS at 4:50 UTC. Notice how much the plume grew in that 3-hour span of time. (Note: the Aqua image appears noticeably different because the relative sun angle makes both the plume and the ocean surface appear much brighter.) Images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC
Mount Egon Erupts
Title Mount Egon Erupts
Description Shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time, on September 4, 2004, a large cloud of ash and smoke erupted from Mount Egon on the Indonesian island of Flores. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) flew over on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a little over an hour later, the light gray cloud straddled the island. The ash plume rose up to 3,000 meters above the volcano's crater. As of Monday, September 6, up to 2,100 people had been evacuated from villages around the volcano, as the mountain continued to show signs of activity. For more information about the eruption, please visit Relief Web [ http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/vLCE/A68F7E67F598C70E49256F080006DC60?OpenDocument&StartKey=Indonesia:+Volcanic+Eruption+Mt.+Egon+-+Sep+2004&ExpandView ], sponsored by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC
Plume from Gamkonora
Title Plume from Gamkonora
Description On July 7, 2007, the Gamkonora Volcano on Halmahera, Indonesia, began releasing plumes of ash, according to a report from ABC News, Australia. Over the next few days, the volcano continued its activity, including ejecting flaming rocks. The activity forced the evacuation of some 8,600 residents. At 14:50 East Indonesian Time on July 9, the volcano erupted, according to ReliefWeb. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Gamkonora releasing a volcanic plume on July 10, 2007. Clouds obscure much of the view, but the plume's beige color distinguishes it from the surrounding clouds.Gamkonora [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0608-04= ] is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and volcanic rocks left by previous eruptions. Rising to a height of 1,635 meters (5,364 feet), it is the highest peak on the island of Halmahera. Its largest recorded eruption occurred in 1673, accompanied by tsunamis that overwhelmed nearby villages. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Gamkonora [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jul2007/gamkonora_amo_2007191.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Fires in Indonesia
Title Fires in Indonesia
Description This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from September 30, 2003, shows numerous fires (red dots) burning across Indonesia. Smoke from the fires hangs over the scene, obscuring the landscape beneath. Fire is a serious threat to Indonesia?s remaining tropical forests. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka …
Title Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula
Description On March 29, 2007, the Sheveluch (Shiveluch) Volcano on the Russian Federation's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory [ http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo ] the volcano underwent an explosive eruption between 01:50 and 2:30 UTC, sending an ash cloud skyward roughly 9,750 meters (32,000 feet), based on visual estimates. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture at 02:00 UTC on March 29. The top image shows the volcano and its surroundings. The bottom image shows a close-up view of the volcano at 250 meters per pixel. Images of volcanic ash plumes often show the plumes blowing away, and Sheveluch is no exception. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14078 ] This image, however, is different. It shows the gray-brown ash cloud suspended directly over the summit. At the time the Aqua satellite passed overhead, the local air was apparently still enough to let the ash cloud hover. In this image, the bulbous cloud casts its shadow northward over the icy landscape. Volcanic ash eruptions inject particles into Earth's atmosphere. Substantial eruptions of light-reflecting particles can reduce temperatures and even affect atmospheric circulation. Large eruptions impact climate patterns [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Volcano/ ] for years. A massive eruption of the Tambora Volcano [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/03oct_novarupta.htm ] in Indonesia in 1815, for instance, earned 1816 the nickname "the year without a summer."Sheveluch [ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1000-27= ] is a stratovolcano—a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks. One of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes, it sports a summit reaching 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Sheveluch is also one of the peninsula's most active volcanoes, with an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Kamchatka's most active volcanic region, which includes Sheveluch, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/Kliuchevskoi.2007088.aqua.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] There is also a 250-meter-resolution close-up KMZ file of Sheveluch. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/Shiveluch.A2007088.0200.250m.kmz ] NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Kliuchevskoi ] of this region.
Fires in Sumatra
Title Fires in Sumatra
Description Fire activity has flared up once again on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, after being relatively quiet over the past month. This image of active fires (marked in yellow) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on June 15, 2004, several weeks after the first image in the series was captured. Fires are concentrated in the north-central part of the island, their smoke mingling with clouds to the north and east. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Fires in Sumatra
Title Fires in Sumatra
Description This false-color image shows concentrations of carbon monoxide in the lower atmosphere over the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. This image represents a composite of data collected from June 17-24, 2004, by the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The colors represent the mixing ratios of carbon monoxide in the air, given in parts per billion by volume. In this scene, values range from as high as 210 ppbv (red pixels) to as low as 0 ppbv (blue pixels). The grey areas show where no data were collected, either due to persistent cloud cover or gaps between viewing swaths. (Light gray shows land masses and dark gray shows the Pacific Ocean.) During the time MOPITT collected these data, the MODIS sensor aboard NASA's Aqua satellite observed widespread fires actively burning on the island. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12192 ] Along with smoke and particulate emissions, carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning biomass and fossil fuels. NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data courtesy the MOPITT instrument team at NCAR/UCAR
Fires in Sumatra
Title Fires in Sumatra
Description Sores of fires (marked in red) were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on August 4, 2004, across Sumatra in Indonesia. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires on Borneo
Title Fires on Borneo
Description Scores of fires burning in Indonesia pumped out the thick haze seen in this photo-like satellite image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on September 10, 2006. Red dots mark the locations of the fires on the southern half of the island of Borneo. Scattered white clouds and a thick pall of grey-white haze obscure much of Borneo and the Java Sea to its west. Though the practice is now illegal in Indonesia, fire is frequently used as a tool to clear land for agriculture. During August 2006, more than eight million hectares of forest and additional farm land burned, reported the Agence France-Presse [ http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fires_Rage_As_Haze_Thickens_In_Borneo_999.html ] news service. The annual fires regularly cloak Indonesia and its neighbors, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, in thick smoke that can interrupt air and sea traffic. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description On August 10, 2004, scores of fires were burning across the island of Borneo. Fires were burning in the Sarawak region of Malaysia, which occupies the northern part of the island, as well as the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, which occupies the southern part. Fires are especially concentrated in the West, around the coastal city of Sinkawang (lighter green area south of the western tip of the island). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image as well the location of active fires (marked in red). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description Through cloudy skies, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites detected fires (marked in yellow) burning on the island of Borneo on August 17, 2004. The top image was captured in the afternoon (local time) and shows more fire activity than the morning image (bottom). The bulk of the island (south and central parts) is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, while a strip across the northern part is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of the fires are along the swampy western and southern coastlines of Kalimantan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description On the island of Borneo, numerous fires were burning in the swampy, southern coastal region on October 4, 2004. The Kalimantan region of Indonesia occupies most of the central and southern portion of the island, and it is here that most of the fires (marked in red) are burning. The northern part of the island (not pictured) is occupied by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Smoke mixes with clouds over most of the scene. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description Since mid-August, fires have been burning off and on in southern Borneo, and a blanket of smoke has been drawn over the island. Most of the island is occupied by the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, with the southern coastal areas originally home to lowland rainforests, peat swamp forests, and wetland areas. Degradation of these landscapes through unregulated and illegal logging, as well as intentional and accidental fire is a severe environmental and social problem for the country. In this image captured on October 11, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, thick smoke nearly hides the southern part of the island, and active fires detected by MODIS are marked in red. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description On Sumatra, a chain of steep mountains runs along the western coast and tapers down to a low-lying coastal plain in the east. There, the land is covered by a mixture of lowland rainforests, peat swamp forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands. People use slash-and-burn deforestation to clear land for agriculture, with negative outcomes for environmental quality not just at the site itself but surrounding ecosystems as well. Fires get out of control and creep into undisturbed forests, degrading them and setting them up for more intense fires later on. Regional air quality is compromised off and on for several months when the burning is severe, as it was in 1998, during an extreme El Niño-induced drought. Open burning is banned, but regulation is difficult. This image of burning on the island was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite on October 14, 2004. Active fires are marked in red, and are most abundant in the area around the city Palembang, to the right of image center. Meanwhile, to the east, fires in the Kalimantan, Indonesia, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12529 ]portion of the island of Borneo are contributing to the regional haze. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Title Fires on Borneo and Sumatra
Description In Sumatra and Indonesia, seasonal fires and the thick smoke they produce plagued the islands for nearly two months in late 2006. Beginning in mid-September 2006, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellites detected numerous fires in daily images of the area. This image was captured by Aqua MODIS on November 5, 2006. Active fire locations are marked with red dots. Thick smoke spreads between the two islands, the grayish haze mingling with brighter clouds. Many factors contribute to the fires, which usually start from agricultural burning, but often spread into adjacent tropical forest. When the forests have been degraded by logging, they become much more prone to fire. In addition, climate fluctuations, such as droughts that occur in concert with El Niño events, can make the fires worse. During droughts, the typically soggy forest floor of these lowland forests dries out. The thick layer of dead vegetation on the forest floor, peat, becomes flammable and produces enormous quantities of smoke when it burns. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Nov2006/indonesia_amo_2006309.kmz ] of Borneo and Sumatra for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Fires on Cape York Peninsula …
Title Fires on Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea
Description Across the lowlands of southern New Guinea, numerous fires (marked in red) were burning on October 11, 2004, when this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. The island is occupied by two different nations: the western (left) half by the Indonesian territory of Irian Jaya and the eastern (right) half by Papua New Guinea. The image is roughly centered on the boundary between the two, and fires are burning across both countries. Both countries are struggling to control illegal logging. The Website of the Food and Agriculture Organization [ http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/forestry2/index.jsp?siteId=5081&sitetreeId=18927&langId=1&geoId=0 ] of the United Nations reports that some estimates suggest that 40 to 60 percent of the industrial roundwood in Indonesia is not legally harvested. In Papua New Guinea, logging continues, despite an official ban on logging exports, according to information from the U.S. State Department. [ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2797.htm ] Whether these particular fires are related to illegal logging is unknown, but often fire is used by timber operators and tree plantation owners to degrade undisturbed rainforest in the hopes of gaining concessions to the land. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Tropical Cyclone Fay
Title Tropical Cyclone Fay
Description The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Fay churning in the Pacific waters between Australia and Indonesia. At the time this image was captured, Fay was located approximately 175 miles northwest of Kuri Bay and had winds gusting to 150 mph. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.
Carbon Monoxide over Indones …
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On March 29, 2007, the Shive …
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On July 7, 2007, the Gamkono …
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Fires on New Guinea: Natural …
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New Guinea sits between the …
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Fires on Borneo and Sumatra: …
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In Sumatra and Indonesia, se …
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Tropical Cyclone Fay: Natura …
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Floods in East Africa: Natur …
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Fires on Borneo and Sumatra: …
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Since mid-August, fires have …
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Fires on Borneo and Sumatra: …
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Fires on Borneo: Natural Haz …
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Scores of fires burning in I …
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El Nino Chills the Western P …
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Stretching across nearly a t …
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Fires in Sumatra: Natural Ha …
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Fires on Cape York Peninsula …
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Across the lowlands of south …
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Carbon Monoxide over Indones …
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Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka …
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On March 29, 2007, the Sheve …
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Fires in Sumatra: Natural Ha …
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Eruption of Shiveluch Volcan …
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On March 29, 2007, the Shive …
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creator NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Kliuchevskoi daily images of this region.
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Fires on Borneo and Sumatra: …
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Choking smoke was interrupti …
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creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the rapidfire.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Rapid Respose team.
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