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Fires in Burma, Thailand, La
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Thick smoke hung over the ea
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3/12/09
| Description |
Thick smoke hung over the eastern Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, and Laos on March 9, 2009, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed over head and captured this image. Scores of active fires (red outlines) were detected. During the winter dry season, intentional fires for agriculture, brush clearing, and trash disposal are common in Southeast Asia. Intentional fires also get out of control, however, and some of these fires could be accidental forest fires. Although agricultural burning is not necessarily immediately hazardous, it can have a major impact on air quality and human health, climate, and natural resources. Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team Text credit: Rebecca Lindsey, NASA's Earth Observatory |
| Date |
3/12/09 |
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Haze over Southern China
| Title |
Haze over Southern China |
| Description |
Haze collected over the Sichuan Basin in southern China on November 13, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, dingy gray haze, mixed with white clouds, obscures the view of the basin. The haze extends southward over Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf of Tonkin. West of the basin, however, snow-capped brown mountains show through clear skies. China is rapidly industrializing, and industrial and urban smog often clogs the nation's skies. Some of the haze in this image may also result from agricultural fires. MODIS detects many of those fires as hotspots where surface temperatures are much greater than the surroundings. In this image, the hotspots are marked with tiny red dots. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images of northern [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China3 ] and southern [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China5 ] portions of this region. |
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Drought in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Drought in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Southeast Asia?s rainy season came to an early end in October 2004, and since that time, little rain has fallen on the Indochina Peninsula and parts of southern China. The dry spell has launched the region into the worst drought it has seen in years, with wells and reservoirs drying, crops withering, and, for some, food shortages. The effects of the drought are clearly visible in this image, generated from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites between February 18 and March 5, 2005. The image shows vegetation anomaly, a measure of plant density and health over a wide area. To determine the state of vegetation this year, the data are compared to the average of vegetation measurements collected during the same period in 2000 to 2004. Regions that are drier, where plants are less dense and healthy than normal, are brown, while areas with denser-than-average vegetation are green. In the latter half of February 2005, Southeast Asia was very dry, with plants showing clear signs of drought stress. Clouds, masked out in grey, covered much of southern China, central Vietnam, Laos, and parts of Thailand and Cambodia during this two-week period. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the joint Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ]. |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
The agricultural fire season in Southeast Asia spreads smoke across a large portion of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos in this photo-like image captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on March 4, 2007. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. During the area's dry season (roughly fall-winter in the Northern Hemisphere), intentional land management fires, as well as accidental forest fires that spread from agricultural areas, are common in Southeast Asia. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides the image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
In Southeast Asia, fires are common and widespread throughout the dry season, which roughly spans the northern hemisphere winter months. People set fires to clear crop stubble and brush and to prepare grazing land for a new flush of growth when the rainy season arrives. These intentional fires are too frequently accompanied by accidental fires that invade nearby forests and woodlands. The combination of fires produces a thick haze that alternately lingers and disperses, depending on the weather. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows fire activity on March 19, 2007, across eastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and China. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red on the image. The darker green areas are generally more wooded areas or forests, while the paler green and tan areas are agricultural land. Smoke pools over low-lying areas of the hilly terrain in gray pockets. The green tops of rolling hills in Thailand emerge from a cloud of low-lying smoke. According to news reports from Thailand, the smoke blanket created air quality conditions that were considered unhealthy for all groups, and it prompted the Thai Air Force to undertake cloud-seeding attempts in an effort to cleanse the skies with rain. Commercial air traffic was halted due to poor visibility. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The widespread and intense biomass burning ocurring throughout southeast Asia is producing high concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), as shown in this image of observations by the Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. This false-color image shows the mixing ratios of CO at an altitude of about 3 km (700 hPa) averaged from April 3-13, 2003. Gray areas indicate where no data are available, either due to cloud cover or the surface elevation being higher than 3 km (such as over the Himalayas). The highest mixing ratios are seen over Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Carbon monoxide levels as high as 330 parts per billion by volume of air (red pixels) were measured. The pollution is seen being carried out over the Gulf of Tonking and the Island of Hainan. Images from the MODIS instruments on Terra and Aqua show the locations of the numerous fires across the region and the thick, widespread pall of smoke they have been produced on April 3 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10133 ] and April 11 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10157 ]. Image courtesy the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT Teams |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On April 8, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image of intense biomass burning across Southeast Asia. At left, Bangladesh is free of fires, while to the east, eastern India is covered by red dots indicating active fires. Fires are widespread across Myanmar (center), and (top right to bottom) China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. A grayish pall of smoke hangs over most of the area. In the center of the visible portion of Laos, smoke is especially thick. Compare this to a Terra image acquired earlier in the day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
This image of fires (red dots) in Myanmar (left) and Thailand (right) shows just a fraction of the area in Southeast Asia experiencing widespread and intense biomass burning on April 10, 2003. See the high resolution image for the entire area, which also shows parts of India, China, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On April 8, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of biomass burning across Southeast Asia. At left, Bangladesh is free of fires, while to the east, fires are visible (marked with red dots) in India, Myanmar (center), and (top right to bottom) China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Compare this image to the Aqua image of the same area taken later in the day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of fires burning in Southeast Asia on April 3, 2003. The fires, outlined in red, are spread very heavily throughout eastern Myanmar (center) and are likely agricultural in origin. Fire is often used to clear fields and pasture to prepare for new plant growth, though the smoke from these fires adversely affects local air quality. In this image, winds blow the grayish-blue smoke to the east over neighboring countries and towards the Gulf of Tonking (right edge) and the South China Sea (not visible). Clockwise from top left, the countries shown are India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Bangladesh (upper left edge). To the southwest of Myanmar is the Bay of Bengal, due south is the Andaman Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Gray-blue smoke spreads across Southeast Asia in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured by the Aqua satellite on March 1, 2004. Scores of fires were detected by the sensor and have been marked in red in the image. Countries shown in the image are China (top), Vietnam (right edge), Laos (left of Vietnam), Thailand (bottom center), and Myanmar (top and bottom left). The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Scores of fires were burning in southern Myanmar around the Gulf of Martaban, which is thick with tan-colored sediment, in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on February 24, 2004. At far right of the scene, fires (marked with red) are also visible in Thailand. In the large image, fires are visible in China (upper right) and Laos (right center edge) as well. The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from the remaining tracts of forest, which appear dark green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Biomass burning appeared to be increasing across Southeast Asia as February turned over to March. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite shows widespread burning across the region on March 2, 2004, with active fire detections marked in orange. The fires burning in recent days are smokier than those detected earlier in February, with smoke pooling in the valleys in the mountainous terrain of northern Thailand and northwest Laos and dirtying the air over a bank of clouds in the upper right corner of the image. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites have been monitoring biomass burning activity in Southeast Asia as the season got underway more than a month ago. Up until now, fire activity has been concentrated in Myanmar and countries to the east, including Thailand and Laos. In this image from Aqua MODIS on March 16, 2004, fire activity is concentrated in southern India (center) and western Myanmar (right). Scores of fires were detected by MODIS and are marked in red. The densest cluster of fires is producing thick smoke. At this time of year, many fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Thick, blue-gray smoke hangs over Southeast Asia as the annual agricultural burning season continues. Scores of fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite during an overpass on March 24, 2004, and have been marked with red dots in the image. Countries shown are (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) captured an image of the smoke drifting far eastward over the South China Sea. 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 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
A blanket of smoke from scores of fires burning in Southeast Asia hangs in the skies in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite captured on March 25, 2004. Fires, marked in red, are burning in (clockwise from top left) India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The annual agricultural fire season has been ongoing since early February, and has seemed especially intense?more fires and thicker smoke?in MODIS images from mid-March on. The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Across Southeast Asia, many fires were burning on December 12, 2004. At top right, fires are burning in southern China, and what may be a mixture of smoke and air pollution from energy production pools in low-lying areas of the mountainous topography. Moving counterclockwise around the scene from China, the image shows parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In the bottom left corner is the Gulf of Thailand, with Thailand along the left edge. The red dots in the image show the locations of fires detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Seasonal agricultural burning continued to intensify across Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite, the locations of actively burning fires across Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos are marked with red dots. Two particularly concentrated areas of burning are visible. One is in the northern part of the broad river valley in western Thailand, at image left. The other is to the west of the Tônlé Sap (a large lake that quintuples in size during the wet phase of the monsoon) in Cambodia. The widespread nature of the fires, their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green), and the time of year suggest that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Fires were burning in a variety of locations and types of vegetation in Southeast Asia when this image was captured on December 21, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite. In the center of the scene, scattered fires are burning in Thailand?s central cropland region. At left, smoke fills a low-lying valley that is dominated by irrigated rice paddies. The green of the irrigated crops contrasts with the tan of the other crop regions, this time of year, the climate is dominated by the relatively cool and dry conditions brought on by the northeast monsoon. In the lower right, the Mekong River shows up prominently as it flows southward through some of the region's remaining tropical forests. The Mekong River is to Southeast Asia what the Colorado River is to the U.S. West. Many countries along its path?including China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam?depend on the river for irrigation and drinking water. Also like the Colorado River, increasing demands for water and the dams and other infrastructure needed to supply it disrupt the natural flood cycle on the Mekong. The diruption can create environmental problems that become human problems, such as a decline in fish stocks in places where fish is the major source of protein in people?'s diets. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On January 20, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite captured this image of Southeast Asia showing active fires (red outlines) burning across several countries: (clockwise from top left) Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. These fires are the product of the annual, agricultural burning season. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. . The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On February 7, 2005, scattered fires were burning across Southeast Asia. The fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, and their locations have been marked in red in this image. South of image center the sediment-filled Tônlé Sap is surrounded by a border of deep green, wetland vegetation. Small clouds create white speckles through the center of the scene. The densest concentration of fires is located to the northeast of Tônlé Sap in Cambodia. Other prominent clusters of fires appear to the north in Laos. In the lower left quadrant of the scene, the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean (left edge) are brightened by smoke. The high-resolution image provided above is at a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On February 17, 2005, seasonal burning in Southeast Asia was widespread. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed over head, the sensor detected scores of active fires (locations marked in red) across (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although seasonal agricultural burning is common this time of year, it is not possible to know if all of these fires are agricultural in purpose. Some may be fires that escaped into forest or other non-agricultural areas from adjacent agricultural land. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Forest fires have broken out across many countries in Southeast Asia in late February 2005. Although seasonal agricultural burning also takes place this time of year, news reports indicates that many countries are battling forest fires as well. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows parts of four Southeast Asian countries: southeast Myanmar, at upper left, northern Laos, at upper right, Thailand, in the center, and northern Cambodia, at lower right. Active fire locations detected by MODIS have been marked in red, and thick smoke hangs over much of the scene. In northern Thailand (near image center), smoke was so thick that all air travel into the region's hub city of Chiang Mai was cancelled on February 28. Although it is not possible to be certain from this satellite image which of these fires are agricultural in purpose and which are forest fires, it's likely that fires burning in places where the landscape appears tan or light green, such as in the large plain to the right of image center or in the broad river valley at upper left, are related to crop stubble clearing or other agricultural activities. The intensely smoky fires located in places covered with deep green vegetation, such as along the peninsula running southward from image center, are more likely candidates for forest fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Dense smoke lingers over Southeast Asia in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, collected on March 30, 2005, by NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. It is currently the dry season, a time when fire is common in Southeast Asia. Though several fires, marked with red dots, were detected when Terra flew over in the morning, the majority of the smoke was probably generated the previous day. During the day, hundreds of fires are set, so that by the time the MODIS sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite flew over in the early afternoon [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12798 ] on March 30, the landscape was covered with fire. In 2005, severe drought dried the vegetation throughout Southeast Asia, making the region more prone to fire. The effect of the widespread fires on air quality is clearly visible in this image. The heavy grey smoke settles in the valleys of northern Laos and Thailand, and blankets sections of Myanmar and Vietnam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
According to news reports from Southeast Asia, the end of the dry phase of the Southeast Asian monsoon in the spring of 2005 found numerous countries facing a crippling drought. In March 2005, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and southern China were experiencing some of the most severe drought conditions in decades. In the face of such dry conditions, both natural and human-caused fires become more likely. This image of Southeast Asia on March 30, 2005, was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Superimposed on the sensor's digital-photo-like image are red dots that show locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires. Hundreds of smoky fires, probably a mixture of agricultural fires and wildfires, span the region from Myanmar in the west to Laos in the east. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The climate of Southeast Asia is controlled by the monsoon, a climate characterized by two seasons: a wet phase, where winds blow inland from over the ocean, bringing frequent rains, and a dry phase, where winds blow from the continent out to sea. In April, the dry phase of the monsoon is drawing to a close, and agricultural burning has been underway for several months, as farmers prepare their fields and pastures for the upcoming growing season. In 2005, Southeast Asia's annual dry season was being magnified by an intense drought. On April 10, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this scene of intense burning in Myanmar, Thailand, northern Laos, Vietnam and China. The number of actively burning fires (marked in red) is particularly high in northern Laos. Thick, brownish-gray smoke spreads eastward from the fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Smoke from hundreds of fires mingles with clouds over Southeast Asia on March 14, 2006. Late winter is the peak time for agricultural burning in the area. This image of the area captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows fires (locations marked in red) across northeastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Laos. Although these fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such widespread burning can have a strong influence on air quality and human health, natural resources, and climate. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Across several countries in southeast Asia, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite detected hundreds of fires (marked in red) when it captured this image on March 10, 2006. Fires stretch across India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Laos, and Vietnam. At this time of year, the majority of the fires are probably agricultural fires that people set to clear and renew land for farming and grazing of livestock. Although such fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, they can have a big influence on public health, natural resources, and climate. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Widespread fires continued throughout Southeast Asia in mid-April 2006. This image of the area was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on April 11, 2006. Locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Blue-gray smoke hangs over much of the area, filling the topography. Many of these fires are probably agricultural in nature, but some may be accidental as well. This time of year is part of the area's dry season. The image shows (clockwise from upper left) India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
In Southeast Asia, both accidental and intentional fires are common in the annual dry season, which occurs during Northern Hemisphere winter months. People set fires to clear cropland before the spring rains arrive, and also to stimulate new pasture. People also use fire to clear the region's tropical forests for new agricultural land. This image from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows scores of fires burning across parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China on February 21, 2007. Places where MODIS detected active fires are marked in red. A few fires appear to be large and smoky, which might indicate that forest or moisture-rich vegetation is burning. Though it is not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Vehicles and power plants are not the only sources of air pollution and greenhouses gases: fires contribute, too. In the Northern Hemisphere spring, which is the end of dry season across much of Southeast Asia, thousands of fires burn each year as people clear cropland and pasture in anticipation of the upcoming wet (growing) season. Intentional fires also escape people's control and burn into adjacent forest. The smoke from these fires crosses the Pacific Ocean, affecting climate far away. This dramatic photo-like image of fires and smoke in Southeast Asia was captured on April 2, 2007, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. MODIS detected hundreds, possibly thousands of fires (marked in red), burning in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China. Thick smoke hides nearly all of Laos, where the highest concentration of fires is located. In southern China and northern Vietnam, the smoke has sunk into the valleys that crisscross the mountainous terrain, only the highest ridgelines, which appear dark green, emerge from the blanket of smoke. The smoke sails above a bank of clouds at upper right as a dingy, yellowish haze. Fires have been burning in the region for more than month, as shown by the high carbon monoxide levels observed by NASA's MOPITT sensor during March 2007. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14191 ] In addition to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, fires produce tiny particles of incompletely burned, or charred, carbon. According to research published in mid-March 2007 in the Journal of Geophysical Research, significant amounts of this black carbon travel across the Pacific Ocean to North America at altitudes above 2 kilometers. In spring 2004, between 25-35 gigatons (roughly 55 to 77 million pounds) of black carbon crossed the Pacific and entered skies over western North America between March 26 and April 25, nearly 75 percent of it came from Asia. (Smoke and other pollution have no respect for borders, for example, scientists have also documented smoke pollution from fires in Alaska and Canada crossing the Atlantic [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/ContributionPollution/ ], and entering skies over Europe.) Black carbon influences the climate. Like any dark-colored material, it absorbs incoming sunlight, dimming and cooling the Earth's surface. But while the surface cools, the atmosphere where the black carbon is located heats up. Which effect is stronger? When scientists looked at the overall effect for an entire column of the atmosphere, black carbon's warming effects outweighed its cooling effects. They concluded that trans-Pacific transport of black carbon, such as the soot released from the fires shown in this image, may amplify greenhouse-gas warming over the western United States and the Pacific Ocean. The analysis was based on a variety of information, including weather models, observations collected from airplanes, and aerosol data from MODIS. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China5 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Biomass burning in Southeast Asia peaks in late winter or early spring as farmers begin to prepare land for seasonal planting. The widespread nature of the burning creates a seasonal pattern of emissions that play a significant role in regional air pollution, including tropospheric ozone. (Ozone can be both beneficial and harmful in the atmosphere, depending on its altitude. High up in the stratosphere, ozone protects the planet from harmful UV radiation. Closer to earth, tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant.) Like most parts of the world, the burning in Southeast Asia exhibits a diurnal (daily) cycle, in which burning is less widespread in the morning and increases throughout the day. Compare this morning image of Southeast Asia, including (left to right) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite to the same area captured by Aqua MODIS in the afternoon. Note the dramatic increase in fires (red dots) in the afternoon image. This image was acquired Jan. 31, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Biomass burning in Southeast Asia peaks in late winter or early spring as farmers begin to prepare land for seasonal planting. The widespread nature of the burning creates a seasonal pattern of emissions that play a significant role in regional air pollution, including tropospheric ozone. (Ozone can be both beneficial and harmful in the atmosphere, depending on its altitude. High up in the stratosphere, ozone protects the planet from harmful UV radiation. Closer to earth, tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant.) Like most parts of the world, the burning in Southeast Asia exhibits a diurnal (daily) cycle, in which burning is less widespread in the morning and increases throughout the day. Compare this afternoon image of Southeast Asia, including (left to right) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite to the same area captured by Terra MODIS in the morning. Note the dramatic increase in fires (red dots) in the afternoon image. This image was acquired Jan. 31, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On Feb. 19, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image of fires (red dots) scattered across India (top left), Myanmar (center), southern China (top right), Laos (center right), and Thailand (bottom right). In China, smog from the northeast can be seen filling the valleys. This image is centered farther west than others in this series. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On Tuesday afternoon, March 4, 2003, NASA?s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected hundreds of fires burning across Southeast Asia. This close to the equator, spring-like weather is firmly underway, and fires are being set to clear land for planting and stimulate new growth of pasture grasses. This biomass burning peaks in late winter or early (true) spring, but not before it significantly impacts air quality for hundreds, even thousands of miles around. This image shows (clockwise from top right) China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos (east) and Thailand (west), and Myanmar. Notice the widespread deforestation, especially in eastern Thailand and Cambodia. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
A dramatic increase in fire activity occurs over the course of the day during the biomass burning season in Southeast Asia. Like other large-scale burning activity linked to human activities, the fire patterns in Southeast Asia have a diurnal cycle, being lowest in the morning and increasing throughout the course of the day as human agricultural activities increase. In many parts of the world, fire is a precursor to farming and grazing. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on March 7, 2003, shows scores of fires marked with red dots. Countries shown are (west to east) Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar, and (top right to bottom) China, Laos, and Thailand. Compare this image to a morning image of the same region and notice the decreased fire activity. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows fires (red dots) in Southeast Asia on the afternoon of March 18, 2003. Large portions of Thailand (center), Cambodia (bottom right), and Laos (upper right) are pictured in the scene. Notice the dramatic increase in fire activity as compared to the morning. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Typhoon Xangsane Floods Viet
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| Title |
Typhoon Xangsane Floods Vietnam |
| Description |
Typhoon Xangsane slammed into the coast of Vietnam on October 1, 2006, pounding the coastal city of Da Nang with sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) and heavy rain. The storm moved west over Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, and by October 3, the clouds had cleared enough to give the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a view of the hard-hit Vietnam coast. The image, top, reveals that Xangsane left extensive flooding in its wake. The land between the Vu Gia River and the Thu Bon River is covered with water. Mud gives the water on land its pale blue color in contrast to the dark blue and black seen in the ocean. As the sediment-laden water empties into the ocean, it pours a cloud of sediment into the ocean. The sediment creates the bright blue fan along the shore and in the bay near Da Nang. Though flooding isn't visible in Da Nang itself, the sediment in the bay suggests that the region may be flooded. Most obviously flooded is Hoi An, a historic port city that is a World Heritage Site. [ http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=948 ] The image shows that the Thu Bon River had burst its banks and was flowing through the city. According to the Associated Press, [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2006-10-03-asia-typhoon_x.htm ] Typhoon Xangsane caused extensive damage in Da Nang, Hoi An, and the surrounding communities. The storm had killed 119 people as of October 2. Of these deaths, 41 were in Vietnam, and the remaining 78 were in the Philippines. In the city of Da Nang, which has 770,000 residents, 12,000 homes were destroyed and 113,000 were damaged, said the Associated Press. The lower image shows the region on September 9, 2006, and provides a perspective on normal conditions. Both images were created with a combination of visible and infrared light, which increases the contrast between water and land. In these images, water ranges from black to light blue, the color being lighter when the water is filled with sediment. Clouds are turquoise blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth, such as the cities or the beach, is tan. Red boxes outline regions where MODIS detected fires. Photo-like, true-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/2006276 ] of the images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Fires in Myanmar: Natural Ha
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The agricultural fire season
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Myanmar_AMO_2007063
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-03-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Myanmar_AMO_2007063 |
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Widespread Fires in Southeas
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
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According to news reports fr
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Myanmar.AMOA2005089
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-03-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
| identifier |
Myanmar.AMOA2005089 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A blanket of smoke from scor
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Myanmar.AMOA2004085
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-03-25 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Myanmar.AMOA2004085 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On January 20, 2005, the Mod
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SEAsia.AMOA2005020
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-01-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
SEAsia.AMOA2005020 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dense smoke lingers over Sou
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seasia_tmo_30mar05
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-03-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
seasia_tmo_30mar05 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thick, blue-gray smoke hangs
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Indochina.AMOA2004084
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-03-24 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Indochina.AMOA2004084 |
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Fires and Thick Smoke Across
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
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Vehicles and power plants ar
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SEAsia_AMO2007092
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-04-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image courtesy the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center |
| identifier |
SEAsia_AMO2007092 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The MODIS instrument aboard
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SEAsia.AMOA2003093
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-04-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
SEAsia.AMOA2003093 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Biomass burning appeared to
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aqua_seasia_02mar04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-03-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aqua_seasia_02mar04 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Scores of fires were burning
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Indochina.AMOA2004055
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-02-24 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Indochina.AMOA2004055 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Across Southeast Asia, many
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aqua_seasia_12dec04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-12-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aqua_seasia_12dec04 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The widespread and intense b
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SEasia_TMP2003103
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-04-13 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
SEasia_TMP2003103 |
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