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Fires in Central Africa
People in Africa have used f
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7/9/09
| Description |
People in Africa have used fire for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years as an agricultural and land management tool. In the dry season, they set fires to clear brush and dead vegetation from farm and grazing land and to deal with household trash. As the rainy season migrates north and south across the continent each year, a wave of widespread fires precedes its arrival. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite from July 8, 2009, shows thick smoke from hundreds of fires (locations marked in red) burning in central Africa, from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the western part of the scene to Tanzania in the east. The tan and dull green landscape of southern DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania is savanna or grassland, while the deep green landscape of interior DRC (upper left) is tropical forest. Many of the fires have only small smoke plumes, and some appear to be making no smoke. The amount of smoke a fire generates is influenced by many factors, including the amount (biomass) of vegetation that is burning and how wet it is. Dry grass and brush would generate less smoke than trees. The large amount of smoke coming from the fires in DRC at upper left may be a sign that forest is burning. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey. |
| Date |
7/9/09 |
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Fires in Kasai Region, Democ
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Widespread agricultural burn
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7/24/09
| Description |
Widespread agricultural burning is common in the dry season in Africa. As the rainy season migrates north and south across the continent each year, a wave of widespread fires precedes its arrival. This image of the Kasai region of Democratic Republic of the Congo shows hundreds of active fires (marked in red) burning on July 20, 2009. The tan and light green landscapes are likely a mixture of agricultural land, grassland, and savanna, while the deep green areas between the Sankuru and Kasai Rivers are tropical forest. Although many of the fires that occur each year during Africa's dry season occur in landscapes where people have been living and farming for generations, the growing population is also using fire to clear new agricultural land out of Africa's tropical forests. Many of the fires in the image have only small smoke plumes, and some appear to be making no smoke. Dry grass or crop residue would generate less smoke than live or recently cut trees. The large amount of smoke coming from the fires along the margins of the forests, however, may indicate that forest is being cleared. The large version of the image shows fires are burning across a wider area, including parts of Angola (southwest), Zambia (southeast), and Tanzania (east). The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team Text credit: Rebecca Lindsey, NASA's Earth Observatory |
| Date |
7/24/09 |
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Floods in Southern Africa
| Title |
Floods in Southern Africa |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired these two images of the Zambezi River in central Mozambique in February 2007 just four days apart. Over the course of a weekend, floods along the lower Zambezi River in Mozambique spread to a nearby branch, the Cuecue River. According to local news reports released by the Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique, the floods along the Zambezi started to drop on February 20, though water levels on the lower Zambezi, shown here, remained high. As the top image shows, some of the water is draining into smaller offshoots along the river valley and into the Indian Ocean. These images use both visible and infrared light to increase the contrast between water and land. In this color combination, water is black or dark blue, while bare ground is tan and plant-covered land is green. Clouds are blue and white. The Sun's reflection off the surface of the water turns the river pale blue in the top image, and a web of flood water surrounds the dark line cut by the Zambezi River across the center of both images. South of the fresh floods on the Cuecue River, several dark spots along the Zambezi indicate additional flooding. To see daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Mozambique/2007051 ] of the flood area in central Mozambique, please visit the MODIS Rapid Response web site. The floods started when unusually early and heavy rain pounded southern Africa in January and February 2007. The rains triggered floods that affected nearly 170,000 people in Angola, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6YLNES?OpenDocument ]). In Mozambique, the United Nations and other organizations were providing food to more than 120,000 evacuees as of February 20, said OCHA. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Southern Africa
| Title |
Floods in Southern Africa |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired these two images of the Zambezi River in central Mozambique in February 2007 just four days apart. Over the course of a weekend, floods along the lower Zambezi River in Mozambique spread to a nearby branch, the Cuecue River. According to local news reports released by the Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique, the floods along the Zambezi started to drop on February 20, though water levels on the lower Zambezi, shown here, remained high. As the top image shows, some of the water is draining into smaller offshoots along the river valley and into the Indian Ocean. These images use both visible and infrared light to increase the contrast between water and land. In this color combination, water is black or dark blue, while bare ground is tan and plant-covered land is green. Clouds are blue and white. The Sun's reflection off the surface of the water turns the river pale blue in the top image, and a web of flood water surrounds the dark line cut by the Zambezi River across the center of both images. South of the fresh floods on the Cuecue River, several dark spots along the Zambezi indicate additional flooding. To see daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Mozambique/2007051 ] of the flood area in central Mozambique, please visit the MODIS Rapid Response web site. The floods started when unusually early and heavy rain pounded southern Africa in January and February 2007. The rains triggered floods that affected nearly 170,000 people in Angola, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6YLNES?OpenDocument ]). In Mozambique, the United Nations and other organizations were providing food to more than 120,000 evacuees as of February 20, said OCHA. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Biomass Burning in Central a
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| Title |
Biomass Burning in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
This true-color image of the varied terrain of central Africa is nearly hidden beneath the bright red markers of thousands of active fire detections captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on June 13, 2003. Across Democratic Republic of Congo (top), Zambia (right edge), and Angola (left edge), fire season is in full swing, as farmers and ranchers use fire as a resource management tool as they have for possibly thousands of years. 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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Biomass Burning in Central a
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| Title |
Biomass Burning in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
Thousands of fires are burning across central and southern Africa in mid-June 2003, and have been detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. Active fire locations have been marked with red dots in this smoky image from June 16, 2003. The image spans Democratic Republic of Congo (top), and parts of Angola (left) and Zambia (bottom right). There is an especially smoky concentration of fires left of center at the top of the image, which is the southern Bandundu region of Democratic Republic of Congo. At bottom, the dark green area crisscrossed by dozens of tan lines is the deeply carved Angola Plateau, which drops off to the Liuwa Plain in Zambia, through which runs the Zambezi River. 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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Fire Season in Central and S
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| Title |
Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
The agricultural burning season was solidly underway in central Africa on May 18, 2005, when this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite. Each red dot in this image marks a location where MODIS detected a fire. Fires are scattered across much of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. The widespread nature of the fires, their location, and the time of year all suggest that people are intentionally setting most of these fires 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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Fire Season in Central and S
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| Title |
Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
In eastern Africa, numerous fires were burning in Mozambique and Zambia on May 8, 2005. The fires (marked in red) are located in the plains between the Luangwa River in Zambia and the Zambezi River in Mozambique. In this corner of Mozambique, the Zambezi fills a long, thin reservoir behind the Cahora Bassa Dam. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. The widespread nature of the fires, their location, and the time of year suggest these are agricultural fires being used to clear or renew pasture or farmland. While they are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such fires can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ], NASA-GSFC |
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Fire Season in Central and S
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| Title |
Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
In southern Africa, the annual burning season dotted the savannas surrounding Lake Tanganyika with hundreds of actively burning fires (marked in red) on June 11, 2005. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows fires in Democratic Republic of Congo (west of the lake), Tanzania (east of the lake), and northern Zambia (south of the lake). The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year suggest that people are intentionally setting most, if not all, of these fires for agricultural purposes like pasture renewal and crop stubble clearing. 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 from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fire Season in Central and S
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| Title |
Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
Images such as this one from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured on July 18, 2005, make it clear why scientists often call Africa "the burning continent." Africans have used fire for thousands of years to manage their agricultural lands, and the area of the continent experiencing widespread fire shifts with the seasons. This image shows the area west and south of Lake Tanganyika (upper right). It shows parts of Democratic Republic of Congo (top and center), Zambia (lower right), and Angola (lower left). Active fires detected by MODIS are marked with red dots. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Fire Season in Central and S
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| Title |
Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
The annual southern Africa burning season is fully underway in late July 2005. Each year, farmers and herders set fire to fields and grasslands to create soil-fertilizing ash, stop woody shrubs from encroaching on grasslands, and stimulate new plant growth. For those who don't live or travel there, it can be hard to imagine a continent on fire from coast to coast for several months a year. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the immense spatial scale of the seasonal burning in Southern Africa. Thousands of active fires were detected by MODIS across Angola (left), Democratic Republic of Congo (top), and Zambia (right), their locations are marked with red dots. Though these fires are 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 Across Tanzania
| Title |
Fires Across Tanzania |
| Description |
Numerous fires (marked with red dots) were burning across eastern Africa on June 10, 2003. The fires appear most heavily concentrated east of Lake Tanganyika (left edge), but are also scattered across Zambia (bottom left) and Mozambique (bottom right). The fires are part of the typical agricultural burning that occurs in the region, where people set fires to clear land and prepare it for planting and ranching. This Aqua MODIS image was acquired on June 10, 2003. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Angola
| Title |
Fires in Angola |
| Description |
In southern Africa's tropical savannas, fires set by humans are widespread for many months each year. During the dry season, people use the fires to clear brush, pasture, or old croplands, and also to drive game and livestock. In Angola, burning often begins sometime in May and becomes more and more widespread through mid-year, tapering off in September or October. This image of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on July 9, 2007. Fires (locations marked in red) blanket the scene. 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 Central Africa
| Title |
Fires in Central Africa |
| Description |
In Africa south of the equator, fires are ubiquitous during the annual dry season. The exact length and timing of the dry season vary in different locations, but it generally falls between May and October. During that time, people use fire to clear brush and crop stubble, to control the growth of undesirable plants in crop or grazing areas, and to drive grazing animals from one pasture area to another. This image shows early dry-season burning across a large swath of central Africa south of the equator on May 28, 2007. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite, and shows places the sensor detected active fires marked with red dots. Hundreds of fires dot the tropical savannas (ecosystems dominated by grasses and scattered trees and shrubs) of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Although these fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. For example, the fires create large amounts of ozone and other air pollutants, and the too-frequent use of fire combined with other pressures such as overgrazing may degrade the soil and prevent some plant species from regenerating. You can download a 250-meter-resolution Central Africa fires KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/May2007/cafrica_amo_2007148.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/l ] 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 Central Africa
| Title |
Fires in Central Africa |
| Description |
In central Africa the annual fire season was underway in mid-June 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead and captured this image. Hundreds of agricultural fires were scattered across the savannas of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania, their locations are marked with red dots. Although 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 Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
Hundreds of fires were burning in Angola (left) and Democratic Republic of Congo (upper right) on May 30, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image. MODIS also detected fires (locations marked in red) in Zambia (bottom right). Widespread agricultural burning (clearing old vegetation or brush from pasture and croplands) occurs in the dry season in this part of Africa. The start and stop date of the dry and rainy seasons varies, in northern Angola, for example, the dry season usually begins in May and lasts until September or October. Fires are a well-established, and in many cases natural, part of the savanna landscapes of Africa south of the Sahara. Although 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, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
In central Africa, hundreds, possibly thousands of fires were burning in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia on June 10, 2006. This image of the area from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows locations where the sensor detected active fires marked in red. Widespread agricultural burning such as this is common in Africa, and it is not necessarily immediately hazardous. Nevertheless, the fires and smoke can have a significant impact on climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Fires in Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
On July 10, 2006, thousands of fires were burning across the savannas of central and southern Africa when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead. Each place where MODIS detected an actively burning fire has been marked in red in this scene, which spans parts of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Some of the fires had distinct smoke plumes, which winds were blowing northwest. At upper left, the skies are so smoky that the features of the landscape below are indistinct. Even the clouds in the scene at left and upper right appear dirty. No landscape on Earth experiences such extensive burning as the savannas of Africa. For thousands of years, people in Africa have used fire in their agricultural activities. They burn grassland to clear it for crops, to keep woody plants and trees from invading pasture areas, and to renew pasture grass. People have also used fire to drive game and facilitate hunting. Although fire has been integral to the ecosystems of southern Africa for millennia, increasing populations and demands on the landscape may change the frequency and intensity of burning. Such widespread burning, while not necessarily immediately hazardous, can have a strong impact on climate, human health, and natural resources. 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 Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
South of the Sahara Desert, agricultural burning dominates the savanna landscape in Africa in the dry season. Vast areas of the continent burn every year as people set fire to range and crop lands to clear or renew them for the next growing season. A clear day over central Africa on July 30, 2006, revealed the widespread areas burned by agricultural fires so far this season. The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite, and it uses MODIS' observations of shortwave and near-infrared light along with visible light to make the burned areas stand out from unburned vegetation. Across Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia, deep red burn scars mingle with the unburned bright green vegetation. Water is dark blue, and naturally bare or sparsely vegetated ground appears light (sometimes pinkish) tan. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 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 Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
Even for a region that sees a lot fires during the agricultural season, this scene seems to reveal an exceptional number of fires for countries from east-central to southern Africa. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on September 25, 2002. Hundreds of fire detections are indicated by red dots. In the top center of the image is Lake Malawi, which is bounded on the west by Malawi, on the northeast by Tanzania, and on the southeast by Mozambique. Other countries visible in the image are (north-south along left edge) Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Republic of South Africa, and Swaziland (bottom center). Agricultural fires have been part of the ecological cycles in Africa for perhaps thousands of years, used to clear land and regenerate pasture. Scientists are studying these cycles to assess their impact on air quality, global warming, and ecosystem change. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Seasonal floods along the Za
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| Title |
Seasonal floods along the Zambezi River |
| Description |
Every year as the rainy season draws to a close, the Zambezi River pushes over its banks along its upper reaches in Zambia. Flooding is way of life to local tribes who regularly move to higher ground during the rainy season, but this year is proving to be worse than normal. Last year's floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=9122 ] displaced over 10,000 people in late March. This year, the river is already higher than it was last year, and people in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, downstream, are bracing for serious floods. Some villages are already surrounded by water. Record rainfall in January and continued heavy rain in February is to blame for the higher-than-average flood water in the Zambezi. The above Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images provide a contrast between the dry season, November 24, 2003, and the wet season, March 3, 2004. Only a thin dark line marks the location of the river during the dry season, while black puddles show the river's extent during the wet season. In these false-color images, plants are green, bare land is tan, and clouds are white and light blue. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Seasonal floods along the Za
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| Title |
Seasonal floods along the Zambezi River |
| Description |
Every year as the rainy season draws to a close, the Zambezi River pushes over its banks along its upper reaches in Zambia. Flooding is way of life to local tribes who regularly move to higher ground during the rainy season, but this year is proving to be worse than normal. Last year's floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=9122 ] displaced over 10,000 people in late March. This year, the river is already higher than it was last year, and people in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, downstream, are bracing for serious floods. Some villages are already surrounded by water. Record rainfall in January and continued heavy rain in February is to blame for the higher-than-average flood water in the Zambezi. The above Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images provide a contrast between the dry season, November 24, 2003, and the wet season, March 3, 2004. Only a thin dark line marks the location of the river during the dry season, while black puddles show the river's extent during the wet season. In these false-color images, plants are green, bare land is tan, and clouds are white and light blue. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Seasonal floods along the Za
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| Title |
Seasonal floods along the Zambezi River |
| Description |
Every year as the rainy season draws to a close, the Zambezi River pushes over its banks along its upper reaches in Zambia. Flooding is way of life to local tribes who regularly move to higher ground during the rainy season, but this year is proving to be worse than normal. Last year's floods [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=9122 ] displaced over 10,000 people in late March. This year, the river is already higher than it was last year, and people in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, downstream, are bracing for serious floods. Some villages are already surrounded by water. Record rainfall in January and continued heavy rain in February is to blame for the higher-than-average flood water in the Zambezi. The above Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) images provide a contrast between the dry season, November 24, 2003, and the wet season, March 3, 2004. Only a thin dark line marks the location of the river during the dry season, while black puddles show the river's extent during the wet season. In these false-color images, plants are green, bare land is tan, and clouds are white and light blue. The high-resolution images provided above are at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Seasonal floods along the Za
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| Title |
Seasonal floods along the Zambezi River |
| Description |
Heavy rains through the month of March have pushed a section of Africa?s Zambezi River to its highest level since 1958. Just as the mighty river turns east in its path to the Indian Ocean, and immediately before it thunders over the Victoria Falls, it passes through the low-lying plains of Namibia?s Caprivi Strip. This section of the river floods often as the wet-season rains fill the river. This year, the floods have come earlier than normal, and are rising to levels not seen in nearly 50 years. The Namibian government expects to evacuate 40,000 to 50,000 people from the region as the flood waters continue to rise, though only 20,000 have been affected as of April 1. In comparison, last year?s floods, which at the time were declared the worst the region had seen since 1958, forced 12,000 people from their homes. On March 31, 2004, the waters reached 6.89 meters, surpassing the peak of last year?s flood, 6.64 meters. So far, two people have died in this year?s floods. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this view of the flood in the Caprivi Strip on March 30, 2004. The false color image shows the flood water in an inky black in sharp contrast to the bright green vegetation. Bare ground is tan and clouds are light blue. The image is available in true-color [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004090-0330/Caprivi.A2004090.1205 ] and additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004090-0330/Caprivi.A2004090.1205.721 ]. The Zambezi River forms at a spring in northern Zambia, and flows south through Zambia and Angola before turning east in Namibia?s Caprivi Strip and flowing through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. It is Africa?s fourth largest river system after the Nile, Zaire, and Niger Rivers. The high-resolution image also shows floods along the northern section of the river in Zambia at MODIS maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeastern Africa
| Title |
Fires in Southeastern Africa |
| Description |
The southern Africa biomass burning season is in full swing across (clockwise from top left) Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi (center). Fires, marked with red dots, are an integral part of the farming and grazing practices in the region. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on August 18, 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 Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southern Africa
| Title |
Fires in Southern Africa |
| Description |
West of Lake Tanganyika in east-central Africa, smoke chokes the air over Democratic Republic of Congo, where the annual fire season has been ongoing for several weeks. Fires are also burning to the east of Tanganyika in Tanzania, and to the southwest, in Zambia. This image of the haze and fires (orange dots) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on May 16, 2004. Image by Earth Observatory staff, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southern Africa
| Title |
Fires in Southern Africa |
| Description |
West of Lake Tanganyika in east-central Africa, scores of fires (orange dots) were choking the skies over Democratic Republic of Congo with smoke on May 23, 2004. To the east of the lake, fires are burning in Tanzania, as well, though the air is considerably less smoky there. Fires were also detected in Zambia, which sits at the bottom right portion of the image, south of the lake. The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year indicates that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning—and the resulting smoke—can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southern Africa
| Title |
Fires in Southern Africa |
| Description |
In south-central Africa, season agricultural burning has been a way of life for hundreds, probably thousands of years. People burn grasslands and savannas to encourage new vegetation that attracts grazing animals and to clear or renew land for farming. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. This image shows fires (marked in yellow) across southern Africa on August 17, 2004. At image right is Lake Tanganyika, which sits at the borders of Tanzania to the east, Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Zambia to the south, and Burundi to the north. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires Near Lake Malawi, Afri
…
| Title |
Fires Near Lake Malawi, Africa |
| Description |
In southeastern Africa, scores of fires were burning on September 25, 2004, in Mozambique south of Lake Malawi, whose southern tip is at the top center of the image. Active fire detections made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite are marked in red. The fires created a layer of smoke that darkened the surface of the land beneath it. At upper left in the image, the turquoise-colored body of water is the Cahora Basso Lake, created by a dam on the Zambeze River just inside Mozambique after the river leaves its course along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Tropical Cyclone Favio
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Favio |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Favio formed in the western Indian Ocean about 1,200 kilometers from Madagascar on February 14, 2007. It gradually moved southwest, passing well offshore of Reunion and Mauritius Islands. By February 20, it was just off the southern shore of Madagascar as a well-formed, mature storm. While the storm system had largely skirted around populated areas to that point, forecasters were concerned about its behavior as it entered the warmer waters of the Mozambique Channel. The storm was forecast to reach Category Four [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] strength before coming ashore and tracking inland through Zimbabwe and Zambia, bringing heavy rains to already flooded areas. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14115 ] This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on February 20, 2007, at 2:15 p.m. local time (11:15 UTC). The storm was turning north around the southern end of Madagscar, headed for the Mozambique Channel. Favio had the recognizable shape of a southern-hemisphere tropical cyclone, with spiral arms showing its clockwise rotation. The spiral arms are well-defined and tightly wound. A distinct eye at the center of the storm is only partially filled with clouds (a "partially closed" eye). These are all signs of a well-developed and powerful storm, consistent with the cyclone's strength. According to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center, [ http:/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3 www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] Favio had steady winds of around 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) around the time MODIS made this observation. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' full spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. You can also download a 250-meter-resolution Cyclone Favio KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Feb2007/Favio.A2007051.1115.250m.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Flooding in the Zambezi Vall
…
| Title |
Flooding in the Zambezi Valley |
| Description |
The ribbon of blue flood water that surrounds the Zambezi River in the top image is not unusual. Every year, when the rainy season sets in over southern Angola and western Zambia, the river rises and spreads wide across its flood plain. The intense rains that fell from mid-December through March 2007 caused widespread flooding across southern Africa [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14125 ] from Angola to Mozambique. The floods caused dozens of deaths, displaced thousands, and caused extensive damage to both agriculture and infrastructure, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] Many of the deadly floods have occurred along various sections of the Zambezi and its tributaries. The floods shown here caused agricultural losses. In additional to being heavier than normal, the rains also came early, reported the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on March 4, 2007. The lower image was taken on December 1, 2006, by the MODIS sensor flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, and is provided here to show the river during the dry season. The images were made with visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. Water is dark blue, while the surrounding plant-covered land is green. Bare or lightly vegetated ground is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Flooding in the Zambezi Vall
…
| Title |
Flooding in the Zambezi Valley |
| Description |
The ribbon of blue flood water that surrounds the Zambezi River in the top image is not unusual. Every year, when the rainy season sets in over southern Angola and western Zambia, the river rises and spreads wide across its flood plain. The intense rains that fell from mid-December through March 2007 caused widespread flooding across southern Africa [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14125 ] from Angola to Mozambique. The floods caused dozens of deaths, displaced thousands, and caused extensive damage to both agriculture and infrastructure, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] Many of the deadly floods have occurred along various sections of the Zambezi and its tributaries. The floods shown here caused agricultural losses. In additional to being heavier than normal, the rains also came early, reported the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on March 4, 2007. The lower image was taken on December 1, 2006, by the MODIS sensor flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, and is provided here to show the river during the dry season. The images were made with visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. Water is dark blue, while the surrounding plant-covered land is green. Bare or lightly vegetated ground is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Flooding in Zambia
| Title |
Flooding in Zambia |
| Description |
In late March 2003, heavy rains in Zambia led to floods that displaced over 10,000 people and destroyed thousands of valuable acres of farmland. The floods can be seen in this false-color image (right) acquired on March 27, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. The most devastating floods occurred in the southern part of Zambia. The loss of cattle and crops in the floods has exacerbated a food shortage due to recent droughts. The food shortage could potentially affect over two million people in the small country. During dry season (left, acquired by MODIS Aqua on October 21, 2002), there is hardly any standing water in southern and western Zambia. In this false-color image, water is black. Clouds appear as pale blue and white, and land is green and tan. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA-GSFC |
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Flooding in the Zambezi Vall
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
upperzambezi_tmo_2007063
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-03-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
upperzambezi_tmo_2007063 |
|
Floods in Southern Africa: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Mozambique_AMO_2007051
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-02-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Mozambique_AMO_2007051 |
|
Fires in Central Africa: Ima
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Each year, thousands of fire
…
cafrica_amo_31may05
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-05-31 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Rapid Response team. |
| identifier |
cafrica_amo_31may05 |
|
Fires in Central Africa: Nat
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In central Africa the annual
…
cafrica_amo_2007164
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-06-13 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
cafrica_amo_2007164 |
|
Tropical Cyclone Favio: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Tropical Cyclone Favio forme
…
favio_amo_2007051
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-02-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
favio_amo_2007051 |
|
Fires in Central Africa: Nat
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On June 13, 2008, the Modera
…
CentralAfrica_AMO_2008165
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-06-13 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
CentralAfrica_AMO_2008165 |
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Fires Near Lake Malawi, Afri
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In southeastern Africa, scor
…
aqua_mozambique_25sep04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-09-25 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aqua_mozambique_25sep04 |
|
Biomass Burning in Central a
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thousands of fires are burni
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Angola.AMOA2003167
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-06-16 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Angola.AMOA2003167 |
|
Fires in East Central Africa
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thousands of fires burn acro
…
Congo.AMOA2003189
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
July 8, 2003 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Congo.AMOA2003189 |
|
Fire Season in Central and S
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In southern Africa, the annu
…
tanganyika_amo_11jun05
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-06-11 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
tanganyika_amo_11jun05 |
|
Fire Season in Central and S
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In southern Africa, the annu
…
tanganyika_amo_11jun05
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-06-11 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
tanganyika_amo_11jun05 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Even for a region that sees
…
Mozambique.AMO2002268
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-09-25 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Mozambique.AMO2002268 |
|
Biomass Burning in Central a
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
This true-color image of the
…
Congo.AMOA2003164
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-06-13 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Congo.AMOA2003164 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In central Africa, hundreds,
…
angola_amo_2006161
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-06-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
angola_amo_2006161 |
|
Fires Across Tanzania: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Numerous fires (marked with
…
EastAfrica.AMOA2003161
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-06-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
EastAfrica.AMOA2003161 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
South of the Sahara Desert,
…
Angola_AMO_2006211
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-07-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Angola_AMO_2006211 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On July 10, 2006, thousands
…
angola_amo_2006191
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-07-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
angola_amo_2006191 |
|
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