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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 |
A black web of water surrounds the Zambezi River in the top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on February 10, 2007. Mozambique was experiencing its worst floods in six years when the Zambezi flowed over its banks in January and February 2007, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YZHG-6YCQR4?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000011-ZMB ]). As of February 12, an estimated 29 people had died and 60,000 had been evacuated from the river's banks. Early and heavy rains fell over the entire Zambezi Basin, pushing the Zambezi and many of its tributaries into flood stage. The floods are likely to worsen as the 2,574-kilometer-long river receives water from its swollen tributaries in Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Malawi. Releases from the massive Cahora Bassa Reservoir, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14110 ] which is reaching its capacity, are also expected to make flooding worse along the lower Zambezi. These images show the lower Zambezi where it meets the Shire River flowing south from Malawi, one of the most severely affected regions in Mozambique. The top image provides a remarkably cloud-free view of the floods, while the lower image, taken on December 31, 2006, shows the region before the rains started in January. The images were made with a combination of infrared and visible light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. Water is black or dark blue, while plant-covered land is green. Bare earth is tan and pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. Fires are outlined in red. Images such as these and photo-like, true-color images are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_SMozambique/2007041 ] on a daily basis. NASA image 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 |
A black web of water surrounds the Zambezi River in the top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on February 10, 2007. Mozambique was experiencing its worst floods in six years when the Zambezi flowed over its banks in January and February 2007, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YZHG-6YCQR4?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=FL-2007-000011-ZMB ]). As of February 12, an estimated 29 people had died and 60,000 had been evacuated from the river's banks. Early and heavy rains fell over the entire Zambezi Basin, pushing the Zambezi and many of its tributaries into flood stage. The floods are likely to worsen as the 2,574-kilometer-long river receives water from its swollen tributaries in Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Malawi. Releases from the massive Cahora Bassa Reservoir, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14110 ] which is reaching its capacity, are also expected to make flooding worse along the lower Zambezi. These images show the lower Zambezi where it meets the Shire River flowing south from Malawi, one of the most severely affected regions in Mozambique. The top image provides a remarkably cloud-free view of the floods, while the lower image, taken on December 31, 2006, shows the region before the rains started in January. The images were made with a combination of infrared and visible light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. Water is black or dark blue, while plant-covered land is green. Bare earth is tan and pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. Fires are outlined in red. Images such as these and photo-like, true-color images are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_SMozambique/2007041 ] on a daily basis. NASA image 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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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 and Smoke in Angola
| Title |
Fire and Smoke in Angola |
| Description |
In August and September, accumulated smoke and smog from seasonal agricultural burning and charcoal production in southern Africa gets "recycled"across many southern Africa countries, including Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. At that time of year, a semi-permanent area of high atmospheric pressure takes up residence over that part of the continent, and the air re-circulates in a counterclockwise spin around the high. Air does escape from this spin-cycle at times and spreads out over the Indian Ocean to the east, or the Atlantic Ocean to the west, as it does in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured by NASA's Terra satellite on August 28, 2004. At right are of parts of (top to bottom) Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Haze spreads out over the Atlantic, giving the clouds a dirty appearance. Contrast their color with the brightness of the cloud over Angola, at the bottom of the image to the right of center. MODIS also detected numerous fires, which have been marked in red. NASA scientists studied this atmospheric phenomenon in 2000 in a field campaign called SAFARI. To learn more, read "Red Alert! 'Recycled Ozone' Adds to Health Hazards in Zambia" [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2001/200112106304.html ] in the Earth Observatory's NASA News Archive. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the 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 |
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 |
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 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 |
Scores of fires were burning in the Democratic Republic of Congo (top), Angola (bottom left), and Zambia (lower right) on May 9, 2002, early in the southern Africa fire season. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire site. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
Just south of the image of the Democratic Republic of Congo acquired on May 9, 2002, this image of Angola (left) and Zambia (right) show that fires are burning over a wide area of central and southern Africa this May. Smoke that was visible in an image of the region on May 9, 2002, (bottom right) had cleared up by the time of this image. Both images were acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire site. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Central and Souther
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| Title |
Fires in Central and Southern Africa |
| Description |
The southern Africa burning season is still underway as farmers and ranchers light fires to clear fields for planting and to renew rangeland vegetation. Numerous fires (red dots) were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite through Angola (top left quadrant) and Zambia (top right quadrant) and tapering off in Namibia (bottom left quadrant) and Botswana (bottom right quadrant). The green broomstick-shaped feature south of image center is the vegetation of the Okavango River Delta. The highly reflective area to its southeast is the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Another salt flat, called Etosha Pan, is visible south of the Angola-Namibia border. This image was acquired on September 12, 2002. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS 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 |
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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Seasonal floods along the Za
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| Title |
Seasonal floods along the Zambezi River |
| Description |
On April 12, 2004, the clouds that typically shroud Western Zambia this time of year cleared long enough to give the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite this clear view of the flooded Zambezi River. The river floods during the rainy season every year, but this year, the waters are higher than usual. Recent news reports say that 21,000 households in Western and Northwestern Zambia have been affected by the Zambezi floods so far. The flooding began in December 2003, and increased as the region received far more rain than normal. Now the river is covering most of the plains that line its banks, limiting access to the schools and health centers that are not submerged. Fields of maize and rice have also been covered by the floods. The high waters on this stretch of the Zambezi are also troubling to the already water-logged communities downstream. As these flood waters have moved down into northeast Namibia?s Caprivi Strip, they have affected 20,000 people, killing six. Now officials expect the river to continue to expand in the coming weeks. This image shows the Zambezi River in Zambia just north of the Namibian border. Flowing down across the lower left corner of the image is the Cuando River, which also appears to be flooded with black water surrounding the green lines that mark the river?s usual banks. This section of the Cuando River runs along the border of Zambia and Angola. In this false color image, water is black, and vegetation is bright green. A few white and light blue clouds skirt the edges of the scene. The high-resolution image provided above is 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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Flooding in the Zambezi Vall
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| 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. |
|
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. |
|
Widespread Burning across So
…
| Title |
Widespread Burning across South Central Africa |
| Description |
Many fires (red pixels) dot the landscape across Southern Central Africa, including parts of Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is a faint greyish haze covering much of the region, particularly toward the north (top) of this scene. The fires are mostly the result of slash and burn agriculture, which is a common practice in this region during this time of year. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor?s fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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2002 December 3 See Explanat
…
| Title |
2002 December 3 See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. |
| Explanation |
On December 4th [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/TSE2002/ TSE2002.html ], for the second time in as many years, the Moon's shadow will track [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/TSE2002/TSE2002txt/ T02animate.html ] across southern Africa bringing a total solar eclipse [ http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html ] to African skies. Reaching Africa just before 6:00 Universal Time [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/ docs/UT.html ], the narrow path of totality - corresponding to the path of the Moon's umbra or dark central shadow - will run eastward through Angola, Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa's Kruger National Park [ http://profjohn.com/el/el2002/index.html ], and Mozambique. Moving out across the Indian Ocean it will ultimately cross onto the Australian continent at sunset (around 9:10 UT [ http://www.csiro.au/helix/eclipse/ ]). Observers directly in this path could catch at most a minute or so of the eclipse at its total phase, but at least a partial eclipse will be visible over much of Africa, Australia [ http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/solar_eclipse_2002/ ], some parts of Indonesia, and eastern Antarctica. While watching [ http://www.mreclipse.com/TSE01reports/ TSE01galleryA.html ] last year's June 21 eclipse, astronomer Fred Espenak recorded a series of exposures used to construct this dramatic composite image. The sequence follows the 2001 geocentric celestial event from start to finish above a thorny acacia tree [ http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ acacia_tortillis.htm ] near Chisamba, Zambia. |
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Flooding in the Zambezi Vall
…
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 |
|
Floods in Southern Africa: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
Mozambique_TMO_2007041
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-01-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Mozambique_TMO_2007041 |
|
Widespread Burning across So
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Many fires (red pixels) dot
…
Angola_TMO2002154
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-06-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Angola_TMO2002154 |
|
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 |
|
Biomass Burning in Central a
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thousands of fires are burni
…
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 |
|
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 |
|
Flooding along the Zambezi R
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
landsat_caprivi
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001-08-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image provided by the edc.usgs.gov/ USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. |
| identifier |
landsat_caprivi |
|
Smoke in Southern Africa : I
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
This SeaWiFS true-color imag
…
seawifs_safrica_smoke
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2000-09-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Gene Feldman, SeaWiFS Project and Orbital Sciences |
| identifier |
seawifs_safrica_smoke |
|
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 in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The southern Africa burning
…
angola_12sep02
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-09-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
angola_12sep02 |
|
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 |
|
Seasonal floods along the Za
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Heavy rains through the mont
…
aqua_zambezi_30mar04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-03-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aqua_zambezi_30mar04 |
|
Seasonal floods along the Za
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On April 12, 2004, the cloud
…
terra_zambezi_12apr04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-04-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
terra_zambezi_12apr04 |
|
Fire Season in Central and S
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The annual southern Africa b
…
cafrica_amo_23jul05
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
July 23, 2005 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
cafrica_amo_23jul05 |
|
Fire and Smoke in Angola: Na
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In August and September, acc
…
terra_africa_28aug04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-08-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
terra_africa_28aug04 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Scores of fires were burning
…
Congo_2002129
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-05-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Congo_2002129 |
|
Fires in Angola: Natural Haz
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In southern Africa's tropica
…
cafrica_amo_2007190
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
cafrica_amo_2007190 |
|
Fires in Central and Souther
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Just south of the image of t
…
Zambia_2002131
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-05-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Zambia_2002131 |
|
|
