Browse All : Images of Cambodia and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Title	Floods in Myanmar
Description	The Asian monsoon annually triggers floods along the major river systems of South Asia from the Indus River [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] in Pakistan to the Ganges and its tributaries [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13875 ] in India and the Mekong and Tonle Sap [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] in Cambodia and Vietnam. Draining Myanmar (Burma) from north to south, the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River also rose when late-season monsoon rains inundated the country in mid-September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Ayeyarwady on September 25, 2006. Compared to its extent three weeks earlier (lower image), the river had spread several kilometers over its flood plain on September 25. Like many rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into several branches across its wide, triangular delta, and it is this branching portion of the river that is shown in these images. Additional flooding is visible along the full extent of the river in the large image provided above. The images were made with both visible light (light that is visible to the human eye) and infrared light. This light combination makes it easier to distinguish water from land. Water is dark blue or black, while plant-covered land is bright green, bare land is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. Photo-like versions of both the September 25 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006268 ] and September 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006248 ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Floods in Myanmar
Description	The Asian monsoon annually triggers floods along the major river systems of South Asia from the Indus River [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13769 ] in Pakistan to the Ganges and its tributaries [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13875 ] in India and the Mekong and Tonle Sap [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] in Cambodia and Vietnam. Draining Myanmar (Burma) from north to south, the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River also rose when late-season monsoon rains inundated the country in mid-September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of floods along the Ayeyarwady on September 25, 2006. Compared to its extent three weeks earlier (lower image), the river had spread several kilometers over its flood plain on September 25. Like many rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into several branches across its wide, triangular delta, and it is this branching portion of the river that is shown in these images. Additional flooding is visible along the full extent of the river in the large image provided above. The images were made with both visible light (light that is visible to the human eye) and infrared light. This light combination makes it easier to distinguish water from land. Water is dark blue or black, while plant-covered land is bright green, bare land is tan, and clouds are pale blue and white. Photo-like versions of both the September 25 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006268 ] and September 5 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006248 ] images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Biomass Burning in Southeast Asia
Description	Dozens of fires (red pixels) were burning in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia on April 2, 2002. There was a particularly large fire just southwest of Ho Chi Minh City near the southernmost tip of Vietnam. Note the large, grey smoke plume blowing westward in this scene. This image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] 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 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2002092-0402 ] site. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC

Title	Biomass Burning in Southeast Asia
Description	For the past two months, wildfires and agricultural fires have littered the Indochina landscape, periodically filling the skies with a thick, grayish layer of smoke. This image was acquired on April 5, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiomter (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Each of the red dots on the image represents an individual fire. As one can see, most are clustered around southern Cambodia, northern Thailand, and northern Laosall areas that have undergone severe deforestation in recent years. (Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor's full resolution, visit the MODIS land rapid response system [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2002095-0405 ] site.) Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC

Title	Drought in Southeast Asia
Description	Southeast Asia?s rainy season came to an early end in October 2004, and since that time, little rain has fallen on the Indochina Peninsula and parts of southern China. The dry spell has launched the region into the worst drought it has seen in years, with wells and reservoirs drying, crops withering, and, for some, food shortages. The effects of the drought are clearly visible in this image, generated from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellites between February 18 and March 5, 2005. The image shows vegetation anomaly, a measure of plant density and health over a wide area. To determine the state of vegetation this year, the data are compared to the average of vegetation measurements collected during the same period in 2000 to 2004. Regions that are drier, where plants are less dense and healthy than normal, are brown, while areas with denser-than-average vegetation are green. In the latter half of February 2005, Southeast Asia was very dry, with plants showing clear signs of drought stress. Clouds, masked out in grey, covered much of southern China, central Vietnam, Laos, and parts of Thailand and Cambodia during this two-week period. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the joint Global Agricultural Monitoring Project between NASA, USDA?s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the University of Maryland. More data and information about this joint project is available at Satellite Information for Agricultural Monitoring [ http://tripwire.geog.umd.edu/usda/ ].

Title	Monsoon Rains Flood Cambodia
Description	For Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia, summer means torrential rains as the monsoon season sets in. The Asian monsoon occurs because of the temperature difference between the land and the Indian Ocean. During the summer, the land gets hotter than the ocean. Hot air over the land rises, and cool, moisture-rich air from the ocean rushes in to take its place. When this moisture-laden air is pushed up by mountains or some other source of lift, the air cools, and the water condenses into torrential rains. The monsoon season typically runs from June to September. Shortly after the onset of the summer monsoon, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite detected flooding around the Tonle Sap at the heart of Cambodia. In the top false-color image, taken on July 9, 2006, the flood water is pale blue around the slightly darker blue lake. Vegetation is bright green and bare earth is tan-pink. Clouds are light blue and white. The lower image, taken on June 16, shows central Cambodia before the rains began. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Monsoon Rains Flood Cambodia
Description	For Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia, summer means torrential rains as the monsoon season sets in. The Asian monsoon occurs because of the temperature difference between the land and the Indian Ocean. During the summer, the land gets hotter than the ocean. Hot air over the land rises, and cool, moisture-rich air from the ocean rushes in to take its place. When this moisture-laden air is pushed up by mountains or some other source of lift, the air cools, and the water condenses into torrential rains. The monsoon season typically runs from June to September. Shortly after the onset of the summer monsoon, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite detected flooding around the Tonle Sap at the heart of Cambodia. In the top false-color image, taken on July 9, 2006, the flood water is pale blue around the slightly darker blue lake. Vegetation is bright green and bare earth is tan-pink. Clouds are light blue and white. The lower image, taken on June 16, shows central Cambodia before the rains began. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Fires and Smoke in Thailand
Description	As can be seen in this true-color scene acquired on March 13, 2002, there were many fires burning across Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia on March 13, 2002, filling the skies with smoke across much of the landscape. This image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The red boxes (see the high-resolution image) indicate the areas recently burned or still burning. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Myanmar
Description	From eastern India to Vietnam, scores of fires were burning across the landscape on March 13, 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 photo-like image. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Gray smoke pools into low-lying parts of the terrain and spreads in a dingy haze across clouds along the eastern edge of the scene. Agricultural and accidental fires are common across Southeast Asia in the dry season, which roughly spans the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months. People burn crop and pasture land to prepare for the upcoming planting and growing seasons, and fires also escape control and spread into nearby forests. The fires pictured in this part of Southeast Asia lagged the widespread occurrence of burning in Cambodia and southern Thailand that MODIS observed as early as January 2007. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14085 ] Although it is not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. You can download a 250-meter-resolution Fires in Myanmar KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/myanmar_amo_2007072.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This image of fires (red dots) in Myanmar (left) and Thailand (right) shows just a fraction of the area in Southeast Asia experiencing widespread and intense biomass burning on April 10, 2003. See the high resolution image for the entire area, which also shows parts of India, China, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On April 8, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of biomass burning across Southeast Asia. At left, Bangladesh is free of fires, while to the east, fires are visible (marked with red dots) in India, Myanmar (center), and (top right to bottom) China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Compare this image to the Aqua image of the same area taken later in the day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Across Southeast Asia, the biomass burning season is in high gear in mid-March 2004. This is the time of year for agricultural burning?clearing farmland and renewing farmland and rangeland to prepare for the coming spring growing season. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from March 15, 2004, scores of fires were detected by the sensor during aTerra satellite overpass, and they are marked with red dots. A thick blanket of blue-gray smoke hangs over the right half of the image, shrouding Cambodia (bottom right), Thailand, (to the northwest), Laos (northeast of Thailand), and parts of southern China (top right) and Myanmar (to the west). The widespread nature of the fires suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 1 kilometer per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Thick, blue-gray smoke hangs over Southeast Asia as the annual agricultural burning season continues. Scores of fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite during an overpass on March 24, 2004, and have been marked with red dots in the image. Countries shown are (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) captured an image of the smoke drifting far eastward over the South China Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Across Southeast Asia, many fires were burning on December 12, 2004. At top right, fires are burning in southern China, and what may be a mixture of smoke and air pollution from energy production pools in low-lying areas of the mountainous topography. Moving counterclockwise around the scene from China, the image shows parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In the bottom left corner is the Gulf of Thailand, with Thailand along the left edge. The red dots in the image show the locations of fires detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Seasonal agricultural burning continued to intensify across Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite, the locations of actively burning fires across Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos are marked with red dots. Two particularly concentrated areas of burning are visible. One is in the northern part of the broad river valley in western Thailand, at image left. The other is to the west of the Tônlé Sap (a large lake that quintuples in size during the wet phase of the monsoon) in Cambodia. The widespread nature of the fires, their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green), and the time of year suggest that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Fires were burning in a variety of locations and types of vegetation in Southeast Asia when this image was captured on December 21, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite. In the center of the scene, scattered fires are burning in Thailand?s central cropland region. At left, smoke fills a low-lying valley that is dominated by irrigated rice paddies. The green of the irrigated crops contrasts with the tan of the other crop regions, this time of year, the climate is dominated by the relatively cool and dry conditions brought on by the northeast monsoon. In the lower right, the Mekong River shows up prominently as it flows southward through some of the region's remaining tropical forests. The Mekong River is to Southeast Asia what the Colorado River is to the U.S. West. Many countries along its path?including China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam?depend on the river for irrigation and drinking water. Also like the Colorado River, increasing demands for water and the dams and other infrastructure needed to supply it disrupt the natural flood cycle on the Mekong. The diruption can create environmental problems that become human problems, such as a decline in fish stocks in places where fish is the major source of protein in people?'s diets. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On January 11, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite captured this image of scores of agricultural fires burning around the Tônlé Sap (lake in image center) in Cambodia. Areas where MODIS detected active fires are outlined in red. Burned areas associated with the fires appear dark, purplish brown compared to the surrounding tan landscape. Remaining natural vegetation, including a ring of wetland vegetation around the lake and pockets of tropical rainforest appear deep green. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On January 20, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite captured this image of Southeast Asia showing active fires (red outlines) burning across several countries: (clockwise from top left) Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. These fires are the product of the annual, agricultural burning season. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. . The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On February 7, 2005, scattered fires were burning across Southeast Asia. The fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, and their locations have been marked in red in this image. South of image center the sediment-filled Tônlé Sap is surrounded by a border of deep green, wetland vegetation. Small clouds create white speckles through the center of the scene. The densest concentration of fires is located to the northeast of Tônlé Sap in Cambodia. Other prominent clusters of fires appear to the north in Laos. In the lower left quadrant of the scene, the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean (left edge) are brightened by smoke. The high-resolution image provided above is at a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On February 17, 2005, seasonal burning in Southeast Asia was widespread. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed over head, the sensor detected scores of active fires (locations marked in red) across (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although seasonal agricultural burning is common this time of year, it is not possible to know if all of these fires are agricultural in purpose. Some may be fires that escaped into forest or other non-agricultural areas from adjacent agricultural land. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Forest fires have broken out across many countries in Southeast Asia in late February 2005. Although seasonal agricultural burning also takes place this time of year, news reports indicates that many countries are battling forest fires as well. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows parts of four Southeast Asian countries: southeast Myanmar, at upper left, northern Laos, at upper right, Thailand, in the center, and northern Cambodia, at lower right. Active fire locations detected by MODIS have been marked in red, and thick smoke hangs over much of the scene. In northern Thailand (near image center), smoke was so thick that all air travel into the region's hub city of Chiang Mai was cancelled on February 28. Although it is not possible to be certain from this satellite image which of these fires are agricultural in purpose and which are forest fires, it's likely that fires burning in places where the landscape appears tan or light green, such as in the large plain to the right of image center or in the broad river valley at upper left, are related to crop stubble clearing or other agricultural activities. The intensely smoky fires located in places covered with deep green vegetation, such as along the peninsula running southward from image center, are more likely candidates for forest fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	According to news reports from Southeast Asia, the end of the dry phase of the Southeast Asian monsoon in the spring of 2005 found numerous countries facing a crippling drought. In March 2005, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and southern China were experiencing some of the most severe drought conditions in decades. In the face of such dry conditions, both natural and human-caused fires become more likely. This image of Southeast Asia on March 30, 2005, was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Superimposed on the sensor's digital-photo-like image are red dots that show locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires. Hundreds of smoky fires, probably a mixture of agricultural fires and wildfires, span the region from Myanmar in the west to Laos in the east. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Scores of actively burning fires were scattered across Southeast Asia on February 3, 2006, 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. Places in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam where the sensor detected actively burning fires are marked in red. These fires are likely agricultural in purpose, and while such fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, they can have a strong influence on natural resources, human health, weather, and climate. The large image has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per image pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides this image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/2006034/FAS_Indochina.2006034.aqua ] (and daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/ ] of this region) in a variety of resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On January 28, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image of scores of fires burning across Southeast Asia, mostly in Cambodia around the Tonle Sap. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. In Cambodia, the dry season of the monsoon generally spans the months of November through April. During that time, people ignite a host of agricultural and accidental fires across the country. The causes of the fires vary, from fires set to burn pasture lands in anticipation of new growth from summer rains, to clearing of forests through slash-and-burn agriculture. Although agricultural fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/ ] of the area in a variety of resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	In Cambodia, the dry season of the monsoon generally spans the months of November through April. During that time, people ignite a host of agricultural and accidental fires across the country. The causes of the fires vary, from fires set to burn pasture lands in anticipation of new growth from summer rains, to clearing of forests through slash-and-burn agriculture. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on January 26, 2007, shows scores of fires (marked in red) burning across Southeast Asia, primarily in the central plain surrounding Cambodia's Tonle Sap. 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. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/ ] images of the region in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	In Southeast Asia, both accidental and intentional fires are common in the annual dry season, which occurs during Northern Hemisphere winter months. People set fires to clear cropland before the spring rains arrive, and also to stimulate new pasture. People also use fire to clear the region's tropical forests for new agricultural land. This image from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows scores of fires burning across parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China on February 21, 2007. Places where MODIS detected active fires are marked in red. A few fires appear to be large and smoky, which might indicate that forest or moisture-rich vegetation is burning. Though it is not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Fires (red dots) in Cambodia continue on January 10, 2003. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image was acquired by the Aqua satellite. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from January 6, 2002, shows scattered fires (red dots) burning across Southeast Asia. At upper left is Thailand, in the center is Cambodia, and along the right edge is Vietnam. In Thailand, the city of Bangkok appears as a large grayish patch along the coast of the northernmost part of the Gulf of Thailand. In Cambodia, the Tonl? Sap Lake appears deep green and brown. The river running southward through Cambodia and emptying into the South China Sea is the Mekong River. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from January 6, 2002, shows scattered fires (red dots) burning across Southeast Asia. At upper left is Thailand, in the center is Cambodia, and along the right edge is Vietnam. In Thailand, the city of Bangkok appears as a large grayish patch along the coast of the northernmost part of the Gulf of Thailand. In Cambodia, the Tonl? Sap Lake appears deep green and brown. The river running southward through Cambodia and emptying into the South China Sea is the Mekong River. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from January 6, 2002, shows scattered fires (red dots) burning across Southeast Asia. At upper left is Thailand, in the center is Cambodia, and along the right edge is Vietnam. In Thailand, the city of Bangkok appears as a large grayish patch along the coast of the northernmost part of the Gulf of Thailand. In Cambodia, the Tonl? Sap Lake appears deep green and brown. The river running southward through Cambodia and emptying into the South China Sea is the Mekong River. This image was captured in the afternoon by the Aqua MODIS sensor, and fire activity had increased compared to the morning overpass captured by Terra. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	In Southeast Asia, fires (red dots) continue to spread across a wider area of Thailand (left), Cambodia (center), and Vietnam (right). This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite was acquired January 22, 2003. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Fires (red dots) in Thailand (left), Cambodia (center), and Vietnam (right) are producing smoky skies over Southeast Asia. (Between Thailand and Vietnam is Laos.) Running southward through Cambodia, a broad section of the Mekong River stands out in brown against green vegetation. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image was acquired by the Terra satellite on January 13, 2003. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Fires in Southeast Asia are becoming more widespread. This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on January 17, 2003, shows fires marked in red. Cambodia is in the image center, Thailand is at left, while Vietnam is at right. The Mekong Rivers cuts down through Cambodia in a brown line. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Biomass burning in Southeast Asia peaks in late winter or early spring as farmers begin to prepare land for seasonal planting. The widespread nature of the burning creates a seasonal pattern of emissions that play a significant role in regional air pollution, including tropospheric ozone. (Ozone can be both beneficial and harmful in the atmosphere, depending on its altitude. High up in the stratosphere, ozone protects the planet from harmful UV radiation. Closer to earth, tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant.) Like most parts of the world, the burning in Southeast Asia exhibits a diurnal (daily) cycle, in which burning is less widespread in the morning and increases throughout the day. Compare this morning image of Southeast Asia, including (left to right) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite to the same area captured by Aqua MODIS in the afternoon. Note the dramatic increase in fires (red dots) in the afternoon image. This image was acquired Jan. 31, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Biomass burning in Southeast Asia peaks in late winter or early spring as farmers begin to prepare land for seasonal planting. The widespread nature of the burning creates a seasonal pattern of emissions that play a significant role in regional air pollution, including tropospheric ozone. (Ozone can be both beneficial and harmful in the atmosphere, depending on its altitude. High up in the stratosphere, ozone protects the planet from harmful UV radiation. Closer to earth, tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant.) Like most parts of the world, the burning in Southeast Asia exhibits a diurnal (daily) cycle, in which burning is less widespread in the morning and increases throughout the day. Compare this afternoon image of Southeast Asia, including (left to right) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite to the same area captured by Terra MODIS in the morning. Note the dramatic increase in fires (red dots) in the afternoon image. This image was acquired Jan. 31, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	On Tuesday afternoon, March 4, 2003, NASA?s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected hundreds of fires burning across Southeast Asia. This close to the equator, spring-like weather is firmly underway, and fires are being set to clear land for planting and stimulate new growth of pasture grasses. This biomass burning peaks in late winter or early (true) spring, but not before it significantly impacts air quality for hundreds, even thousands of miles around. This image shows (clockwise from top right) China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos (east) and Thailand (west), and Myanmar. Notice the widespread deforestation, especially in eastern Thailand and Cambodia. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	Biomass burning in Southeast Asia is used for land clearing (deforestation) and to prepare land for agricultural purposes like grazing and farming. Each year in the late winter and early spring, the burning season reaches its peak, with hundreds of fires scattered across Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and surrounding countries. This image of the region shows scores of fires (red dots) detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on March 2, 2003. The burning significantly influences air quality, sometimes thousands of kilometers away. Carbon monoxide measurements from the region show good correlation with observed fire locations. The high-resolution image provided here is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at the sensor?s maximum resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows fires (red dots) in Southeast Asia on the morning of March 18, 2003. Large portions of Thailand (center), Cambodia (bottom right), and Laos (upper right) are pictured in the scene. Notice the dramatic difference in fire activity compared to the afternoon. 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

Title	Fires in Southeast Asia
Description	This true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows fires (red dots) in Southeast Asia on the afternoon of March 18, 2003. Large portions of Thailand (center), Cambodia (bottom right), and Laos (upper right) are pictured in the scene. Notice the dramatic increase in fire activity as compared to the morning. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Title	Tonle Sap Wetlands, Cambodia
Description	large images: October 9, 2002 (2.6 MB JPEG) January 29, 2003 (2.8 MB JPEG) Southeast Asia's Mekong River flows thousands of miles from its source in the highland plateau of Tibet to its outlet into the South China Sea. The river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The giant river is a valuable, and in some countries a pivotal, natural resource, and has supported hundreds of thousands of people through farming and fishing for centuries. Among the most interesting features of the river is that monsoon-season rainfall swells the river's volume so greatly that in low-lying Cambodia, one of the Mekong's southernmost tributaries is forced to reverse course against the rushing floodwaters. Beginning in June, the roughly 100-kilometer-long (62 miles) Tonle Sap River will begin to be inundated by the rising waters of the Mekong, and will slowly backtrack and begin filling the Tonle Sap Lake. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images above show the Tonle Sap during the dry and wet seasons. Vegetation appears bright green, standing water is dark blue, and clouds are light blue or white. In the bottom scene, the Mekong can be seen flowing in at the top to the right of center, and the Tonle Sap makes a distinct blue splash to the west. By October, much of central Cambodia is underwater (top scene). The seasonal floods swell the Tonle Sapthe Great Lakefrom its dry season low of a few thousand square kilometers in surface area and a depth of around two meters to as many as 12,000 square kilometers and a depth of ten meters (1 square kilometer is about .4 square miles, 1 meter is 3.3 feet). The ecological importance of the seasonal flood cycle can't be overstated. The huge lake and surrounding wetlands created by the flooding support a diverse freshwater fish ecosystem, and the silt deposited by the floods renews forest and farmland alike. As the countries along the course of the Mekong make plans for more upstream dams and navigation channels, the seasonal cycle of the lower Mekong becomes threatened, as do the fisheries and farmlands dependent on it. What is good for one country or region might have devastating consequences for another. The governments in the area face a difficult problem as they try to balance the competing interests of flood control, hydroelectric power, shipping, fishing, agriculture, and environmental protection. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Tonle Sap Wetlands, Cambodia
Description	large images: October 9, 2002 (2.6 MB JPEG) January 29, 2003 (2.8 MB JPEG) Southeast Asia's Mekong River flows thousands of miles from its source in the highland plateau of Tibet to its outlet into the South China Sea. The river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The giant river is a valuable, and in some countries a pivotal, natural resource, and has supported hundreds of thousands of people through farming and fishing for centuries. Among the most interesting features of the river is that monsoon-season rainfall swells the river's volume so greatly that in low-lying Cambodia, one of the Mekong's southernmost tributaries is forced to reverse course against the rushing floodwaters. Beginning in June, the roughly 100-kilometer-long (62 miles) Tonle Sap River will begin to be inundated by the rising waters of the Mekong, and will slowly backtrack and begin filling the Tonle Sap Lake. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images above show the Tonle Sap during the dry and wet seasons. Vegetation appears bright green, standing water is dark blue, and clouds are light blue or white. In the bottom scene, the Mekong can be seen flowing in at the top to the right of center, and the Tonle Sap makes a distinct blue splash to the west. By October, much of central Cambodia is underwater (top scene). The seasonal floods swell the Tonle Sapthe Great Lakefrom its dry season low of a few thousand square kilometers in surface area and a depth of around two meters to as many as 12,000 square kilometers and a depth of ten meters (1 square kilometer is about .4 square miles, 1 meter is 3.3 feet). The ecological importance of the seasonal flood cycle can't be overstated. The huge lake and surrounding wetlands created by the flooding support a diverse freshwater fish ecosystem, and the silt deposited by the floods renews forest and farmland alike. As the countries along the course of the Mekong make plans for more upstream dams and navigation channels, the seasonal cycle of the lower Mekong becomes threatened, as do the fisheries and farmlands dependent on it. What is good for one country or region might have devastating consequences for another. The governments in the area face a difficult problem as they try to balance the competing interests of flood control, hydroelectric power, shipping, fishing, agriculture, and environmental protection. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Tonle Sap Wetlands, Cambodia
Description	large images: October 9, 2002 (2.6 MB JPEG) January 29, 2003 (2.8 MB JPEG) Southeast Asia's Mekong River flows thousands of miles from its source in the highland plateau of Tibet to its outlet into the South China Sea. The river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The giant river is a valuable, and in some countries a pivotal, natural resource, and has supported hundreds of thousands of people through farming and fishing for centuries. Among the most interesting features of the river is that monsoon-season rainfall swells the river's volume so greatly that in low-lying Cambodia, one of the Mekong's southernmost tributaries is forced to reverse course against the rushing floodwaters. Beginning in June, the roughly 100-kilometer-long (62 miles) Tonle Sap River will begin to be inundated by the rising waters of the Mekong, and will slowly backtrack and begin filling the Tonle Sap Lake. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images above show the Tonle Sap during the dry and wet seasons. Vegetation appears bright green, standing water is dark blue, and clouds are light blue or white. In the bottom scene, the Mekong can be seen flowing in at the top to the right of center, and the Tonle Sap makes a distinct blue splash to the west. By October, much of central Cambodia is underwater (top scene). The seasonal floods swell the Tonle Sapthe Great Lakefrom its dry season low of a few thousand square kilometers in surface area and a depth of around two meters to as many as 12,000 square kilometers and a depth of ten meters (1 square kilometer is about .4 square miles, 1 meter is 3.3 feet). The ecological importance of the seasonal flood cycle can't be overstated. The huge lake and surrounding wetlands created by the flooding support a diverse freshwater fish ecosystem, and the silt deposited by the floods renews forest and farmland alike. As the countries along the course of the Mekong make plans for more upstream dams and navigation channels, the seasonal cycle of the lower Mekong becomes threatened, as do the fisheries and farmlands dependent on it. What is good for one country or region might have devastating consequences for another. The governments in the area face a difficult problem as they try to balance the competing interests of flood control, hydroelectric power, shipping, fishing, agriculture, and environmental protection. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Title	Flooding on the Mekong River
Description	Flooding is a way of life along the lower Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. Every year between August and November, monsoon rains fill the rivers of Southeast Asia, and the Mekong River Delta broadens well past its dry season levels. The annual floods carry nutrient-rich silt to farmland around the river and provide the moisture needed to grow vast fields of rice. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world behind Thailand, and the Mekong River Delta is one of two primary rice-growing areas in the country. The second is the Red River Delta in the north. The above false-color images contrast the Lower Mekong River at its flood stage and immediately before the monsoon rains started. Both images were acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]). In false color, vegetation is bright green, water is blue and black, and clouds are light blue. The flood waters hide the river's normal channel and even obscure the Tonle Sap, the vast lake seen in the pre-flood image. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Flooding on the Mekong River
Description	Flooding is a way of life along the lower Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. Every year between August and November, monsoon rains fill the rivers of Southeast Asia, and the Mekong River Delta broadens well past its dry season levels. The annual floods carry nutrient-rich silt to farmland around the river and provide the moisture needed to grow vast fields of rice. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world behind Thailand, and the Mekong River Delta is one of two primary rice-growing areas in the country. The second is the Red River Delta in the north. The above false-color images contrast the Lower Mekong River at its flood stage and immediately before the monsoon rains started. Both images were acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]). In false color, vegetation is bright green, water is blue and black, and clouds are light blue. The flood waters hide the river's normal channel and even obscure the Tonle Sap, the vast lake seen in the pre-flood image. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Title	Floods in Cambodia
Description	Heavy rains starting on August 14, 2006, caused these impressive floods along the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap in Cambodia. 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 August 21, and the lower image on July 29, 2006. In the few weeks that passed between the two images, water has transformed the region. Both rivers have gone from their dry-season lows to their monsoon-season flood state. Water, ranging from black, clear water to pale blue, muddy water, stretches over more than fifty kilometers of previously dry land. Though the Mekong and the Tonle Sap both flood every year, the floods shown here are among the worst in recent memory, says the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]. These images are shown in false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, water ranges from black to pale blue, clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and land that is sparsely vegetated is tan. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina ] of Southeast Asia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in both false color and photo-like true color. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Floods in Cambodia
Description	Heavy rains starting on August 14, 2006, caused these impressive floods along the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap in Cambodia. 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 August 21, and the lower image on July 29, 2006. In the few weeks that passed between the two images, water has transformed the region. Both rivers have gone from their dry-season lows to their monsoon-season flood state. Water, ranging from black, clear water to pale blue, muddy water, stretches over more than fifty kilometers of previously dry land. Though the Mekong and the Tonle Sap both flood every year, the floods shown here are among the worst in recent memory, says the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]. These images are shown in false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, water ranges from black to pale blue, clouds are light blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and land that is sparsely vegetated is tan. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina ] of Southeast Asia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in both false color and photo-like true color. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Floods in Cambodia
Description	Water levels on the Mekong River in Cambodia continued to rise during the first week of September 2006. The seasonal flood began in mid-August [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] when monsoon rains fell over the river basin. Already among the worst in recent memory (according to the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]), the floods expanded between August 21, when the lower image was taken, and September 7, top. The river itself is wider, and several of the small channels that branch out from the river are swollen. Additional flooding can be seen around the Tonle Sap in the large images. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired both of these images, which are displayed in false color to differentiate water from earth. In this color combination, water is dark blue or black, plant-covered land is green, and bare ground is tan. Clouds are pale blue and white. True-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/2006251 ] of both images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Floods in Cambodia
Description	Water levels on the Mekong River in Cambodia continued to rise during the first week of September 2006. The seasonal flood began in mid-August [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13796 ] when monsoon rains fell over the river basin. Already among the worst in recent memory (according to the Dartmouth Flood Observatory [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2006sum.htm ]), the floods expanded between August 21, when the lower image was taken, and September 7, top. The river itself is wider, and several of the small channels that branch out from the river are swollen. Additional flooding can be seen around the Tonle Sap in the large images. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite acquired both of these images, which are displayed in false color to differentiate water from earth. In this color combination, water is dark blue or black, plant-covered land is green, and bare ground is tan. Clouds are pale blue and white. True-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/2006251 ] of both images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Title	Typhoon Xangsane Floods Vietnam
Description	Typhoon Xangsane slammed into the coast of Vietnam on October 1, 2006, pounding the coastal city of Da Nang with sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) and heavy rain. The storm moved west over Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, and by October 3, the clouds had cleared enough to give the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a view of the hard-hit Vietnam coast. The image, top, reveals that Xangsane left extensive flooding in its wake. The land between the Vu Gia River and the Thu Bon River is covered with water. Mud gives the water on land its pale blue color in contrast to the dark blue and black seen in the ocean. As the sediment-laden water empties into the ocean, it pours a cloud of sediment into the ocean. The sediment creates the bright blue fan along the shore and in the bay near Da Nang. Though flooding isn't visible in Da Nang itself, the sediment in the bay suggests that the region may be flooded. Most obviously flooded is Hoi An, a historic port city that is a World Heritage Site. [ http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=948 ] The image shows that the Thu Bon River had burst its banks and was flowing through the city. According to the Associated Press, [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2006-10-03-asia-typhoon_x.htm ] Typhoon Xangsane caused extensive damage in Da Nang, Hoi An, and the surrounding communities. The storm had killed 119 people as of October 2. Of these deaths, 41 were in Vietnam, and the remaining 78 were in the Philippines. In the city of Da Nang, which has 770,000 residents, 12,000 homes were destroyed and 113,000 were damaged, said the Associated Press. The lower image shows the region on September 9, 2006, and provides a perspective on normal conditions. Both images were created with a combination of visible and infrared light, which increases the contrast between water and land. In these images, water ranges from black to light blue, the color being lighter when the water is filled with sediment. Clouds are turquoise blue and white, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare earth, such as the cities or the beach, is tan. Red boxes outline regions where MODIS detected fires. Photo-like, true-color versions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Indochina/2006276 ] of the images are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC.

Fires in Southeast Asia: Natural Hazards

mediatype	IMAGE
mediatype	image
date	2008-01-20
creator	NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier	seasia_AMO2008020

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