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Fires in Eastern India and N
…
Scores of active fires were
…
3/12/09
| Description |
Scores of active fires were burning in eastern India and the mountainous provinces of northwest Burma (Myanmar) on March 9, 2009, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead and captured this photo-like image. Locations where the sensor detected active fires are outlined in red. Agricultural and other land-maintenance fires are common in the area this time of year (dry season), so many of these fires were probably intentionally started by people. However, as in all parts of the world, intentional fires occasionally get out of control. Some of the larger or smokier fires in this scene could be accidental forest fires. Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team Text credit: Rebecca Lindsey, NASA's Earth Observatory |
| Date |
3/12/09 |
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Gulf of Martaban
| Title |
Gulf of Martaban |
| Completed |
1999-12-03 |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
With the onset of monsoon rains, the Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar (Burma) more than doubled in size during June. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on June 21, 2006, nearly one month after the lower image was taken on May 22. By June 21, the winding shape of the river is concealed by the monsoon floods. In the large image, similar flooding is visible farther north. To the left of the river, flood water drenches the ground. The region around this stretch of the river is wetland, and the image may be showing normal rainy-season conditions for the wetland. These images are shown in MODIS' shortwave and near-infrared bands to highlight the presence of water. Clear water is dark blue or black, while sediment-laden water is lighter blue. Clouds are pale blue and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan. The large images provided above have a resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Bangladesh/2006172 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
With the onset of monsoon rains, the Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar (Burma) more than doubled in size during June. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on June 21, 2006, nearly one month after the lower image was taken on May 22. By June 21, the winding shape of the river is concealed by the monsoon floods. In the large image, similar flooding is visible farther north. To the left of the river, flood water drenches the ground. The region around this stretch of the river is wetland, and the image may be showing normal rainy-season conditions for the wetland. These images are shown in MODIS' shortwave and near-infrared bands to highlight the presence of water. Clear water is dark blue or black, while sediment-laden water is lighter blue. Clouds are pale blue and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan. The large images provided above have a resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Bangladesh/2006172 ] of the region are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in a variety of resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| 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. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| 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. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Dark blue water blanketed the land surrounding the Gulf of Martaban in southern Myanmar when 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 May 8, 2007. According to the Dartmouth Flood Observatory, [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] water up to a meter (3.3 feet) in depth covered 16 townships around the capital city of Yangon, destroying crops and houses. The floods came in the wake of the heaviest rain in decades. In this image, the floods are so extensive that the channels of the Yangon and Ayeyarwady Rivers and the shores of the Gulf of Martaban are indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. The image was made with infrared and visible light, which makes water appear dark blue or black. Sediment turns the water pale blue. Clouds are turquoise and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan-pink. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Dark blue water blanketed the land surrounding the Gulf of Martaban in southern Myanmar when 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 May 8, 2007. According to the Dartmouth Flood Observatory, [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7efloods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] water up to a meter (3.3 feet) in depth covered 16 townships around the capital city of Yangon, destroying crops and houses. The floods came in the wake of the heaviest rain in decades. In this image, the floods are so extensive that the channels of the Yangon and Ayeyarwady Rivers and the shores of the Gulf of Martaban are indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. The image was made with infrared and visible light, which makes water appear dark blue or black. Sediment turns the water pale blue. Clouds are turquoise and white, plant-covered land is green, and bare earth is tan-pink. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Myanmar's Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River was several times larger than its dry-season extent when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on September 26, 2007. Like many large rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into multiple small branches (distributaries) in its delta before draining into the Andaman Sea. This image shows at least three such distributaries. Water in this false-color image is black, though the water in the river channels is colored blue by sediment. Towering rain clouds, turquoise blue in this image, still hang over the river. Lower, warmer clouds are white, and the plant-covered land is bright green. The lower image shows the river on May 28, 2007, during the dry season. Unusually heavy seasonal rains from early July through September brought flooding along the length of the Ayeyarwady. By August 29, more than 97,500 people had been affected by floods in Myanmar, said the International Federation of Red and Red Crescent Societies. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/JOPA-76JBTT?OpenDocument ] Of those affected, 61,689 were in the Ayeyarwady Division, which encompasses the area shown in this image. The river was still flooded on September 26, as this image shows. According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology [ http://www.dmh.gov.mm/w_flood.cfm?id=115 ] in the government of Myanmar, some stretches of the Ayeryarwady River were above their "danger levels" on September 24. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2007269 ] of Myanmar. |
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Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Myanmar's Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River was several times larger than its dry-season extent when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on September 26, 2007. Like many large rivers, the Ayeyarwady splits into multiple small branches (distributaries) in its delta before draining into the Andaman Sea. This image shows at least three such distributaries. Water in this false-color image is black, though the water in the river channels is colored blue by sediment. Towering rain clouds, turquoise blue in this image, still hang over the river. Lower, warmer clouds are white, and the plant-covered land is bright green. The lower image shows the river on May 28, 2007, during the dry season. Unusually heavy seasonal rains from early July through September brought flooding along the length of the Ayeyarwady. By August 29, more than 97,500 people had been affected by floods in Myanmar, said the International Federation of Red and Red Crescent Societies. [ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/JOPA-76JBTT?OpenDocument ] Of those affected, 61,689 were in the Ayeyarwady Division, which encompasses the area shown in this image. The river was still flooded on September 26, as this image shows. According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology [ http://www.dmh.gov.mm/w_flood.cfm?id=115 ] in the government of Myanmar, some stretches of the Ayeryarwady River were above their "danger levels" on September 24. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2007269 ] of Myanmar. |
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Floods in Myanmar (Burma)
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar (Burma) |
| Description |
With winds near 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour), powerful Cyclone Mala [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13533 ] swept ashore over Myanmar (Burma) late on April 28, 2006. The storm inundated the Southeast Asian country with heavy rain and left widespread flooding in its wake. The wetlands surrounding the mouths of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River were still dark blue and black with water when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on the afternoon of April 30. Just a week earlier (lower image), the region had been dry, with water confined to the channels cut by the river as it drains into the Andaman Sea. The land is tan, with patches of green where plants are growing. Light clouds, blue and white in the false-color images, drift over the region. On April 30, the wetlands brimmed with water brought by the storm. Offshore, the ocean is milky blue and green where sediment carried by draining flood water has washed into the sea. Additional flooding can be seen farther north along the Ayeyarwady in the large image. According to the Myanmar state media, one person died and 21 others were injured in the storm. The large images provided above have a resolution of 250 meters per pixel, MODIS' maximum resolution. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006120 ] of Myanmar in several resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Floods in Myanmar (Burma)
| Title |
Floods in Myanmar (Burma) |
| Description |
With winds near 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour), powerful Cyclone Mala [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13533 ] swept ashore over Myanmar (Burma) late on April 28, 2006. The storm inundated the Southeast Asian country with heavy rain and left widespread flooding in its wake. The wetlands surrounding the mouths of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River were still dark blue and black with water when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on the afternoon of April 30. Just a week earlier (lower image), the region had been dry, with water confined to the channels cut by the river as it drains into the Andaman Sea. The land is tan, with patches of green where plants are growing. Light clouds, blue and white in the false-color images, drift over the region. On April 30, the wetlands brimmed with water brought by the storm. Offshore, the ocean is milky blue and green where sediment carried by draining flood water has washed into the sea. Additional flooding can be seen farther north along the Ayeyarwady in the large image. According to the Myanmar state media, one person died and 21 others were injured in the storm. The large images provided above have a resolution of 250 meters per pixel, MODIS' maximum resolution. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar/2006120 ] of Myanmar in several resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Barren Island Volcano
| Title |
Barren Island Volcano |
| Description |
The Barren Island Volcano sent a plume of volcanic ash and steam toward the northeast over the Andaman Sea on April 5, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows Barren Island at Aqua's full 250-meter resolution, available on the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006095-0405/BarrenIsland.A2006095.0720 ] site. In this image, the volcanic plume dissipates as it moves away from the tiny island. The white dots southwest of the volcano are clouds. The red outline around the volcano's summit is a thermal anomaly, showing where the satellite sensor picked up especially warm surface temperatures. Just three kilometers wide, with a two-kilometer-wide caldera, Barren Island is the summit of a volcano that rises about 2,250 meters from the sea floor, poking 354 meters above the water line. About 135 kilometers northeast of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, the volcanic island is uninhabited. It is the only historically active volcano in the north-south volcanic arc between Sumatra and Myanmar (Burma). In mid-March 2006, news reports assured India's citizens that the volcano's activity in early 2006 was no cause for alarm as seismologists surmised that it did not indicate an increased risk of earthquakes. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ]Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Biomass Burning in Southeast
…
| Title |
Biomass Burning in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Forest fires continue to burn across Southeast Asia. The fires have been burning for about a month, prolonged in part by an extraordinarily long dry season. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Biomass Burning in Southeast
…
| Title |
Biomass Burning in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Many fires (red pixels) continued to burn throughout Southeast Asia on April 8, 2002, mostly concentrated in Myanmar. The skies over eastern Myanmar and western Thailand were filled with a thick pall of smoke (greyish pixels). 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 [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Cyclone Mala
| Title |
Cyclone Mala |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Mala formed in the Bay of Bengal on April 24, 2006. The cyclone has been gradually building strength and size. As of April 26, it was projected to head towards Myanmar, possibly coming ashore there on or around April 29, after grazing along the Andaman Islands. It was not projected to become a particularly powerful storm before reaching the mainland. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 26, 2006, at 10:35 a.m. local time (04:35 UTC). Cyclone Mala at this time had a basic rounded form, but lacked the well-developed eye, tight-wound shape, and strong winds of a powerful storm. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. NASA image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from theGoddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Cyclone Mala
| Title |
Cyclone Mala |
| Description |
Tropical Cyclone Mala formed in the Bay of Bengal on April 24, 2006. The cyclone has been gradually building strength and size. As of April 28, it was heading towards Myanmar, possibly coming ashore there on or around April 29. This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on April 28, 2006, at 10:05 a.m. local time (04:05 UTC). Cyclone Mala was quite transformed from two days prior. At the time of this image, the storm had the well-developed eye, tight-wound shape, and strong winds of a powerful storm. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 210 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) around the time the image was captured. The high-resolution image provided above is provided at the full MODIS spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006118-0428/Mala.A2006118.0425 ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Monsoon Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Monsoon Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Myanmar (Burma) regularly floods during the Asian summer monsoon, but June and early July 2007 brought unusually heavy, in some places record-breaking, rainfall. The rain caused floods in central Myanmar that forced thousands of evacuations, said ABC News [ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/09/1974080.htm ] on July 9. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the floods on July 11, 2007. Clouds, bright blue and white in the false-color image, cover much of the country, but widespread flooding is still evident on the ground. Water is black in this type of image, which is made with a combination of infrared and visible light. When loaded with sediment, the water takes a lighter color. The palest blue areas may be either wet ground or extremely muddy water. Plant-covered land is bright green. Terra MODIS acquired the lower image on June 23, well after the monsoon rains began to fall. The traces of light blue that surround the river in this image may be wetland or early signs of flooding. The floods inundated the capital, Yangon (Rangoon), to the south of the region shown in this image and Bago, a city to the east of this area. These areas are shown in the large image. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar ] of Myanmar. |
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Monsoon Floods in Myanmar
| Title |
Monsoon Floods in Myanmar |
| Description |
Myanmar (Burma) regularly floods during the Asian summer monsoon, but June and early July 2007 brought unusually heavy, in some places record-breaking, rainfall. The rain caused floods in central Myanmar that forced thousands of evacuations, said ABC News [ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/09/1974080.htm ] on July 9. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of the floods on July 11, 2007. Clouds, bright blue and white in the false-color image, cover much of the country, but widespread flooding is still evident on the ground. Water is black in this type of image, which is made with a combination of infrared and visible light. When loaded with sediment, the water takes a lighter color. The palest blue areas may be either wet ground or extremely muddy water. Plant-covered land is bright green. Terra MODIS acquired the lower image on June 23, well after the monsoon rains began to fall. The traces of light blue that surround the river in this image may be wetland or early signs of flooding. The floods inundated the capital, Yangon (Rangoon), to the south of the region shown in this image and Bago, a city to the east of this area. These areas are shown in the large image. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Myanmar ] of Myanmar. |
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Fires and Smoke in Thailand
| 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 |
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Fires in Eastern India
| Title |
Fires in Eastern India |
| Description |
On March 5, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected fires (marked in red) in eastern India (bottom left), northeast India (top right), and western Myanmar (bottom right). A few scattered fires were detected in Bangladesh (center). In this false-color image of this scene, dark reddish burn scars stand out against bright green vegetation. A true-color image is also available. In Bangladesh, the Ganges River flows in from the west and meets up with the Brahmaputra River flowing in from the east. The two rivers join and flow out to the Bay of Bengal through the Mouths of the Ganges. At top are the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Eastern India
| Title |
Fires in Eastern India |
| Description |
On March 5, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected fires (marked in red) in eastern India (bottom left), northeast India (top right), and western Myanmar (bottom right). A few scattered fires were detected in Bangladesh (center). In the false-color image of this scene, dark reddish burn scars stand out against bright green vegetation. In Bangladesh, the Ganges River flows in from the west and meets up with the Brahmaputra River flowing in from the east. The two rivers join and flow out to the Bay of Bengal through the Mouths of the Ganges. At top are the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
Numerous fires were burning in Myanmar on March 2, 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. Locations where the sensor detected active fires are outlined in red. Fires dot the area from the thickly forested Arakan Mountains (along the coast), inland across the Irrawaddy River plain, to the Pegu Mountains in the east (lighter green). Fires, both agricultural and accidental forest fires, are common at this time of year in Myanmar and throughout Southeast Asia [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14127 ]. 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_Myanmar/2007061/FAS_Myanmar.2007061.aqua ] 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 |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
The agricultural fire season in Southeast Asia spreads smoke across a large portion of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos in this photo-like image captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on March 4, 2007. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. During the area's dry season (roughly fall-winter in the Northern Hemisphere), intentional land management fires, as well as accidental forest fires that spread from agricultural areas, are common in Southeast Asia. The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides the image at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
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. |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
In Southeast Asia, fires are common and widespread throughout the dry season, which roughly spans the northern hemisphere winter months. People set fires to clear crop stubble and brush and to prepare grazing land for a new flush of growth when the rainy season arrives. These intentional fires are too frequently accompanied by accidental fires that invade nearby forests and woodlands. The combination of fires produces a thick haze that alternately lingers and disperses, depending on the weather. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows fire activity on March 19, 2007, across eastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and China. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red on the image. The darker green areas are generally more wooded areas or forests, while the paler green and tan areas are agricultural land. Smoke pools over low-lying areas of the hilly terrain in gray pockets. The green tops of rolling hills in Thailand emerge from a cloud of low-lying smoke. According to news reports from Thailand, the smoke blanket created air quality conditions that were considered unhealthy for all groups, and it prompted the Thai Air Force to undertake cloud-seeding attempts in an effort to cleanse the skies with rain. Commercial air traffic was halted due to poor visibility. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite detected hundreds of actively burning fires (marked in red) when it passed over Southeast Asia on March 27, 2007. Both accidental forest fires and intentional land-use fires (such as fires for clearing brush) are common in the area during the dry season. The smoke from these fires is a health and transportation hazard. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of the Southeast Asia fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Mar2007/myanmar_amo_2007086.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. |
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Fires in Myanmar
| Title |
Fires in Myanmar |
| Description |
Scores, possibly hundreds, of fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite when it passed over Southeast Asia on April 4, 2007. Places where the sensor detected actively burning fires are marked with red dots. The dry season is drawing to a close across much of Southeast Asia, and agricultural burning is widespread. Intentional fires also get out of control and burn into nearby forests. Thick smoke often becomes a problem in the spring months in the region, creating health problems and interfering with transportation. This image is centered on Myanmar, but biomass burning is widespread across most of Southeast Asia [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14193 ] in the Northern Hemisphere spring. Though it is 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_Bangladesh/2007093 ] images of the region in additional resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Severe Storms Trigger Floods
…
| Title |
Severe Storms Trigger Floods in Bangladesh |
| Description |
Heavy rains over an 8-day span from the 12th through the 20th of April 2004, brought widespread flooding to the Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh when the Surma and Kushiyara rivers crested above flood stage. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals for the period 12-20 April 2004 show almost 2 feet of rain (darkest red areas) fell over the Khasi Hills, foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, in the northeastern Indian providences of Assam and Meghalaya. A widespread area of 8-inch rainfall extends from eastern Bangladesh through northeastern Indian and over northern Myanmar (Burma). Such heavy rainfall this time of the year is unusual as the typical rainy season runs from June to September. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Severe Storms Trigger Floods
…
| Title |
Severe Storms Trigger Floods in Bangladesh |
| Description |
Heavy rains over an 8-day span from the 12th through the 20th of April 2004, brought widespread flooding to the Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh when the Surma and Kushiyara rivers crested above flood stage. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. MPA rainfall totals for the period 12-20 April 2004 show almost 2 feet of rain (darkest red areas) fell over the Khasi Hills, foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, in the northeastern Indian providences of Assam and Meghalaya. A widespread area of 8-inch rainfall extends from eastern Bangladesh through northeastern Indian and over northern Myanmar (Burma). Such heavy rainfall this time of the year is unusual as the typical rainy season runs from June to September. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Fires in South Asia
| Title |
Fires in South Asia |
| Description |
Scores of fires were burning in northeastern India, Myanmar, and Thailand on February 27, 2006. Agricultural fires commonly occur here in the late winter (Northern Hemisphere), as farmers clear fields to prepare for new planting. 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. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in South Asia
| Title |
Fires in South Asia |
| Description |
The skies were hazy over Bangladesh, northeastern India, and Myanmar on March 8, 2006, as the smoke from hundreds of fires rose into the air. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] detected fires (marked in red) in high concentrations in northeast India to the south of the Brahmaputra River (tan ribbon cutting across the upper left corner) as well as in the hilly terrain at the border of India and Myanmar. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in South Asia
| Title |
Fires in South Asia |
| Description |
In the hilly terrain of northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar, people practice slash-and-burn cultivation in the region's tropical forests. The activity has created a mosaic of cleared fields and open-canopy forests in various stages of regrowth. This image of the area was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on March 10, 2006, during the burning season, which takes places mostly in February and March. Areas outlined in red show where the MODIS sensor detected actively burning fires. Thick smoke hangs over the scene, as well. This image in only part of a much wider-scale image that shows agricultural fires of various kinds burning across a large swath of Southeast Asia. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13406 ] 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. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006069-0310/Myanmar.A2006069.0645.1km.jpg ] 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 South Asia
| Title |
Fires in South Asia |
| Description |
Widespread agricultural (slash-and-burn) fires across northeastern India and Myanmar on the afternoon of March 20, 2006, left a shroud of smoke hanging over the landscape the following morning. These images of the area were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] (March 21) and Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] (March 20) satellites. Fires have been burning throughout the region since February, as people prepare for spring planting. While these fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, such widespread burning can have a strong impact on air quality and human health, natural resources, and climate. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_Bangladesh ] of this 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 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The widespread and intense biomass burning ocurring throughout southeast Asia is producing high concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), as shown in this image of observations by the Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. This false-color image shows the mixing ratios of CO at an altitude of about 3 km (700 hPa) averaged from April 3-13, 2003. Gray areas indicate where no data are available, either due to cloud cover or the surface elevation being higher than 3 km (such as over the Himalayas). The highest mixing ratios are seen over Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Carbon monoxide levels as high as 330 parts per billion by volume of air (red pixels) were measured. The pollution is seen being carried out over the Gulf of Tonking and the Island of Hainan. Images from the MODIS instruments on Terra and Aqua show the locations of the numerous fires across the region and the thick, widespread pall of smoke they have been produced on April 3 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10133 ] and April 11 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10157 ]. Image courtesy the NCAR and University of Toronto MOPITT Teams |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On April 8, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite captured this image of intense biomass burning across Southeast Asia. At left, Bangladesh is free of fires, while to the east, eastern India is covered by red dots indicating active fires. Fires are widespread across Myanmar (center), and (top right to bottom) China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. A grayish pall of smoke hangs over most of the area. In the center of the visible portion of Laos, smoke is especially thick. Compare this to a Terra image acquired earlier in the day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
This image of fires (red dots) in Myanmar (left) and Thailand (right) shows just a fraction of the area in Southeast Asia experiencing widespread and intense biomass burning on April 10, 2003. See the high resolution image for the entire area, which also shows parts of India, China, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On April 8, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of biomass burning across Southeast Asia. At left, Bangladesh is free of fires, while to the east, fires are visible (marked with red dots) in India, Myanmar (center), and (top right to bottom) China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Compare this image to the Aqua image of the same area taken later in the day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of fires burning in Southeast Asia on April 3, 2003. The fires, outlined in red, are spread very heavily throughout eastern Myanmar (center) and are likely agricultural in origin. Fire is often used to clear fields and pasture to prepare for new plant growth, though the smoke from these fires adversely affects local air quality. In this image, winds blow the grayish-blue smoke to the east over neighboring countries and towards the Gulf of Tonking (right edge) and the South China Sea (not visible). Clockwise from top left, the countries shown are India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Bangladesh (upper left edge). To the southwest of Myanmar is the Bay of Bengal, due south is the Andaman Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Gray-blue smoke spreads across Southeast Asia in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured by the Aqua satellite on March 1, 2004. Scores of fires were detected by the sensor and have been marked in red in the image. Countries shown in the image are China (top), Vietnam (right edge), Laos (left of Vietnam), Thailand (bottom center), and Myanmar (top and bottom left). The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Scores of fires were burning in southern Myanmar around the Gulf of Martaban, which is thick with tan-colored sediment, in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on February 24, 2004. At far right of the scene, fires (marked with red) are also visible in Thailand. In the large image, fires are visible in China (upper right) and Laos (right center edge) as well. The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from the remaining tracts of forest, which appear dark green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra and Aqua satellites have been monitoring biomass burning activity in Southeast Asia as the season got underway more than a month ago. Up until now, fire activity has been concentrated in Myanmar and countries to the east, including Thailand and Laos. In this image from Aqua MODIS on March 16, 2004, fire activity is concentrated in southern India (center) and western Myanmar (right). Scores of fires were detected by MODIS and are marked in red. The densest cluster of fires is producing thick smoke. At this time of year, many fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
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 |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
In Southeast Asia, thousands of fires were spread across Myanmar and Thailand on March 22, 2004. In this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, fires have been marked in yellow. The smoke from the fires can be seen clearly against a backdrop of low clouds over the eastern half of the scene. The widespread nature of the fires suggests that they 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. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Thick, blue-gray smoke hangs over Southeast Asia as the annual agricultural burning season continues. Scores of fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite during an overpass on March 24, 2004, and have been marked with red dots in the image. Countries shown are (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) captured an image of the smoke drifting far eastward over the South China Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
A blanket of smoke from scores of fires burning in Southeast Asia hangs in the skies in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite captured on March 25, 2004. Fires, marked in red, are burning in (clockwise from top left) India, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The annual agricultural fire season has been ongoing since early February, and has seemed especially intense?more fires and thicker smoke?in MODIS images from mid-March on. The widespread nature of the fires and their location (generally located away from remaining natural vegetation, which appears deeper green) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
On February 17, 2005, seasonal burning in Southeast Asia was widespread. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite passed over head, the sensor detected scores of active fires (locations marked in red) across (clockwise from top left) Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although seasonal agricultural burning is common this time of year, it is not possible to know if all of these fires are agricultural in purpose. Some may be fires that escaped into forest or other non-agricultural areas from adjacent agricultural land. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Forest fires have broken out across many countries in Southeast Asia in late February 2005. Although seasonal agricultural burning also takes place this time of year, news reports indicates that many countries are battling forest fires as well. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows parts of four Southeast Asian countries: southeast Myanmar, at upper left, northern Laos, at upper right, Thailand, in the center, and northern Cambodia, at lower right. Active fire locations detected by MODIS have been marked in red, and thick smoke hangs over much of the scene. In northern Thailand (near image center), smoke was so thick that all air travel into the region's hub city of Chiang Mai was cancelled on February 28. Although it is not possible to be certain from this satellite image which of these fires are agricultural in purpose and which are forest fires, it's likely that fires burning in places where the landscape appears tan or light green, such as in the large plain to the right of image center or in the broad river valley at upper left, are related to crop stubble clearing or other agricultural activities. The intensely smoky fires located in places covered with deep green vegetation, such as along the peninsula running southward from image center, are more likely candidates for forest fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
Dense smoke lingers over Southeast Asia in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, collected on March 30, 2005, by NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. It is currently the dry season, a time when fire is common in Southeast Asia. Though several fires, marked with red dots, were detected when Terra flew over in the morning, the majority of the smoke was probably generated the previous day. During the day, hundreds of fires are set, so that by the time the MODIS sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite flew over in the early afternoon [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12798 ] on March 30, the landscape was covered with fire. In 2005, severe drought dried the vegetation throughout Southeast Asia, making the region more prone to fire. The effect of the widespread fires on air quality is clearly visible in this image. The heavy grey smoke settles in the valleys of northern Laos and Thailand, and blankets sections of Myanmar and Vietnam. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Fires in Southeast Asia
| Title |
Fires in Southeast Asia |
| Description |
According to news reports from Southeast Asia, the end of the dry phase of the Southeast Asian monsoon in the spring of 2005 found numerous countries facing a crippling drought. In March 2005, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and southern China were experiencing some of the most severe drought conditions in decades. In the face of such dry conditions, both natural and human-caused fires become more likely. This image of Southeast Asia on March 30, 2005, was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Superimposed on the sensor's digital-photo-like image are red dots that show locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires. Hundreds of smoky fires, probably a mixture of agricultural fires and wildfires, span the region from Myanmar in the west to Laos in the east. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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