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Fires in Central Africa
People in Africa have used f …
7/9/09
Description People in Africa have used fire for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years as an agricultural and land management tool. In the dry season, they set fires to clear brush and dead vegetation from farm and grazing land and to deal with household trash. As the rainy season migrates north and south across the continent each year, a wave of widespread fires precedes its arrival. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite from July 8, 2009, shows thick smoke from hundreds of fires (locations marked in red) burning in central Africa, from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the western part of the scene to Tanzania in the east. The tan and dull green landscape of southern DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania is savanna or grassland, while the deep green landscape of interior DRC (upper left) is tropical forest. Many of the fires have only small smoke plumes, and some appear to be making no smoke. The amount of smoke a fire generates is influenced by many factors, including the amount (biomass) of vegetation that is burning and how wet it is. Dry grass and brush would generate less smoke than trees. The large amount of smoke coming from the fires in DRC at upper left may be a sign that forest is burning. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
Date 7/9/09
Fires in Kasai Region, Democ …
Widespread agricultural burn …
7/24/09
Description Widespread agricultural burning is common in the dry season in Africa. As the rainy season migrates north and south across the continent each year, a wave of widespread fires precedes its arrival. This image of the Kasai region of Democratic Republic of the Congo shows hundreds of active fires (marked in red) burning on July 20, 2009. The tan and light green landscapes are likely a mixture of agricultural land, grassland, and savanna, while the deep green areas between the Sankuru and Kasai Rivers are tropical forest. Although many of the fires that occur each year during Africa's dry season occur in landscapes where people have been living and farming for generations, the growing population is also using fire to clear new agricultural land out of Africa's tropical forests. Many of the fires in the image have only small smoke plumes, and some appear to be making no smoke. Dry grass or crop residue would generate less smoke than live or recently cut trees. The large amount of smoke coming from the fires along the margins of the forests, however, may indicate that forest is being cleared. The large version of the image shows fires are burning across a wider area, including parts of Angola (southwest), Zambia (southeast), and Tanzania (east). The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team Text credit: Rebecca Lindsey, NASA's Earth Observatory
Date 7/24/09
Biomass Burning in Central a …
Title Biomass Burning in Central and Southern Africa
Description In central and southern Africa, the biomass burning season is underway, and this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows the widespread nature of the fires, which are marked with red dots. The fires stretch all the way from Lake Tanganyika (upper right) at the border of Tanzania (east) and Democratic Republic of Congo (west) to Gabon, on the Atlantic Coast (left). The image is a combination of the Terra MODIS overpass (left half) and Aqua MODIS overpass (right), captured within a few hours of each other on May 17, 2003. Notice that the Aqua overpass, captured later in the afternoon, shows more fires. This is typical of the daily cycle, with fire activity increasing over the course of the day. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Drought in Africa
Title Drought in Africa
Description February is a key month for developing crops in southern Africa. Corn, the major crop, is in its critical tassel/silking stage where the plants require more water to successfully develop ears of corn. A lack of moisture at this point results in fewer, smaller ears, greatly reducing the yield of the crop. Just as the plants reached this critical stage, a dry spell settled over southern Africa. The reduced harvest may lead to food insecurity in parts of Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland, reports a recent brief released by the Famine Early Warming Systems Network [ http://www.fews.net/centers/innerSections.aspx?f=r3&m=1001535&pageID=monthliesDoc ]. The drought has not been limited to southern Africa. Further up the coast, many countries are dealing with a multi-year drought that has caused food shortages from Tanzania in the south to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the north. Both drought-affected regions are draped in shades of red in the above image. The image shows outgoing longwave radiation, the heat emitted from the Earth?s surface. Because clouds are much cooler than land, outgoing longwave radiation can tell scientists where clouds are or, more importantly for drought monitoring, where clouds are not. Without clouds, there is no rain. The above image shows a comparison between February 2005 and a long-term average of outgoing longwave radiation measurements made between 1979 and 1995. Regions that were cooler than normal, probably because of cloud cover are blue, while areas that were normal than normal because of a lack of clouds are red. The image, derived from measurements made by the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) onboard the NOAA-POES satellite series, clearly shows a lack of cloud-cover in the drought-affected regions. OLR anomaly image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data analyzed by Assaf Anyamba and provided by NOAA National Center for Environmental Prediction [ http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/ ].
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Dry, drought-withered vegetation rings Lake Victoria in this vegetation anomaly image. The image shows large-scale plant health in eastern Africa. Regions that are drier than they were between 2000 and 2004 are brown, while areas with thicker, healthier vegetation are green. As the image illustrates, many countries in eastern Africa have been plunged into drought in recent months. In this region, drought means more than economic loss, for many it means famine. From Tanzania to Uganda, millions are facing food shortages as the drought wears on. Relief Web reports that up to 30,000 are hungry in northern Tanzania, which has been dry for the past two years. Covered with dark brown, this region is also the most obviously stressed area in the above image. The image also correlates with reports of widespread food shortages in northern Burundi, a country where as many as two million are hungry, and southern Uganda, where 600,000 require food aid. Relief may be in sight, however, by March 23, 2005, the first rains of the rainy season had begun to fall east of Lake Victoria. If the rains continue, the long rainy season could provide the moisture needed to nourish crops during the coming growing season. 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 collected the data to generate this image between February 18 and March 5, 2005, before the rains started. 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/ ].
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description Widespread drought in eastern Africa has withered the grass and other vegetation of northern Tanzania's famous Serengeti Plain in January 2006. The region&#8217s "short rains" season should have begun around October (2005), but by mid-January, had failed to arrive. According to some news reports, the severe drought created great stress among the Serengeti's migrating wildlife, including wildebeest and zebras, as well as less nomadic animals such as giraffes. This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite shows the parched, brown landscape on January 9, 2006 (top), compared to January 12, 2005 (bottom). The region appears desert-like in 2006 compared to the green vegetation which blanketed the area in 2005. Lakes Eyasi and Manyara (lower right) appear to be completely dry. The conditions shown in this image have been developing over several seasons. In eastern Africa, most areas experience one of two rainfall patterns. Some places have a single "long rains" season that runs from March until November or December. Other areas have two rainy seasons: long rains between March/April and July/August, and "short rains" from October to December or January. In 2005, the long rains were far below normal, and the short rains failed altogether. As a result, rainfall totals for the year were only 20-60 percent of normal, depending on the region, reported the Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS NET). "This drought has resulted in crop failures, pasture degradation, water shortages and has raised serious food security concerns for the region," FEWS NET warned. The drop of water levels in regional water levels also impacted the region's energy supply, which depends largely on hydroelectric power, said news reports. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center
Drought in East Africa
Title Drought in East Africa
Description The failure of the short-season rains left large sections of East Africa in severe drought in late 2005 and early 2006. In eastern Africa, most areas experience one of two rainfall patterns. Some places have a single "long rains" season that runs from March until November or December. Other areas have two rainy seasons: long rains between March/April and July/August, and "short rains" from October to December or January. The rains recharge lakes and reservoirs and nurture plants from crops and pasture lands to natural vegetation. For East Africa, 2005 was anything but a normal year. The long rainy season produced little rain, and the short rainy season failed altogether. As a result, rainfall totals for the year were only 20-60 percent of normal, depending on the region, reported the Famine Early Warning Network (FEWS NET). The drought's impact on vegetation can be seen in this vegetation index image, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) at the end of the short rainy season. The image shows how well plants were growing between December 19 and January 3 compared to average conditions between 2000 and 2004. The prevalence of deep reddish-brown across the image indicates that plants were growing poorly, if at all, in the dry conditions. The drought area shown in this image circles Lake Victoria in a north-south-oriented oval that stretches from southern Sudan and Ethiopia in the north to Tanzania in the south. Grey areas show where clouds covered the area throughout the composite period. The impact of the drought has been severe. "This drought has resulted in crop failures, pasture degradation, water shortages, and has raised serious food security concerns for the region," FEWS NET warned. By the end of January 2006, millions were in need of food aid, particularly pastoralists who depend on rain-fed pasture lands to maintain their livestock. Not all of East Africa has been affected. Kenya (center right) had a bumper harvest in 2005, but little of the crop made its way to the drought-hit pastoral districts of the country. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Inbal Reshef as part of the 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/ ]
East Africa Greens Up from H …
Title East Africa Greens Up from Heavy Rains
Description After devastating drought in 2005, eastern Africa experienced heavy rains and flooding during the 2006 "short rains" season that usually lasts from around October until December. Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania all experienced significant, sometimes deadly, flooding. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14026 ] What has been difficult for people and livestock, however, has been good for vegetation, including grazing areas and croplands. The resulting green-up is evident in this image, which compares satellite-observed vegetation in November 2006 to the average November conditions from 2000-2005. Places where vegetation was more luxuriant than normal are shown in green, while places where vegetation conditions were below normal are colored brown. Places near average are yellow. The data were collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. Among the most changed areas is Kenya's Eastern province. Both the Marsabit National Reserve, which is next to the Ethiopia border, and the Merti Plateau to its south were dramatically more lush than they were near the end of 2005. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13329 ] Evidence of extensive flooding along the Shebele River in southeast Ethiopia (Shabelle in Somalia) is clear: unusually green vegetation traces out the path of the river and several of its tributaries. Although water levels in Lake Victoria have rebounded somewhat from the extremely low levels [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Victoria/ ] measured in 2005, the vegetation in areas surrounding the lake appears to be slower to respond. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jen Small and Assaf Anyamba of the GIMMS Group [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/gimms/htdocs/ ] at NASA GSFC.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Title Lake Natron, Tanzania
Description Lake Natron, in Africa's Great Rift Valley, practically sends a warning with its color. This bright red lake is the world's most caustic body of water, but not to everything. An endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia, lives along the edges of the hotspring inlets, and the lake actually derives its color from salt-loving microorganisms that thrive in its alkaline waters. Spirulina, a blue-green algae with red pigments, passes its pigments along to the Lesser Flamingoes [ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/firebird/html/facts.html ] that feed on the algae and raise their young here. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) flying on the Terra satellite captured this image on March 8, 2003. This image simulates natural color, showing where the salt-loving microorganisms have colored the lake's salt crust red or pink. The salt crust changes over time, giving the lake a slightly different appearance each time it is photographed by astronauts or imaged by satellites. Volcanic ash from the Great Rift Valley has collected in local lake basins, creating a network of soda lakes hostile to most organisms. This forbidding environment enables Lake Natron to serve millions of flamingoes as the ideal nursery, would-be predators avoid the saline lake and leave young birds in peace. Flamingoes must exercise caution, however, because the lake can turn deadly even to them. Depending on rainfall, its alkalinity can approach that of straight ammonia, and when the lake is flooded with water that has heated underground, its temperature can reach a scalding 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). The uniqueness [ http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/at/at0901_full.html ] of Lake Natron prompted Tanzania to add the lake to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on July 4, 2001. NASA image courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Title Lake Natron, Tanzania
Description This image of the southern half of Lake Natron shows the characteristic colors of lakes where very high evaporation occurs. As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving organisms begin to thrive. Salt-loving organisms include some cyanobacteria, tiny bacteria that grow in water and make their own food with photosynthesis as plants do. The red pigment in the cyanobacteria produce the deep reds of the open water of the lake, and orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake. In the inset, numerous, near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper the shallowest parts of the lake. Bright white clouds are also visible just right of center and on the top margin. The lake is quite shallow, less than three meters deep, and varies in width depending on its water level. In this image, the lake is about ten kilometers wide. Tan lines run north-south, parallel to the eastern lake shore on the right side of the image. Called fault scarps, these lines are the steep, step-like slopes created when the land was pushed up during earthquakes along faults in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. Also part of the rift system is Gelai Volcano, the slopes of which appear in the lower right corner. The four main environments typical of salt (alkali) lakes in East Africa are illustrated well in the image. The delta of one of two dominant streams that flow into the lake (top left) shows where fresh water enters the basin. Open water, salt flats with salt crusts, and mud flats succeed each other in a west-to-east progression towards the shallow side of the lake. Vast numbers of the pink Lesser Flamingo (2.5 million by one calculation) rely on Lake Natron as their only breeding ground in the Rift Valley. The flamingoes feed on the nutrient-rich cyanobacteria. As salinity increases, so do the number of cyanobacteria, and the lake can support more nests. Threats to the salinity balance from increased fresh water influxes will come from projected logging in Natron watersheds and a planned hydroelectric power plant. Although development plans include construction of a dike at the north end of the lake to contain the fresh water, the threat of dilution to this breeding ground may still be serious. The government of Tanzania recognized both the threat and the uniqueness of the habitat in 2001, when it placed Lake Natron on the list of Wetlands of International Importance [ http://www.ramsar.org/key_sitelist.htm ] as part of the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty meant to protect wetlands. Images of Lake Natron from four other dates can be seen on the Earth Observatory [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=10852 ], and associated links. The area and shape of the open water and salt-raft zones depend on lake levels, controlled mainly by local rainfall and evaporation. Patterns of these sub-environments therefore appear different across the span of a few years. Astronaut photograph ISS012-E-20456 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=20456 ] was acquired March 15, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ]
Fire Season in Central and S …
Title Fire Season in Central and Southern Africa
Description In southern Africa, the annual burning season dotted the savannas surrounding Lake Tanganyika with hundreds of actively burning fires (marked in red) on June 11, 2005. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows fires in Democratic Republic of Congo (west of the lake), Tanzania (east of the lake), and northern Zambia (south of the lake). The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year suggest that people are intentionally setting most, if not all, of these fires for agricultural purposes like pasture renewal and crop stubble clearing. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Fires Across Tanzania
Title Fires Across Tanzania
Description Numerous fires (marked with red dots) were burning across eastern Africa on June 10, 2003. The fires appear most heavily concentrated east of Lake Tanganyika (left edge), but are also scattered across Zambia (bottom left) and Mozambique (bottom right). The fires are part of the typical agricultural burning that occurs in the region, where people set fires to clear land and prepare it for planting and ranching. This Aqua MODIS image was acquired on June 10, 2003. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Numerous Fires in Southeast …
Title Numerous Fires in Southeast Tanzania
Description Through a patchwork of clouds, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected numerous fires (red dots) burning in Tanzania, Africa, on November 25, 2002. Fires appear to be most heavily concentrated on the Makonde Plateau, north of the Tanzania-Mozambique border. At image right is the Indian Ocean. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Fires in Central Africa
Title Fires in Central Africa
Description In central Africa the annual fire season was underway in mid-June 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite passed overhead and captured this image. Hundreds of agricultural fires were scattered across the savannas of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania, their locations are marked with red dots. Although it is not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Fires in Central and Souther …
Title Fires in Central and Southern Africa
Description These hundreds of fires burning in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa are probably agricultural fires set by locals to prepare land for cultivation or grazing. At upper right, Lake Tanganyika marks the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on May 20, 2002. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Fires in Central and Souther …
Title Fires in Central and Southern Africa
Description There were hundreds of fires burning in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa on June 3, 2002, probably agricultural fires set by locals to prepare land for cultivation or grazing. At upper right, Lake Tanganyika marks the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor?s fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Fires in Central and Souther …
Title Fires in Central and Southern Africa
Description Across central and southern Africa, numerous fires (red dots) are burning throughout Democratic Republic of Congo (west of Lake Tanganyika), and Tanzania (east). Heavy smoke hangs over the northern half of the image, at least some of which is from the the eruption of Nyamuragira volcano on July 26, 2002. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on July 28, 2002. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Fires in Central and Souther …
Title Fires in Central and Southern Africa
Description Even for a region that sees a lot fires during the agricultural season, this scene seems to reveal an exceptional number of fires for countries from east-central to southern Africa. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on September 25, 2002. Hundreds of fire detections are indicated by red dots. In the top center of the image is Lake Malawi, which is bounded on the west by Malawi, on the northeast by Tanzania, and on the southeast by Mozambique. Other countries visible in the image are (north-south along left edge) Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Republic of South Africa, and Swaziland (bottom center). Agricultural fires have been part of the ecological cycles in Africa for perhaps thousands of years, used to clear land and regenerate pasture. Scientists are studying these cycles to assess their impact on air quality, global warming, and ecosystem change. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Fires in Mozambique and Tanz …
Title Fires in Mozambique and Tanzania
Description East of where Lake Malawi fills one of the many cracks in the earth that mark Africa's Great Rift Valley, scores of fires were burning on October 1, 2006. The winds at the time of this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite were pushing smoke southwest, creating a grayish haze over the western part of the image. The fires are scattered across southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique, places where the peak seasonal burning typically occurs in September or October. African savanna fires are mostly caused by humans for agricultural activities such as clearing pasture or cropland or driving game. Although the fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, the frequency and wide extent of the burning can have strong influence on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. NASA imagery created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team.
Fires in Southeastern Africa
Title Fires in Southeastern Africa
Description The southern Africa biomass burning season is in full swing across (clockwise from top left) Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi (center). Fires, marked with red dots, are an integral part of the farming and grazing practices in the region. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on August 18, 2003. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
Fires in Southeastern Africa
Title Fires in Southeastern Africa
Description Represented by red dots, active fires cover much of Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured by the Aqua satellite on August 25, 2003. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Fires in Southeastern Africa
Title Fires in Southeastern Africa
Description Represented by red dots, active fires cover much of Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image captured by the Aqua satellite on August 25, 2003. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Fires in Southern Africa
Title Fires in Southern Africa
Description West of Lake Tanganyika in east-central Africa, smoke chokes the air over Democratic Republic of Congo, where the annual fire season has been ongoing for several weeks. Fires are also burning to the east of Tanganyika in Tanzania, and to the southwest, in Zambia. This image of the haze and fires (orange dots) was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on May 16, 2004. Image by Earth Observatory staff, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires in Southern Africa
Title Fires in Southern Africa
Description West of Lake Tanganyika in east-central Africa, scores of fires (orange dots) were choking the skies over Democratic Republic of Congo with smoke on May 23, 2004. To the east of the lake, fires are burning in Tanzania, as well, though the air is considerably less smoky there. Fires were also detected in Zambia, which sits at the bottom right portion of the image, south of the lake. The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year indicates that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning—and the resulting smoke—can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Fires in Southern Africa
Title Fires in Southern Africa
Description In south-central Africa, season agricultural burning has been a way of life for hundreds, probably thousands of years. People burn grasslands and savannas to encourage new vegetation that attracts grazing animals and to clear or renew land for farming. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. This image shows fires (marked in yellow) across southern Africa on August 17, 2004. At image right is Lake Tanganyika, which sits at the borders of Tanzania to the east, Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Zambia to the south, and Burundi to the north. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image. Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
Flooding in Eastern Africa
Title Flooding in Eastern Africa
Description During the first two weeks of May, heavy, incessant rains pelted east Africa, giving rise to floods and mudslides that killed dozens of people and drove thousands from their homes. This false-color image of Tanzania was acquired on May 13, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft. Dramatic flooding can be seen in the plains of Tanzania due south of Lake Victoria?the large body of water at the top of the images. While this is the rainy season in eastern Africa, the rainfall has been much heavier than usual. Meteorologists blame the extreme rainfall on higher than average temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Though Tanzania lost nine people to the floods, the damage and loss of life was far worse farther north. In Kenya, tens of thousands of people have been driven from their homes, and in Rwanda, nearly 50 people have lost their lives in mudslides and flooding. The rainy season doesn?t end until mid-June, so flooding could become even worse. In these false-color images, green shows land surface and black is water. The pinkish-white patches are clouds. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC
Flooding in southeastern Afr …
Title Flooding in southeastern Africa
Description Over the past three weeks, torrential wet season rains have fallen throughout parts of south-central Africa, including Zaire, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar and adjacent waters. This image shows a rainfall accumulation map obtained using NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite, combined with data from other rain measuring satellites. Three weeks of rain accumulation are shown, beginning on January 1, 2003. Rainfall accumulations approach two feet in some locations, leading to serious flooding and the displacement of many people from their homes. Many areas of the tropics endure a perpetual "drought-flood seesaw" over the years and this region of Africa is no exception. These rains, while helping to break a multiple year drought, have also seriously damaged this season's crops. The heavy rains are an extreme manifestation of the annual pattern of summer rainfall across the southern hemisphere, known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Over south central Africa, warm and humid air flowing off the Arabian Sea clashes with the hot, dry Harmattan (desert wind) blowing southward off northern Africa. Violent thunderstorm rains erupt within this atmospheric battle zone. The heavy rains shown in the image over Tanzania and neighboring countries were enhanced by mountainous terrain. The mountains force moisture-laden air from the ocean to ascend, producing more rain within clouds, then concentrate rain runoff into narrow valleys. Other extreme rainfall events from the past year can be seen on the TRMM website (trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov). *animations* ÿÿsmall (2.3 MB MPEG) ÿÿlarge [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jan2003/mozambique.qt ] (9 MB MPEG) Image courtesy of Hal Pierce, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Flooding in southeastern Afr …
Title Flooding in southeastern Africa
Description Over the past three weeks, torrential wet season rains have fallen throughout parts of south-central Africa, including Zaire, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar and adjacent waters. This image shows a rainfall accumulation map obtained using NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite, combined with data from other rain measuring satellites. Three weeks of rain accumulation are shown, beginning on January 1, 2003. Rainfall accumulations approach two feet in some locations, leading to serious flooding and the displacement of many people from their homes. Many areas of the tropics endure a perpetual "drought-flood seesaw" over the years and this region of Africa is no exception. These rains, while helping to break a multiple year drought, have also seriously damaged this season's crops. The heavy rains are an extreme manifestation of the annual pattern of summer rainfall across the southern hemisphere, known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Over south central Africa, warm and humid air flowing off the Arabian Sea clashes with the hot, dry Harmattan (desert wind) blowing southward off northern Africa. Violent thunderstorm rains erupt within this atmospheric battle zone. The heavy rains shown in the image over Tanzania and neighboring countries were enhanced by mountainous terrain. The mountains force moisture-laden air from the ocean to ascend, producing more rain within clouds, then concentrate rain runoff into narrow valleys. Other extreme rainfall events from the past year can be seen on the TRMM website (trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov). *animations* ÿÿsmall (2.3 MB MPEG) ÿÿlarge [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jan2003/mozambique.qt ] (9 MB MPEG) Image courtesy of Hal Pierce, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Flooding in Tanzania
Title Flooding in Tanzania
Description For drought-stricken Tanzania, rainfall was a boon. The rare rain soaked the countryside, bringing floods to the areas shown in this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, captured on February 3, 2006. In contrast to January 27, turquoise-colored water has swollen rivers and streams and filled dry lake beds. The dry tan and pink land also acquired a pale green tint as plants began to grow after the rain. Despite the floods shown here, Tanzania was still being affected by severe drought in early February 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Flooding in Tanzania
Title Flooding in Tanzania
Description For drought-stricken Tanzania, rainfall was a boon. The rare rain soaked the countryside, bringing floods to the areas shown in this false-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, captured on February 3, 2006. In contrast to January 27, turquoise-colored water has swollen rivers and streams and filled dry lake beds. The dry tan and pink land also acquired a pale green tint as plants began to grow after the rain. Despite the floods shown here, Tanzania was still being affected by severe drought in early February 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
Floods in East Africa
Title Floods in East Africa
Description December typically marks the end of the short rainy season in eastern Africa. By mid- to late December, the rains subside until March, when the long rainy season begins. Fluctuations in the amount of rain that falls during the short rainy season are normal, and in 2006, the rains were more intense than normal. The heavy rains triggered deadly floods from Somalia to Tanzania. In 2005, by contrast, the rains failed, and drought ensued. The difference between the two years is clearly illustrated by this pair of satellite images, collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] (top image) and Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] (lower image) satellites. The images were made with both visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water of the ground. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment can give it a lighter color. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is bright green, and bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink. The rain-induced floods of 2006 were visible in Tanzania on December 4, when MODIS captured the top image. In the image, Tanzania's Wembere River and surrounding waterways are swollen to such an extent that the shores of Lake Kitangiri are swallowed in the floods. According to the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200612050387.html ] floods in this region and the area to its immediate north submerged at least five villages, affecting about 177 people and killing one. A year earlier, on December 1, 2005, the rivers were barely visible, and both Lake Eyasi and Lake Kitangiri were much smaller. In the drought conditions that prevailed in 2005, the land was bare, with little vegetation growing, and skies were relatively clear. The heavy rains that produced floods in 2006 also brought green to the landscape and left large clouds overhead. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team and the Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive Distribution System. [ http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/ ]
The Star Trails of Kilimanja …
Title The Star Trails of Kilimanjaro
Explanation The night had no moon, but the stars [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/starname.html ] were out. And camped at 16,000 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro [ http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/ img_kilimanjaro.html ], photographer Dan Heller recorded this marvelous [ http://www.danheller.com/images/Africa/Tanzania/Kilimanjaro/ Mountain/Slideshow/img15.html ] 3 1/2 hour long exposure. Here the landscape is lit mostly by the stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021109.html ]. Flashlights give the tents an erie internal radiance while the greenish glow from the distant city lights of Moshi, Tanzania filter through the clouds below. The view from this famous [ http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/heming.html ] equatorial African [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021115.html ] mountain is toward the south, putting the South Celestial Pole close to the horizon on the far left, near the center of the graceful concentric star trail [ http://www.danheller.com/star-trails ] arcs. In the thin air and clear dark skies, even the ghostly Milky Way [ http://home.arcor-online.de/axel.mellinger/ ] left a faint triangular glow as it swept across the middle of the dreamlike scene.
The Star Trails of Kilimanja …
Title The Star Trails of Kilimanjaro
Explanation The night had no moon, but the stars [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/starname.html ] were out. And camped at 16,000 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro [ http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/ img_kilimanjaro.html ], photographer Dan Heller recorded this marvelous [ http://www.danheller.com/images/Africa/Tanzania/Kilimanjaro/ Mountain/Slideshow/img15.html ] 3 1/2 hour long exposure. Here the landscape is lit mostly by the stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040313.html ]. Flashlights give the tents an erie internal radiance while the greenish glow from the distant city lights of Moshi, Tanzania filter through the clouds below. The view from this famous [ http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/heming.html ] equatorial African [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021115.html ] mountain is toward the south, putting the South Celestial Pole close to the horizon on the far left, near the center of the graceful concentric star trail [ http://www.danheller.com/star-trails ] arcs. In the thin air and clear dark skies, even the ghostly Milky Way [ http://home.arcor-online.de/axel.mellinger/ ] left a faint triangular glow as it swept across the middle of the dreamlike scene.
Fires in Central and Souther …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
There were hundreds of fires …
CongoFires_TMO2002154
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2002-06-03
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier CongoFires_TMO2002154
Nalubaale Dam, Uganda: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Dam KML file for use with ea …
nalubaale_etm_2001331
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2001-11-27
creator NASA -- NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Landsat-7 data provided by the UMD glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility.
identifier nalubaale_etm_2001331
Fires in Central Africa: Ima …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Each year, thousands of fire …
cafrica_amo_31may05
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-05-31
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Rapid Response team.
identifier cafrica_amo_31may05
Fires in Southeast Africa: N …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
As the dry season matures in …
Mozam_AMO_2007266
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-09-23
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier Mozam_AMO_2007266
Crater Highlands, Tanzania: …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Plate tectonics, volcanism, …
PIA06669
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2000
creator NASA -- Image courtesy NASA/JPL/NGA www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ Shuttle Radar Topography team
identifier PIA06669
Fires in Central Africa: Nat …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In central Africa the annual …
cafrica_amo_2007164
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2007-06-13
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier cafrica_amo_2007164
Flooding in Eastern Africa: …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
During the first two weeks o …
tanzania_m2002133
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2002-05-13
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tanzania_m2002133
Mount Meru, Tanzania: Image …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Mount Meru is an active volc …
PIA03356
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2000-02-11
creator NASA -- Image Credit: NASA/JPL/NIMA
identifier PIA03356
Fires in Mozambique and Tanz …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
East of where Lake Malawi fi …
tanzania_amo_2006274
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2006-10-01
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tanzania_amo_2006274
Flooding in southeastern Afr …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Over the past three weeks, t …
mozambique_trm2003018
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2003-01-18
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier mozambique_trm2003018
Mt. Kilimanjaro's Receding G …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), …
STS097-701-17_Detail
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2000-12-02
creator NASA -- Shuttle photograph provided by the eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. Additional photographs taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed via the NASA -- JSC eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/ Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
identifier STS097-701-17_Detail
Mt. Kilimanjaro's Receding G …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), …
STS097-701-17_Detail
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2000-12-02
creator NASA -- Shuttle photograph provided by the eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. Additional photographs taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed via the NASA -- JSC eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/ Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.
identifier STS097-701-17_Detail
Mahale Mountains National Pa …
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle …
Mahale Mountains National Pa …
mahalemts_ETM_plus_2001274
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2001-10-01
creator NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the University of Maryland's glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility .
identifier mahalemts_ETM_plus_2001274
Fires in Central and Souther …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
These hundreds of fires burn …
Congo_2002140
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2002-05-20
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier Congo_2002140
Fires in East Central Africa …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thousands of fires burn acro …
Congo.AMOA2003189
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date July 8, 2003
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier Congo.AMOA2003189
Fire Season in Central and S …
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In southern Africa, the annu …
tanganyika_amo_11jun05
mediatype IMAGE
mediatype image
date 2005-06-11
creator NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day
identifier tanganyika_amo_11jun05
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