Fires in West Africa

Fires in West Africa

In western Africa, a haze that could be a mixture of Saharan dust and smoke from thousands of fires creates a murky, water-color effect in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from the Aqua satellite on January 14, 2003. The seasonal agricultural burning usually peaks in January or February north of the equator.

Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC