Hundreds of fires were detected across South America by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on August 1, 2003. Fires (red dots) were detected in Brazil (right), Argentina (bottom left), and Paraguay (top left). Biomass burning is concentrated during the months of July-October in the Southern Hemisphere portion of South America, and is linked to agricultural activities, including the use of fire to permanently deforest areas and convert them to agricultural land. In the image, isolated patches of intact forest appear deep green, while agricultural lands and tropical savannas appear lighter green.
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
