Development and agriculture continue to push their way into the Amazon Rainforest of western Brazil. Tan-colored lines and rectangles in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from August 11, 2003, mark out land cleared of forest (deep green). Much of the deforestation has occurred in Rondonia state, which covers the image at right, southeast of the Madeira River, which runs through the top center of the image. North of the Madeira River, a road pushes into Amazonas, with numerous fires (red dots) suggesting more clearing may be underway. Left of image center, the forests of the Pando region of Bolivia remain undisturbed.
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
