Rim Fire Smoke and Burn Scar

Rim Fire Smoke and Burn Scar

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-color image of the Rim Fire burning in and near Yosemite National Park on August 30, 2013. The image, based on ASTER’s observations of visible and infrared light, highlights the contrast between burned and unburned vegetation. Unburned vegetation appears bright red, whereas burned areas are gray. Thick plumes of smoke are also visible billowing from the fire.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using data from NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Adam Voiland.