Saharan dust in the air gives this true-color image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from November 4, 2002, a fuzziness that softens surface features. The Sahara Desert is at top, and a large area of wetlands along the Niger River in Mali makes a green splash right of center. Numerous fires (red dots) were detected in Mali, Senegal, Guinea, and Burkina.
Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
