Across Southeast Asia, numerous active fires were detected in this scene, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on February 23, 2004. The active fire detections are marked in orange. Across the scene hangs a gray haze that could be a combination of smoke from the fires as well as industrial pollution from places as far away as India or eastern China. At this time of year, burning is usually related to agricultural activities. Through the fires themselves are not necessarily hazardous, the effect on air quality can be detrimental to people’s health.
Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
