Scores, possibly hundreds, of fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite when it passed over Southeast Asia on April 4, 2007. Places where the sensor detected actively burning fires are marked with red dots. The dry season is drawing to a close across much of Southeast Asia, and agricultural burning is widespread. Intentional fires also get out of control and burn into nearby forests. Thick smoke often becomes a problem in the spring months in the region, creating health problems and interfering with transportation.
This image is centered on Myanmar, but biomass burning is widespread across most of Southeast Asia in the Northern Hemisphere spring. Though it is not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources.
The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of the region in additional resolutions and formats.
NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center
