NASA has released a set of visuals and video showing millions of fire detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, instruments onboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites.
The visualizations show fire observations made from space since the year 2002. With the help of a comprehensive research program using satellites, aircraft and ground resources, the space agency detects and analyzes fires across the globe.
This research enables scientists to understand better how fire affects our environment on local, regional and global scales.
What you see here is a very good representation of the satellite data scientists use to understand the global distribution of fires and to determine where and how fire distribution is responding to climate change and population growth, stated Chris Justice of the University of Maryland, College Park, a scientist who leads NASA's effort to use MODIS data to study the world's fires.
NASA maintains multiple satellite instruments capable of detecting fires and supports a wide range of fire-related research. Such efforts have yielded the most widely used data records of global fire activity and burned area in the world.
NASA-supported scientists use the data to advance understanding about Earth's climate system, ecosystem health, and the global carbon cycle.
The agency will also extend the United States' capability to monitor and study global fires from space with the launch this month of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project, known as NPP.
The satellite is the first mission designed to collect data to increase our understanding of long-term climate change and improve weather forecasts.
Take a look at some of the fire images.
Pagami Creek Fire in northern Minnesota: Nearly two months after being ignited by lightning, the Pagami Creek Fire in northern Minnesota was nearly contained when Landsat-5 acquired this image on October 10, 2011. Since August 18, the fire has been burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Superior National Forest. As of October 11, the fire had burned 92,682 acres and was 82 percent contained. Apart from a faint hint of smoke, there is little sign of current fire activity in the image. The burned forest, however, is charcoal-colored, in contrast to the green forest around it.NASA/handoutDunphy Complex Fire near Elko, Nevada: NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Dunphy Complex Fire on Oct. 3, 2011 and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on-board captured this image of smoke. The fires are indicated in red.NASA/handoutMint Fire, California: This three-dimensional image of the Mint Fire burn area on Sierra Pelona Ridge between Agua Dulce and Palmdale, Calif., was developed from infrared data recorded by the Autonomous Modular Sensor mounted in NASA Dryden's Beechcraft B-200 King Air aircraft on a shakedown flight Sept. 19. The bright red area shows the actual area burned from its ignition point near the bottom of the image to the top of the ridge line where the fire was stopped after burning about 650 to 700 acres of grass and brush Sept. 17-18.NASA/handoutRiley Road Fire: Ten days after the fire started, firefighters completely contained the Riley Road fire northeast of Houston, Texas on Sep.14, 2011. The fire burned 18,960 acres, destroyed 76 structures, and damaged 23 structures. This image, taken by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite on September 15, illustrates how successful firefighters were at preventing additional damage.NASA/handoutFires in Northern India: Multiple fires burned in northern India near the Pakistan border in early Oct, 2011, as the end of the monsoon season brought drier conditions that prompted farmers in the region to begin to clear land for the dry season crops. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on Oct.15, 2011 as it passed overhead.NASA/handout
