Fires and deforestation in Brazil and Bolivia

  • Credit

    Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team,NASA/GSFC

Development and agriculture continue to push their way into theAmazon Rainforest of western Brazil. Tan-colored lines and rectangles in thisModerate ResolutionImaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from August 11, 2003, mark outland cleared of forest (deep green). Much of the deforestation has occurredin Rondonia state, which covers the image at right, southeast of the MadeiraRiver, which runs through the top center of the image. North of the MadeiraRiver, a road pushes into Amazonas, with numerous fires (red dots) suggestingmore clearing may be underway. Left of image center, the forests of the Pandoregion of Bolivia remain undisturbed.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Aqua/MODIS

  • Visualization Date

    2003-08-14