The Yolla Bolly Complex Wildland Fire was started on June 21 by a
lightning strike. As of July 11, it had burned 8,000 acres and was 65%
contained. This is one of the numerous lightning-triggered blazes burning
in northern California this summer. This false-color image was made from
visible and infrared data collected by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal
Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite on
July 6. The image centers on the largest of the fires. The burned area is
charcoal-colored, while surrounding forest and other vegetation is red.
Smoke is light blue-gray.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,
1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team
is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the
data products.
The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides
scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface
mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example
applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring
potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud
morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution
monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils
and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.
The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.
Size: 22.5 by 33.2 kilometers (14 by 20.6 miles)
Location: 40.1 degrees North latitude, 122.9 degrees West longitude
Orientation: North at top
Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1
Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49 feet)
Dates Acquired: July 6, 2008
