Late Summer Fires in Siberia

Several large fires in northeastern Russia are billowing massive smoke clouds over the East Siberia Sea. This Aqua MODIS image shows the region on September 16, 2003.

Several large fires in northeastern Russia are billowing massive smoke clouds over the East Siberia Sea. This Aqua MODIS image shows the region on September 16, 2003. Active fire detections made by the sensor are highlighted in yellow in the bottom center of the image. In Siberia, the soil is made of thick layers of peat—dead organic material that is slow to decay in the frigid temperatures. When this material catches fire, it produces huge amounts of smoke.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Aqua/MODIS

  • Start Date

    2003-09-16

  • Event Start Date

    2003-09-10

  • NH Image ID

    11716

  • NH Event ID

    10154

  • NH Posting Date

    2003-09-17