Fires in Tanzania

Clear skies over central Africa gave MODIS a great view of Lake Victoria (upper left quadrant), which sits at the intersection of three countries. boundaries: (clockwise from upper left) Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Victoria is the largest of Africa.s Great Rift Lakes, a series of lakes that fall along a generally north-south geological fault line in Eastern Africa. In terms of mass, Lake Victoria is second only in size to Lake Superior in the North American Great Lakes. In Tanzania, to the east and south of Lake Victoria, lies the Serengeti Plain. From the tall and short grass prairies to the south to the more wooded areas along the shores of Lake Victoria, the Serengeti is an amazingly diverse landscape that supports large concentrations of animals, including hippos, lions, elephants, buffalo, and cheetahs.it has even been called the world.s largest .nature reserve.. At the northeast of the plain, the boundary between Tanzania and Kenya curves around Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa.s highest mountain at 19,340 ft (5,895m). It’s rare to get such a cloud-free view of the mountain, especially at the end of the region’s rainy season. To the southeast of the Serengeti, the vegetation of the Masai Steppe region appears less lush. At bottom left, another of Africa.s Rift Lakes is visible, Lake Tanganyika. Numerous fires (red dots) are scattered throughout the southern portion of the country. This image was acquired on June 2, 2002.

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Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published June 15, 2002
Data acquired June 7 - 7, 2002

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topic:

Human Dimensions > Natural Hazards > Fires

Collection:

MODIS Rapid Response