Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired August 24 - 24, 2002 1050 x 1400 345 KB - JPEG
Data acquired August 24 - 24, 2002 2100 x 2800 1 MB Bytes - JPEG
Data acquired August 24 - 24, 2002 4200 x 5600 4 MB - JPEG
This pair of images from Saskatchewan Canada showcases in dramatic detail wildfire burn scars for the past two years. Details are msot visible in the false-color iamges in the pair. Against the vibrant green backdrop that represents vegetation-covered land surfaces, two kinds of burn scars are present. The light orange-yellow pattern shows what was burned last year. The color is lighter because much of the vegetation has returned over the course of the year. The more vegetation that returns, the fainter the burn scars will become, until they fade completely away.
Meanwhile, the dark red patches are burn scars from the current fire season. They show up so well because vegetation in these areas has not had much chance to regenerate. Some of these scars are quite large, though they are not as extensive as those from last year. Also present in the image are bodies of water, shown in black, and some cloud cover, shown in white and light blue. The sheer number of black patches shows how wet a place Saskatchewan is. This image was acquired by the Terra MODIS instrument on August 24, 2002.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published September 27, 2002 Data acquired August 24 - 24, 2002