Yucatan Peninsula

A blue green halo of shallow water surrounds the deep green Yucatan Peninsula of southeastern Mexico in this true-color Terra MODIS image from December 8, 2003. In the southwestern end of the halo, rivers deposit brown clouds of sediment into the water, which eventually fade to a milky green as they dissipate. On the western side of the peninsula, blue-green waters highlight bays as well as the islands and cays of Belize’s Barrier Reef (right edge). At roughly 180 miles in length, the reef is the second-longest in the world.

A few fires were detected scattered around the scene (marked in red). Most are concentrated in southern Guatemala, though a handful of fires were also detected in Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Honduras remained fire-free.

---

Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published December 9, 2003
Data acquired December 8 - 8, 2003

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topic:

Human Dimensions > Natural Hazards > Fires