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26 March 2004
Smoke from fires in Southeast Asia crosses the Pacific Ocean
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This MODIS image from the Aqua satellite shows numerous fires (red pixels) burning around the Gulf of Martaban in Southeast Asia. Notice the tan-colored sediments flowing into the gulf. Click image to enlarge. |
Numerous fires have been burning across Southeast Asia for more than a month. NASA's Earth Observatory web site http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/viewrecord?26278 suggests that the fires are agricultural.
Smoke from these fires has drifted across Southern China and across the entire pacific Ocean. The Naval Research Laboratory NAAPS aerosol forecast model has shown the smoke crossing the United States and reaching as far as England.
Amateur meteorologist Mark Langford, who is a successful professional photographer in San Antonio, Texas, reports that he noticed thick smoke while driving in West Texas on 15 and 16 March. On both days, the NRL NAAPS smoke forecast model showed smoke at Langford's location.
Numerous fires are burning
as this report is being prepared, and a huge new surge of smoke is even
now pushing eastward into the Pacific. Forrest M. Mims III.
