Fires on Planet Earth, 2000-2010

After reading about the wildfires in Russia, I wanted to understand the problem in the context of other fires across the world—particularly in Amazon and Congo. Enter NASA's excellent Global Fire Maps (http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/firemaps/), where they have archived satellite data going back a decade.

I made this animation to better understand the data. The patterns are much clearer when animated, like the cyclical fires in Sub-Saharan Africa—probably due to agricultural activity.

You can check the most recent fire location data here:
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/firemaps/#FireLocationData

You can investigate the fire data further here:
http://firefly.geog.umd.edu/firemap/

You can read more about the MODIS fire detection algorithm here:
http://modis-fire.umd.edu/

Since I grabbed the images two days ago, they've published one more, illustrating an intensification of the problem in Russia.

All data and images, NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• wildfires
• russia
• congo
• 2010
• global warming
• agriculture
• environment
• earth
• visualization
• fire
• pollution

[Peon546]

doesnt look right, there cant be that many fires

[cliungman]

@Peon546, each red dot indicates at least one fire detected by MODIS during a ten day period. You can read more about the data at NASA's MODIS Rapid Response, link is in the description.

[fiendin281]

This map doesn't make sense. It shows that Africa and South America was on fire the entire time period from 2000-2010?!?!

[cliungman]

@fiendin281 The Amazon and the Congo are areas where agricultural activity— particularly practices like 'slash-and-burn' deforestation—would lead to a higher than average fire count. The red dots indicate at least one fire detected in that area during a 10 day period, they don't indicate that the entire area is on fire. You can read more about the data at NASA's MODIS Rapid Response website. A link is in the video description.

[Staldren]

The Earth,

the Earth,

the Earth is on fire!

[luciencd]

thats a lot of goddamn fire

[animeninja2]

i can see a pattern here

like in the middle of Africa would be on fire then the lower part of Africa would be on fire

[cliungman]

@WMDH2O I think that might have been a longer than normal sample. The sample compositing period is supposed to be 10 days, but no satellite is perfect.