Smoke from the Amazon fires visible from space Posted on 21 August 2019 Tags:Amazon, Fires Fire season has arrived in the Amazon Rainforest and the smoke from the inferno can be seen from space. NASA recently released satellite images of the visible smoke over the Brazilian states Amazonas, Rondônia, Pará and Mato Grosso. Satellite images of Brazil. Image source: NASA Between the dry season of July and August, the Amazon experiences a spike in fires. The rest of the year, blazes are rare due to wet weather conditions that inhibit fires from starting and spreading, according to NASA. The BBC reports that the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) detected over 74,000 fires between January and August 2019. This is the highest number of fires recorded since documenting of fires began in 2013. Since Thursday 15 August, Inpe has recorded over 9,500 fires. Most of these have occurred in the Amazon region. In 2018 there were less than 40,000 fires recorded. On Monday, 19 August the city of São Paulo went completely dark during the day. The BBC reports that smoke from the Brazilian states of Rondônia and Amazonas, some 2,736 km away, had blackened the sky above São Paulo for about an hour. Strong winds had carried the smoke over to the city. Satellite images of Brazil. Image source: NASA There is mass concern over the future of the Amazon Rainforest, which absorbs about 2.2 billion tons (2 billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide, according to Live Science. The Amazon basin is also home to an estimated three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people, reports the BBC. Across various social media platforms, there is public outcry for the devastation that the fires are causing. The hashtag #PrayForAmazonia has gone viral. The Amazon Forest Creates 20% Oxygen 40% of The World 🌏 Tropical Forests 🌲🌳🌴 Hold 20% Water 💧 Supply, Fall’s It’s Been Burning 🔥 For The Last 3 Weeks It’s not Enough To Only #PrayforAmazonia 🙏 pic.twitter.com/25TFFkZK5C — Hari Ram (@Hariramhere) August 21, 2019 Fires are tearing through the world’s largest tropical rainforest. People are using the hashtag #PrayforAmazonia to call for help. pic.twitter.com/yorcQ2P4AP — DW News (@dwnews) August 21, 2019 We need to get this covered. #PrayforAmazonia pic.twitter.com/BAcU0GCED0 — Isaac Russell (@IsaacRussell_) August 21, 2019 Image source: Twitter Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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