There’s been no break in the biomass burning across Southern Asia including Indochina. The Suomi NPP satellite captured this natural-color image on March 22, 2017 of the ongoing agricultural blazes. This image gives an even larger view of the area than the one published on March 20. It is very typical to have this kind of agricultural land clearing in this part of the world. It is the most economical way to clear fields. Farmers set fires to clear fields for spring planting in the area are seen as red dots in this image. Each dot represents an area which has a higher temperature than the surrounding area and is usually indicative of fire.
The fires return nutrients to the soil and clear the ground of unwanted plants and undergrowth. The obvious problem with this type of farming is that copious amounts of smoke is released into the atmosphere. That type of smoke (forest, brush, crop, waste or wood burning) is a mixture of particles and chemicals produced by incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials. All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter or soot. Exposure to high levels of smoke is detrimental to health. Individuals with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma), fetuses, infants, young children, and the elderly may be more vulnerable to the health effects of smoke exposure. Also, this smoke tends to rise into the jet stream allowing for the smoke to travel long distances and cause smog in areas that may be thousands of miles away from the initial burn.
The Suomi NPP satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument captured a look at the numerous fires and residual smoke in this image. The Suomi NPP satellite is a joint mission between NASA and NOAA.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption: NASA/Goddard, Lynn Jenner