July 27, 2007 - Smoke over the Hudson Bay

Smoke over the Hudson Bay

Thick smoke choked the skies over Manitoba, Ontario, and the Hudson Bay on Tuesday, July 24, 2007. The MODIS on NASA's Terra satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, thick swaths of smoke hundreds of kilometers across stretch eastward over Canada's land and water. In the south, a smoke plume arcs in a clockwise direction toward the southwest before changing direction and heading east. The smoke can be distinguished from the nearby clouds by the difference in color. Whereas clouds are bright white, the smoke is dingy gray.

Besides smoke, this image shows the location of several fires. Two fires appear in Ontario, near the coast and the border with Manitoba. These fires, however, are not responsible for the smoke spreading across the region. The smoke results from a series of wildfires to the west, north of Lake Winnipeg.

According to a news report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, up to 1,000 people in Manitoba were fleeing smoke and fires as of July 25, 2007. Manitoba Conservation officials said some 50 forest fires were burning, nine of them out of control. Hot temperatures, high winds, and lightning strikes all contributed to the situation.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 07/24/2007
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC