August 2, 2014 - Smoke from Canadian fires over the Great Lakes

Smoke from Canadian fires over the Great Lakes

Canadian wildfires have been raging throughout the summer of 2014, particularly in the Northern Territories. Smoke from those fires is a hazard locally, especially for those with respiratory difficulties, but it also has far reaching impacts.

On July 24, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of a thick river of smoke rolling between cloud banks and over the Great Lakes, flowing over the United States. The smoke is so thick that it obscures much of the land and water below, making the demarcation between lakes difficult to see. From the northwest, circling counter-clockwise, the Great Lakes are: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie (most southerly) and Lake Ontario.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/24/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC