September 29, 2020 - Burn Scars in Oregon

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   Burn Scars in Oregon
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   An intense fire season has left Oregon heavily scarred. On September
   27, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on
   board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a false-color image that
   highlights massive burn scars across the state.

   By using visible and near-infrared light (bands 7,2,1) the burn scars –
   which may appear black, brown, or brick red - stand out in stark
   contrast to vegetation, which appears bright green. Open land appears
   tan, deep water is colored deep blue and clouds, when present, may
   appear either white or tinted with electric blue. The color variation
   in burn scars depends on type of vegetation burned, the completeness of
   the burn, the amount of residue remaining after the burn, and the age
   of the burn.

   At least six large new burn scars are visible in this image. The
   largest scar measures 50 miles (80.4 km) long and more than 22 miles
   (35.4 km) wide at the widest point. Several other smaller scars also
   sit in the green vegetation. Also seen are numerous deep blue areas
   marking lakes and rivers. These are similar enough to small burn scars
   that it could be possible to confuse the two.

   While this single image gives significant information on the landcover
   change from fire, observing two similar images acquired by MODIS on the
   same satellite at two different days, one before the fires and one
   after, is even more informative. Comparisons can dramatically reveal
   the differences caused by fire and also the stability of structures
   such as lakes and rivers.

   Thanks to the NASA Worldview App, a beautiful roll-over comparison of
   MODIS false-color images of Oregon acquired on July 19, 2020 (before
   most of the fires started) and this one, acquired September 27 can be
   found  here. To use the roll-over bar, you may have to tap the
   up-arrow on the right-hand side of the Worldview title box. You can
   then drag the bar to the right to see the landcover change.

   NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
   Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse
   over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then
   download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are
   updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the
   entire Earth as it looks "right now".

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 9/27/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (14.2 KB),  500m (327.6 KB),  250m (321.5
   KB)
   Bands Used: 7,2,1
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-09-29
 
