This relatively clear scene over Brazil reveals the widespread deforestation taking place where the Xingu River flows into the Mato Grosso region in the country’s midwest. The dark green areas show pristine forest canopy, while the light green and brownish areas show where the forest has been cleared. Red dots show the locations of actively burning fires.
This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA’s Terra satellite on April 21, 2002.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
