GFMC: Forest Fires in the Russian Federation
Early Fire Season in the Russian Federation
21 March 2003
Fires in Volga River Delta and Southwest Russia
This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from March 18, 2003, shows fires (red dots) burning in the Volga River Delta (center) and in southwestern Russia and ice breaking up in the northern reaches of the Caspian Sea.The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel.
Fires southeast of Lake Baikal
Snow is shown retreating from a small portion of southeastern Russia in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite from March 18, 2003. Where it has retreated, fires (red dots) are already burning, likely the result of early growing-season activities for farmers in the region. In many parts of the world, fire is used as a resource management tool, clearing land for planting, renewing pastures, and returning the remains of the previous seasons vegetation to the soil as nutrients. At upper left in the image, ice appears to be thinning in a few places over Lake Baikal.
