Mapping Continental-Scale Biomass Burning from the Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle photographs have been used to map the areal extent of Amazonian smoke palls associated with biomass burning (1983-1991). Areas covered with smoke have increased from approximately 300 000 km2 to continentalsize smoke palls measuring approximately 3 000 000 kin2. The smoke palls interpreted from the STS-48 data indicate that this phenomenon is persistent. Astronaut observations of such dynamic and vital environmental phenomena indicate the possibility of integrating the Earth observation capabilities of all space platforms in future modeling of Earth‘s dynamic processes.