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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   May 23, 2022 - Burn Scar in New Mexico   
      
      Burn Scar in New Mexico   
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      A fierce fire season has been scorching parts of the Southwestern   
      United States since April 2022 and leaving behind large scars on the   
      landscape. On May 19, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging   
      Spectroradiometer on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a   
      false-color image of burn scars left by three fires in northern New   
      Mexico, including the largest fire ever recorded in that state.   
      
      This type of false-color image uses visible and near-infrared light   
      (bands 7,2,1) to highlight areas where fire has destroyed vegetation   
      and charred land. Burn scars can appear black, brown, or brick red in   
      this type of image while vegetation appears bright green, open land   
      looks tan tan, deep water is colored deep blue, and clouds 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. Light orange indicates actively burning areas.   
      
      The largest burn scar marks the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire, which   
      has become the largest fire in New Mexico’s history. It began as two   
      separate fires. The Calf Canyon fire ignited on April 19, and the cause   
      is under investigation. On April 6, the Hermits Peak fire began as a   
      prescribed burn in part of the Sant Fe National Forest, but erratic,   
      gusty winds blew it out of control. Strong winds on April 22-23 pushed   
      the fire through steep terrain and caused a merger with the Calf Canyon   
      fire, creating a fire complex. On May 2, the fire complex had scorched   
      120,653 acres. Five days later, with reports of the flames spreading as   
      fast as 50 miles per hour, the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire become the   
      second-largest fire in New Mexico’s history, stretching over 170,665   
      acres. Soon the rapidly-spreading fire surpassed the Whitewater-Baldy   
      complex Fire—a massive inferno that destroyed 297,845 acres in the Gila   
      National Forest in 2012—to capture the record as the largest fire. As   
      of May 22, the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire has burned 310,253 acres   
      and was only 40 percent contained. This is more than double the size of   
      Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city. Over the last two days the   
      temperatures have decreased and humidity increased, giving some slight   
      assistance to firefighting on this blaze, but it is still extremely   
      active.   
      
      The other burn scars are the Cerro Pelado Fire, to the west of Calf   
      Canyon/Hermits Peak fire and the Cooks Peak Fire, to the northeast. The   
      Cerro Pelado Fire was first reported on April 22 in timber and brush in   
      the Santa Fe National Forest. On May 22, this fire had burned 45,605   
      acres and the 594 personnel working the fire had helped bring it to 85   
      percent containment. The Cooks Peak Fire ignited on April 17 from human   
      activity and the cause is under investigation. It burned 59,379 acres   
      and was fully contained on May 13.   
      
      While this single image shows dramatic burn scars from truly massive   
      fires, to understand the expansion over time it is helpful to compare   
      two images acquired on two different days. Thanks to the NASA Worldview   
      App, a roll-over comparison of MODIS false-color images of northern New   
      Mexico acquired on May 3, 2022, and this one, acquired on May 19 can be   
      found  here.   
      
      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: 5/19/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (141.4 KB),  500m (310.5 KB),  250m (151.6   
      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=2022-05-23   
       
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