homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Satellite shows cloud of carbon monoxide pollution from Amazon fires

Consequences of the Amazon fires continue to pop up.

Fermin Koop
August 27, 2019 @ 11:32 pm

share Share

The Amazon rainforest is burning, with hundreds of wildfires in Brazil and Bolivia that so far haven’t been stopped. New satellite imagery from NASA shows an enormous cloud of poisonous carbon monoxide rising from the devastation.

Credit: NASA

The images were taken from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument, aboard the Aqua satellite, and show the cloud evolving between Aug. 8 and Aug. 22. It starts first over Brazil, where the majority of the rainforest is located, and ultimately spreads to most of the northern part of South America.

“A pollutant that can travel large distances, carbon monoxide can persist in the atmosphere for about a month,” NASA wrote on its website. “At the high altitude mapped in these images, the gas has little effect on the air we breathe; however, strong winds can carry it downward to where it can significantly impact air quality. Carbon monoxide plays a role in both air pollution and climate change.”

The vast specter changes colors, going from green to yellow to red, which represents a rather large increase in carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. NASA said that green indicates concentrations of approximately 100 parts per billion by volume (ppbv), while yellow is indicative of 120 ppbv and dark red of 160 ppbv.

The normal concentration is considered at 100ppbv, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Experiencing a higher level can lead to headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, all flu-like symptoms.

While the recently spotted cloud may float at too high an altitude to pose a serious risk on the ground, it’s not the only airborne hazard released by the ongoing wildfires. Last week, smoke from the fires traveled halfway across Brazil to blanket São Paulo in a midnight-black haze in the middle of the afternoon.

Brazil’s National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, has recorded that the number of fires has risen by 85 percent to more than 77,000 in the last year, a record since the institute began keeping track in 2013. About half of the fires have been in the Amazon region, with many in just the past month.

At a summit in France, the Group of Seven nations pledged $20 million on Monday to help fight the flames in the Amazon and protect the rainforest, in addition to a separate $12 million from Britain and $11 million from Canada. Nevertheless, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has so far been reluctant to accept the funds.

share Share

How Hot is the Moon? A New NASA Mission is About to Find Out

Understanding how heat moves through the lunar regolith can help scientists understand how the Moon's interior formed.

America’s Favorite Christmas Cookies in 2024: A State-by-State Map

Christmas cookie preferences are anything but predictable.

Worms and Dogs Thrive in Chernobyl’s Radioactive Zone — and Scientists are Intrigued

In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, worms show no genetic damage despite living in highly radioactive soil, and free-ranging dogs persist despite contamination.

The 2,500-Year-Old Gut Remedy That Science Just Rediscovered

A forgotten ancient clay called Lemnian Earth, combined with a fungus, shows powerful antibacterial effects and promotes gut health in mice.

Should we treat Mars as a space archaeology museum? This researcher believes so

Mars isn’t just a cold, barren rock. Anthropologists argue that the tracks of rovers and broken probes are archaeological treasures.

Hidden for Centuries, the World’s Largest Coral Colony Was Mistaken for a Shipwreck

This massive coral oasis offers a rare glimmer of hope.

This Supermassive Black Hole Shot Out a Jet of Energy Unlike Anything We've Seen Before

A gamma-ray flare from a black hole 6.5 billion times the Sun’s mass leaves scientists stunned.

This New Catalyst Can Produce Ammonia from Air and Water at Room Temperature

Forget giant factories! A new portable device could allow farmers to produce ammonia right in the field, reducing costs, and emissions.

Scientists Say Antimatter Rockets Could Get Us to the Stars Within a Lifetime — Here’s the Catch

The most explosive fuel in the universe could power humanity’s first starship.

Superflares on Sun-Like Stars Are Much More Common Than We Thought

Sun-like stars release massive quantities of radiation into space more often than previously believed.