Smoky Neighbor

This satellite image shows a thick cloud of smoke rising from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Hot, dry weather and winds blowing from the southwest are dumping the smoke on Malaysia, blanketing its northern tip.

Besides spreading smoke around, the summer winds help fuel fires, which are outlined in red. Forest fires such as these are common During Indonesia's dry season, which runs from June to September.

In this image, taken on June 25, a white plume of smoke moves north and east from the fires. Not only does the dense haze decrease visibility, posing a traffic hazard for both air and ground travel, but the smoke could cause serious health problems.

This image was captured in the morning, and afternoon, the fires had pumped out so much smoke that the Strait of Malacca - the narrow body of water that separates the two countries - was barely visible.

--Bjorn Carey

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Credit: NASA Earth Observatory