Severe 2015 Indonesian Fire Season Linked to El Niño Drought

Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, September 2011. Photo by Rini Sulaiman for CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research

Data from five instruments on the NASA Aura, Terra, and Aqua satellites tracked active fires, carbon monoxide, and aerosol optical depth in the atmosphere” in Indonesia. July to October was especially dry because of the 2015-16 El Niño. The abundance of dry fuel contributed to sparking a severe fire season with widespread effects on air quality. Learn about more on nasa.gov.