Settlement and deforestation surrounding the Brazilian town
of Rio Branco are seen here in the striking "herring bone"
deforestation patterns that cut through the rainforest. Rio Branco
is the capital of the Brazilian state of Acre and is situated
near the border with northeastern Bolivia. The town is a center
for the distribution of goods, including rubber, metals, medicinal
plants, Brazil nuts and timber. Colonization projects in the region
are supported by farming, logging activities, and extensive cattle
ranching. Much of the the surrounding terrain is of a poorly-draining
clay hardpan soil, and heavy rainfall periodically converts parts
of the forested region to swamp.
The large overview image was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging
SpectroRadiometer's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on July 28, 2000,
and covers an area of 336 kilometers x 333 kilometers. A plume of
smoke is visible north of the Rio Branco road, which roughly parallels
the slender, twisting Rio Abuna. Most of the major rivers in the
image provide reference points for state or international (Bolivia-
Brazil) boundaries, and flow northeast to the Rio Madeira (east
of the smoke plume). The border between Acre and the Bolivian
department of Pando is marked by the Rio Abuna. Pando's southern
boundary with the department of Beni is marked by the Rio Madre de
Dios, the large river in the lower half of the image.
The two higher-resolution inset images highlight a settled area
north of the town of Rio Branco. These nadir views cover an area
of 60 kilometers x 67 kilometers, and were acquired eleven
months apart during Terra orbits 3251 and 8144. In the later image,
more haze is present, possibly due to smoke from fires on that day.
Comparing the two images provides a method of measuring the changes
and expansion in the area of cleared land. One newly cleared patch
is apparent near the middle of the later image, slightly off to
the right. This polygon represents an area of about 16 square
kilometers, or 4000 acres. Other recent clearings can be observed
directly beneath this area, as well as toward the lower right-hand
corner.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.
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