This animation shows the Greater Burgan oil field south
of Kuwait City, as seen by the Landsat Thematic Mapper on
May 30, 1991, during a coincident aircraft measurement
program.  [This Landsat data will be discussed in an
article "Kuwait oil fires as seen by Landsat" by R. F.
Cahalan, to appear in a special issue of
JGR-atmospheres.]  The CO2 emission rate at that time was
estimated to be 2% of the worldwide emissions from fossil
fuel and biomass burning, while the particle emission
rate was 10% of that from worldwide biomass burning.  The
dark smoke plumes absorbed much of the sunlight normally
reaching the surface, cooling daytime surface
temperatures more than 10 C below normal.  The last fire
was extinguished in Novermber, 1991, but the normally
reflective limestone gravel surface continued to be
darkened from oil which had drizzled from the dark smoke
plumes, and in some places large shallow oil lakes had
formed.  Continued monitoring of the water supply,
climate, and health of the plants and animals of the
region will be needed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..Dr. Robert F. Cahalan (Bob)...#..Laboratory for Atmospheres......
..cahalan@clouds.gsfc.nasa.gov..#..NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
..*** NeXTMail accepted ***.....#..Greenbelt, MD 20771.............
..FAX: (301) 286-1627...........#..voice: (301) 286-4276...........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
