Earth from Space - Image Description

STS046-078-026 Rondônia, Brazil August 1992
This photograph, showing the destruction of tropical rain forests, provides a visual indication of the rate of deforestation that is taking place in the state of Rondônia, which has been especially hard hit by deforestation. The amount of clear-cut area now exceeds the area of remaining rain forest timber stands. The solid dark green areas show the remaining tropical rain forest canopy. Two urban areas separated by a small river can be seen near the center of the photograph. This photograph and photograph STS-51G-034-0060, taken 7 years earlier, are representative of much larger areas where tropical rain forests are being decimated to permit farming and grazing in Brazil, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.