Agricultural Fires Swarm Across Mexico, Prepares Land for Pasture but Degrades Air Quality (Image)

Agricultural fires have been spotted across certain regions of Mexico, including Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco, otherwise known as the Yucatan Peninsula.

Hundreds of fires were detected by the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite. The location of the fires has spread across the area, and a number of fires are believed to have been deliberately set to manage land. Farmers often use fire to return nutrients back to the soil and clear farming areas of unwanted plants.

As fire can enhance crops and grasses for pasture, it can also produce harmful smoke that can, in turn, degrade air quality, and for Mexico, the agricultural burning season usually occurs for several months before the growing season returns.

Want to see where the active burning areas are? Check out this image through an Aqua satellite, here.