Burning oilIn 1991, as the United States military crossed into Kuwait, the retreating Iraqi army set

Burning oilIn 1991, as the United States military crossed into Kuwait, the retreating Iraqi army set many oil wells ablaze. The resulting fires poured out toxic clouds, causing an enormous environmental disaster that harmed both the invading army and anyone else, civilian or otherwise, exposed to the clouds.One of the iconic images of that disaster was taken by the Landsat 5 spacecraft, which looked down on the clouds from overhead. It can be seen here:https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthStory/posts/529889583738757.This eerily reminiscent photo was taken a few days ago by the Landsat 8 spacecraft. This fire is burning at the largest oil refinery in Iraq near the city of Baiji and marks the location of several days of fighting in Iraq’s northern areas.The city of Baiji had a population of about 200,000 people and sits on the main road between the capital of Baghdad and Mosul, the largest city in the north. The Tigris River runs through the city and weaves back and forth between sand bars in the dry, desert areas. Also appearing in this image seems to be a line of hills north of the city, I’m guessing due to a small fold appearing in the rocks, which fixes the course of the river alongside. Several fans of sediment pour off both sides of this line of hills, some of which supply sediment to the river below. To the south of the city, several circles can be seen, created by central-pivot irrigation systems in fields (some of which are dry today).-JBBImage credit: NASA/USGS Landsat programhttp://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/satellite-view-iraq-oil-refinery-fire-visible-space-n136741More:http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/isis-advance-baghdad-slows-fighting-still-rages-n136331https://www.google.com/maps/preview?ll=34.929167%2C43.493056&q=loc%3A34.929167%2C43.493056&hl=en&t=m&z=12http://www.factbites.com/topics/Baiji,-Iraq(First TES post from new computer down!) -- source link

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