Title: ERS-2 monitors changes in forest cover in Brazil

Description: This ERS-2 image, which focuses on the area surrounding the city of Porto Velho, Brazil, is a composition of images captured on three dates. The changes in forest cover that occurred between 1993 and 1998 are indicated using the different colours featured in the image: the grey-magenta areas represent untouched forest; the dark and black areas represent pre-1993 deforestation; red-magenta areas were deforested between 1993 and 1997; and yellow-green areas were deforested between 1997 and 1998. The many straight lines reveal the presence of access roads, which can indicate areas that may be targeted for deforestation.

Copyright: ESA.