Smoke Conditions from Slide Fire

Smoke from the Slide fire, a major wildfire near Flagstaff, Arizona, is apparent in this hemispheric, natural-color image of sky conditions.  The image was acquired at the USGS Flagstaff Science Campus at 3:00 p.m. MST on May 21, 2014 by the High Dynamic Range All-Sky Imaging System (HDR-ASIS).  The instrument is used in USGS research to study the effects of changing atmospheric conditions and clouds on photosynthesis and the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by land vegetation.