1. Earthshots
  2. Yellowstone National Park, USA
  3. Yellowstone Lake
Description

As you look through this time series, see if you can identify new fires that occurred after the big 1988 fires. Even the latest image is a patchwork of undisturbed forest, areas at different stages of recovery from fire, and fresh burn scars.

Fires continue to burn in Yellowstone, and future fires are expected. Scientists have noticed that the average number of lightning-started fires has been increasing each year since the 1990s. In the near future, the western United States will likely have increasingly intense wildfires.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Sep. 22, 1987, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Sep. 22, 1987, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 23, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 23, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Oct. 10, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Oct. 10, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Oct. 4, 2003, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Oct. 4, 2003, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Sep. 24, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Sep. 24, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 20, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 20, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 10, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 10, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 15, 2020, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Aug. 15, 2020, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Sep. 22, 1987, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Aug. 23, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Oct. 10, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Oct. 4, 2003, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Sep. 24, 2011, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Aug. 20, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Aug. 10, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA
Aug. 15, 2020, Landsat 5 (path/row 38/29) — Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone National Park, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Fire and Recovery
Fire and Recovery

In these Landsat images, the old forest is dark green. In the 1987 image, this forest is occasionally broken up by lighter green grassy meadows or gra...

Frank Island
Frank Island

Besides some recovery from the 1988 fires on the west side of Yellowstone Lake, this series of images shows the effects of another fire. Frank Island ...

Infrared Views of Fire
Infrared Views of Fire

In natural color satellite images of wildfires, smoke often obscures the view of the ground. In the natural color image at the left, Yellowstone Lake ...

Old Faithful
Old Faithful

This series shows the area around the famous Old Faithful geyser. Geysers and hot pools are the bright or blue spots within the dark green forest. The...