Smoke from fires in southwestern Oregon drifted over much of Oregon in this true color image from late September 2009. The associated aerosol image reveals that the smoke reached as far east as eastern Montana and central Canada, illustrating that pollution travels long distances.

Acquired October 17, 2009, this true-color image shows fires burning along the Queensland coast. Red outlines indicate actively burning fires. With a few exceptions, wind blows smoke from the fires toward the northwest.

Category 5 Hurricane Rick sprawls across the tropical East Pacific in this natural-color image form October 18, 2009.

Acquired October 15, 2009, this true-color image shows fires burning in North Korea, just south of the Chinese border. Individual smoke plumes coalesce into a large plume over the Sea of Japan.

Acquired October 16, 2009, this true-color images shows fires burning south of Perth. The two largest fires produce thick smoke plumes.

Acquired October 16, 2009, this true-color image shows Typhoon Lupit spanning several hundred kilometers as it hovers over the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines.

Kenya’s Ewaso Nyiro River is nothing more than a pale tan ribbon of sand in this detailed photo-like image from September 27, 2009.

This image shows Parma’s path between October 4 and 14, 2009. It also shows regional rainfall between October 8 and 14.

A tan layer of dust-laden air fills the valleys of the mountains that line the Black Sea in northern Turkey.

The plume of dust that swept over the South Pacific Ocean from Australia on October 13, 2009, was delicate, almost ghostly, compared to the large, dense plume of dust that darkened much of the east Australian coast on September 23.

Soufrière Hills volcano emitted thick ash plumes and exhibited a summit hot spot in mid-October, 2009.

Acquired October 13, 2009, this true-color image shows fires, likely agricultural fires, burning around Lake Malawi.