Photo: Jet stream carries wildfire smoke eastward across U.S.

GREENBELT, Md., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- The entirety of the West Coast, from Southern California to Alaska, has been plagued by wildfires throughout the spring and summer.

Recently, the evidence of these destructive flames decided to embark on a cross-country journey. Newly released imagery, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, shows smoke from the West's fires traveling eastward across Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Scientists say the smoke is carried by the Jet Stream as the plumes waft into the atmosphere.

Typically, an influx of smoke -- a mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and soot -- means redder sunsets. The particulates filter out blues and violets, leaving reds and oranges to feature more prominently as the rays of the setting sun shine through the haze.

Earlier this year, smoke from wildfires in Central Canada drifted across the Mid-Atlantic, resulting in brilliantly pink and red sunsets.