7th Workshop on Forest Fire Management - EARSeL, European ...

ADVANCING THE USE OF MULTI-RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSING DATA
TO DETECT AND CHARACTERIZE BIOMASS BURNING
W. Schroeder
University of Maryland, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center,
College Park MD, USA, wilfrid.schroeder@noaa.gov
I. Csiszar 1 , L. Giglio 2 & C. Justice 3
1 NOAA/NESDIS/STAR, Camp Springs MD, USA, ivan.csiszar@noaa.gov
2 SSAI, Lanham MD, USA, louis_giglio@ssaihq.com
3 University of Maryland, College Park MD, USA, justice@hermes.geog.umd.edu
Abstract: In this study, we sought to detect and characterize biomass burning
in Amazonia using 1-km MODIS Thermal Anomalies and the 4-km GOES
imager WF-ABBA data. We applied field measurements, airborne data, and
higher spatial resolution remote sensing data from CBERS, ASTER, and
Landsat (TM and ETM+) to assess sub-pixel processes governing MODIS and
GOES fire product performance. The results from the analyses above were
used to create a set of judicious criteria aimed to integrate the active fire
data from MODIS and GOES imager for Amazonia. The resulting product differs
from the simple sum of the individual input fire products as it compensates
for potential sources of commission and omission errors in the
data.
1 - Introduction
Satellite fire data provide key information for the scientific community as
well as for fire managers. In this study we describe how multiple fire data
sets are being combined to detect and characterize vegetation fires with a
focus in Amazonia. Using ground, airborne and higher resolution spaceborne
data we investigate sub-pixel fires routinely mapped by coarser spatial
resolution instruments that currently serve regional and global biomass
burning applications. Through a thorough product assessment we complement
the use of a polar orbiting fire data set with a geostationary one creating
a regional map of fire activity for Amazonia in which commission and
omission errors are minimized.
2 - Data and methods
Several data sets were utilized in this study including: (i) field measurements
(fire temperature and duration derived from prescribed burns along
187