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Type: Report
Author(s): Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez; Kevin Riordan; Gordon C. Garwood
Publication Date: 2006

This document benchmarks the results of a three year NASA sponsored research project (2003-6) on developing and demonstrating techniques for using single channel C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery for assessing the potential for wildfire in boreal Alaska. Preliminary research conducted in boreal Alaska in 1999-2000 revealed relationships between C-band backscatter in burned boreal forests and Fire Weather Index (FWI) system codes as well as in situ moisture (Bourgeau-Chavez et al. 2000). From 2003-6, under the NASA Solid Earth and Natural Hazards program, continued research was conducted to develop SAR techniques for the application of improving or augmenting the FWI system in boreal Alaska to aid resource managers (National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service) directly involved in wildfire danger assessment. Interaction with Alaskan project co-investigators (natural resource managers) was essential to understanding their needs, interpreting the data, and developing methods to improve the shortcomings of the current weather-based system. Although the focus of this research was in Alaska, the methods are transferable to boreal Canada, and potentially boreal Russia. Both Alaska and Canada use the Fire Weather Index System (FWI), a subsystem of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS). In recent research that was comparable to our preliminary analysis in Alaska (Bourgeau-Chavez et al. 2000), investigators at University of New Brunswick demonstrated relationships between C-band backscatter in burned boreal forests of northwest Canada and FWI system codes (Abbott et al. 2006).

Citation: Bourgeau-Chavez, Laura L.; Riordan, Kevin; Garwood, Gordon. 2006. Benchmark report on the use of satellite radar imagery for monitoring fuel moisture in Alaska: 'Remotely monitoring plant and soil fuel moisture for wildfire danger assessment using satellite radar data'. NASA SENH Project NAS5-03113. Ypsilanti, MI: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Michigan Research and Development Center. 96 p.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Fire Effects    Fuels    Mapping    Weather
Regions:
Keywords:
  • fire danger assessment
  • fuel moisture
  • FWI - Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System
  • remote sensing
  • SAR satellite imagery
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 5556