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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).
Cataloging Information
- fire danger assessment
- fuel moisture
- FWI - Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System
- remote sensing
- SAR satellite imagery