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May 18 2021 | 11:00am - 5:00pm EDT

Workshops, Trainings and Fieldtrips

Part of the ARSET - Satellite Observations and Tools for Fire Risk, Detection, and Analysis training series.

Fires are a growing concern, especially in regions with longer fire seasons, expanded wildland/urban interfaces, and severe and frequent droughts. Anthropogenic fires are commonly used to clear grassland and agricultural land prior to the planting season, and forests are often cleared using fires so the land can be repurposed for other uses. Whether naturally-occurring or anthropogenic, fires produce a significant change in the structure and reflectance of vegetation and soil properties and atmospheric chemistry. Remote sensing can be used to monitor pre-, during-, and post-fire conditions; including weather and climate conditions, fuel characterization, fire risk, smoke detection, monitoring, and forecasting, fire behavior, and the post-fire landscape. This 6-part, intermediate training will provide lectures and case studies focused on the use of Earth observations for operational fire monitoring: pre-, during-, and post-event.

Course Format

  • Six, 2-hour sessions
  • Training sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays on May 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, & 27.
  • The morning session will be presented in English: 11:00 - 13:00 (EDT) and the afternoon session will be presented in Spanish 15:00 - 17:00 (EDT).
  • Those who attend all six sessions and complete the homework will be awarded a certificate of attendance.

Part 3: Satellites and Sensors for Active Fire Monitoring (During-Fire)

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Trainers: Pawan Gupta, Melanie Follette-Cook

Overview of satellite observations of active fires

  • Thermal anomalies via fire radiative power
  • FIRMS, Worldview, LANCE, SEDAC

Satellite observations of smoke

  • Basics of smoke detection via satellite
  • Passive & active remote sensing
  • Polar vs. geostationary satellites

Available sensors

Available smoke datasets

NOAA’s Smoke Detection Product

Case Studies:

  • How NASA is responding to the CA wildfires
  • Global Applications

Question & Answer Session