# Presentation: 431269

## Monitoring fire and Smoke From Space for Wildfire Impacts. Charles Ichoku (SSAI)  and Yoram J. Kaufman (NASA/GSFC)

- Presented at the National Air Quality Conference (NAQC), San Antonio, TX, Feb 4-8, 2006

## Outline

- Global Fire Distribution and effects.
- Fire Radiative Power (FRP) from Space.
- Estimating Smoke Emission from FRP.
- Potential Air-Quality Applications.

## Slide 3

## Why the interest in Fires ?

- -They are hot, ubiquitous, fast-acting, and emit smoke pollution.
- Some Adverse Effects of Fire and Smoke
-  _Fire_
- Destroys life (people, animals, vegetation).
- Destroys property (homes, businesses, infrastructure, ...)
- Demands massive deployment of fire fighting resources.
- Demands massive evacuation.
- Defaces the landscape and environment.
- Demands reconstruction and rehabilitation.
- _Smoke (particulates and numerous gases)_
- Poses danger to human, animal, and plant health.
- Causes low visibility => hazardous to air and road traffic.
- Affects weather and climate.
- Affects environmental conditions (smell, particle deposits, etc.).

## Terra MODIS Fire Detection for 26-October 2003 

- Terra MODIS Fire Detection for 26-October 2003

## How Big are these Fires?

- Image: Courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Team and NASA Earth Observatory

- How much smoke are they emitting?
- Where should we deploy crew?

- California Fires from Terra MODIS
- 26 October 2003, 18:40 UTC

## Mapping of MODIS Fire Radiative Energy (FRE) release rates for 26-October 2003

- Mapping tool developed by
- Luke Ellison

## Mapping tool developed by 

- Mapping tool developed by
- Luke Ellison

## Estimating Smoke Emissions from Wildfires

## Current smoke emissions estimation approach

- Emissions = Emission Factor (EF) × Biomass Mass (BM)
- where
- BM= A × B × α × β
- A=Area burned,
- B=Biomass density
- α=Above ground biomass proportion,
- β=Combustion Efficiency
_**Large Complexities and Uncertainties in BM Estimation**_
_**SH Africa:**_
- Previous estimates : 250-2700 Tg/yr **(FAO maps)**
- Current estimates: 90-264 Tg/yr **(ATSR sat. fire counts)**
_**Global: **_**	****	**
- 5500 - 9200 Tg/yr DM (satellite fire counts, burned areas)

## Fire voraciously consumes resources and generates Smoke 

- Fire voraciously consumes resources and generates Smoke

## Proposed smoke emissions estimation approach

_**Advantages of Developing FRP/FRE Approach:**_
- Fire Radiative Energy (FRE) is a measure of fire strength, incorporating: A, B, α, β.
- Use of FRE almost eliminates dependence on other ways of estimating A, B, , or β.
- MODIS operates on Terra and Aqua and measures the rate of emission of fire radiative energy (4 times in 24 hrs) and aerosol (smoke) column burden.
- FRE can be used in near real-time from Direct Broadcast data (burned area can be determined only when the fire is over, and finds better application in post-burn emission inventories).

## MODIS Fire Emissions: Canada

## MODIS Fire Emissions: USA

## Regional study of smoke emission coefficients 

- Regional study of smoke emission coefficients

## Qualitative Comparison of MODIS-derived Emission Coefficients 

- Qualitative Comparison of MODIS-derived Emission Coefficients
- and Literature Emission Factors from Andreae and Merlet, 2001

*Ichoku and Kaufman, 2005, IEEE-TGARS*

## Potential Air-Quality Applications

## Advantages of MODIS

- The only space-borne sensor that measures fire strength (Fire Radiative Power) operationally.
- Covers the globe 4 times daily at strategic times and at 1-km resolution (good for wildfires).
- Products freely available globally and on time.
- Real-time with Direct Broadcast (DB) systems.
- At least 8 DB stations in the US and Over 100 worldwide.
- MODIS-like sensor (VIIRS) on NPOESS will provide continuity.

## Borneo

- Typical diurnal distribution of fires from TRMM-VIRS (1999-2001) and
- MODIS 2004 Fire Pixel Counts (Nfp) and Fire Radiative Power (FRP)

- TRMM plot from Giglio et al., 2003, JGR.

## Near Real-time MODIS Direct Broadcast data from the Receiving Station at USFS Missoula, MT 

- Taken from web site at 21:20 UTC on 2006-1-25

**Near Real-time MODIS Direct Broadcast data from the Receiving Station at USFS Missoula, MT **

## Research

- NCEP wind fields

- MODIS Aerosol
- Optical Thickness

- MOPITT and TES
- Carbon Monoxide

- smoke aerosol
- emission coefficient

- smoke aerosol flux

- carbon monoxide
- emission coefficient

- smoke aerosol
- forecasts

- carbon monoxide
- forecasts

- carbon monoxide flux

- Assimilation into
- Fire Progression and
- Smoke Forecasting models

- Correlation Analyses

- OUTPUTS

- INPUTS

_**Monitoring Fire and Smoke from MODIS **_

- Fire strength mapping & Fire Progression Forecasts

- MODIS Direct Broadcast Active Fire Radiative Power

- MODIS Active Fire Radiative Power

- INPUTS

-  Spatial and Temporal Analyses

- Decision Support Systems

- Application

## Fires in MT/ID, Aug 2000 : Image, FRP, burn scar, aerosol, CO

**MODIS fire/smoke Aug. 23 2000**

**MODIS AOT Aug 23, 2000**

**MODIS Fire Radiative Power, Aug 23, 2000**

**MOPITT CO **Aug 22-27

**MODIS burn scar Aug 23, 2000**

- MW

## Conclusions

- New remote sensing capability enables near real-time monitoring of fire strength and emissions, and will allow fire progression and pollutant dispersion forecasting.
- Such a technique can be applied at a wide range of scales (local, regional, and global).
- It will enable improved distinction between fire emissions and other pollutants, to better track the individual variables controlling the air-quality and climate.
- The societal benefits will be varied and far-reaching.