Overview of Fire Occurence Accuracy Assessment Wilfrid Schroeder PROARCO – IBAMA University of Maryland – Dept of Geography Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop Grand Bittar Hotel - Brasília 26 July 2004

Main Goal To address satellite derived fire product characteristics giving emphasis to MODIS data To point out major elements affecting the resulting fire numbers To suggest means of correcting/accounting for such influences How can we improve data quality - validation Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Are we representing the correct surface condition? (i) Qualitatively Do hot spot numbers reflect the expected fire dynamics on a regional level? Temporal and spatial distribution Do different satellite products reflect the same relative numbers? Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Biome Characterization Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop Absolute NumbersAbsolute Numbers HotSpotDensityHotSpotDensity

Absolute NumbersAbsolute Numbers HotSpotDensityHotSpotDensity State Characterization

Are we representing the correct surface condition? (ii) Quantitatively Do absolute numbers reflect the ground truth? What are the major elements affecting statistics? How do such elements impact different satellite data? Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Driving elements Satellite coverage Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle) Fire size/temperature/duration Clouds Biome type Diurnal Cycle Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Satellite Coverage MODIS Global Coverage 15 June 2004 NASA-GSFC Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle) Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop AVHRR

Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle) MODIS Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle)

Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle)

Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle)

Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle) AVHRR

Viewing geometry (pixel size & view angle) Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop MODIS

Fire size/temperature/duration Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Fire size/temperature/duration Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Clouds MCT/INPE/CPTEC Satélite Noaa-12 Data: 2004/06/22 Estado/State : Mato Grosso Total Imageado : 99 % da Área Total Imaged : 99 % of the area Da Área Imageada : 0 % possíveis Nuvens Of the Imaged Area : 0 % possible Clouds Focos de Calor/Hot Pixels : 852 Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop One can calculate hot spot density per area imaged

Biome Type Different biome types will involve different biomass characteristics which influence fire intensity (thereby detectability) Climatology will also affect soil&vegetation moisture and atmospheric conditions Land use management will differ over biomes (timing and type of fires – conversion/maintenance) Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Diurnal Cycle Satellite overpass time represent distinct fire situations Difference within image (eastern/western edges are imaged at different local times ~1.3 hour) Mid-afternoon overpass time taking advantage of usual higher fire frequency and increased local temperature (favoring detectability) Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Validation Efforts Satellite inter-comparison via GIS analysis Airborne imaging (Vis/IR bands) Ground sampling Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Desktop Validation Provides valuable information to assess product quality image navigation detectability [to some extent] Pros Fire data is available online (PROARCO/INPE, UMD/NASA, UW-ABBA) Almost costless (software license) Cons May lead to wrong conclusions **ASTER imagery can provide coincident high resol data to validate MODIS/Terra Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Airborne Imaging Provides high resol imagery Detectability performance (fire size) Area estimates Pros Fastest way to collect large quantities of data for validating different satellite data Good for both prescribed and opportunistic fires Can also be used for burn scar & deforestation product validation Cons High cost operation Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Ground Sampling Provides in situ measurements of fire characteristics Temperature, duration, size [to some extent] Detectability performance Pros Best way to understand “what is in a pixel” Can serve to collect complementary data (fuel load, combustion efficiency, etc.) Cons Time consuming process Requires area selection (committing land owners) Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Homework Equipment Required What can we do with that? How can we accomplish that? Desktop PC + softwareRoutine quality assessment (persisting errors); image navigation Internet access: Bdqueimadas RapidResponse ABBA Airborne Imaging system + airplane Fire sampling: size/~intensity~ ~timing~/location Large research projects (requires group coordination) Ground GPS; digital camera; temperature sensor Fire sampling: timing/duration location/~size~ intensity/land history Individuals doing field research/local fire community/ ~landowners Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop

Fire product access: INPE (AVHRR; MODIS; GOES; DMSP – South America): NASA/UMD (MODIS – World Wide): Wisconsin (GOES – North -> South America): list Start new contacts from this workshop and strengthen old ones Wire-up!! Ground-based Accuracy Assessment for Fire and Deforestation Events Workshop