scholarly journals The impacts of recent drought on fire, forest loss, and regional smoke emissions in lowland Bolivia

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 4317-4331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua P. Heyer ◽  
Mitchell J. Power ◽  
Robert D. Field ◽  
Margreet J. E. van Marle
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Southwestern Amazonia

Abstract. In the southern Amazon relationships have been established among drought, human activities that cause forest loss, fire, and smoke emissions. We explore the impacts of recent drought on fire, forest loss, and atmospheric visibility in lowland Bolivia. To assess human influence on fire, we consider climate, fire, and vegetation dynamics in an area largely excluded from human activities since 1979, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NK) in northeastern Bolivia. We use data from five sources: the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Collection 6 active fire product (2001–2015) (MODIS C6), Global Fire WEather Database (GFWED) data (1982–2015), MODIS land cover data (2001–2010), MODIS forest loss data (2000–2012), and the regional extinction coefficient for the southwestern Amazon (i.e., Bext), which is derived from horizontal visibility data from surface stations at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) level (1973–2015). The Bext is affected by smoke and acts as a proxy for visibility and regional fire emissions. In lowland Bolivia from 2001 to 2015, interannual Drought Code (DC) variability was linked to fire activity, while from 1982 to 2015, interannual DC variability was linked to Bext. From 2001 to 2015, the Bext and MODIS C6 active fire data for lowland Bolivia captured fire seasonality, and covaried between low- and high-fire years. Consistent with previous studies, our results suggest Bext can be used as a longer-term proxy of regional fire emissions in southwestern Amazonia. Overall, our study found drought conditions were the dominant control on interannual fire variability in lowland Bolivia, and fires within NK were limited to the Cerrado and seasonally inundated wetland biomes. Our results suggest lowland Bolivian tropical forests were susceptible to human activities that may have amplified fire during drought. Human activities and drought need to be considered in future projections of southern Amazonian fire, in regard to carbon emissions and global climate.

scholarly journals The impacts of recent drought and fire in lowland Bolivia on forest loss and regional smoke emissions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua P. Heyer ◽  
Mitchell J. Power ◽  
Robert D. Field ◽  
Margreet J. E. van Marle
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Coefficient ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Southern Amazonia

Abstract. In the southern Amazon relationships have been established among drought, human activities that cause forest loss, fire, and smoke emissions. We explore the effects of recent drought on fire, forest loss, and atmospheric visibility in lowland Bolivia. To assess human influence on fire, we consider climate, fire and vegetation dynamics in an area largely excluded from human activities since 1979, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NK) in northeastern Bolivia. We use data from five sources: the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Collection 6 active fire product (2001–2015) (MODIS C6), Global Fire Weather Database data (1982–2015) (GFWED), MODIS land-cover data (2001–2010), MODIS forest loss data (2000–2012), and extinction coefficient derived from horizontal visibility data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-level surface stations (1973–2015), which is affected by smoke and acts as a proxy for regional fire activity. In lowland Bolivia from 2001–2015, interannual Drought Code (DC) variability was linked to fire activity, while from 1982–2015, interannual DC variability was linked to Bext visibility data. From 2001–2015, the regional extinction coefficient for the southwestern Amazon Bext and MODIS C6 active fire data for lowland Bolivia captured fire seasonality, and covaried between low and high fire years. Consistent with previous studies, our results suggest the extinction coefficient Bext can be used as a longer-term proxy of regional fire activity in southwestern Amazonia. Overall, our study found drought conditions were the dominant control on interannual fire variability in lowland Bolivia, and fires within NK were limited to the cerrado and seasonally-inundated wetland biomes. Our results suggest lowland Bolivia tropical forests were susceptible to human activities that may have amplified fire during times of drought. Human activities and drought need to be considered in future projections of southern Amazonia fire, in regard to carbon emissions and global climate.

scholarly journals MODIS 3 km aerosol product: applications over land in an urban/suburban region

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1683-1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Munchak ◽  
R. C. Levy ◽  
S. Mattoo ◽  
L. A. Remer ◽  
B. N. Holben ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
High Spectral Resolution ◽  
New Information ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Langley Research Center ◽  
High Spectral Resolution Lidar ◽  
Error Envelope

Abstract. MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites have provided a rich dataset of aerosol information at a 10 km spatial scale. Although originally intended for climate applications, the air quality community quickly became interested in using the MODIS aerosol data. However, 10 km resolution is not sufficient to resolve local scale aerosol features. With this in mind, MODIS Collection 6 is including a global aerosol product with a 3 km resolution. Here, we evaluate the 3 km product over the Baltimore/Washington D.C., USA, corridor during the summer of 2011, by comparing with spatially dense data collected as part of the DISCOVER-AQ campaign; these data were measured by the NASA Langley Research Center airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) and a network of 44 sun photometers (SP) spaced approximately 10 km apart. The HSRL instrument shows that AOD can vary by up to 0.2 within a single 10 km MODIS pixel, meaning that higher resolution satellite retrievals may help to characterize aerosol spatial distributions in this region. Different techniques for validating a high-resolution aerosol product against SP measurements are considered. Although the 10 km product is more statistically reliable than the 3 km product, the 3 km product still performs acceptably, with more than two-thirds of MODIS/SP collocations falling within the expected error envelope with high correlation (R > 0.90). The 3 km product can better resolve aerosol gradients and retrieve closer to clouds and shorelines than the 10 km product, but tends to show more significant noise especially in urban areas. This urban degradation is quantified using ancillary land cover data. Overall, we show that the MODIS 3 km product adds new information to the existing set of satellite derived aerosol products and validates well over the region, but due to noise and problems in urban areas, should be treated with some degree of caution.

scholarly journals Signature of tropical fires in the diurnal cycle of tropospheric CO as seen from Metop-A/IASI

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 26003-26039 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Thonat ◽  
C. Crevoisier ◽  
N. A. Scott ◽  
A. Chédin ◽  
R. Armante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burned Area ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Diurnal Difference ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Emissions Inventories ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. Five years (July 2007–June 2012) of CO tropospheric columns derived from the IASI hyperspectral infrared sounder onboard Metop-A are used to study the impact of fires on the concentrations of CO in the mid-troposphere. Following Chédin et al. (2005, 2008), who showed the existence of a daily tropospheric excess of CO2 quantitatively related to fire emissions, we show that tropospheric CO also displays a diurnal signal with a seasonality that is in very good agreement with the seasonal evolution of fires given by GFED3.1 (Global Fire Emission Database) emissions and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) burned area. Unlike daytime or nighttime CO fields, which mix local emissions with nearby emissions transported to the region of study, the day-night difference of CO allows to highlight the CO signal due to local fire emissions. A linear relationship is found in the whole tropical region between CO fire emissions from the GFED3.1 inventory and the diurnal difference of IASI CO (R2 ~ 0.6). Based on the specificity of the two main phases of the combustion (flaming vs. smoldering) and on the vertical sensitivity of the sounder to CO, the following mechanism is proposed to explain such a CO diurnal signal: at night, after the passing of IASI at 9.30 p.m. LT, a large amount of CO emissions from the smoldering phase is trapped in the boundary layer before being uplifted the next morning by natural and pyro-convection up to the free troposphere, where it is seen by IASI at 9.30 a.m. LT. The results presented here highlight the need for developing complementary approaches to bottom-up emissions inventories and for taking into account the specificity of both the flaming and smoldering phases of fire emissions in order to fully take advantage of CO observations.

scholarly journals A new transport mechanism of biomass burning from Indochina as identified by modeling studies

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (20) ◽  
pp. 7901-7911 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-Y. Lin ◽  
H.-m. Hsu ◽  
Y. H. Lee ◽  
C. H. Kuo ◽  
Y.-F. Sheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Transport Mechanism ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Indochina Peninsula ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract. Biomass burning in the Indochina Peninsula (Indochina) is one of the important ozone sources in the low troposphere over East Asia in springtime. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data show that 20 000 or more active fire detections occurred annually in spring only from 2000 to 2007. In our tracer modeling study, we identify a new mechanism transporting the tracer over Indochina that is significantly different from the vertical transport mechanism over the equatorial areas such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Simulation results demonstrate that the leeside troughs over Indochina play a dominant role in the uplift of the tracer below 3 km, and that the strong westerlies prevailing above 3 km transport the tracer. These fundamental mechanisms have a major impact on the air quality downwind from Indochina over East Asia. The climatological importance of such a leeside trough is also discussed.

scholarly journals Effect of Using Multi-Year LULC and Monthly LAI Inputs on the Calibration of a Distributed Hydrologic Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Olayode Busari ◽  
Mehmet Cüneyd Demirel ◽  
Alice Newton
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Parameter Uncertainties ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Distributed Hydrologic Model ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

This study explores the use of satellite-based LULC (Land Use / Land Cover) data while simultaneously correcting potential evapotranspiration (PET) input with Leaf Area Index (LAI) to increase the performance of a physically distributed hydrologic model. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) was selected for this purpose due to its unique features. Since LAI input informs the model about vegetation dynamics, we incorporated the LAI based PET correction option together with multi-year LULC data. The Globcover land cover data was selected for the single land cover cases, and hybrid of CORINE (coordination of information on the environment) and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) land cover datasets were chosen for the cases with multiple land cover datasets. These two datasets complement each other since MODIS has no separate forest class but more frequent (yearly) observations than CORINE. Calibration period spans from 1990 to 2006 and corresponding NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency) values varies between 0.23 and 0.42, while the validation period spans from 2007 to 2010 and corresponding NSE values are between 0.13 and 0.39. The results revealed that the best performance is obtained when multiple land cover datasets are provided to the model and LAI data is used to correct PET, instead of default aspect-based PET correction in mHM. This study suggests that to minimize errors due to parameter uncertainties in physically distributed hydrologic models, adequate information can be supplied to the model with care taken to avoid over-parameterizing the model.

scholarly journals Characterization of wildfire NO<sub>x</sub> emissions using MODIS fire radiative power and OMI tropospheric NO<sub>2</sub> columns

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5839-5851 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Mebust ◽  
A. R. Russell ◽  
R. C. Hudman ◽  
L. C. Valin ◽  
R. C. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Radiative Power ◽  
Flaming Combustion ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Current Emission ◽  
Fire Radiative Power

Abstract. We use observations of fire radiative power (FRP) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer~(MODIS) and tropospheric NO2 column measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) to derive NO2 wildfire emission coefficients (g MJ−1) for three land types over California and Nevada. Retrieved emission coefficients were 0.279±0.077, 0.342±0.053, and 0.696±0.088 g MJ−1 NO2 for forest, grass and shrub fuels, respectively. These emission coefficients reproduce ratios of emissions with fuel type reported previously using independent methods. However, the magnitude of these coefficients is lower than prior estimates. While it is possible that a negative bias in the OMI NO2 retrieval over regions of active fire emissions is partly responsible, comparison with several other studies of fire emissions using satellite platforms indicates that current emission factors may overestimate the contributions of flaming combustion and underestimate the contributions of smoldering combustion to total fire emissions. Our results indicate that satellite data can provide an extensive characterization of the variability in fire NOx emissions; 67 % of the variability in emissions in this region can be accounted for using an FRP-based parameterization.

scholarly journals Characterising vegetative biomass burning in China using MODIS data

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianlin Qin ◽  
Hou Yan ◽  
Zihui Zhan ◽  
Zengyuan Li
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Yunnan Province ◽  
Heilongjiang Province ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Vegetative Biomass ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Small Forest

For Chinese fire cases, it was established that the active fire data obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 1-km2 spatial resolution and their subsequent analysis are more accurate and spatially precise than those obtained from the statistical fire data collected by the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of P. R. China. Most (37.5%) of the biomass burning detections from 2000 to 2011 were found in croplands, followed by broadleaf forests (21.2%). Three high-density fire regions were found during the 12-year study period: (1) Heilongjiang Province, where many large forest fires occurred in April–May and September–October; (2) Yunnan Province, where many small forest fires occurred in December–May and (3) Guangdong Province and Guangxi Autonomous Regions, where most fires occurred in croplands in November–March. The largest percentage (10.72%) of the total active fire points was in Heilongjiang Province during 2000–2011, followed by Yunnan Province (10.14%), with several fires taking place in February, April and June.

scholarly journals Prototype Downscaling Algorithm for MODIS Satellite 1 km Daytime Active Fire Detections

Fire ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanath Sathyachandran Kumar ◽  
Joshua J. Picotte ◽  
Birgit Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Uncertainty ◽  
Point Spread Functions ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Science Community ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Shortwave Infrared ◽  
Sky Conditions

This work presents development of an algorithm to reduce the spatial uncertainty of active fire locations within the 1 km MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS Aqua and Terra) daytime detection footprint. The algorithm is developed using the finer 500 m reflective bands by leveraging on the increase in 2.13 μm shortwave infrared reflectance due to the burning components as compared to the non-burning neighborhood components. Active fire presence probability class for each of the 500 m pixels within the 1 km footprint is assigned by locally adaptive contextual tests against its surrounding neighborhood pixels. Accuracy is assessed using gas flares and wildfires in conjunction with available high-resolution imagery. Proof of concept results using MODIS observations over two sites show that under clear sky conditions, over 84% of the 500 m locations that had active fires were correctly assigned to high to medium probabilities, and correspondingly low to poor probabilities were assigned to locations with no visible flaming fronts. Factors limiting the algorithm performance include fire size/temperature distributions, cloud and smoke obscuration, sensor point spread functions, and geolocation errors. Despite these limitations, the resulting finer spatial scale of active fire detections will not only help first responders and managers to locate actively burning fire fronts more precisely but will also be useful for the fire science community.

scholarly journals Tropospheric carbon monoxide variability from AIRS and IASI under clear and cloudy conditions

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 16337-16366 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Warner ◽  
F. Carminati ◽  
Z. Wei ◽  
W. Lahoz ◽  
J.-L. Attié
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Emission Inventory ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
Cloud Mask

Abstract. We study the Carbon Monoxide (CO) variability in the last decade measured by NASA's Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the Earth Observing Systems (EOS)/Aqua satellite and Europe's Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) on MetOp platform. The focus of this study is to analyze CO variability and short-term trends separately for background CO and new emissions based on a new statistical approach. The AIRS Level 2 (L2) retrieval algorithm, as well as the IASI products from NOAA, utilizes cloud clearing to treat cloud contaminations in the signals; and this increases the data coverage significantly to a yield of more than 50% of the total measurements (Susskind et al., 2003). We first study if the cloud clearing affects CO retrievals and the subsequent trend studies by using the collocated Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Ackerman et al., 1998) cloud mask to identify AIRS clear sky scenes. We then separate AIRS CO data into clear and cloud-cleared scenes and into background and new emissions, respectively. Furthermore, we carry out a similar study for the IASI CO and discuss the consistency with AIRS. We validate the CO variability of the emissions developed from AIRS against other emission inventory databases (i.e., Global Fire Emissions Database – GFED3 and the MACC/CityZEN UE – MACCity) and calculate that the correlation coefficients between the AIRS CO emissions and the emission inventory databases are 0.726 for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and 0.915 for the Southern Hemisphere (SH).

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