I. Fire monitoring in Brazil
The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) provides daily updated satellite imagery on fire events in Brazil and neighbouring countries. The latest NOAA 12 satellite derived fire product is shown below.
INPE-DSA Fire product (NOAA 12), 20 September 2001
(Source: INPE-DSA)
The Center for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies (CPTEC) - of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) is the gateway of Brazil to high quality meteorological forecasts. The computer system receives information derived from Meteosat and GOES satellites, meteorological observational data from GTS Network of the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and from the Brazilian Network which is under the responsability of INMET (Ministry of Agriculture). Aditional information comes from the DEPV (Air Force), DHN (Navy), state meteorological centers and from other international centers. The Brazilian satellite (SCD-1) collects important environmental data and information for the meteorological research at INPE. For further infomation see CPTEC/ INPE, "fire risk".
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Observed fire risk map: 20 September (left), and predicted fire
risk map for Brazil: 21 respectively 22 September 2001
For real-time fire-weather forecast: see: special
meteorological bulletin (in Brazilian-Portuguese)
for the Deforestation Arc (states of Acre, Rondônia, South of Amazonas, North of Mato
Grosso,
Southeast of Pará, Central and Northern Tocantins, and East of Maranhão)
(Source: CPTEC).
Biomass
Burning Monitoring Team of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
At the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) the biomass
burning monitoring team is using the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
(GOES) to detect and monitor fires and smoke associated with wildfires, prescribed burns,
deforestation and other agricultural applications throughout the Western Hemisphere.
GOES-8 ABBA Preliminary Detected Fire Locations from 19 September 2001.
(Source: UW-Madison
CIMSS GOES Biomass Burning Monitoring Program)
Also available: an animated GOES-8 ABBA
composite fire imagery covering the period 13 September to
19 September 2001.
Access
to detailed half-hourly fire data for the Western Hemisphere (UW-Madison CIMSS
GOES Biomass Burning Monitoring Program), including the whole South American
Continent, is facilitated at the following GFMC web page:
Western
Hemisphere (Americas) Half-Hourly Fire Update (GOES Satellite)
Fire in Amazon Rain Forests: Some General Remarks
II. Fire monitoring in Argentina
High-temperature events representing vegetation fires are regularly monitored by the National Commission for Space Activities (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales - CONAE).
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Most
recent fire map of Argentina (14 September 2001) based on NOAA images. Source: Website
CONAE
on which the last 20 images are available by selecting first a date of “Las
últimas 20 imágenes“
and then click on “Oprima aqui para ver la imagen seleccionada”
CONAE provides the following additional products for Argentina.
Select:
* Current sire situation synthesis (Una sintesis de situación)
* A number of LANDSAT images of very high quality (Imágenes LANDSAT)
* Soil moisture (Humedad del suelo)
* List of detailed information of past fire events (Registro de las
actualizaciones)
CONAE
provides a collection of satellite images of wildland fire emergency
situations at:
http://www.conae.gov.ar/emergencia/index.html
For
early warning of wildland fires in Argentina: see web page facilitated by the
GFMC:
Argentina:
Combustion Risk Index and Convectivity Index
Argentina´s
National Fire Management Plan (PNMF) integrates, coordinates and supports the
actions taken by the provinces, the APN and the federal government. The PFNMF
Website is in Spanish and provides a number of useful documents, including
fire basics, statistics and legislation. Fire situation reports from the
provinces can be accessed directly at:
http://www.medioambiente.gov.ar/noticias/incendios/default.asp
Vegetation fires in Argentina occur in a broad range of different ecosystems. For fire background information see: Pre-publication of the Argentina Country Report "Forest Fire Situation in Argentina" (from FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2000, Global Forest Fire Assessment 1990-2000).
For historic remotely sensed images see the GFMC archive:
* Brazil and Neighbouring Countries, and Argentina.
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I. Fire monitoring in neighbouring countries|
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This true-color image from NASA's Terra satellite shows a
staggering number of fires burning across
central South America on September 19, 2001. As a result, there is a thick
layer of smoke and haze
blanketing much of southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The image serves as a
reminder that the
forests in this region are increasingly under pressure from ongoing human deforestation.
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For details see:
Source: Nasa´s Earthobservatory
(Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land
Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC )