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Brazil Fire Characterization and Burn Area Estimation Using the Airborne Infrared Disaster Assessment (AIRDAS) SystemRemotely sensed estimations of regional and global emissions from biomass combustion have been used to characterize fire behavior, determine fire intensity, and estimate burn area. Highly temporal, low resolution satellite data have been used to calculate estimates of fire numbers and area burned. These estimates of fire activity and burned area have differed dramatically, resulting in a wide range of predictions on the ecological and environmental impacts of fires. As part of the Brazil/United States Fire Initiative, an aircraft campaign was initiated in 1992 and continued in 1994. This multi-aircraft campaign was designed to assist in the characterization of fire activity, document fire intensity and determine area burned over prescribed, agricultural and wildland fires in the savanna and forests of central Brazil. Using a unique, multispectral scanner (AIRDAS), designed specifically for fire characterization, a variety of fires and burned areas were flown with a high spatial and high thermal resolution scanner. The system was used to measure flame front size, rate of spread, ratio of smoldering to flaming fronts and fire intensity. In addition, long transects were flown to determine the size of burned areas within the cerrado and transitional ecosystems. The authors anticipate that the fire activity and burned area estimates reported here will lead to enhanced information for precise regional trace gas prediction.
Document ID
20020034899
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Brass, J. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Riggan, P. J.
(Forest Service Riverside, CA United States)
Ambrosia, V. G.
(Johnson Controls World Services Moffett Field, CA United States)
Lockwood, R. N.
(Forest Service Riverside, CA United States)
Pereira, J. A.
(Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Higgins, R. G.
(SIMCO Electronics Moffett Field, CA United States)
Peterson, David L.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Meeting Information
Meeting: Chapman Conference on Biomass Burning and Global Change
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Country: United States
Start Date: March 13, 1995
End Date: March 17, 1995
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 579-43-03-10
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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