Earth  ID: 4741

Active Fires As Observed by VIIRS, 2012-2018

This visualization shows active fires as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, from 2012 to 2018. The VIIRS instrument flies on the Joint Polar Satellite System’s Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 polar-orbiting satellites. Instruments on polar orbiting satellites typically observe a wildfire at a given location a few times a day as they orbit the Earth from pole to pole. VIIRS detects hot spots at a resolution of 375 meters per pixel, which means it can detect smaller, lower temperature fires than other fire-observing satellites. Its observations are about three times more detailed than those from the MODIS instrument, for example. VIIRS also provides nighttime fire detection capabilities through its Day-Night Band, which can measure low-intensity visible light emitted by small and fledgling fires.

This visualization uses a moving five-day average of measured brightness temperature to present a qualitative view of fire intensities around the globe.
 

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Visualization Credits

Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Samson K. Reiny (Wyle Information Systems): Lead Producer
LK Ward (USRA): Lead Producer
Jenny Marder Fadoul (Telophase): Writer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

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Data Used:
Terra and Aqua/MODIS/Blue Marble: Next Generation also referred to as: BMNG
Credit:
The Blue Marble data is courtesy of Reto Stockli (NASA/GSFC).
Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Fire Pixels
Analysis - NASA/GSFC
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Keywords:
SVS >> Fire Management
DLESE >> Human geography
DLESE >> Natural hazards
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Biosphere >> Ecological Dynamics >> Fire Occurrence
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Human Dimensions >> Natural Hazards >> Fires
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> VIIRS
NASA Science >> Earth
SVS >> Suomi
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Biosphere >> Ecological Dynamics >> Fire Ecology

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0