Space-based forest fire detection concept

Paul J. Thomas; Charles H. Hersom; Peter Kourtz; Gary J. Buttner

doi:10.1117/12.221349

29 September 1995 Space-based forest fire detection concept

Paul J. Thomas, Charles H. Hersom, Peter Kourtz, Gary J. Buttner

Proceedings Volume 2553, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing III; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221349
Event: SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Small, incipient wildfires in the boreal forest can be detected with a space-based infrared sensor that uses currently available technology. At night, wildfires with a temperature of 700 K or more and an area of 1 m² should be visible if there is a clear line of sight to the sensor. Sensor refinements and signal processing could enhance this level of detection. Clouds, topographical variations and the forest canopy may obscure the line of sight, so that multiple looks would significantly improve the probability of detection of a small fire. The relatively long revisit time of a satellite-based sensor is a constraint of the fire management application. Although the cost and revisit time of a spaceborne sensor are currently too high for it to replace airborne sensors, there is an important role as an adjunct sensor operating at night. Many of the specifications of an infrared sensor for wildfire detection are similar to those for space-based surveillance applications, so that useful infrared imagery from space may become available to the forest management community at relatively low cost.

Citation Download Citation

Paul J. Thomas, Charles H. Hersom, Peter Kourtz, and Gary J. Buttner "Space-based forest fire detection concept", Proc. SPIE 2553, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing III, (29 September 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221349

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