The FIREsIdE International Collaboration: FIre Radiative powEr validation, Intercomparison & fire emissions Estimation
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: School of Geography
Abstract
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Planned Impact
Who could potentially benefit ?
- International and National Space Agencies, and the engineers developing future missions targeting active fires. Fire product algorithm developers.
- Users of the active fire detections and FRP information worldwide, for example fire managers and those involved in natural resource management in fire prone ecosystems.
- Those fire response personnel working with active fire data for early warning purposes.
- The Copernicus Atmosphere Service developers (e.g. ECMWF) and the users of the Service.
- Governmental organisations responsible for IPCC reporting and those undertaking REDD+ projects that will use satellite data on fires or fire emissions.
b. How might the potential beneficiaries benefit?
Space agencies and the associated engineering companies developing missions targeted at active fire observations will directly benefit from this collaborative action, most notably and directly the ESA (Sentinel-3) and NASA/NOAA (VIIRS on NPOESS). EUMETSAT will also benefit through feed in by Wooster and Roberts to the Meteosat Third Generation Programme, which also has an active fire product planned and which will be launched soon after the completion of this project.
Other beneficiaries will be those many hundreds of users worldwide working with active fire and FRP data for understanding fire patterns, undertaking fire management (e.g. fire early warning) and also working with methods to adjust GHG emissions via fire regime alteration. This is both in terms of the enhanced active fire products, their harmonisation and validation, and also via improvements in our understanding of the emissions factors that must be combined with the FRP data to convert the measurements into emissions estimates.
Furthermore, policy makers, science mission planners, those recipients of air quality forecasts and all other users of the outputs of atmospheric monitoring services such as the Copernicus Atmosphere Service, into which the benefits from this project will flow via the improved and validated FRP products and the associated emissions factors, will be downstream beneficiaries.
The IPCC and the African governmental organisations reporting GHG emissions to them will also benefit through the improvements in emissions quantification. Furthermore, those involved in REDD+ initiatives, for example in Miombo woodlands across southern Africa, that aims to 'establish an incentive mechanism to reduce GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks, and promote sustainable forest management' (UNFCCC, 2011) will also benefit. Downstream beneficiaries of the REDD+ programme, including both conservationists and those working in poverty reduction, stand to ultimately gain.
- International and National Space Agencies, and the engineers developing future missions targeting active fires. Fire product algorithm developers.
- Users of the active fire detections and FRP information worldwide, for example fire managers and those involved in natural resource management in fire prone ecosystems.
- Those fire response personnel working with active fire data for early warning purposes.
- The Copernicus Atmosphere Service developers (e.g. ECMWF) and the users of the Service.
- Governmental organisations responsible for IPCC reporting and those undertaking REDD+ projects that will use satellite data on fires or fire emissions.
b. How might the potential beneficiaries benefit?
Space agencies and the associated engineering companies developing missions targeted at active fire observations will directly benefit from this collaborative action, most notably and directly the ESA (Sentinel-3) and NASA/NOAA (VIIRS on NPOESS). EUMETSAT will also benefit through feed in by Wooster and Roberts to the Meteosat Third Generation Programme, which also has an active fire product planned and which will be launched soon after the completion of this project.
Other beneficiaries will be those many hundreds of users worldwide working with active fire and FRP data for understanding fire patterns, undertaking fire management (e.g. fire early warning) and also working with methods to adjust GHG emissions via fire regime alteration. This is both in terms of the enhanced active fire products, their harmonisation and validation, and also via improvements in our understanding of the emissions factors that must be combined with the FRP data to convert the measurements into emissions estimates.
Furthermore, policy makers, science mission planners, those recipients of air quality forecasts and all other users of the outputs of atmospheric monitoring services such as the Copernicus Atmosphere Service, into which the benefits from this project will flow via the improved and validated FRP products and the associated emissions factors, will be downstream beneficiaries.
The IPCC and the African governmental organisations reporting GHG emissions to them will also benefit through the improvements in emissions quantification. Furthermore, those involved in REDD+ initiatives, for example in Miombo woodlands across southern Africa, that aims to 'establish an incentive mechanism to reduce GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks, and promote sustainable forest management' (UNFCCC, 2011) will also benefit. Downstream beneficiaries of the REDD+ programme, including both conservationists and those working in poverty reduction, stand to ultimately gain.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Gareth Roberts (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Roberts G
(2018)
Investigating the impact of overlying vegetation canopy structures on fire radiative power (FRP) retrieval through simulation and measurement
in Remote Sensing of Environment
Roberts G
(2018)
Fire Activity and Fuel Consumption Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa
in Remote Sensing
| Description | Sentinel-3 has been successfully launched and we have now developed a plan for calibration of the fire product. This plan has now started to be implemented, including with measurements made in Kruger Park piloted under this award. We have also confirmed that the measurement are compatible with those from Terra MODIS to which Sentinel-3 will ultimately take over as the global provider or morning and mid-evening active fire information.Through this research we also have a better understanding of the impact of vegetation canopy structure and instrument parameters on retrievals of fire radiative power (FRP) and of the relationship between FRP and fuel consumption |
| Exploitation Route | Development and validation of the operational Sentinel-3 fire detection and characterisation algorithm |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | A number of papers have been published in academic literature related to the research outcomes achieved to date and these will principally benefit academic researchers with interests in quantifying landscape fire activity using satellite data and in estimating fire emissions. Those academics developing active fire products (University of Maryland: L. Giglio, W. Schroeder) will also benefit through improved understanding of factors that impact FRP retrieval. PI involvement with the GOFC-GOLD Fire Implementation Team (Wooster) and CEOS Land Product Validation Active Fire focus area (Roberts) provides a mechanism for disseminating these findings to academic and non-academic scientists concerned with EO fire science. Non-academic beneficiaries include the European Space Agency (ESA), developers of Sentinel-3, through the validation and improved understanding of the Sentinel-3 Active fire product. This information is disseminated to ESA project managers via PI Wooster. Users of active fire data products will also benefit from this activity which will also help inform the active fire validation protocol being developed by Roberts as the CEOS LPV Active Fire focus area co-chair. Fire managers ( '123Fire') who are concerned with emission mitigation schemes will benefit through the improved understanding of the seasonality of fire emissions factors. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Description | Invitation to present research at the Global Observation of Forest Cover - Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) Fire Implementation Team Workshop (November 2017) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | My presentation discussed the temporal dynamics of landscape fires and fire emissions in Africa and the factors that influence how well we can measure them from space. The latter concerned the impact of viewing a fire through a vegetation canopy and the extent to which this reduced the energy measured at the satellite sensor which in turn affects the estimates of fuel consumption and trace gas emissions. This research suggested approaches which could be used to correct satellite measurements for canopy interception which will lead to improved fire emissions datasets. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Participation in the GOFC-GOLD Fire Implementation Team Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | GOFC-GOLD Fire IT is a subgroup comprised of earth observation and fire scientists and EO Managers. The aim of the meetings is to discuss the current status of monitoring fire from space in terms of capability and user requirements. The group discusses current satellite products, their validation and application and looks to what products are needed to meet user needs and address knowledge gaps. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://gofcgold.org/gofcgold-fire-implementation-team |
| Description | Represent the 'Fire Disturbance' sub-group of the CEOS Land Product Validation body. My role as co-chair is to liaise with the EO community that focuses on the application of satellite 'fire' datasets and those that develop satellite fire products. An important part of the role is the development of active fires \ FRP validation protocol which can then be taken up by scientists in this field of research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | My role as one of the group leaders of the 'fire disturbance' sub-group is to develop the validation protocol of satellite FRP and active fire products and to engage with the user community to promote satellite fire products and their validation. Fire disturbance is an essential climate variable and it is important to validate these products (such as teh Sentinel-3 FRP product) to develop improved long-term datasets for climate science. We have teleconferences every quarter and meet once a year to discuss activities. The CEOS LPV reports back to CEOS, GCOS and relevant space agencies (E.g. ESA, NASA, UKSA) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
| URL | https://lpvs.gsfc.nasa.gov/Fire/Fire_home.html |