Evaluating and Improving GOES Wildfire Detection & Characterization

Photo Credit

Courtesy photo by NOAA & NASA GOES-R Program.

NOAA's GOES-18 satellite captures 2022 Wildfires Erupting in the Pacific Northwest. From GOES-18 Data and Imagery.

Wildfire incident management teams (IMTs) need up-to-date fire detection, perimeter mapping, fire radiated power, and other information derived from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational environmental Satellites (GOES) and other NOAA space-borne assets. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Wildfire Crisis Strategy implementation, a team of researchers will collaborate with the NOAA Wildfire Start Rapid Detection team to evaluate spatial accuracy of wildfire detection, perimeter, and other maps under development for supporting incident management.

The NOAA team will use GOES-R and other NOAA satellite platforms for their work. To evaluate NOAA maps, the researchers will use high-resolution information from other space-based sensors being developed with support from U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management (ASFS FAM).The kind of information emerging from NOAA and the USFS FAM efforts will not only support wildfire incident management but also has the potential for use in addressing a range of research questions on wildfires, including wildfire-treatment outcomes.      

Objective 

The research team for this project will work with the NOAA Wildfire Start Rapid Detection team and the Thermal Working Group to improve the fire detection, perimeter, fire radiated power, and other information that comes from the NOAA’s satellites.

Outputs 

This research will focus on applications to wildfire management for resource benefit.

Expected Outcomes 

The information from NOAA and the USDA FS FAM efforts will not only help manage wildfires but could also be used to answer other research questions about wildfires, including effectiveness of wildfire treatments.

Metrics of Success 

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: NOAA follows rigorous standards for producing, documenting, securing, and sharing their products (data and software). The research team will follow these standards. Any information from NOAA data and use in publication will meet the standards used by the U.S. Forest Service’s Research Data archive.

Geographies and High-Risk Landscapes to be Addressed

National – all landscapes across the continental U.S. will be included.