HR: 1330h
AN: A22B-1073 [PDF]
TI: The Hazard Mapping System (HMS)-a Multiplatform Remote Sensing Approach to Fire and Smoke
Detection
AU: Kibler, J
EM: Jamie.Kibler@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA/NESDIS, 5200 Auth Rd, Camp Springs, MD 20746 United States
AU: * Ruminski, M G
EM: Mark.Ruminski@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA/NESDIS, 5200 Auth Rd, Camp Springs, MD 20746 United States
AB:
The HMS is a multiplatform remote sensing approach to detecting fires and smoke over the US and adjacent areas of Canada and
Mexico that has been in place since June 2002. This system is an integral part of the National Environmental Satellite and
Data Information Service (NESDIS) near realtime hazard detection and mitigation efforts. The system utilizes NOAA's
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and the Moderate
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra and Aqua spacecraft. Automated detection algorithms
are employed for each of the satellites for the fire detects while smoke is added by a satellite image analyst.
In June 2003 the HMS underwent an upgrade. A number of features were added for users of the products generated on the HMS.
Sectors covering Alaska and Hawaii were added. The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) shape files for smoke analysis
is a new feature. Shape files show the progression and time of a single smoke plume as each analysis is drawn and then
updated. The analyst now has the ability to view GOES, POES, and MODIS data in a single loop. This allows the fire analyst
the ability to easily confirm a fire in three different data sets. The upgraded HMS has faster satellite looping and gives
the analyst the ability to design a false color image for a particular region.
The GOES satellites provide a relatively coarse 4 km infrared resolution at satellite subpoint for thermal fire detection but
provide the advantage of a rapid update cycle. GOES imagery is updated every 15 minutes utilizing both GOES-10 and GOES-12.
POES imagery from NOAA-15, NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 and MODIS from Terra and Aqua are employed with each satellite providing twice
per day coverage (more frequent over Alaska). While the frequency of imagery is much less than with GOES the higher
resolution of these satellites (1 km along the suborbital track) allows for detection of smaller and/or cooler burning fires.
Each of the algorithms utilizes a number of temporal, thermal and contextual filters in an attempt to screen out false
detects. However, false detects do get processed by the algorithms to varying degrees. Therefore, the automated fire detects
from each algorithm are quality controlled by an analyst who scans the imagery and may either accept or delete fire points.
The analyst also has the ability to manually add additional fire points based on the imagery.
Smoke is outlined by the analyst using visible imagery, primarily GOES which provides 1 km resolution. Occasionally a smoke
plume seen in visible imagery is the only indicator of a fire and would be manually added to the fire detect file. The Hybrid
Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) is a forecast model that projects the trajectory and dispersion
of a smoke plume over a period of time. The HYSPLIT is run for fires that are selected by the analyst that are seen to be
producing a significant smoke plume. The analyst defines a smoke producing area commensurate with the size of the fire and
amount of smoke detected. The output is hosted on an Air Resources Lab (ARL) web site which can be accessed from the web site
listed below.
All of the information is posted to the web page noted below. Besides the interactive GIS presentation users can view the
product in graphical jpg format. The analyst edited points as well as the unedited automated fire detects are available for
users to view directly on the web page or to download. All of the data is also archived and accessed via ftp.
UR: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE
DE: 3360 Remote sensing
DE: 9350 North America
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting