Worldwide nighttime fires from May 2016 to July 2023, according to data from the World Fire Atlas. Credit: ESA
Wildfires and Global Trends
Rising worldwide temperature levels and the increased frequency of severe weather occasions have caused a surge in the number of wildfires rapidly consuming substantial areas of greenery and forested lands. Nations like Greece and Italy have already experienced the destructive impact of massive blazes.
The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) has reported that, as of July 29, 2023, more than 234,516 hectares of land throughout the European Union have actually already been burned this year alone. The scenario calls for immediate attention and reliable procedures to combat the growing danger postured by these wildfires.
The cumulative month-to-month fire incident according to data from the World Fire Atlas for Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Portugal over the last seven years. Credit: ESA
ESAs World Fire Atlas
Due to the severe wildfires, ESA has actually resumed its World Fire Atlas which offers an insight into the circulation of individual fires taking location at both a nationwide and international scale.
Through its interactive control panel, users can compare the frequency of fires between nations as well as examine the development of fires occurring gradually. The atlas originally opened in 2019, where it supported both European civil security companies and firemens.
The control panel uses night-time information from the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on board the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite. Working like a thermometer in the sky, the sensing unit determines thermal infrared radiation to take the temperature level of Earths land surface areas which is utilized to discover the fires.
Even if the atlas can not get all fires since of satellite overpass restraints and cloud protection, it is statistically representative from one month to the other and from one year to the other. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-3B satellite will be included December 2023.
The cumulative month-to-month fires taking place in Canada from May 2016 to July 2023, according to data from the World Fire Atlas. Credit: ESA
Canadian wildfires and historic data
Over the previous seven years, data from the World Fire Atlas show a substantial number of fires found in Portugal, Italy, Greece, France and Spain with the greatest variety of fires reached in Portugal in August 2016 and October 2017.
Information, which is in terms of pixels, reveal that there were 11 598 fire pixels in Canada during the very first 7 months of 2023. This is a 705% increase compared to the average number of fire pixels discovered over the very same duration (from January 1 to July 31) of the previous six years (from 2017 to 2022).
Canada is presently fighting the nations worst wildfire season on record, with more than 10 million hectares of land burned, which is said to increase in the coming weeks.
Conclusion: ESAs Commitment
ESAs Olivier Arino stated, “The relaunch of the World Fire Atlas provides an important chance for authorities, researchers, and companies to enhance their understanding of fire events worldwide. By utilizing this thorough resource, they can design more reliable techniques for fire prevention and management on a global scale.
” The ongoing commitment of ESA, Copernicus, and the EU to continuously offer this valuable resource reinforces the importance of leveraging space innovation to deal with crucial environmental difficulties.”
The map shows fires taking place across the world between May 2016 and June 2023, using information from the World Fire Atlas. Working like a thermometer in the sky, the sensing unit determines thermal infrared radiation to take the temperature of Earths land surface areas which is used to find the fires.
Terrible wildfires in numerous nations have actually prompted ESAs resuming of the World Fire Atlas, offering in-depth insights and tools to monitor and handle fires internationally, with Canada facing its worst wildfire season on record.
In recent weeks, ravaging wildfires have actually spread in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Tunisia, and Canada, triggering human casualties, in addition to massive ecological and financial damage.
While wildfires are a natural part of lots of environments, scientists have alerted that they are ending up being more frequent and more widespread. In reaction, an upgraded variation of ESAs World Fire Atlas is now offered providing a detailed analysis of wildfires throughout the globe.
The map reveals fires taking location throughout the world between May 2016 and June 2023, utilizing data from the World Fire Atlas. The atlas offers an in-depth analysis of wildfires throughout the globe and utilized nighttime information from the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite. The data have been overlaid onto ESAs World Cover map which utilizes data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission from 2021. Working like a thermometer in the sky, the sensor measures thermal infrared radiation to take the temperature of Earths land surface areas which is utilized to spot the fires. Credit: ESA