Fire: Fires

MAAP #119: Predicting 2020 Brazilian Amazon Fires

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2019 Brazilian Amazon fire burning recently deforested area, not uncontrolled forest fire. Data: Planet; Analysis: MAAP.

The Brazilian Amazon fires made international headlines last year.

By analyzing an archive of satellite imagery (from Planet Explorer), we made the major discovery that many of the 2019 fires were actually burning recently deforested areas (MAAP #113). In fact, many of the fires were burning areas deforested earlier that same year of 2019.

Thus, we may predict 2020 fire locations based on identifying major deforestation events in the early months of this year.

Using a novel methodology*, we estimate the deforestation of over 150,000 hectares (373,240 acres) of primary forest in the Brazilian Amazon thus far in 2020 (through May 25). Thus, there is high potential for another intense fire season.

Below, we illustrate the process of predicting 2020 fires based on recent deforestation.

Note: In MAAP #118 we just reported that the first major fires of 2020 were in fact burning recently deforested areas (2018-19).

 

Predicting 2020 fires

In the Base Map, the yellow dots indicate the largest new deforestation events that we predict are likely 2020 fire locations. See below for satellite imagery examples (letters A-G). Two of the likely fire points are within protected areas (see Annex).

Base Map. Major 2020 deforestation events (yellow dots) as predictors of 2020 fire events. Data: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, UMD/GLAD, RAISG, MAAP. Click to Enlarge.

Examples of Major 2020 Deforestation Events

Below is a series of images showing the major deforestation events of 2020 that we predict are likely upcoming fire locations (see letters A-G on the Base Map above for context). The red arrows point to the major deforestation events. Note that all of the deforestation areas are surrounded by primary forest that could be impacted if fires escape. Also note that several deforestation areas are quite large, over 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres).

Zoom A (Mato Grosso)

Zoom A shows the deforestation of 775 hectares (1,915 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Mato Grosso.

Zoom A. Click to enlarge.

Zoom B (Mato Grosso)

Zoom B shows the deforestation of 205 hectares (510 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Mato Grosso.

Zoom B. Click to enlarge.

Zoom C (Mato Grosso)

Zoom C shows the deforestation of 395 hectares (980 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Mato Grosso.

Zoom C. Click to enlarge.

Zoom D (Mato Grosso)

Zoom D shows the deforestation of 300 hectares (735 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Mato Grosso.

Zoom D. Click to enlarge.

Zoom E (Rondônia)

Zoom E shows the deforestation of 840 hectares (2,075 acres) between January (left panel) and April 2020 (right panel), in the state of Rondônia.

Zoom F (Amazonas)

Zoom F shows the deforestation of 2,395 hectares (5,920 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Amazonas.

Zoom F. Click to enlarge.

Zoom G (Pará)

Zoom G shows the deforestation of 5,990 hectares (14,800 acres) between January (left panel) and May 2020 (right panel), in the state of Pará.

Zoom G. Click to enlarge.

Coordinates

World Eckert IV (Decimal Degrees) (X,Y)

Zoom A: -54.862624, -11.971904
Zoom B: -55.087026, -11.836788
Zoom C: -56.999405, -11.979054
Zoom D: -57.128192, -11.896948
Zoom E: -62.658907, -8.477944
Zoom F: -58.892358, -6.567775
Zoom G: -54.948419, -7.853721

2020 Fire Forecast

The July – September 2020 forecast points to an active fire season in most of the western Amazon – much of central and southern Peru, northern Bolivia and the Brazilian states of Acre and Rondônia. This year’s forecast indicates an active fire season of similar magnitude to those of 2005 and 2010, when widespread fires were observed in the region.

To more information check:https://firecast.cast.uark.edu/

Annex – Likely 2020 fire locations in relation to Protected Areas and Indigenous Territories

 

Methodology

*We developed a novel methodology to estimate deforestation of primary forest in the Brazilian Amazon. For 2020 data, we merged confirmed GLAD alerts (University of Maryland) with select DETER alerts from the Brazilian space  agency (INPE). This methodology takes advantage of the higher resolution of the GLAD alerts (30 meters vs 64 meters from DETER), but also the national expertise of the Brazilian government.

For the DETER data, we used the three deforestation and mining categories (DESMATAMENTO CR, DESMATAMENTO Vegetal, and MINERACAO). We avoided overlapping areas with the GLAD alerts.

Finally, we filtered the data for only primary forest loss. For our estimate of primary forest loss, we intersected the forest cover loss data with the additional dataset “primary humid tropical forests” as of 2001 (Turubanova et al 2018). We also removed all previous forest loss data 2001-19.

Acknowledgements

We thank J. Beavers, S. Novoa, K. Fernandes, and G. Palacios for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD),  International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Erol Foundation.

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2020) Deforestation and Fires in the Brazilian Amazon – 2020. MAAP:

MAAP #118: Aplicativo de monitoramento de incêndios na Amazônia em tempo real

Posted on by dcadmin
Imagem 1. Primeiro grande incêndio na Amazônia em 2020, em Mato Grosso, Brasil. Dados: Planet.

A tempo para a próxima temporada de incêndios, estamos relançando uma versão aprimorada do nosso  aplicativo de monitoramento de incêndios em tempo real da Amazon , hospedado pelo Google Earth Engine.

Quando os incêndios queimam, eles emitem gases e aerossóis.* Um novo satélite (Sentinel-5P da Agência Espacial Europeia) detecta essas  emissões de aerossóis .*

O principal recurso do aplicativo é  a identificação fácil de usar e em tempo real de grandes incêndios  na Amazônia, com base nas emissões de aerossóis detectadas pelo Sentinel-5P.

O aplicativo também contém os comumente usados ​​“ alertas de incêndio ”, que são dados baseados em satélite de anomalias de temperatura.*
.
Assim, o usuário combina dados da atmosfera (aerossol) com dados do solo (temperatura) para  identificar a origem dos grandes incêndios .

Como os dados são atualizados diariamente e não são impactados por nuvens,  o monitoramento em tempo real  realmente é possível. Nossa meta é carregar a nova imagem de cada dia até a meia-noite.

Usando o aplicativo, identificamos recentemente o primeiro grande incêndio na Amazônia de 2020 em 28 de maio, no estado do Mato Grosso, no Brasil. Ele estava queimando uma área recentemente desmatada em julho de 2019.

Abaixo, fornecemos instruções sobre como usar o aplicativo, usando o incêndio de 28 de maio como exemplo.

 

Instruções e
como identificamos o primeiro grande incêndio na Amazônia brasileira em 2020

Etapa 1. Abra o aplicativo de monitoramento de incêndios em tempo real , hospedado pelo Google Earth Engine. Examine a Amazônia em busca de  emissões de aerossóis de grandes incêndios (indicados em amarelo, laranja e vermelho ). Neste caso, identificamos emissões elevadas no sudeste da Amazônia brasileira (em 28 de maio de 2020).


Etapa 2. Clique no menu “ Layers ” no canto superior direito para mais opções. Por exemplo, clicando em “ State/Department Boundaries ” vemos que as emissões estão vindo do Mato Grosso. Note que você também pode adicionar “ Protected Areas ” e verificar as datas das imagens e alertas.

Etapa 3. Aumente o zoom nas emissões de aerossóis.

Etapa 4. Ajuste (deslize para baixo) a transparência da camada de emissões para ver os alertas de incêndio subjacentes . Usamos os alertas para localizar a fonte das emissões (veja o círculo roxo). Obtenha as coordenadas dos alertas clicando no mapa e, em seguida, verificando a barra “Coordenadas” à esquerda (abaixo das Instruções).

Etapa 5. Entramos com as coordenadas no Planet Explorer e encontramos uma imagem de alta resolução para o mesmo dia (28 de maio), confirmando o primeiro grande incêndio na Amazônia de 2020. A área queimada foi de 357 hectares (882 acres).

Previsão dos incêndios na Amazônia brasileira em 2020

Usando o arquivo Planet, descobrimos que essa área exata foi desmatada entre julho e agosto de 2019 e depois queimada em maio de 2020. Isso se encaixa em nossa descoberta importante recente de que muitos incêndios na Amazônia brasileira estão, na verdade, queimando áreas recentemente desmatadas ( MAAP #113 ). Para mais informações sobre como prever incêndios futuros com base no desmatamento recente, consulte MAAP #119 .

Previsão de incêndios para 2020

A previsão de julho a setembro de 2020 aponta para uma temporada ativa de incêndios na maior parte da Amazônia ocidental – grande parte do centro e sul do Peru, norte da Bolívia e os estados brasileiros do Acre e Rondônia. A previsão deste ano indica uma temporada ativa de incêndios de magnitude semelhante às de 2005 e 2010, quando incêndios generalizados foram observados na região.

Para mais informações, consulte: https://firecast.cast.uark.edu/

*Notas

  • Definição de aerossol: Suspensão de partículas sólidas finas ou gotículas de líquido no ar ou outro gás.
  • Os altos valores nos índices de aerossol (AI) também podem ser devidos a outras razões, como emissões de cinzas vulcânicas ou poeira do deserto. Por isso, algumas áreas, como o Salar de Uyuni, no oeste da Bolívia, frequentemente apresentam tons alaranjados ou vermelhos.
  • A resolução espacial dos dados do aerossol é de 7,5 km²
  • Os alertas de incêndio são dados de satélite de anomalias de temperatura no solo com resolução de 375 m
  • Coordenadas do primeiro grande incêndio na Amazônia em 2020: 11,92° S, 54,06°
  • Aqui está o link para uma breve história sobre o segundo grande incêndio na Amazônia em 2020 , também no Mato Grosso, em 8 de junho. Ele queimou uma área desmatada em 2018. Coordenadas: 12,56° S, 54,03° W.

Referências

Gorelick, N., Hancher, M., Dixon, M., Ilyushchenko, S., Thau, D., & Moore, R. (2017). Google Earth Engine: Análise geoespacial em escala planetária para todos. Sensoriamento remoto do ambiente.”
https://earthengine.google.com/faq/

Agradecimentos

Agradecemos a E. Ortiz, S. Novoa, K. Fernandes, G. Palacios pelos comentários úteis às versões anteriores deste relatório.

Este trabalho foi apoiado pelos seguintes financiadores principais: USAID/NASA (SERVIR), Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI), Agência Norueguesa para Cooperação para o Desenvolvimento (NORAD), Fundo Internacional de Conservação do Canadá (ICFC), Metabolic Studio e Erol Foundation.

Citação

Finer M, Villa L, Mamani N (2020) Aplicativo de monitoramento de incêndios na Amazônia em tempo real. MAAP: #118.

MAAP #113: Satellites Reveal what Fueled Brazilian Amazon Fires

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Base Map. Brazilian Amazon 2019. Data: UMD/GLAD, NASA (MODIS), DETER, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA.

As part of our ongoing coverage, we present two key new findings about the Brazilian Amazon fires that captured the world’s attention in August (see our novel satellite-based methodology below).

First, we found that many of the fires, covering over 450,000 hectares, burned areas recently deforested since 2017 (orange in Base Map). That is a massive area equivalent to over a million acres (or 830,000 American football fields), mostly in the states Amazonas, Rondônia, and Pará.

Importantly, 65% (298,000 hectares) of this area was both deforested and burned this year, 2019.

Second, we found 160,400 hectares of primary forest burned in 2019 (purple in Base Map).* Most of these areas surround deforested lands in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará, and were likely pasture or agricultural fires that escaped into the forest.

As far as we know, these are the first precise estimates based on detailed analysis of satellite imagery. Other estimates based solely on fire alerts tend to greatly overestimate burned areas due to their large spatial resolution.

Below we present a series of satellite time-lapse videos showing examples of the different types of fires we documented.

Policy Implications

The policy implications of these findings are critically important: national and international focus needs to be on minimizing new deforestation, in addition to fire prevention and management.

That is, we need to recognize that many of the fires are in fact a lagging indicator of previous deforestation, thus to minimize fires we need to minimize deforestation.

For example, one of the leading deforestation drivers in the Brazilian Amazon is cattle ranching (1, 2, 3). What measures can be taken to prevent the further expansion of the ranching frontier?

Satellite Time-lapse Videos

Deforestation Followed by Fire

Video A shows the deforestation of 1,760 hectares (4,350 acres) in Mato Grosso state in 2019 (May to July), followed by fires in August. Planet link.

Video B shows the deforestation of 650 hectares (1,600 acres) in Rondônia state in 2019 (April to July), followed by fire in August. Planet link.

Deforestation Caused by Fire

Videos C-D show 2019 fires burning primary or secondary forest surrounding recently or previously cleared areas.

*Notes

In addition to the finding of 160,400 hectares of primary forest burned in 2019, we also found: 25,800 hectares of secondary forest burned in 2019;
35,640 hectares of primary forest burned in the northern state of Roraima in March 2019 (plus an additional 16,500 hectares of secondary forest.

Methodology

Deforestation Fires

We created two “hotspots” layers, one for deforestation and the other for fires, by conducting a kernel density analysis. This type of analysis calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon, in this case forest loss alerts (proxy for deforestation) and temperature anomaly alerts (proxy for fires)

Specifically, we used the following data three sets:

2019 GLAD alert forest loss data (30 meter resolution) from the University of Maryland and available on Global Forest Watch.

2017 and 2018 forest loss data (30 meter resolution) from the University of Maryland and available on Global Forest Watch (4).

NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) MODIS-based fire alert data (1 km resolution).

We conducted the analysis using the Kernel Density tool from Spatial Analyst Tool Box of ArcGIS, using the following parameters:

Search Radius: 15000 layer units (meters)
Kernel Density Function: Quartic kernel function
Cell Size in the map: 200 x 200 meters (4 hectares)
Everything else was left to the default setting.

For the Base Map, we used the following concentration percentages: Medium: 10%-25%; High: 26%-50%; Very High: >50%. We then combined all three categories into one color (yellow for deforestation and red for fire). Orange indicates areas where both layers overlap. As background layer, we also included pre-2019 deforestation data from Brazil’s PRODES system.

We prioritized the orange overalp areas for further analysis. For the major orange areas in Rondônia, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Acre, and Pará, we conducted a visual analysis using the satellite company Planet’s online portal, which includes an extensive archive of Planet, RapidEye, Sentinel-2, and Landsat data. Using the archive, we identified areas that we visually confirmed a) were deforested in 2017-19 and b) were later burned in 2019 between July and September. We then used the area measure tool to estimate the size of these areas, which ranged from large plantations ( ~1,000 hectares) to many smaller areas scattered across the focal landscape.

Forest Fires:

To estimate forests burned in 2019 we combined analysis of several datasets. First, we started with 30 meter resolution ‘burn scar’ data produced by INPE (National Institute for Space Research) DETER alerts, updated through October 2019. In order to avoid overlapping areas, we eliminated alerts previously reported from 2016 to 2018, and alerts from other land use categories (selective logging, deforestation, degradation and mining, and other). Second, we eliminated previously reported 2001-18 forest loss from University of Maryland and INPE (PRODES). Third, to distinguish burning of primary and secondary forest, we incorporated primary forest data from the University of Maryland (5).

References

  1. Krauss C, Yaffe-Bellany D, Simões M (2019) Why Amazon Fires Keep Raging 10 Years After a Deal to End Them. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/world/americas/amazon-fires-brazil-cattle.html
  2. Kelly M, Cahlan S (2019) The Brazilian Amazon is still burning. Who is responsible? Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/07/brazilian-amazon-is-still-burning-who-is-responsible/#click=https://t.co/q2XkSQWQ77
  3. Al Jazeera (2019) See How Beef Is Destroying The Amazon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o2M_KL8X6g&feature=youtu.be
  4. Hansen, M. C., P. V. Potapov, R. Moore, M. Hancher, S. A. Turubanova, A. Tyukavina, D. Thau, S. V. Stehman, S. J. Goetz, T. R. Loveland, A. Kommareddy, A. Egorov, L. Chini, C. O. Justice, and J. R. G. Townshend. 2013. “High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change.” Science 342 (15 November): 850–53.
  5. Turubanova S., Potapov P., Tyukavina, A., and Hansen M. (2018) Ongoing primary forest loss in Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia. Environmental Research Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aacd1c 

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Satellites Reveal what Fueled Brazilian Amazon Fires. MAAP: 113.

MAAP #111: Fires in the Bolivian Amazon – Using Google Earth Engine to Monitor

Posted on by dcadmin
Recent fire in the dry forests of the the Bolivian Amazon. Data: Planet.

We begin a new series on how to harness the power of the cloud to improve real-time monitoring in the Amazon and beyond.

As the amount of data from satellite images has skyrocketed, so have the challenges of research teams to fully utilize this abundant and heavy (in  terms of terabytes) information.

In response, tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have been offering their powerful computer power, via the internet (cloud), to help process, analyze, display, and store big data.

Here, we feature Google Earth Engine, which is designed for the free processing of geospatial information (including satellite imagery) and publishing results on web applications.

In our first example, we show the power of Google Earth Engine to help with fire monitoring in the Bolivian Amazon. As noted in our previous reports, the 2019 fire season in Bolivia has been intense, with numerous major fires in the Amazonian dry forests and savannas.

There is currently an urgent need for real-time monitoring of active fires to assist ongoing fire management efforts at the national level. In response, we developed the application described below.

 

 

The App “Amazon Fires – Bolivia”

Screen shot of the “Amazon Fires – Bolivia” app.

We developed the application “Amazon Fires – Bolivia” that allows users to easily access and analyze an archive of recent satellite images of the Bolivian Amazon fires in near real-time.

Specifically, the user can compare aerosol data (from the satellite Sentinel-5P), with recent imagery from five different satellites (Terra, Aqua, Suomi, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 radar).

We recommend viewing the aerosol data on the left panel and most recent imagery on the right panel.

Aeresol data (Ultraviolet Aerosol Index) does a strikingly good job of accurately and precisely highlighting the location of active fires because it is showing the actual emissions (pollutants) from the fires (as opposed to the commonly used fire alert data which detect general temperature anomalies, not actual fires). It is important to note that it can be calculated in the presence of clouds so that daily, global coverage is possible. This app represents one of the first major uses of the aerosol data from Sentinel-5P to detect fires in real-time.

Reds indicate the highest levels of aeresol (and likely the largest fires), followed by orange, yellow, green, light blue, purple, dark blue, and black.

Note that if you zoom out, the aerosol data also covers much of the Brazilian Amazon.

Currently, new images are automatically included in the app when they are added to the Google Earth Engine dataset (typically with a delay of one or two days), but during critical times we will manually upload new imagery daily.

Our hope is that relevant actors, including government and fire-fighting crews, can use this real-time information to better address the fires.

Link to the App “Amazon Fires – Bolivia”:
https://luciovilla.users.earthengine.app/view/monitoring-amazon-fires

Imagery Guide

The app shows images in natural color. As a guide, below we show a series of natural color images in relation to “false color” infrared images, which better highlight burn scars (black) in relation to the vegetation (red).

Guide 1. Data: Planet.
Guide 2. Data: Planet.
Guide 3. Data: Planet.

Acknowledgements

We thank D. Larrea (ACEAA), M. Terán (ACEAA), C. de Ugarte (ACEAA), and A. Condor (ACCA) for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

The development of this application was made possible thanks to the support provided by the Google Earth Engine team, with the support of SilvaCarbon (technical advisory program that provides spaces for countries to learn about new tools) and the SERVIR Amazonia program.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Villa L, Finer M (2019) Fires in the Bolivian Amazon – Using Google Earth Engine to Monitor. MAAP: 111.

MAAP #110: Major Finding – Many Brazilian Amazon Fires follow 2019 Deforestation

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2019 fire in the Brazilian Amazon (Rondônia) that followed 2019 deforestation. Data: Planet.

In MAAP #109 we reported a major finding critical to understanding this year’s fires in the Brazilian Amazon: many of the 2019 fires followed 2019 deforestation events.

Here, we present our more comprehensive estimate: 125,000 hectares (310,000 acres) deforested in 2019 and then later burned in 2019 (July-September). This is equivalent to 172,000 soccer fields.*

Thus, the issue is both deforestation AND fire; the fires are often a lagging indicator of recent agricultural deforestation.

This key finding flips the widely reported assumption that the fires are burning intact rainforests for crops and cattle.

Instead, we find it’s the other way around, the forests were cut and then burned, presumably to enrich the soils. It is “slash and burn” agriculture, not “burn and slash.”

The policy implications are important: national and international focus needs to be on minimizing new deforestation, in addition to fire prevention and management.

This breakthrough data is based on our analysis of an extensive satellite imagery archive, allowing us to visually confirm areas that were deforested in 2019 and later burned in 2019 (see Methodology).

Below we present a new series of 7 striking timelapse videos that vividly show examples of 2019 deforestation followed by fires (See Base Map below for exact zoom locations).

Timelapse Videos: 2019 Deforestation followed by Fires

Video 1 shows the deforestation of 845 hectares (2,090 acres) in Mato Grosso state in early 2019, followed by fires starting in July. Planet link.

 

Video 2 shows the deforestation of 910 hectares (2,250 acres) in Amazonas state in early 2019, followed by fires in August. Planet link.

 

Video 3 shows the deforestation of 650 hectares (1,600 acres) in Rondônia state in early 2019, followed by fire starting in X. Planet link.

 

Video 4 shows the deforestation of 1,760 hectares (4,350 acres) in Mato Grosso state in early 2019, followed by fires in August. Planet link.

 

Video 5 shows the deforestation of 350 hectares (865 acres) in Amazonas state in early 2019, followed by fires in August. Planet link.

 

Video 6 shows the deforestation of 4,275 hectares (10,550 acres) in Pará state in early 2019, followed by fires in August. Planet link.

 

Video 7 shows the large-scale deforestation of 1,450 hectares (3,600 acres) in Amazonas state between April and August, followed by fire in September. Note this is the same area shown as Zoom A in MAAP #109 for the scenario (Deforestation-No Fire) but it just now was burned. Planet link.

*Notes

It is important to emphasize that we documented this deforestation followed by fire in the moist Amazon rainforest areas of Amazonas (39,100 ha), Rondônia (21,100 ha), Pará (48,704), and Mato Grosso (16,420 ha) states.

In MAAP #109 we reported that another concerning source of many fires is the burning of savannah areas around the rainforest, for example in Mato Grosso.

We continue to monitor for the emergence of uncontained forest fires as the dry season continues.

Methodology

We prioritized areas highlighted in orange in the Base Map presented in MAAP #109. These orange areas indicate the overlap of 2019 forest loss alerts (GLAD alerts from the University of Maryland) and 2019 fire alerts (from NASA’s MODIS satellite sensor).

For the major orange areas in Rondônia, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Acre, and Pará, we conducted a visual analysis using the satellite company Planet’s online portal, which includes an extensive archive of Planet, RapidEye, Sentinel-2, and Landsat data. Using the archive, we identified areas that we visually confirmed a) were deforested in 2019 and b) were later burned in 2019 between July and September. We then used the area measure tool to estimate the size of these areas, which ranged from large plantations ( ~1,000 hectares) to many smaller areas scattered across the focal landscape.

The data is updated  through mid September 2019.

The Base Map in the Annex indicates the location of the areas featured in the timelapse zooms.

Annex: Base Map

The numbers (1-7) correspond to the location of the areas in the videos above.

Base Map. 2019 deforestation and fire hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: UMD/GLAD, NASA (MODIS), PRODES

Coordinates:
Video 1. Mato Grosso (11.64° S, 54.77° W)
Video 2. Amazonas (9.07° S, 67.54° W)
Video 3. Rondônia (8.61° S, 63.01° W)
Video 4. Mato Grosso (9.91° S, 60.33° W)
Video 5. Amazonas (6.60° S, 60.10° W)
Video 6. Pará (5.87° S, 53.55° W)
Video 7. Amazonas (8.94° S, 65.91° W)

Acknowledgements

We thank T. Souto (ACA) and A. Folhadella (ACA) for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) MAAP #110: Major Finding – Many Brazilian Amazon Fires follow 2019 Deforestation. MAAP: 110.

MAAP #109: Fires and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, 2019

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. 2019 deforestation and fire hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: UMD/GLAD, NASA (MODIS), PRODES

The fires in the Brazilian Amazon have been the subject of intense global attention over the past month.

As part of our ongoing coverage, we go a step further and analyze the relationship between fire and deforestation in 2019.

First, we present the first known Base Map showing both 2019 deforestation and fire hotspots, and, importantly, the areas of overlap. The letters correspond to Zooms below.

Second, we present a series of 16 high-resolution timelapse videos (Zooms A-K), courtesy of the satellite company Planet. They show five scenarios that we have documented thus far in 2019:

  1. Deforestation (No Fire)
  2. Deforestation (Followed by Fire)
  3. Agriculture Fire
  4. Savanna Fire
  5. Forest Fire

The key finding is that Deforestation (Followed by Fire) is critically important to understandng this year’s fire season (see Zooms B-E).

We documented numerous cases of 2019 deforestation events followed by intense fires, covering at least 52,500 hectares (130,000 acres) and counting. That is equivalent to 72,000 soccer fields.

The other common scenario is Agriculture Fire in areas cleared prior to 2019, but close to surrounding forest (see Zooms F and G).

We are also now seeing more examples of Savanna Fire in grassland areas among the rainforest. These fires can be large — we show a 24,000 hectare burn (60,000 acres) in Kayapó indigenous territory (see Zoom H).

We did not observe major Forest Fires in the moist Brazilian Amazon during August, but we did document such fires in early March in Roraima state. As the dry season continues into September and October, however, forest fires become a greater risk.

1. Deforestation (No Fire)

Zoom A shows the large-scale deforestation of 1,450 hectares (3,600 acres) in Amazonas state between April and August 2019. The deforestation seems to be for agricultural purposes and shows no signs of fire.

Zoom A. Deforestation (no Fire). Data: Planet, ESA.

2. Deforestation (Followed by Fire)

The key finding of this analysis was the widespread scenario of major deforestation events followed by intense fires. This (and not Forest Fire) likely explains why many fires were quite smoky. Below we show four examples from the Amazonian states of Rondônia (Zooms B and C), Amazonas (Zoom D), and Pará (Zoom E). In these four examples, we directly measured 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) that were deforested and then burned in 2019.

Zoom B. Deforestation (Followed by Fire) in Rondônia. Data: Planet, ESA.

Zoom C. Deforestation (Followed by Fire) in Rondônia. Data: Planet, ESA.

Zoom D. Deforestation (Followed by Fire) in Amazonas. Data: Planet, ESA.

Zoom E. Deforestation (Followed by Fire) in Pará. Data: Planet, ESA.

3. Agriculture Fire

Zooms F and G show the other widespread scenario of fires clearing agriculture areas. In most cases, the fires seem contained to the agriculture area, but we have found examples of burning surrounding forest (but not turning into runaway forest fires). As the dry season continues, however, there is an elevated risk of agricultural fires escaping into the surrounding forest and causing larger fires.

Zoom F. Agriculture fire. Data: Planet, ESA.

Zoom G. Agriculture fire. Data: Planet, ESA.

4. Savanna Fire

We have recently been detecting fires burning through drier ecosystems, such as savannas, located in pockets among the moist rainforest. Zooms H and I show savanna fires in Kayapó and Munduruku indigenous territories, respectively. These savanna fires can burn large areas, for example more than 24,000 hectares (60,000 acres) in Kayapó territory , and 700 hectares  (1,700 acres) in Munduruku territory.

Zoom H. Savanna fire in Kayapó indigenous territory. Data: Planet, ESA.

Zoom I. Savanna fire in Munduruku indigenous territory. Data: Planet, ESA.

5. Forest Fire

During August we have not documented large forest fires in the moist forests of the western Brazilian Amazon, our main focal area. Forest fires may be more common in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, especially as we get deeper into the burning season. For example, Zoom J shows some recent fires in the ridges of Kayapó indigenous territory that have burned around 930 hectares (2,300 acres).

Zoom J. Forest fire in the ridges of Kayapó indigenous territory. Data: Planet, ESA.

It is important to note that we have not yet documented any large, runaway fires through the moist forests of the Brazilian Amazon that seem to be the media and public perception of the situation. The large fires we have seen are in the dry and scrub forests of the Brazilian and Bolivian Amazon (see MAAP #108). Interestingly however, there were major forest fires earlier in the year (early March) in northern Brazil (Roraima state). Zoom I shows an example of these fires near Yanomami indigenous territory.

Zoom K. Forest fire in early March 2019 in Roraima state. Data: Planet, ESA.

Methods

We created two “hotspots” layers, one for deforestation and the other for fires, by conducting a kernel density analysis. This type of analysis calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon, in this case forest loss alerts (proxy for deforestation) and temperature anomaly/fire alerts.

We used GLAD alert forest loss data (30 meter resolution) from the University of Maryland and available on Global Forest Watch. Data thru August 2019.

We used NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) MODIS-based fire alert data (1 km resolution). Data thru August 2019.

We conducted the analysis using the Kernel Density tool from Spatial Analyst Tool Box of ArcGIS, using the following parameters:

Search Radius: 15000 layer units (meters)
Kernel Density Function: Quartic kernel function
Cell Size in the map: 200 x 200 meters (4 hectares)
Everything else was left to the default setting.

For the Base Map, we used the following concentration percentages: Medium: 10%-25%; High: 26%-50%; Very High: >50%. We then combined all three categories into one color (yellow for deforestation and red for fire). Orange indicates areas where both layers overlap. As background layer, we also included pre-2019 deforestation data from Brazil’s PRODES system.

Acknowledgements

We thank G. Hyman (SIG), A. Flores (NASA-SERVIR), and A. Folhadella (ACA) for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Fires and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, 2019. MAAP: 109.

 

MAAP #108: Understanding the Amazon Fires with Satellites, part 2

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Base Map. Updated Amazon fire hotspots map, August 20-26, 2019. Red, Orange, and Yellow indicate the highest concentrations of fire, as detected by NASA satellites that detect fires at 375 meter resolution. Data. VIIRS/NASA, MAAP.

Here we present an updated analysis on the Amazon fires, as part of our ongoing coverage and building off what we reported in MAAP #107.

First, we show an updated Base Map of the “fire hotspots” across the Amazon, based on very recent fire alerts (August 20-26). Hotspots (shown in red, orange, and yellow) indicate the highest concentrations of fire as detected by NASA satellites.

Our key findings include:

– The major fires do NOT appear to be in the northern and central Brazilian Amazon characterized by tall moist forest (Rondônia, Acre, Amazonas, Pará states),* but in the drier southern Amazon of Brazil and Bolivia characterized by dry forest and shrubland (Mato Grosso and Santa Cruz).

– The most intense fires are actually to the south of the Amazon, along the border of Bolivia and Paraguay, in areas characterized by drier ecosystems.

– Most of the fires in the Brazilian Amazon appear to be associated with agricultural lands. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary may be expanding plantations or escaping into forest, including indigenous territories and protected areas.

– The large number of agriculture-related fires in Brazil highlights a critical point: much of the eastern Amazon has been transformed into a massive agricultural landscape over the past several decades. The fires are a lagging indicator of massive previous deforestation.

– We continue to warn against using satellite-based fire detection data alone as a measure of impact to Amazonian forests. Many of the detected fires are in agricultural areas that were once forest, but don’t currently represent forest fires.

In conclusion, the classic image of wildfires scorching everything in their path are currently more accurate for the unique and biodiverse dry forests of the southern Amazon then the moist forests to the north. However, the numerous fires at the agriculture-moist forest boundary are both a threat and stark reminder of how much forest has been, and continues to be, lost by deforestation.

Next, we show a series of 11 satellite images that show what the fires look like in major hotspots and how they are impacting Amazonian forests. The location of each image corresponds to the letters (A-K) on the Base Map.

*If anyone has detailed information to the contrary, please send spatial coordinates to maap@amazonconservation.org

Zooms A, B: Chiquitano Dry Forest (Bolivia)

Some of the most intense fires are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. The Chiquitano is part of the largest tropical dry forest in the world and is a unique, high biodiversity, and poorly explored Amazonian ecosystem. Zooms A-C illustrate fires in the Chiquitano between August 18-21 of this year, likely burning a mixture of dry forest, scrubland, and grassland.

Zoom A. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data: Planet.
Zoom B. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data: Planet.

Zoom D: Beni Grasslands (Bolivia)

Zoom D shows recent fires and burned areas in Bolivia’s Beni grasslands.

Zoom D. Recent fires and burned areas in Bolivia’s Beni grasslands. Data: ESA.

Zooms E,F,G,H: Brazilian Amazon (Amazonas, Rondônia, Pará, Mato Grosso)

Zoom E-H take us to moist forest forests of the Brazilian Amazon, where much of the media and social media attention has been focused. All fires we have seen in this area are in agricultural fields or at the agriculture-forest boundary. Note Zoom E is just outside a national park in Amazonas state; Zoom F shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Rondônia state; Zoom G shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary within a protected area in Pará state; and Zoom H shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Mato Grosso state.

Zoom E. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary outside a national park in Amazonas state. Data: Planet.
Zoom F. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Rondônia state. Data: ESA.
Zoom G. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary within a protected area in Pará state.
Zoom H. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Mato Grosso. Data: ESA.

Zooms I, J: Southern Mato Grosso (Brazil)

Zooms I and J shows fires in grassland/scrubland at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Note both of these fires are within Indigenous Territories.

Zoom I. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data: Planet.
Zoom J. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data: Planet.

Zooms C, K: Bolivia/Brazil/Paraguay Border

Zooms C and K show large fires burning in the drier ecosytems at the Bolivia-Brazil-Paraguay border. This area is outside the Amazon Basin, but we include it due it’s magnitude.

Zoom C. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data: Planet.
Zoom K. Large fires burning around the Gran Chaco Biosphere Reserve. Data: NASA/USGS.

Acknowledgements

We thank  J. Beavers (ACA), A. Folhadella (ACA), M. Silman (WFU), S. Novoa (ACCA), M. Terán (ACEAA), and D. Larrea (ACEAA) for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Seeing the Amazon Fires with Satellites. MAAP: 108.

MAAP #107: Seeing the Amazon Fires with Satellites

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Recent fire (late July 2019) in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: Maxar.

Fires now burning in the Amazon, particularly Brazil and Bolivia, have become headline news and a viral topic on social media.

Yet little information exists on the impact on the Amazon rainforest itself, as many of the detected fires originate in or near agricultural lands.

Here, we advance the discussion on the impact of the fires by presenting the first Base Map of current “fire hotspots” across three countries (Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru). We also present a striking series of satellite images that show what the fires look like in each hotspot and how they are impacting Amazonian forests. Our focus is on the most recent fires in August 2019.

Our key findings include:

  • Fires are burning Amazonian forest in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
    .
  • The fires in Bolivia are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano forests in the southern Amazon.
    .
  • The fires in Brazil are much more scattered and widespread, often associated with agricultural lands. Thus, we warn against using fire detection data alone as a measure of impact as many are clearing fields. However, many of the fires are at the agriculture-forest boundary and maybe expanding plantations or escaping into forest.
    .
  • Although not as severe, we also detected fires burning forest in southern Peru, in an area that has become a deforestation hotspot along the Interoceanic Highway.

Given the nature of the fires in Bolivia and Brazil, estimates of total burned forest area are still difficult to determine. We will continue monitoring and reporting on the situation over the coming days.


Base Map

The Base Map shows “fire hotspots” for the Amazonian regions of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru in August 2019. The data comes from a NASA satellite that detects fires at 375 meter resolution. The letters (A-G) correlate to the satellite image zooms below.

Base Map. Fire Hotspots in the Amazon during August 2019. Data: VIIRS/NASA.

Zoom A: Southern Bolivian Amazon

Fires are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. It is part of the largest tropical dry forest in the world. The fires coincide with areas that have been part of cattle ranching expansion in recent decades (References 1 and 2), suggesting that poor burning practices could be the cause of the fires. Ranching using sown pastures has previously been referred to as a direct cause of forest loss in Bolivia (References 2 and 3). The Bolivian National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI) issued high wind alerts in July and August for southern Bolivia, which could have led to the expansion of poorly managed fires. Also, August is usually the driest month of the year in this region. These conditions could explain the origin (poor fire practice) and expansion (little rain and strong winds) of the current fires.

Zoom A1. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data: ESA
Zoom A2. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data: ESA
Zoom A3. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data: Planet

Zooms B, C, E, F, G: Western Brazilian Amazon

The major fires in western Brazil seem to be at the agriculture-forest boundary. Note that Zoom B shows fire in a protected area in Amazonas state; Zoom C seems to show fire escaping (or deliberately set) in the primary forests in Rondonia state; and Zooms F and G seems to show fire expanding plantation into forest in Amazonas and Mato Grosso states, respectively.

Zoom B. Fire in a protected area in Amazonas state. Data: ESA
Zoom C. Fires at agriculture-forest boundary in Rondonia state. Data: Sentinel.
Zoom E. Fire escaping (or deliberately set) in the primary forests in Rondonia state. Data: Planet
Zoom F. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Amazonas state. Data: Planet.
Zoom G. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Mato Grosso state. Data: Planet.
Bonus Zoom. Recent fire in Brazilan Amazon. Data: Planet.

 

Zoom D: Southern Peruvian Amazon

Fires burning forest near the town of Iberia, an area along the Interoceanic Highway that has become a deforestation hotspot in the region of Madre de Dios (see MAAP #28 and MAAP #47).

Zoom D. Fire in southern Peruvian Amazon (near Iberia, Madre de Dios). Data: ESA

Additonal References

We have these to be some of the most informative additional references:

New York Times, Aug 24

Global Forest Watch, Aug 23

Technical References

1 Müller, R., T. Pistorius, S. Rohde, G. Gerold & P. Pacheco. 2013. Policy options to reduce deforestation based on a systematic analysis of drivers and agents in lowland Bolivia. Land Use Policy 30(1): 895-907. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. landusepol.2012.06.019

2 Muller, R., Larrea-Alcázar, D.M., Cuéllar, S., Espinoza, S. 2014.  Causas directas de la deforestación reciente (2000-2010) y modelado de dos escenarios futuros  en las tierras bajas de Bolivia. Ecología en Bolivia 49: 20-34.

3 Müller, R., P. Pacheco & J. C. Montero. 2014. El contexto de la deforestación y degradación de los bosques en Bolivia: Causas, actores e instituciones. Documentos Ocasionales CIFOR 100, Bogor. 89 p.

Acknowledgements

We thank  J. Beavers, D. Larrea, T. Souto, M. Silman, A. Condor, and G. Palacios for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Novoa S, Finer M (2019) Seeing the Amazon Fires with Satellites. MAAP: 107.

MAAP #62: Fire, Rain, and Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon

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In 2016, Peru experienced an intense forest fire season (MAAP #52, MAAP #53). A leading hypothesis was that intense drought facilitated the escape of agricultural burns. To investigate, this report analyzes the dynamic between fires and precipitation over the past 15 years, finding a strong temporal correlation (Image 62a). We also investigate the link between fires and forest loss, finding a spatial correlation.

Image 62a. Data: TRMM, FIRMS/NASA, PNCB/MINAM, GLAD/UMD

Fire and Rain

Image 62a (see above) compares satellite data for fires and precipitation. Note that the three years with the least rain (2005, 2010, and 2016) correlate with the most fires (see pink lines)*. Similarly, the years with the most rain (2006 and 2014) correlate with low fire levels. Therefore, the 15-year data set indicates a strong correlation between fires and precipitation.

The exceptions of 2007 and 2012, which experienced spikes in fires despite relatively high precipitation, may be explained by the establishment of large-scale oil palm projects which generated many fires (MAAP #16, MAAP #41).

*See the Annex for information regarding the importance of increased number of dry days in 2005, 2010, and 2016.

Fire and Forest Loss

Image 62b. Data: FIRMS/NASA, PNCB/MINAM, GLAD/UMD

Image 62b shows the spatial correlation between fires and forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon over the last 15 years. The inset boxes indicate some of the hotspots that are common between the two variables.

Link between Fire, Rain, and Forest Loss

Image 62c. MAAP

A relationship exists between three key variables: fire, rain, and forest loss.

Amazonian research has found that drought increases fuel material within forests (References 1, 2, 3).

Thus, as illustrated in Image 62c, the reduction of precipitation results in an increase in combustible material that facilitates the conditions for forest fires and deforestation, which ultimately results in an increase in forest loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase in Dry Days

Image 62d: Data: NASA/IGP (Reference 6).

The years with the lowest annual rainfall – 2005, 2010, and 2016 – also had an increased number of “dry days” (24 hours without precipation). The number of dry days is linked to tree mortality, generating flammable material (References 4-5).

Image 62d shows a comparison of the frequency of dry days at two hydrometric stations in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Note that the number of dry days is 2016 was similar to the historic droughts in 2005 and 2010.

The Geophysical Institute of Peru (Instituto Geofisico del Perú) is monitoring the frequency of dry days in real time, as part of a study on extreme hydrological events in the Amazon. The monitoring of the frequency of dry days, a key variable regarding vegetative conditions and photosynthetic activity in the Amazon during extreme droughts, can be an important indicator of forest fire risk.

References

1. Alencar A et al. 2011. Temporal variability of forest fires in Eastern Amazonia. Ecological Aplications. 21(7) 2397-2412.

2. Armanteras & Retana, 2012. Dynamics, Patterns and Causes of Fires in Northwestern Amazonia. ONE 7(4): e35288. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035288

3. Gutierrez Velez et al., 2014. Land cover change interacts with drought severity to change fire regimes in Western Amazonia. Ecological Aplications. 24(6) 1323-1340.

4. Marengo, J.A & Espinoza, J.C. 2015. Review Extreme seasonal droughts and floods in Amazonia: causes, trends and impacts. International Journal of Climatology.

5. Espinoza JC; Segura H; Ronchail J; Drapeau G; Gutierrez-Cori O. 2016. Evolution of wet- and dry-day frequency in the western Amazon basin: Relationship with atmospheric circulation and impacts on vegetation. Water Resources Research.

6. Proyecto IGP-IRD, financiado mediante Innovate Peru: 397-PNICP-PIAP-2014: http://intranet.igp.gob.pe/eventos-extremos-amazonia-peruana/

Citation

Novoa S, Finer M (2017) Fire, Rain, and Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 62.

MAAP 59: Power of “Small Satellites” from Planet

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Image 59a. Source: Planet

The company Planet is pioneering the use of high-resolution “small satellites” (Image 59a). They are a fraction of the size and cost of traditional satellites, making it possible to produce and launch many as a large fleet. Indeed, Planet now operates 149 small satellites, known as Doves, the largest fleet in history. The Doves capture color imagery at 3-5 meter resolution, and will line up (like a string of pearls) to cover everywhere on Earth’s land area every day.

Over the past year, MAAP* has demonstrated the power of Planet imagery to monitor deforestation and degradation in near real-time in the Amazon. A consistent flow of new, high-resolution imagery is needed for this type of work, making Planet’s fleet model ideal. Below, we provide a recap of key MAAP findings based on Planet imagery, for a diverse set of cases including gold mining, agriculture deforestation, logging roads, wildfire, blowdowns, landslides, and floods.**

*MAAP has been fortunate to have access to Planet imagery via the Ambassador program.
**Note: In the images below, the red dot (•) indicates the same location across time between panels.

Illegal Gold Mining

Image 59b. Data: Planet, SERNANP

We used Planet imagery to closely track the recent illegal gold mining invasion of Tambopata National Reserve, a mega-diverse protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Image 59b is a GIF showing the full invasion: from the initial invasion in January 2016, to subsequent deforestation advances in July and November 2016, and the most recent image in March 2017. The total deforestation from the invasion is over 1,235 acres. These images were an important resource for authorities, civil society, and the media responding to the situation.

Illegal Agriculture Deforestation

Image 59c. Data: Planet, SERNANP

We used Planet imagery to document numerous cases of small-scale deforestation for illegal agricultural practices. These examples are important because, cumulatively, small-scale deforestation represents the vast majority (80%) of forest loss events in the Peruvian Amazon (see MAAP Synthesis #2). Image 59c shows the rapid appearance of several new agricultural plots between May (left panel) and June (right panel) 2016 within an important natural protected area in the central Peruvian Amazon, El Sira Communal Reserve.

Logging Roads

Image 59d. Data: Planet

We used Planet imagery to show the rapid construction of logging roads. For example, Image 59d shows the construction of a logging road in the buffer zone of an important national park in the central Peruvian Amazon (Cordillera Azul) between November 2015 (left panel) and July 2016 (right panel).

Wildfire

Image 59e. Data: Planet

Planet imagery was also an important resource to monitor the intense wildfires in Peru last year. Image 59e shows forest loss from an escaped agricultural fire in the northern Peruvian Amazon between May (left panel) and October (right panel) 2016. Note the imagery even caught the smoke from the fires in September (middle panel).

Blowdowns

Image 59f. Data: Planet

We used Planet to help document a little-known, but important, type of natural forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon: blowdown due to strong winds from localized storms known as “hurricane winds.” Image 59f shows a high-resolution view of a recent major blowdown event between January (left panel) and August (right panel) 2016 in the northern Peruvian Amazon.

Landslides

Image 59g. Data: Planet

Planet imagery recently revealed an interesting natural phenomenon: a major landslide within a remote, rugged section of Peru’s newest national park, Sierra del Divisor. Image 59g shows the area between October 2016 (left panel) and March 2017 (right panel).

Floods

Image 59h. Data: Planet

Finally, Planet imagery played a key role in monitoring the impacts of the recent deadly floods that hit the northern Peruvian coast. Image 59h shows the rapid flooding of agricultural plots along a river in northern Peru between February (left panel) and March (right panel) 2017.

References

Planet Team (2017). Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA. https://api.planet.com

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Mascaro J (2017) Power of “Small Satellites” from Planet. MAAP: 59.