SCAR-B Fires in the Tropics: Properties and their Remote Sensing from EOS-MODIS 
The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument will be launched on the NASA Earth Observing System in 1998 for a 10:30 am and 10:30 pm equatorial crossing polar orbit. The MODIS instrument will sense fires for the first time with designated 3.9 µm and 11 µm channels that saturate at high temperatures (500K and 400K respectively). MODIS data will be used to detect fires, to estimate the rate of emission of radiative energy from the fire, and to estimate the fraction of biomass that is burned in the smoldering phase. The rate of emission of radiative energy is a measure of the rate of combustion of biomass in the fires. In the Smoke Cloud and Radiation experiment in Brazil (SCAR-B) we tested this MODIS application. The NASA ER-2 aircraft flew the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) to measure the fire thermal and mid-IR signature with a 50 m resolution. The data are used to observe the thermal properties and sizes of fires in the cerrado and Amazon region of Brazil and to simulate and foresee the performance of the MODIS 1 km resolution fire observations. Although some fires saturated the MAS 3.9 µm channel, all the fires were well under the MODIS instrument saturation levels.  
Kaufman, Y.J., R.G. Kleidman, and M.D. King. (1998) SCAR-B Fires in the Tropics: Properties and their Remote Sensing from EOS-MODIS, Submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research SCAR-B Special issue JGR-S224. 

Potential Global Fire Monitoring from EOS-MODIS 
The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the polar-orbiting Earth Observation System (EOS) providing morning and evening global observations in 1998 and afternoon and night observations in 2000. These four MODIS daily fire observations will advance global fire monitoring with special 1 km resolution fire channels at 4 µm and 11 µm, with high saturation of about 450 K and 400 K, respectively. MODIS data will also be used to monitor burn scars, vegetation type and condition, smoke aerosols, water vapor and clouds for overall monitoring of the fire process and its effects on ecosystems, the atmosphere and the climate.  The MODIS fire science team is preparing algorithms that use the thermal signature to separate the fire signal from the background signal. This information will be used in monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution of fires in different ecosystems, detecting changes in fire distribution and identifying new fire frontiers, wild fires, and changes in the frequency of the fires or their relative strength. We plan to combine the MODIS fire measurements with a detailed diurnal cycle of the fires from geostationary satellites. 
Kaufman, Y.J., C. Justice, L. Flynn, J. Kendall, E. Prins, L. Giglio, D.E. Ward, P. Menzel, and A. Setzer. (1998)  Potential Global Fire Monitoring from EOS-MODIS 

Estimating Fire-related Carbon Flux in Alaska Boreal Forests Using Multi-sensor Remote Sensing Data 
Wildfire plays an integral role in carbon cycling throughout the world's boreal forests. Its effects are both direct and indirect, and occur over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. By far the largest short-term effect of fire on the carbon balance is the direct release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from the burning of biomass. The changes in post-fire biogenic emissions results in a long-term effect on the carbon balance, so the effect of fire on carbon released via biological activity cannot be discounted. These two effects are the most important pathways for carbon release from boreal forest ecosystems. Carbon fixation is also important in determining the overall carbon budget.  The large size, remoteness, and temporal variability in occurrence of wildfires in boreal forest regions make remote sensing techniques well suited for monitoring and studying wildfire. The goal of this paper is two-fold: First, to illustrate how different remote sensing systems detect signatures related to wildfires in boreal forests. And second, to demonstrate how information derived from remotely-sensed data can be used to study patterns of carbon flux from boreal forests. 
French, N.H.F., E. Kasischke, R. D. Johnson, L. L. Bourgeau-Chavez, A. L. Frick and S. L. Ustin. (1996)  Estimating Fire-related Carbon Flux in Alaska Boreal Forests Using Multi-sensor Remote Sensing Data.  Submitted to AGU Chapman Conference on Biomass Burning and Climate Change vol. 2, pp. 808-826. 

Estimating Release of Carbon from Forest Fires in Alaska using Satellite Remote Sensing Data 
While there is little doubt that fossil fuel burning has led to increases in the atmospheric concentration of CO₂, over the past century, analyses show this increase is significantly less than the total amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere through this burning. Studies have shown that other human practices (land-clearing and biomass burning) have released significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere (Houghton 1991). In addition, terrestrial and aquatic biomes act as sources and sinks for atmospheric carbon based upon a complex set of biological, chemical and physical processes. Studies have indicated that fires in boreal forests could become a significant source of carbon to the atmosphere over the next half century (Kasischke et. al. 1994a).  In this paper, we develop a ground-based model of biomass levels and carbon-release during fires in Alaskan boreal forests to estimate the amounts of carbon released during fire in this region for 1990 and 1991.  
Kasischke, E.S., L.L. Bourgeau-Chavez, N.H.F. French, S.L. Ustin and N.L. Christensen (1994), Estimating Release of Carbon from Forest Fires in Alaska using Satellite Remote Sensing Data.  In Proceedings International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium IGARSS '94.   August 8-12, 1994 California Institute of Technology.  

Monitoring of Wildfires in Boreal Forests Using Large Area AVHRR NDVI Composite Image Data 
Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) composite image data, produced from AVHRR data collected in 1990, were evaluated for locating and mapping the areal extent of wildfires in the boreal forests of Alaska during that year. A technique was developed to map forest fire boundaries by subtracting a late-summer AVHRR NDVI image from an early summer scene. The locations and boundaries of wildfires within the interior region of Alaska were obtained from the Alaska Fire Service, and compared to the AVHRR-derived fire boundary map. It was found that AVHRR detected 89.5% of all fires with sizes greater than 2000 ha with no false alarms and that, for most cases, the general shape of the fire boundary detected by AVHRR matched those mapped by field observers.  However, the total area contained within the fire boundaries mapped by AVHRR were only 61% of those mapped by the field observers. However, the AVHRR data used in this study did not span the entire time period during which fires occurred, and it is believed the areal estimates could be improved significantly if an expanded AVHRR data set were used. 
Kasischke, E.S., H.H.F. French, P. Harrell, N.L. Christensen Jr., S.L. Ustin, and D. Barry. (1993)  Monitoring of Wildfires in Boreal Forests Using Large Area AVHRR NDVI Composite Image Data. Remote Sensing of Environment 45(1):61-71.