Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide
Abstract Various fire emission estimates for southern Africa during 2019, derived with multiple burned area data sets with resolutions ranging from 500 to 20 m, are evaluated using satellite carbon monoxide (CO) observations. Southern African emissions derived from burned area generated by 20 m Sent...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-06-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106122 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849725855291408384 |
|---|---|
| author | I. R. van derVelde G. R. van derWerf D. vanWees N. A. J. Schutgens R. Vernooij S. Houweling E. Tonucci E. Chuvieco J. T. Randerson M. M. Frey T. Borsdorff I. Aben |
| author_facet | I. R. van derVelde G. R. van derWerf D. vanWees N. A. J. Schutgens R. Vernooij S. Houweling E. Tonucci E. Chuvieco J. T. Randerson M. M. Frey T. Borsdorff I. Aben |
| author_sort | I. R. van derVelde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Various fire emission estimates for southern Africa during 2019, derived with multiple burned area data sets with resolutions ranging from 500 to 20 m, are evaluated using satellite carbon monoxide (CO) observations. Southern African emissions derived from burned area generated by 20 m Sentinel‐2 satellite imagery are up to 120% higher than other estimates because small fires are better detected with a higher‐resolution satellite instrument. A comprehensive comparison between simulated and observed atmospheric CO indicates that the Sentinel‐2 burned area data significantly improves emission estimates, with up to 15% reduction in CO concentration biases in comparison to emissions based on coarser resolution burned area data. We also found that the temporal lag between emissions and atmospheric CO concentrations during the peak fire month was related to atmospheric transport. These findings emphasize the importance of utilizing higher‐resolution satellite instruments in accurately estimating emissions and understanding the impact of small fires on global climate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d71fb31760d040fab51ff9f015f7f47e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-d71fb31760d040fab51ff9f015f7f47e2025-08-20T03:10:21ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-06-015112n/an/a10.1029/2023GL106122Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon MonoxideI. R. van derVelde0G. R. van derWerf1D. vanWees2N. A. J. Schutgens3R. Vernooij4S. Houweling5E. Tonucci6E. Chuvieco7J. T. Randerson8M. M. Frey9T. Borsdorff10I. Aben11SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Leiden The NetherlandsVU Amsterdam Faculty of Science Amsterdam The NetherlandsVU Amsterdam Faculty of Science Amsterdam The NetherlandsVU Amsterdam Faculty of Science Amsterdam The NetherlandsVU Amsterdam Faculty of Science Amsterdam The NetherlandsSRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Leiden The NetherlandsSRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Leiden The NetherlandsDepartment of Geology Geography and the Environment University of Alcalá Alcalá de Henares SpainDepartment of Earth System Science University of California, Irvine Irvine CA USAEarth System Division National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba JapanSRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Leiden The NetherlandsSRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Leiden The NetherlandsAbstract Various fire emission estimates for southern Africa during 2019, derived with multiple burned area data sets with resolutions ranging from 500 to 20 m, are evaluated using satellite carbon monoxide (CO) observations. Southern African emissions derived from burned area generated by 20 m Sentinel‐2 satellite imagery are up to 120% higher than other estimates because small fires are better detected with a higher‐resolution satellite instrument. A comprehensive comparison between simulated and observed atmospheric CO indicates that the Sentinel‐2 burned area data significantly improves emission estimates, with up to 15% reduction in CO concentration biases in comparison to emissions based on coarser resolution burned area data. We also found that the temporal lag between emissions and atmospheric CO concentrations during the peak fire month was related to atmospheric transport. These findings emphasize the importance of utilizing higher‐resolution satellite instruments in accurately estimating emissions and understanding the impact of small fires on global climate.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106122atmospheric modelingatmospheric compositionsatellite measurementsbiomass burningsmall fires |
| spellingShingle | I. R. van derVelde G. R. van derWerf D. vanWees N. A. J. Schutgens R. Vernooij S. Houweling E. Tonucci E. Chuvieco J. T. Randerson M. M. Frey T. Borsdorff I. Aben Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide Geophysical Research Letters atmospheric modeling atmospheric composition satellite measurements biomass burning small fires |
| title | Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide |
| title_full | Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide |
| title_fullStr | Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide |
| title_full_unstemmed | Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide |
| title_short | Small Fires, Big Impact: Evaluating Fire Emission Estimates in Southern Africa Using New Satellite Imagery of Burned Area and Carbon Monoxide |
| title_sort | small fires big impact evaluating fire emission estimates in southern africa using new satellite imagery of burned area and carbon monoxide |
| topic | atmospheric modeling atmospheric composition satellite measurements biomass burning small fires |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106122 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT irvandervelde smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT grvanderwerf smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT dvanwees smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT najschutgens smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT rvernooij smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT shouweling smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT etonucci smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT echuvieco smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT jtranderson smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT mmfrey smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT tborsdorff smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide AT iaben smallfiresbigimpactevaluatingfireemissionestimatesinsouthernafricausingnewsatelliteimageryofburnedareaandcarbonmonoxide |