Document Type
Paper
Abstract
In the past decade, forest fires were responsible for approximately 32,230 deaths, up 20.5% since 2009, and 157.9 billion dollars of damage, up 90.6% since 2009 (U.S. Fire Administration). Furthermore, countless habitats and water resources were destroyed, and pollution increased due to fires. Advanced space technology has been employed to monitor the earth and mitigate potential damage inflicted by forest fires. The primary technology used for this purpose is the GOES Series of satellites in geosynchronous orbit and equipped with infrared imagers. These imagers provide images at a ground resolution of 1 km, a resolution that is insufficient to detect fires in their early stages. Another method of observing forest fires from space is through the use of spectral imaging performed by smaller imagers, ideally incorporated on the many Low Earth Orbit communication satellites being developed. The significantly lower altitudes of Low Earth Orbit satellites may provide better ground resolution to detect early fire stages. These smaller imager utilize spectral imaging to create an electromagnetic “signature” of burning biomass. If a scientific camera can adequately acquire this data, and the data can be analyzed and reported as a fire signature, this imaging technique could be implemented with aerospace systems, including drones or balloonsats, to monitor high fire risk areas. This experiment analyzes the wavelength signature created when pine needles are burning. When combustion takes place within pine needles, potassium is emitted around 770-780nm. The experiments conducted in this research use an array of PCO imagers and filters close to controlled fires to detect the potassium emission released in burning pine needles during the combustion process. Overall, this project aims to analyze the validity and effectiveness of this imaging technique, which the future application of incorporating the imagers on LEO satellites in mind. Through the process of collecting biomass samples, igniting these samples and observing the fire with a PCO camera and camera acquisition software, executing post-processing analysis of the images, the effectiveness of this technique should be reasonably determined.
Spectral Imaging for Forest Fire Detection
In the past decade, forest fires were responsible for approximately 32,230 deaths, up 20.5% since 2009, and 157.9 billion dollars of damage, up 90.6% since 2009 (U.S. Fire Administration). Furthermore, countless habitats and water resources were destroyed, and pollution increased due to fires. Advanced space technology has been employed to monitor the earth and mitigate potential damage inflicted by forest fires. The primary technology used for this purpose is the GOES Series of satellites in geosynchronous orbit and equipped with infrared imagers. These imagers provide images at a ground resolution of 1 km, a resolution that is insufficient to detect fires in their early stages. Another method of observing forest fires from space is through the use of spectral imaging performed by smaller imagers, ideally incorporated on the many Low Earth Orbit communication satellites being developed. The significantly lower altitudes of Low Earth Orbit satellites may provide better ground resolution to detect early fire stages. These smaller imager utilize spectral imaging to create an electromagnetic “signature” of burning biomass. If a scientific camera can adequately acquire this data, and the data can be analyzed and reported as a fire signature, this imaging technique could be implemented with aerospace systems, including drones or balloonsats, to monitor high fire risk areas. This experiment analyzes the wavelength signature created when pine needles are burning. When combustion takes place within pine needles, potassium is emitted around 770-780nm. The experiments conducted in this research use an array of PCO imagers and filters close to controlled fires to detect the potassium emission released in burning pine needles during the combustion process. Overall, this project aims to analyze the validity and effectiveness of this imaging technique, which the future application of incorporating the imagers on LEO satellites in mind. Through the process of collecting biomass samples, igniting these samples and observing the fire with a PCO camera and camera acquisition software, executing post-processing analysis of the images, the effectiveness of this technique should be reasonably determined.
