How satellites monitor the entire lifecycle of a wildfire
Wildfires can reshape landscapes in mere hours. This video explores how NASA and USGS Landsat satellites use orbital sensors to detect early fire risks, track active blazes, and monitor how ecosystems recover after the flames are gone.
For over 50 years, the Landsat program has provided essential data for managing wildfire risk (S2:p4). Currently, Landsat 8 and 9 utilize two key instruments to monitor Earth: an imager that tracks vegetation health and moisture levels, and a thermal sensor designed to detect heat anomalies (S2:p5, S2:p6). By analyzing visible and infrared wavelengths, scientists can identify dry, stressed plants that act as fuel (S2:p5). Because these satellites revisit the same locations every 8 days, they provide a consistent record of the fire cycle, from the initial spark to long-term forest regeneration (S2:p6).
Source: Guardian Landsat - Firewatch
