2001 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID |
Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| NASA TECHNOLOGY AIDES FIRE MANAGERS
| G01-061 | 08/20/01 |
00:11:17 | As wildfires blaze across the American
west, fire managers have a new tool for monitoring multiple large
fires across several states. NASA's Moderate Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra spacecraft provides a wide
view of active fires. These maps, available in real-time through the
Internet, provide active fire detection for the day as well as show
areas burned in previous days. The United States Forest Service will
use the maps on a strategic level, as they allocate resources for
fires across the country. After large scale fires, MODIS images both
before the fire and of the burn scar left behind can be used in
reforestation efforts.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Blue Complex Fire
- Nearly 50 thousand acres of California have gone up in
flames during the recent western wildfire activity. Many western
states are under a level five fire alert and over 20 thousand
firefighters and military personnel have been dispatched to the
scene. NASA's Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
captures images like this picture of the Blue Complex fire last week
in California. The shots, from August 13-18, show the progress and
containment of the wildfire. Fire managers use the maps to pinpoint
where fires are still burning strong and get a sky-high perspective
of previous burn activity.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): California Fires - Since MODIS can see through clouds, fire managers can use the data MODIS provides for their reforestation efforts after a fire. The first image shows the smoke plumes from fires this past week, including Saturday, August 18. The second image looks at the flames from these fires, with Saturday's active fires pictured in orange and yellow and previous burns shown in black and gray.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (3): Three Views of
Fire - NASA's Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
aboard the Terra spacecraft sees fire regions in 36 different
wavelengths of the spectrum, from visible (first image) to thermal
infrared light, so it has the capacity to see through the smoke in
the atmosphere to detect "hot spots" on the surface (second image).
MODIS can also distinguish flaming fires from burn scars (third
image). MODIS captured these images on August 23, 2000 (image 1 and
2) and September 7, 2000 (image 3).
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (4): MODIS
Instrument - NASA's Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) aboard the Terra spacecraft provides the United States Forest
Service with near real-time data just a few hours after it passes
over a wildfire, adding another tool to its fire-fighting arsenal.
The Forest Service will have a new processing center in place by
October which will start processing fire data minutes after the Terra
overpass.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (5): TERRA
Spacecraft - NASA's Terra spacecraft carries five
instruments that allow scientists to get a better picture of our
planet from space. Terra travels from pole to pole, passing the
equator at the same local time every morning when the view of the
Earth's surface is typically the clearest.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (6): Fire B-Roll
- MODIS aides fire managers both during and after the blaze. Wide
views of burn areas from MODIS help burn teams in the reforestation
process. These shots follow the process on the ground from flames to
burn scar through rehabilitation.
Courtesy: NASA/USFS
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| ITEM (7): Interview Excerpt:
Joe Frost, NIFC - Frost serves as Geographic Information
Systems Coordinator for Forest Fire and Aviation Management at the
National Interagency Fire Center, a partner in the Rapid Fire
Response project.
Courtesy: NASA/USFS
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| ITEM (8): Interview Excerpt:
Chris Justice, University of Maryland - Chris Justice, a
Geography professor at the University of Maryland, is the leader of
the Rapid Response Fire Group.
Courtesy: NASA
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