How Satellites Track Farm Fires from Stubble Burning
Satellites are used to monitor large-scale farm fires from paddy stubble burning, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, to track their contribution to air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Satellites detect fire and smoke through visible and infrared imaging, providing real-time data on the location and intensity of these fires
Satellites Used and Their Effectiveness
NASA Satellites:
Aqua (launched in 2002) and Suomi-NPP (launched in 2011) are the primary satellites used by the Indian government for monitoring farm fires.
Instruments:
MODIS (Aqua) and VIIRS (Suomi-NPP) capture visible and infrared images of the Earth, identifying fires and smoke during their overpasses at specific times (1:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. local time).
Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (Suomi-NPP) detects aerosols, helping track smoke and its impact on air quality.
These satellites are effective for detecting fires during their overpass but may miss late afternoon or early evening fires, which is a concern for tracking accuracy.
Have Farmers Found Ways to Avoid Detection?
Farmers are reportedly aware of the satellite overpass timings and may delay the burning of stubble until after the satellites have passed to avoid detection.
This has been suggested after a NASA scientist observed that fewer fires were detected during the satellite overpasses but that smoke levels increased later.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reportedly knew that farmers were timing the fires to avoid satellite detection, as noted in internal discussions and reports.
There have been allegations that farmers were advised by government officials to start burning after 4 p.m. to bypass satellite monitoring.
Controversy Over Fire Data and Satellite Accuracy
There are differing reports about the actual number of farm fires.
While some satellite data indicated fewer fires, other satellite sources, like GEO-KOMPSAT 2A (South Korea), showed thicker smoke later in the day, hinting at more fires after the NASA satellite overpasses.
Indian satellites like INSAT-3DR have limitations in detecting fires accurately due to coarse data resolution.
However, RESOURCESAT satellites have better resolution and could potentially improve fire detection accuracy.
Despite advancements in satellite technology, challenges persist in tracking fires accurately due to the timing and resolution limitations of current satellites, as well as intentional delays in burning to avoid detection.
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