Currently, we’re moving into a fire season for the North American west coast that is like nothing we have ever seen before. As we’ve discussed previously on this show, the land is drier, and the foliage is worse off than has been seen before. Any random spark from a car, dropped ash from a cigarette, or misbegotten firework could set everything ablaze. 

Until recently, watching for fires was the job of infrared satellites, people in fire watch stations, other eyes on the ground, and picture taking images in the sky. Unfortunately, clouds can get in the way of all these methods. This includes thunderstorms with fire triggering lightning as well as smoke-associated fires. As we discussed last week, there is one technique for looking through clouds: radar. Specifically, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) allows orbiting satellites to map the surface of our world in amazing detail, even through clouds. 

In new research led by Amy Parker and published in Remote Sensing, researchers show that these precise surface measurements can be used to see moving fire and other problems. Parker puts it this way: SAR data can be used to precisely map topography, track movements of the ground surface, characterize land-use change, and map damage to infrastructure, all of which can significantly improve how we track and respond to natural disasters.

While Synthetic Aperature Radar isn’t a new technology, it hasn’t been cheap enough for broad use until now. Parker adds: Previously SAR data has been considered too expensive to use as a tool for hazard mitigation, but our findings show, through Sentinel-1 we now have economically viable wall-to-wall, consistent sensor imaging of Australia. The uptake of SAR data for hazard applications globally will continue to benefit from validated case studies such as ours, the development of tools that support operational use, and the continued provision of open-access imagery by large-scale satellite missions.

As much as I hate that this research was successful because there were natural detectors to test this system, I think all of us can be grateful that the system is here now to help peer through the clouds to see what dangers may be coming.

More Information

Curtin University press release

“Applications of Satellite Radar Imagery for Hazard Monitoring: Insights from Australia,” Amy L. Parker et al., 2021 April 7, Remote Sensing