Surface moisture and temperature trends anticipate drought conditions linked to wildfire activity in the Iberian Peninsula. Issue 1 (1st January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chaparro, David; Piles, María; Vall-llossera, Mercè; Camps, Adriano
• Is Part Of: European journal of remote sensing. Volume 49:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 955
• Page End: 971
• Publication Date: 2016-01-01
• Subjects: Wildfires -- soil moisture -- surface temperature -- anomalies -- SMOS -- fire risk assessment; Remote sensing -- Periodicals; Remote sensing; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.3678
• DOI: 10.5721/EuJRS20164950
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2279-7254

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, drought conditions involving risk of fires are detected applying SMOS-derived soil moisture data and land surface temperature models. Moisture-temperature (SM-LST) patterns studied between 2010 and 2014 were linked to main fire regimes in the Iberian Peninsula. Most wildfires burned in warm and dry soils, but the analysis of pre-fire conditions differed among seasons. Absolute values of SM-LST were useful to detect prone- to-fire conditions during summer and early autumn. Complementarily, SM-LST anomalies were related to droughts and high fire activity in October 2011 and February-March 2012. These episodes were coincident with abnormally anticyclonic atmospheric conditions. Results show that combined trends of new soil moisture space-borne data and temperature models could enhance fire risk assessment capabilities. This contribution should be helpful to face the expected increase of wildfire activity derived from climate change.