MODIS Terra Daily Fire Detection Swath Data at 5km Resolution

MODIS/Terra Near Real Time Thermal Anomalies/Fire products provide level-2 swath data for global fire detection. The dataset includes 23 Science Data Sets such as fire-mask, algorithm quality, and radiative power layers, derived from MODIS 4- and 11-micrometer radiances. Terra MODIS instrument acquires these validated, science-ready data twice daily at 10:30 AM and PM.

Use Cases

• Classify fire pixels using the fire-mask layer to map active fire locations globally.
• Analyze fire intensity trends by examining the radiative power layer across different regions.
• Assess detection reliability for specific observations using the algorithm quality layer.
• Monitor diurnal fire activity patterns by combining Terra AM and PM observations with Aqua MODIS data.

Strengths

• Includes 23 distinct Science Data Sets (SDS HDF layers) per observation.
• Provides validated, Version-5 data suitable for use in scientific publications.
• Offers global coverage with four daily observations from Terra and Aqua MODIS instruments.

Limitations

• Data resolution is coarse at 5 kilometers, limiting detection of smaller fires.
• Product is swath data with no projection, requiring processing for standard geospatial analysis.
• File size of approximately 990 KB per observation indicates limited per-file detail.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata, MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite.

Collection Method

Derived from MODIS 4- and 11-micrometer radiances using a fire detection strategy based on absolute and relative detection.

Time Range

Daily, with observations at specific times (Terra: 10:30 AM and PM).

Freshness

Near Real Time (NRT), with daily data acquisition.

Geography

Global.