Terra MODIS 8-Day Global Fire and Thermal Anomaly Data at 1km Resolution

MODIS/Terra Thermal Anomalies and Fire data provides an 8-day composite of maximum fire pixel detections at 1-kilometer spatial resolution. The product includes a fire mask and pixel quality indicators as its Science Dataset layers. It is generated by the LPCLOUD organization using data from NASA's Terra satellite MODIS instrument.

Use Cases

• Mapping the spatial distribution of active fires using the fire mask layer over eight-day periods.
• Analyzing temporal trends in fire occurrence by aggregating the maximum fire pixel values across multiple 8-day composites.
• Assessing data reliability for specific regions by referencing the pixel quality indicators layer.
• Correlating thermal anomaly detections with other land surface variables like vegetation health or drought indices.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage enables continental-scale fire monitoring.
• 8-day temporal compositing reduces gaps from cloud cover.
• 1-kilometer spatial resolution provides regional detail for fire detection.

Limitations

• 1km resolution may miss smaller fires or precise fire perimeters.
• Cloud cover and atmospheric conditions can obscure thermal detection.
• Known issues are documented externally, requiring user review before analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Terra satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Collection Method

Remote sensing data processed into a Level 3 gridded composite product.

Freshness

8-day composite product.

Geography

Global.