Peatland Type and Burn Severity Maps for Alberta Wildfires

Over 350 field locations in central Alberta were used to train and validate peatland classification maps for four wildfire sites in northern Alberta. The dataset provides 12.5-meter resolution peatland type maps (bog, fen, marsh, swamp) and 30-meter resolution Burn Severity Index (BSI) maps derived from Landsat and multi-sensor fusion. Field measurements from 2012 and 2013 support models correlating ground consumption with satellite imagery to assess fire impact on moss.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon emissions from peatland fires based on burn severity and peatland type.
• Assessing post-wildfire recovery trajectories in different wetland classes.
• Validating remote sensing fusion techniques (Optical-IR, C-band and L-band SAR) for landcover classification.
• Calibrating satellite-derived burn severity indices with ground-based Burn Severity Index (BSI) measurements.

Strengths

• Validation based on over 350 field-sampled locations.
• Provides two distinct, modeled data products: detailed peatland classification and a derived burn severity index.
• Covers multiple significant wildfire events (2009, 2011) across a key boreal region.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts: last updated date is listed as both 2013 and 2026, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Column names and precise file structure are unknown, limiting immediate analytical use.
• Additional biophysical data (e.g., biomass, density) referenced in descriptions is not included in this set.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Pre-burn (2007) multi-sensor remote sensing fusion combined with post-burn field sampling and Landsat imagery correlation.

Time Range

2007 to 2013

Freshness

2026-04-10 00:33:34.071970 (datagov), but conflicts with 2013 date from nasa_earthdata.

Geography

Four wildfire sites in northern Alberta, Canada (Utikuma, Kidney Lake, Fort McMurray west, Fort McMurray east) plus an unburned Wabasca site.