SCAR-B MAS Airborne Imagery of Brazilian Biomass Burning

Smoke, Clouds and Radiation Brazil (SCAR-B) NASA ER-2 MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) data capture high-resolution spectral imagery of atmospheric and surface conditions in Brazil. The dataset focuses on biomass burning effects, containing physical, chemical, and radiative measurements from the September 1995 SCAR-B experiment. It was collected by NASA using a modified Daedalus Wildfire scanning spectrometer with 50 available spectral bands.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spectral signatures of smoke and sulfate aerosols across 12 configurable bands.
• Studying the radiative effects of biomass burning on tropical landscapes and clouds.
• Calibrating and validating spaceborne MODIS sensor algorithms using airborne simulator data.
• Mapping vegetation and fire scars with 50-meter ground resolution imagery.

Strengths

• Provides high spatial resolution imagery with a ground resolution of 50 meters from 20,000 meters altitude.
• Captures data across a broad spectral range from 0.55 to 14.3 microns with 50 available bands.
• Serves as a precursor for MODIS, supporting calibration and algorithm development for major satellite missions.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (1995-09-11 on NASA Earthdata and 2026-03 12 on Data.gov).
• The digitizer configuration was limited to collecting data from only 12 of the 50 available spectral bands at a time.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Acquired via a MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS), a modified Daedalus Wildfire scanning spectrometer flown on a NASA ER-2 aircraft.

Time Range

1995 (Specifically September 1995 for the SCAR-B experiment)

Freshness

1995-09-11 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Brazil, with an emphasis on tropical regions affected by biomass burning.