Any idea why the MODIS information hasnt done its 3PM and 5PM updates?
[https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/afm/activefiremaps.php?sensor=modis&op=maps&rCode=cgb](http://NWCG MODIS MAP)
[https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=df8bcc10430f48878b01c96e907a1fc3](http://ARCGIS MODIS FIRE MAP)
It seems pretty hit or miss on updates. I don’t assume I’ll get one more than once every 24 hours.
You can check out the MODIS and VIIRs oribt tracks and times at the NASA Worldview website, under the fire layers.
Same here. Somedays it’s twice a day, others it’s once.
Will be a terrible worldwide lose if the problem can not be resolved.
The government reject a second generation MODIS series.
Getting a new one is a 10 year effort.
This might be a good alternative for now.
Thank you for the find.
Some aspects of GOES are potentially more capable than MODIS but GOES is geo-stationary so it does not serve the entire earth. Also, the two “normal” views provide 2 km spatial resolution compared to 1 km for MODIS.
Each GOES platform provides 3 different “zoom” levels: Full Disk, CONUS (Continental US), and two movable “Mesos”. As mentioned the “normal” Full Disk and CONUS views provide 2 km spatial resolution. These are updated on 5 and 15 minute cadences, respectively. These rapid updates are a real bonus.
The movable “Meso” windows are 1000 x 1000 km with 1 km spatial resolution (same as MODIS).
Because the window is only 1000 x 1000 pixels it can be scanned as fast as every 30 seconds.
When used for fires the scan rate is 1 minute.
This makes some image processing tricks possible; but those tricks are currently a science fair project.
Bottom line, GOES has not been fully vetted for fire detection/tracking.
There are issues with the fire algorithms (WF-ABBA) that are not resolved; such as numerous hard to deal with false positives.
Also, the lower limits of detection are not well established and putting bounds on that is not simple.
“It depends” on conditions and fire intensity.
People (including my company) are working on these issues.
I have been collecting the data/images that correspond in time to “reports on conditions.”
For the Meso view, there are cases where fires in moderate So.Cal. brush reported as “2 to 3 acres running up a hill” where detectable. Nor Cal grass fires of 5 acres seem to be detectable at around sunset or later. The threshold in grass seems to be around 10 acres during the day.
These are SWAGS: scientific wild-a$$ guesses. Not to be taken to the bank.
Last autumn’s Kincade Fire was detectable with a Meso Window in 66 seconds — the very first frame scanned after the the power failed and the fire started. That was in grass /oak woodland with 60+ knot wind. It was explosive, so no wonder.
NOAA is frequently parking one of the GOES-West Meso windows over California during fire season as long as there is not a hurricane off Baja while a storm is brewing in the Gulf of Alaska.
A great resource.
Not to be critical, but while the RAMMB-Slider is probably the most accessible GOES site, it does not provide the kind of on the geographic resolution that we enjoy/depend on provided by the USFS Active Fire Map Program.
I did look a little deeper into the MODIS problem.
It sounds hopeful.
Here it is in NASA Speak:
On August 16th, 2020 (2020.229) at 09:26:40 Aqua received a yellow CDH alarm that was associated with a data value mismatch error and caused by data of incorrect length. MOT was unable to recover any data from the partitions 6,16, and 9 on the SSR. Partition 6 contains housekeeping and GBAD ephemeris and attitude data. Hence, this will affect the processing of the Aqua data on both NRT and OPS streams, starting 2020.229 09:26:35, pending the resolution of this issue. This issue is currently under investigation and more information will be posted below to this note when available. The image below shows MODIS Aqua NRT for DOY 2020.229 where the data loss has impacted the global browse image for the majority of the day.
*** UPDATE 08.18.20: On day 229/09:26:40, Aqua experienced an anomaly with the Formatter-Multiplexer Unit (FMU). Aqua FOT is continuing to investigate this anomaly and an FMU reset activity is currently being planned. MCST are awaiting to hear back from FOT about the exact timing/details of this activity. As a result of this anomaly, there is an anticipated impact on the MODIS science data. The MODIS instrument continues to be in nominal operations and the health/telemetry is been monitored by the IOT.
Thank you for sharing this information about the status of Aqua and MODIS!
