Satellite Data Aids Fire-fighting Efforts

Satellite data and new software helps predict, locate, and observe fire outbreaks.

1 minute read

June 28, 2002, 1:00 PM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"The Wildfire Automated Biomass Burning Algorithm (WFABBA) [is] created by NOAA at the University of Wisconsin Space Science and Engineering Center in Madison, Wis. ...This program takes the feeds from...satellites to generate fire data for the entire Western Hemisphere every 30 minutes. Ground station computers take that data...to send out in map form to emergency personnel within 60 minutes of transmitted...The WFABBA software was developed by the University of Wisconsin to run on portable Linux personal computers...When combined with related weather and topographical information, the program's sophisticated statistical method identifies fires automatically..."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Friday, June 28, 2002 in Space.com

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