Professor Arnon Karnieli from the BGU School of Sustainability and Climate Change led the project. The researchers designed what he called an Aerosol Free Vegetation Index (AFRI) remote sensing algorithm, which is a vegetation index (VI) that can distinguish between healthy and burnt land by analyzing satellite images taken over a few days, according to the press release. Most importantly, it can also do so through thick smoke.
VIs are used to assess forest health by measuring the concentrations of important indicators of forest ecosystem sustainability such as nitrogen, carbon and leaf pigments, according to ScienceDirect.
The AFRI is a unique VI since it's not impeded by aerosols such as smoke or sulfates. The technology will therefore help firefighters and first responders map damaged areas and respond quickly and safely.
This is accomplished by using a spectrometer, which measures thermal emissions of the surface and atmosphere, according to ScienceDirect.
"The spectral signal of green agricultural lands is the same with or without a thick pall of smoke," Karnieli explained. "Satellite images taken over a number of days can differentiate between burned land and older damage."
The researchers used the algorithm to map the damage from the recent Operation Guardian of the Walls, and found that approximately 3,200 acres of Israeli lands were burned along the Gaza strip.
The technology is already being used by the European Space Agency, and Israel will now be using it too. It is also useful during peacetime to map fire damage from forest fires or other natural infernos.
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