Identify surface features
Presentation giving an overview on the use of satellite data, particularly that from Meteorological satellites, for monitoring vegetation cover and properties.
The current presentation gives an overview on the use of satellite data, particularly that from Meteorological satellites, for monitoring vegetation cover and properties. Some basic physical principles are first presented and then some RGB images are shown, allowing to identify different features in the surface of the earth. Further information on vegetation is given by a wide range of empirical indices, from which one of the most used is the NDVI. There are however some disadvantages on using such vegetation indices. Other parameters more related to vegetation properties and health than these conventional empirical indices are available from the LSA SAF. These are the Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC), the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the Fraction of Absorbed Photosyntetically Active Radiation (fAPAR). The algorithm rationale for deriving such parameters is explained and some validation results are presented. Finally, the use of these products in several applications is shown.
Discussion is held on various techniques of mapping burnt areas from remotely sensed data, describing the main sources of errors and strategies to overcome them.
Discussion is held on various techniques of mapping burnt areas from remotely sensed data, describing the main sources of errors and strategies to overcome them. Focus of first part of this session is so-called Fire Detection and Monitoring (FD&M) product, which provides continuous monitoring of fire activity over Africa and Europe. This product relies on Fire Detection Algorithm called FiDAlgo (based on so-called contextual algorithms), is an operational procedure that allows active fire detection in near-real-time and is based on information from Meteosat-9, i.e. SEVIRI instrument.
The second part will present applications to the analysis of burnt scars and vegetation recovery, with case studies for the Iberian Peninsula. Operational product for tracking burnt areas LSA-SAF still doesn't have, but presentation gives perspective of rising such. Very simple model for post-fire vegetation recovery is presented and are shown correlations between post fire vegetation recovery dynamics and severity of fire damage.
Presentation during the event week on Snow in January 2010.
Hannes Rieder from ZAMG, Austria who will provide a presentation on the interesting forecasting challenges associated with avalanches in Styria.
Presentation during the event week on Snow in January 2010.
Steinar Eastwood will present the operational Sea Ice products from the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility, both scientific and technical. Ongoing activities to improve the current products and develop new will be discussed and some examples of how the products are used will be shown.
Presentation during the event week on Snow in January 2010.
Jouni Pulliainen from FMI will present research results and snow products for climate research purposes.
Another speaker from FMI, Panu Lahtinen, will give a short overview of the four snow products being developed in the Eumetsat Satellite application facility on water management and hydrology (H-SAF). The ongoing developments on these products are discussed, and the future goals are shown. Also, some validation results will be shown.
Presentation during the event week on Snow in January 2010.
Niilo Siljamo (FMI, Finland) will introduce the snow cover product (SC) based on MSG/SEVIRI. He will describe the main parts of the algorithm with attention to various cases of snow cover.
In the second part, Nuno Moreira (IM, Portugal) will talk about snow products derived from MSG during the unusual snow events that have occurred in Portugal between November 2008 and February 2009.
Presentation during the event week on Snow in January 2010.
Izolda Marcinoniene will present a case study. According to Lithuanian criteria for meteorological phenomena it was a local-scale catastrophic event that affected the city of Nida, located on Baltic coast. Based upon the physical parameters of the atmosphere and the satellite information obtained, the situation was typical for Comma cloud. The main features and reasons for development of this catastrophic heavy snow event will be presented using detailed information such as vertical cross-sections, tephigrams and various satellite images.
The second talk will be presented by Natasa Strelec Mahovic from the Croatian Meteorological Service (DHMZ). DHMZ will give a presentation on the forecast and analysis of heavy snowfall in Croatia in February 2009, when snow was recorded even on the remote islands in Southern Croatia!
Presentation during the event week on Warning in October 2010.
Presentation by Nuno Moreira (IM) and Andreas Wirth (ZAMG) on the exceptional summer of 2010 when a large scale crest was covering the two countries. As a result of the exceptional high temperatures and extreme low dew-point temperature the conditions were very dry. This resulted in a wide amount of forest fires. Within the high pressure and the lack of a governing flow the smoke caused many problems to Moscow.
Presentation during the event week on Warning in October 2010.
Presentation by the LSA SAF by Carla Barroso on the Fire Radiative Power product which was developed and is used by IM (Portugal) assessing the risk of forest fires.
This case study is analysing floods that occurred in central Europe during the period of June 2013.
The case study is analyzing floods in central Europe during the period of June 2013. The case starts with the development of a trough over central Europe on 22 May, seven days before the floods. From 29 May on, the trough intensified the rainy weather, causing southern and southeastern Germany to experience continuous rain over several days. Altogether the countries of Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Austria were seriously affected by floods and the damages in Bavaria (Germany) only were estimated to 1.3 billion euros.
From 20 August to 2 September 2013 the Caramulo Mountains in central Portugal experienced a series of three large and devastating forest fire events.
From 20 August to 2 September 2013 the Caramulo Mountains in central Portugal experienced a series of three large and devastating forest fire events that caused a total burned area of about 9415.5 ha and 6 casualties. The Caramulo fires had overwhelming ecological, social and economic consequences that will be felt for several years. They were the result of a complex combination of variables from human factors to adverse meteorological and topographic conditions. This case study will address these variables of the Caramulo fires, which lead to environmental disaster.
The case study treats a series of wildfire that rage across Madeira Island.
In early August 2016, a series of wildfires raged across Madeira Island, in the North Atlantic Ocean, prompting the evacuation of more than one thousand people, destroying about 105 homes as well as a five-star hotel in Funchal, the main city in Madeira, and causing the death of 4 people. Flights at Madeira airport were disrupted due to the smoke. The fires caused ca. 60 million euros in losses. An area of ca. 3000 hectares was burned. This case study investigates the synoptic background that lead to this natural disaster.