Observation operator and detection limits for MODIS and VIIRS Fire Radiative Power products
- 1Finnish Meteorological Institute (Helsinki, Finland)
Abstract
We analyze the MODIS and VIIRS active-fire Fire Radiative Power (FRP) products, suggest an approximation for the FRP detection limit as a linear function of a pixel area, and develop analytical observation operators for both pixel-level and gridded FRP products. We have shown that the collection-6.1 of MODIS has the FRP detection limit at 3.7 MW in case of a nadir retrieval at a clear-sky night. For a daytime sideview, it reaches as high as 40 MW. For VIIRS, the smallest fire reliably detected at night is 0.5 MW. Application of the developed operators for the cross-mapping the MODIS and VIIRS datasets at the pixel/granule level confirmed their consistency. Applying the grid-level operators alongside satellite overpass and weather data, we generated global maps of fire detection probabilities, revealing regional variations. As a global average, probability of detection of powerful fires is 78 % for MODIS (88 % for VIIRS). Variations between regions are large: in some equatorial areas this probability is less than 30 % for MODIS (40 % for VIIRS).
Versions
Related
- Calibrated detection limits in routine Sentinel-1 products 50.6 hours before the Langtang Lirung rock–ice avalanche, Nepal
- Observation-constrained clear-sky direct radiative forcing of black carbon containing aerosols reveals distinct radiative regimes across urban Asia
- Limits and promises of earth observation foundation models in predicting multi-trophic soil biodiversity
- Modelling wide-swath altimeter observation-error correlations with a regularised diffusion operator
- Benchmarking convection-permitting climate simulations for hydrometeorological characterizations: a comparative study of WRF-SAAG and observation-based products in Chile
BibTeX
@article{sofiev2026observation,
title = {{Observation operator and detection limits for MODIS and VIIRS Fire Radiative Power products}},
author = {Mikhail Sofiev and Rostislav Kouznetsov},
journal = {Geoscientific Model Development},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/gmd-19-10123-2026},
url = {https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/19/10123/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Observation operator and detection limits for MODIS and VIIRS Fire Radiative Power products
AU - Mikhail Sofiev
AU - Rostislav Kouznetsov
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Geoscientific Model Development
DO - 10.5194/gmd-19-10123-2026
UR - https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/19/10123/2026/
AB - We analyze the MODIS and VIIRS active-fire Fire Radiative Power (FRP) products, suggest an approximation for the FRP detection limit as a linear function of a pixel area, and develop analytical observation operators for both pixel-level and gridded FRP products. We have shown that the collection-6.1 of MODIS has the FRP detection limit at 3.7 MW in case of a nadir retrieval at a clear-sky night. For a daytime sideview, it reaches as high as 40 MW. For VIIRS, the smallest fire reliably detected at night is 0.5 MW. Application of the developed operators for the cross-mapping the MODIS and VIIRS datasets at the pixel/granule level confirmed their consistency. Applying the grid-level operators alongside satellite overpass and weather data, we generated global maps of fire detection probabilities, revealing regional variations. As a global average, probability of detection of powerful fires is 78 % for MODIS (88 % for VIIRS). Variations between regions are large: in some equatorial areas this probability is less than 30 % for MODIS (40 % for VIIRS).
SN - 1991-9603
SN - 1991-959X
ER -