By Henry Stewart
NASA has released images from its Terra (EOS AM-1) Earth imaging and other satellites, showing the extent of the wildfires currently raging across Northern British Columbia.
Some of he images were created with the help of the Canadian built measurements of pollution in the troposphere (MOPITT) scientific tool, which is used in conjunction with four other remote sensors on board the Terra satellite, to monitor the state of Earth's environment and ongoing changes in its climate system.
According to the July 14th, 2017 Canadian Space Agency (CSA) post, "Monitoring the impact of British Columbia wildfires from space," the data collected is being passed along to various government agencies involved with monitoring the Wildfires in British Columbia.
As outlined in the July 24th, 2017 CBC News post, "BC wildfires remain relatively stable despite wind, scattered storms," fire flare-ups "caused by strong winds and thunderstorms in the forecast largely failed to materialize on Sunday, leaving many British Columbians breathing sighs of relief — but thousands are still out of their homes, and may not return for some time."
There are 152 wildfires currently burning across the province and BC has spent more than $125.8Mln CDN fighting wildfires so far this summer.
In May, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. By May 3rd, it had swept through the community, forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their homes.
In both cases, earth imaging technology was instrumental in delivering men and equipment to the most advantageous locations to combat the blazes. Canada's satellite infrastructure repeatedly proves its worth in monitoring, strategizing and addressing significant public problems.
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| A July 11th, 2017, image from NASA's Terra satellite showing wildfire smoke filling valleys in southern British Columbia. Actively burning areas are outlined in red. Image c/o NASA. |
Some of he images were created with the help of the Canadian built measurements of pollution in the troposphere (MOPITT) scientific tool, which is used in conjunction with four other remote sensors on board the Terra satellite, to monitor the state of Earth's environment and ongoing changes in its climate system.
According to the July 14th, 2017 Canadian Space Agency (CSA) post, "Monitoring the impact of British Columbia wildfires from space," the data collected is being passed along to various government agencies involved with monitoring the Wildfires in British Columbia.
As outlined in the July 24th, 2017 CBC News post, "BC wildfires remain relatively stable despite wind, scattered storms," fire flare-ups "caused by strong winds and thunderstorms in the forecast largely failed to materialize on Sunday, leaving many British Columbians breathing sighs of relief — but thousands are still out of their homes, and may not return for some time."
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| The BC government Wildfire Service interactive map of active wildfires as per 7pm EST on Monday, July 24th, 2017. For the current status of BC wildfires, simply click on the graphic above. Graphic c/o BC Wildfire Service. |
There are 152 wildfires currently burning across the province and BC has spent more than $125.8Mln CDN fighting wildfires so far this summer.
In May, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. By May 3rd, it had swept through the community, forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their homes.
In both cases, earth imaging technology was instrumental in delivering men and equipment to the most advantageous locations to combat the blazes. Canada's satellite infrastructure repeatedly proves its worth in monitoring, strategizing and addressing significant public problems.
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Henry Stewart is the pseudonym of a Toronto based aerospace writer.
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