SYDNEY, March 4, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Australian scientists are developing the
country’s first satellite designed to predict where bushfires are likely to
start, following months of devastating fires.
The Australian National University said Wednesday a team is creating a
“shoebox-sized” satellite that will measure forest ground cover and moisture
levels using infrared detectors.
It is hoped the data will help determine where bushfires are likely to
start and where they may be difficult to contain.
The technology would be “specifically tuned to detect changes in
Australian plants and trees such as eucalypts, which are highly flammable”,
the university said in a statement.
It plans to partner with the private sector to launch the new satellite
into low-Earth orbit and, according to remote-sensing expert Marta Yebra, the
data would be shared with firefighters.
“This infrared technology and data, which is not currently available, will
help to target-controlled burns that can reduce the frequency and severity of
bushfires, as well as their long-term impacts on Australia’s people, economy,
and environment,” she said.
It is expected to take five years before scientists will be able to use
the satellite.
Over summer, bushfire-prone Australia experienced one of its worst fire
seasons on record.
More than 30 people died, thousands of homes were destroyed, over 10
million hectares were burned and at least a billion animals perished.
Researchers say global warming is lengthening the country’s summers and
making them increasingly dangerous, with shorter winters making it more
difficult to carry out bushfire prevention work.