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Overview of fire foci causes and locations in Brazil based on meteorological satellite data from 1998 to 2011

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Abstract

We evaluated the distribution, percentage, and homogeneous regions of fire foci in Brazil over 1998–2011. Included are numbers of fire foci by regions and states as well as their seasonal and monthly variations, with emphasis on human activities and their relationships with producing systems and rainfall inhibitors. We used data from forest fire meteorological satellites, obtained from the Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos. Evaluation of regional fire foci distributions gave 37.15 % for the central west and just 1.75 % in the south. Brazilian regions with the highest densities of forest fires per unit area were the northeast, central west, and north. Lowest densities were in the north, southeast, and south. The states of Mato Grosso, Pará, Maranhão, Bahia, Rondônia, and Tocantins had the greatest numbers of fire foci during our study period. The Federal District and the states of Sergipe, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, and Alagoas had the smallest numbers. Spring (62.2 %) and winter (28.7 %) had higher frequencies than summer (6.7 %) and autumn (2.7 %). A clustering technique showed three homogeneous regions of fire foci in Brazil. The regional grouping technique showed the influence of synoptic systems and large-scale patterns of fires in the country. In addition to the use of NOAA-12 satellite images for monitoring Brazilian fire foci, orbital platforms such as MMODIS-01D and T-AQUA can be used. Finally, anthropogenic activities (deforestation, agriculture, livestock, mining, and industrial) and the variability of meteorological systems affected the fire increase during the study period.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais/Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos for making available all data related to the forest fire meteorological satellites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Instituto de Florestas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Rod BR 465, Km 47, Seropédica, Rio De Janeiro, CEP 23890-000, Brazil

    R. H. Caúla, J. F. Oliveira-Júnior, G. B. Lyra & R. C. Delgado

  2. Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Rua General Severiano 90, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-901, Brazil

    P. F. L. Heilbron Filho

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  1. R. H. Caúla
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  2. J. F. Oliveira-Júnior
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  3. G. B. Lyra
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  4. R. C. Delgado
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Correspondence to R. H. Caúla or J. F. Oliveira-Júnior.

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Caúla, R.H., Oliveira-Júnior, J.F., Lyra, G.B. et al. Overview of fire foci causes and locations in Brazil based on meteorological satellite data from 1998 to 2011. Environ Earth Sci 74, 1497–1508 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4142-z

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