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The Intensity of Wildfires in Fire Emissions Estimates

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Abstract

A method for estimating direct wildfire emissions that considers fire intensity based on infrared radiation data from the Terra/MODIS satellite is proposed. In Siberia, we experimentally established that low intensity fires cover 47 ± 13% of the total area; that with moderate intensity, 42 ± 10%; and that with high-intensity, 10 ± 6%. The average value of wildfire emissions in Siberia is estimated at 83 ± 21 Тg С/yr (2002–2016), which is considerably lower than the values determined by standard procedure (112 ± 25 Тg С/yr). Based on the trend of long-term dynamics of fire emissions in Siberia, a probable level of emissions in 2100 is calculated when implementing climate scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.0, and RCP8.5 (220, 700, and 2300 Тg С/yr, respectively).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia

    E. I. Ponomarev, E. G. Shvetsov & V. I. Kharuk

  2. Laboratory for Remote Sensing, Federal Research Center, Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia

    E. I. Ponomarev

  3. Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia

    E. I. Ponomarev & V. I. Kharuk

Authors
  1. E. I. Ponomarev
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  2. E. G. Shvetsov
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  3. V. I. Kharuk
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Correspondence to E. I. Ponomarev.

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Original Russian Text © E.I. Ponomarev, E.G. Shvetsov, V.I. Kharuk, 2018, published in Ekologiya, 2018, No. 6, pp. 440–447.

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Ponomarev, E.I., Shvetsov, E.G. & Kharuk, V.I. The Intensity of Wildfires in Fire Emissions Estimates. Russ J Ecol 49, 492–499 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413618060097

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