Papers by Sumaia Saldanha Vasconcelos
The goal of this article is to show the evolution of fire activity in 2003 and 2004 using hot pix... more The goal of this article is to show the evolution of fire activity in 2003 and 2004 using hot pixel data from five different satellites in the trinational region of Madre of Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil) and Pando (Bolivia) - MAP. In contrast to the 35% average increase from 2003 to 2004 in hot pixels for Rondônia, Mato Grosso, and
Remote Sensing of Environment, 2013
Understanding the variability of fire events and their relationship to precipitation and 21 chang... more Understanding the variability of fire events and their relationship to precipitation and 21 changes in land use and land cover is essential in order to evaluate the susceptibility of 22 Amazonian vegetation. Time series of hotspots, of deforested area and of rainfall (all 23 derived from satellite data) were used to determine the temporal and spatial distributions 24 of fire in Brazil's state of Amazonas in order to establish the seasonal patterns of each 25 variable and interactions with biomass burning. From 2003 to 2012, 60% of the hotspots 26 detected were in the southern part of the state, with high variability between different 27 months and years. Between 95% and 99% of the hotspots were recorded during the 28 period of greatest occurrence of burning (July to March) with peaks during the months 29 of August, September and October (the months with the lowest precipitation), 30 suggesting that fires in Amazonas are mainly initiated by humans. Deforestation 31 activity occurs approximately three months before the start of the burning activity. The 32 number of hotspots did not show a relationship with the area deforested but showed a 33 strong inverse relationship with rainfall. There is marked seasonal and annual 34 variability, with patterns changing over time. Over the last decade the hotspots detected 35 in Amazonas are associated not only with changes in land use and cover, but also with 36 the use of fire in managing deforested areas.
The principal objective of this study was to compare the hot pixels detected by the GOES-10, GOES... more The principal objective of this study was to compare the hot pixels detected by the GOES-10, GOES-12, NOAA-12, NOAA-15, AQUA and TERRA satellites in municipalities (counties) in southwestern Amazonas State (Apuí, Boca do Acre, Canutama, Humaitá, Lábrea, Manicoré and Novo Aripuanã) and in the "MAP" area (Madre de Dios-Acre-Pando) during the period from 2003 to 2008. During the study period between 50 and 80% of the hot pixels detected by the satellites in the state of Amazonas occurred in the southwestern portion of the state, especially in the municipalities of Apuí, Boca do Acre and Lábrea. The highest number of hot pixels in the study area occurred in 2005, when a severe and prolonged drought provoked fire events contributing to the occurrence of forest fires and accidental fires in cleared areas and throughout southwestern Amazonia. In 2005 Acre was the burning champion, followed by southwestern Amazonas, Pando and Madre de Dios. In , 2004 the location with the highest number of hot pixels was the southwestern portion of Amazonas. This indicates that the use of fire in the area is intensifying and suggests that changes in land use and land cover are transforming the landscape with consequences for regional and global climate change. Understanding the evolution and the behavior of fire events in southwestern Amazonia is critical and requires the continual attention of the regional and national societies of the three countries that share the area.
Vasconcelos, Sumaia Saldanha de; Philip Martin Fearnside, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro Graça... more Vasconcelos, Sumaia Saldanha de; Philip Martin Fearnside, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro Graça, Paulo Ricardo Teixeira-Silva & David Valentim Dias. 2015. Suscetibilidade ao fogo da vegetação do sul Amazonas sob condições meteorológicas atípicas durante a seca de 2005. Revista Brasileira de Meteorologia 30(2) (no prelo) doi: 10.1590/0102-778620140070
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Papers by Sumaia Saldanha Vasconcelos