Project

(The project is also known by: The Arctic Peat- And Forest-fire Information System (APFF))

Climate change, with Arctic temperatures rising at roughly twice the global rate (Arctic amplification), is expected to increase the frequency of wildfires. This heightens public concern about climate-related impacts such as poorer air quality in nearby cities, light-absorbing emissions that accelerate ice melt, and disturbances to Earth’s radiative balance.

Fires in northern high latitudes release substantial amounts of CO₂, CH₄, NO₂, black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), and these emissions are often transported into Arctic regions. In northern areas, melting permafrost can expose peat—partly decomposed vegetation that has accumulated in wetlands over centuries. Peat stores carbon on a scale comparable to the current atmospheric carbon pool. When peatlands dry, they become vulnerable to fires that burn deep into the peat layers. Such peat fires can smoulder for months at relatively low temperatures, producing whitish, organic-carbon-rich haze in the lowest atmosphere. In contrast, flaming wildfires generate grey to black plumes with high soot content.

SPARKS (Sentinel and Copernicus powered Arctic Wildfire Knowledge System) is a new wildfire information service for the Arctic and northern latitudes. It utilizes Sentinel satellite data, Copernicus services, and FLEXPART model output to provide valuable information for climate-aware citizens, researchers, and environmental entities. Maps showing regions with active fires and burned areas will also distinguish between peat fires and forest fires. For large fires, the maps will also display areas affected by atmospheric transport of aerosols and gases.

SPARKS is funded by the European Commission Caroline Herschel Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake (FPCUP, FPA no.: 275/G/GRO/COPE/17/10042). The project is a collaboration between the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), the Tartu Observatory (TO), and NILU.

• https://www.copernicus-user-uptake.eu/
• https://www1.fpcup.eu/user-uptake/action-details/arctic-peat-and-forest-fire-information-system-503

Project

The project is a continuation of the first phase of the SEN4POL project and will evaluate the potential of using satellite data for mapping and predicting birch pollen in Norway.

The project exploits the satellite data provided by the Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 platforms, that are operated by the European Copernicus programme, in order to provide spatially more detailed information about vegetation status and surface properties.

This information is then used to developed improved predictions regarding the onset of the birch pollen season. We primarily use the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) and the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on Sentinel-3 and the Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) onboard of the Sentinel-2-plattform.

The long-term goal of this multiple-phase project is to develop an automated satellite-based pollen service that can be operated and used internally at NAAF for contributing to the ongoing work related to the governmental mandate that this organisation has to deliver pollen predictions to the public.

The project is a collaboration between NILU, Norwegian Computing Center and the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association.