Australian Scientists to Develop Satellite to Detect Bushfires

Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) revealed in a statement Wednesday that they plan to develop a satellite to predict when bushfires could arise and how difficult they will be to contain.

According to the news release, the satellite will measure forest ground cover and vegetation moisture levels in Australia. The satellite’s technology will be able to “detect changes in Australian plants and trees such as eucalypts, which are highly flammable.”

“The ANU team will partner with other researchers and the private sector to complete the project and launch the new satellite into low-Earth orbit,” the release adds.

Two scientists who will be working on the project are remote-sensing expert Dr. Marta Yebra and instrument scientist Dr. Rob Sharp. Yebra frequently helps emergency agencies and fire response teams across Australia on bushfire risks related to fuel loads.

The lightweight satellite will be the first by Australia to monitor the landscape specifically for fire risk.

“We will gradually build up our capacity to monitor these bushfire risks in Australia. At first, we will focus on long-term monitoring. Within the next five years, we plan to be able to monitor changes to our landscape and environment in real time,” Yebra added.

The respite comes after blazes across the country burned down almost 12 million hectares of land and killed 33 people and around 1 billion animals since September 2019. Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment in February announced it has identified 113 species that require “emergency intervention” due to the bushfires damaging their habitats.

Sourse: sputniknews.com