The SWIR/NIR/RED composite (far left) distinguishes vegetation from other types of land cover, which is important for predicting the progression of a fast-moving fire. The MWIR1 band (second from left) sees through smoke and detects fires that are small or relatively cool, which is essential for early detection. The MWIR1a band (second from right) is deliberately less sensitive to prevent oversaturation, like eclipse glasses for looking at the sun. Where MWIR1 saturates solid yellow, MWIR1a maintains detail, enabling the hottest parts of the fire to be precisely measured, but retaining the ability to detect new fire starts and reignitions. LWIR (far right) reveals temperature across the scene, including smoldering areas, cloud cover, and differentiation between cool forest and hot bare soil. LWIR also helps prevent false alarms such as heat signatures from sunlight glinting off bright surfaces like solar panels.
The SWIR/NIR/RED composite (far left) distinguishes vegetation from other types of land cover, which is important for predicting the progression of a fast-moving fire. The MWIR1 band (second from left) sees through smoke and detects fires that are small or relatively cool, which is essential for early detection. The MWIR1a band (second from right) is deliberately less sensitive to prevent oversaturation, like eclipse glasses for looking at the sun. Where MWIR1 saturates solid yellow, MWIR1a maintains detail, enabling the hottest parts of the fire to be precisely measured, but retaining the ability to detect new fire starts and reignitions. LWIR (far right) reveals temperature across the scene, including smoldering areas, cloud cover, and differentiation between cool forest and hot bare soil. LWIR also helps prevent false alarms such as heat signatures from sunlight glinting off bright surfaces like solar panels.