DETER Indicates 163 km² of Amazon Deforested Area in...

Hello reader!

It follows one communicates published on the day (10/03) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) noting that the DETER System indicates 163 km² of Amazon area in August.

Duda Falcão

DETER Indicates 163 km² of Amazon

Deforested Area in August

Monday, October 03, 2011

Data of DETER - Real Time Deforestation Detection System, of National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE) - reveal that 163,80 km² of Amazon forest have been clearcut or suffered progressive degradation latest August. The table below shows deforestation record by the American satellite Terra/Modis in August, 2011.

On the map below, yellow dots represent the location of an alert issued by DETER. Pink areas demonstrate places that could not be monitored due clouds coverage, which was only 3% in August.

Alert System

Working since 2004, DETER is an Alert System for Support and Control Deforestation. Although data is released monthly or bimonthly, DETER results have been sent to IBAMA - responsible to overseeing warning areas - almost daily.

DETER uses data from Terra/Modis satellite sensor, with a 250-meters space resolution, is possible to detect Deforestation Polygons correspondent an area larger than 25 hectares. Some deforestation areas are not identified by the system due to possible cloud coverage.

The low resolution used by DETER is compensated by the ability of daily observation, which makes the system a perfect tool to quickly inform deforestation to surveillance authorities.

This system records both clearcutting, when satellites detect complete removal of native forest, and areas classified as progressive degradation, that reveal the process of deforestation in the region.

The numbers demonstrated by DETER are important indicators for Control and Supervision Organizations. However, to compute an annual rate of forest removal by clear-cutting on Amazon, INPE works with PRODES (www.obt.inpe.br/Prodes), that uses high resolution images capable of showing small deforestation points.

Due to cloud cover variation between two months, also to satellite resolution, INPE does not recommend to compare data from different months or years obtained by DETER.

Jointly every disclosure about DETER alert system, INPE presents a sample evaluation report. Whether reports or data generated by DETER can be found at www.obt.inpe.br/deter

Source: WebSite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)