INPE Releases DETER Outcomes

Hello reader!

It follows a note published on the day (08/02) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) informing that the INPE releases DETER outcomes.

Duda Falcão

INPE Releases DETER Outcomes

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Between April and July 2012, 650.3 km² of clearing or degradation has been warned by DETER, a system based on satellites of Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) aimed at monitoring Amazon rainforest.

Of this total, 232.6 km² were recorded in April, 97.5 km² in May, 107.5 km² in June and 212.7 km² in July. The chart below shows these values (in km²) by Amazonia States:

States           April    May     June      July

Acre                -       1,33       -            1 

Amapá            -          -         -             -

Amazonas      2,12     12,8     5.72      18,46

Maranhão        -        1,79     2,46       6,67

Mato Grosso   178,3    34,3    47,68     51,12

Pará             33,46    23,7    37,73      92,98

Rondônia       18,19    22,7    13,24     37,52

Roraima          -          -          -            -

Tocantins       0,48     2,34     0,67       5,95

TOTAL          232,6   97,5    107,5    212,7

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.

Check out the full reports on www.obt.inpe.br/deter

About DETER

Performed by the Earth Observation Coordination (Coordenação de Observação da Terra – OBT), DETER is a service aimed to monitor deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon, based on satellite data of high revisiting frequency.

The information generated by DETER is sent almost daily to Ibama, which uses the spots to guide the supervision and ensure effective actions of forest clearing control.

DETER uses data from Modis Terra satellite sensor, with a 250-meters spatial resolution, which makes possible to detect deforestation polygons with an area larger than 25 hectares. Some deforestation areas are not identified by the system due to 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 cleared areas - when satellites detect complete removal of native forest - and areas classified as progressive degradation, which reveal the process of deforestation in the region.

DETER outcomes are important indicators for control and supervision organizations. However, to compute an annual rate of forest removal by clear-cutting in Amazon rainforest, INPE works with PRODES (www.obt.inpe.br/prodes), which uses high resolution images capable of showing small clearings.

Jointly every disclosure of DETER’s data, 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)