CATHALAC

International Organization dedicated to promote sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean through applied research and development, education, and technology transfer.

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You are here News Room CATHALAC and NOAA expand the FIRE Detection System

CATHALAC and NOAA expand the FIRE Detection System

 























Panama City, Panama- 27 February, 2008- The Hazard Mapping System-HMS, a system that detects forest fires in the region, was installed this week in the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The system operates within the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System (SERVIR), implemented by CATHALAC, and covers the regions of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.


Forest fires are one type of disasters which produce major damages to the region’s environment and the smoke produced is a mixture of gases and microscopic particles detaching from the vegetation set afire. This smoke can affect eyes, irritate the respiratory system and worsen the condition of those suffering from cardiac and lung chronic diseases. Each year, some 8 million hectares, the equivalent of Australia ’s surface, burns down.  This sends millions of tons of smoke and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change.

Mark Ruminski and Timothy Kasheta, from NOAA’s Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB), located in Maryland, USA , provided the technical support during the installation process.

HMS is an interactive processing system which allows analysts to manually integrate automated data from diverse fire detection algorithms with images from GOES, POLAR-AVHRR Satellites (Advanced High Resolution Radiometer), MODIS and the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program/ Linescan Operating System (DMSP/OSS). The result is a controlled quality visualization of the fire locations and smoke plumes, detected by meteorological satellites.

CATHALAC was created in 1992 and is an international organization which promotes human sustainable development through integrated watershed and environment management in Latin America and the Caribbean .

NOAA is a US federal agency with the mission to understand and predict changes in Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources.

For more information, please visit: www.cathalac.org, telephone: 317-3200. Fax: 317-32900. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it