Burning activity
Historical satellite detections from NASA FIRMS
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Activity calendar
Aqua-equivalent vegetation hotspot detections
A dark left edge marks a satellite switch. The calendar switches to Aqua in 2003 and NOAA-20 in 2019. A change in detections across those boundaries can reflect a change in instruments. See held-out results.
Detection map
NOAA-20Coordinate target: country view. Data is limited to the selected country's catalog.
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The map shows recorded hotspots. The adjustment applies to the monthly total.
CSV rows are satellite hotspot detections, not confirmed incidents or burned-area measurements.
Natural Earth 1:10m borders, roads, rivers and places · Elevation data credits · Geography is generalized; original FIRMS coordinates are preserved.
Methodology and validation
The index combines adjusted Terra (2001–2002), Aqua (2003–2018), and adjusted NOAA-20 (2019–2025). Each adjustment is fitted for the selected country using months when both satellites reported data.
Compare the two error columns to see how much the adjustment changed agreement with Aqua in months held out from fitting. Smaller differences mean closer agreement with Aqua.
Agreement with Aqua measures cross-satellite consistency. Hotspots are detected pixels. Cloud cover, scan geometry, overpass timing and differences in sensitivity can affect the record. Early Terra estimates use a factor fitted on later years.