NASA PACE

NASA's PACE satellite is studying smoke and fires to help scientists understand wildfires. The satellite's three instruments are observing vegetation precursors to fires, plumes of smoke, and their movement.

The Ocean Color Instrument on board PACE is a hyperspectral instrument that observes the planet in several hundred different wavelengths of visible, near infrared, and ultraviolet light. This allows it to gather data on the health of plants, such as their state of stress, dryness, and relative pigment balance.

PACE scientists can quickly assess the aftermath of fires, determining the location and span of a burn scar. The data will help scientists create more accurate wildfire models and simulate future events.