Pre- and Post- Wildfire Analysis in Mediterranean Forests Using Combined SWIRTIR Orbital Remote Sensing

Executive Summary: We will develop new and innovative methodology to combine orbital SWIR and TIR remote sensing observations to support enhanced capacity for vegetation monitoring pre- and post- wildfire events in Eastern Mediterranean forests. Our innovation focuses on developing and implementing physics-based models that capture energy balance dynamics and improve the retrieval of surface signatures in both SWIR and TIR, allowing physically-motivated data fusion. The high accuracy SWIR-TIR spectral signatures will be used to estimate and map pre- and post- forest fire related vegetation conditions that would help determine precursor conditions to forest wildfire, their consequences, and to monitor the effects of rehabilitation activities.