Project: Study of air quality and detection of fire hotspots in the Paraná River delta using satellite measurements.
Related objective: To analyze the criteria pollutants O3, NO2, SO2, and CO2 in the metropolitan area of Rosario and the number of fire hotspots in the Paraná River Delta, using satellite measurements. This line of research is based on the processing of data primarily from three international organizations: NASA (United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration), ESA (European Space Agency), and KNMI (Kenya Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment). Custom Python code is used for data selection, processing, and automation. These results, along with those obtained from radiative transfer models (QDOAS, TUV, and SMARTS), allow for the evaluation of the concentrations of vertical columns of gases and aerosols, which generally originate from anthropogenic activities. Globally, it is estimated that between 80% and 95% of forest fires are caused by humans. Fires set for livestock and/or agricultural purposes have been implemented in several regions of Argentina. The Paraná River Delta accounts for approximately 20% of all fire alerts detected in the country. By analyzing data from NASA's FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) data, it is possible to identify the number of fire hotspots and the burned area in the Paraná River Delta opposite the city of Rosario. The combination of various techniques provides a comprehensive characterization of the spatiotemporal evolution of criteria pollutants, as well as monitoring of fires occurring on the Paraná River islands. This study is cross-disciplinary, encompassing fields such as Atmospheric Physics, Air Quality, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Remote Sensing, Environmental Chemistry, and Photobiology.
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Director : Adriana Ipiña
Members : Rubén Piacentini and Raúl Bolmaro.
Students: Gamaliel López-Padilla, Constanza Zúñiga-Villarreal and Ana Laura Fisanotti.
Academic Unit: IFIR-CONICET-UNR (Rosario Physics Institute-National Council for Scientific and Technical Research -Universidad Nacional de Rosario), CIMAT-CONACYT (Mathematics Research Center – National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico) and CICECE-CONACYT (Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada Baja California – National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico)
Contact
ipina@ifir-conicet.gov.ar