The recent Wildfires that devastated the island of Rhodes in July have been followed by more fires in Greece. The ongoing blaze near Alexandroupoli in the Evros region of northeast Greece, close to the Turkish border, has been particularly severe.
The fires have been fueled by hot, dry, and windy conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires across Greece. One of the most severe fires has been encroaching on the port city of Alexandroupoli for four days now. A satellite image captured on August 23 shows the fire front, which was approximately 70 km long at that time. The fire has created a dense plume of smoke stretching 1,600 km southwest towards Tunisia.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, which consists of two satellites equipped with high-resolution multispectral imagers, has been monitoring the wildfires. The satellites provide satellite observations to assist Civil Protection Authorities and the international humanitarian community in responding to such emergencies. The Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service has been activated in affected areas, including North Attica, Rodopi, Euboea Island, the Sterea Ellada Region, and East Macedonia.
Climate change and land-use change are expected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, highlighting the need for effective and urgent response measures. In response to these devastating wildfires, the European Space Agency (ESA) has reopened its World Fire Atlas, which provides detailed analysis of wildfires worldwide.
Definitions:
- Copernicus Sentinel-2: A mission consisting of two satellites equipped with high-resolution multispectral imagers to monitor changes in Earth’s land and vegetation.
- Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service: A service that utilizes satellite observations to assist civil protection authorities and the international humanitarian community in responding to emergencies.
- World Fire Atlas: An analysis provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) that offers detailed information on wildfires occurring across the globe.
Sources:
- European Space Agency. (2023, August 25). Wildfires continue to rage in Greece, as seen by satellite. Retrieved from [source article]
The post Wildfires Ravage Greece Amid Summer Heat Wave appeared first on TS2 SPACE.
