First results from INFLAMES - Interdisciplinary Network for Fire research from Low Earth Orbit Atmospheric Measurements

Wildfires are powerful forces of nature, shaping ecosystems, degrading air quality, and influencing the climate. Human activities intensify fires through land use change, accidental ignitions, and droughts driven by climate change. However, the complex interactions between climate change, vegetation shifts, and human behavior—and their consequences for wildfires—remain poorly understood. The Dutch innovations in atmospheric satellite sensors SPEXone, EarthCARE and TROPOMI now allow detailed studies of wildfires and their nearby and far-reaching consequences. The recently funded and started INFLAMES-project (Interdisciplinary Network for Fire research from Low Earth Orbit Atmospheric Measurements) aims to combine cutting-edge satellite data with state-of-the-art modeling techniques to unravel how wildfires alter air quality and climate, with a special focus on vegetation’s evolving role—both as a fuel source and a carbon sink in fire-affected regions. 

In this presentation, we demonstrate the scientific ambition of the INFLAMES-project. We then show the first scientific results from INFLAMES, including satellite-derived trace gas (NOx, VOCs) and aerosol emission estimates for severe fires in Les Landes, France (August 2022), based on TROPOMI and MODIS observations and evaluated against the GFED emission inventory. We further show the first coincident EarthCARE, PACE and TROPOMI observations of wildfire plume heating-rate profiles over the Pantanal, demonstrating the potential of combined active–passive satellite measurements to directly constrain aerosol radiative effects. Together, these results establish a pathway toward improved quantification of the Aerosol Direct Radiative Effect (ADRE), a major remaining uncertainty in present-day radiative forcing, which will be further addressed using aerosol microphysical constraints from SPEXone on PACE. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for broader community engagement through dedicated workshops and an international summer school.