Assessment of MODIS-based NDVI-derived index for fire susceptibility estimation in northern china

Some satellite-based indices are useful for fire susceptibility estimation in some regions. However, the obtained results are region-dependent to some extent. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of two NDVI-derived indices: the relative greenness index (RGI) and the vegetation danger index (VDI) applied to the northern China. Thus, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor (MODIS) data MYD13Q1, which is the 16-days composite product, were used. The results indicated that the RGI values were higher than 70% during the before-fire period from spring up to autumn, whereas it have decreased sharply when fire happened and after a period time and also it was below normal level during a period of after-fire. The VDI values were negative when fire happened and after a short period and that of the before fire and after fire were positive. Thus, it can be concluded that the two MODIS-based NDVI-derived indices have a higher possibility for fire susceptibility estimation even though it needs to combine other fire-related parameters.