Articles | Volume 18, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-7535-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-7535-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| Highlight paper
| 
15 Oct 2026
Data description article | Highlight paper |
| 15 Oct 2026
| 15 Oct 2026
Tracking recent extremes and interannual variability of global fire emissions using a near-real-time extension to the Global Fire Emissions Database
Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, 92612, USA
Guido R. van der Werf
Meteorology and Air Quality Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Mingquan Mu
Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, 92612, USA
Dave van Wees
BeZero Carbon, London, UK
Joanne V. Hall
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Louis Giglio
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Roland Vernooij
Meteorology and Air Quality Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Douglas C. Morton
Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Li Xu
Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, 92612, USA
Tianjia Liu
Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Rebecca C. Scholten
Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, 92612, USA
Shane R. Coffield
Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Melanie B. Follette-Cook
Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Lesley Ott
Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
James T. Randerson
Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, 92612, USA
Data sets
GFED5NRT: Global Fire Emissions Database Near-Real-Time Extension Yang Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18702700
Editorial statement
This paper is well suited for an ESSD Highlight Article because GFED5NRT links the long-term global fire record with daily fire tracking as satellites shift from MODIS to VIIRS. It keeps the fire record going while allowing major fires and their emissions to be tracked as they happen. The dataset will help us better understand changes in fires and their effects on climate, air quality, and ecosystems.
This paper is well suited for an ESSD Highlight Article because GFED5NRT links the long-term...
Short summary
Fire patterns are changing, partly due to climate change. While the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED) is key for tracking fire impacts, the main satellite sensors underpinning this time series are retiring. We introduce GFED5NRT, a new extension using modern VIIRS satellite data to provide daily, real-time updates on fires emissions. By bridging past records with current observations, this system helps scientists and the public monitor extreme fire events and their planetary effects.
Fire patterns are changing, partly due to climate change. While the Global Fire Emissions...
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