Geography

Hurricane disturbance mapping using MODIS EVI data in the southeastern Yucatán, Mexico

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This letter evaluated the use of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 mEnhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) standard product data (MOD/MYD13Q1 C5) to map the damage caused by Hurricane Dean (August 2007) to the forests in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico using a two-step vetting procedure. Sequences of MODIS EVI 16-day composite products captured before and after the hurricane were compared against 93 field damage plots to select an appropriate set of pre- and post-damage data. Aqua pairwise combinations produced the highest damage detection overall accuracy compared with Terra (82.4% vs. 73.8%, respectively) because of advantageous timing of the Aqua EVI compositing, relative to the hurricane event. The most accurate EVI damage map (91.4% overall) revealed highest damage > detection in Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale zone 5 (i.e. wind speed .248 km h -1, i.e. 95%), followed by 93% in zone 4 (210-249 km h-1) and 87% in zone 3 (178-209 km h-1). Results indicate that MODIS EVI products provide timely and accurate maps of hurricane damage in subtropical forests. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Publication Title

Remote Sensing Letters

Publication Date

2011

Volume

2

Issue

3

First Page

259

Last Page

267

ISSN

2150-704X

DOI

10.1080/01431161.2010.520344

Keywords

accuracy assessment, damage, hazard assessment, hurricane event, MODIS, satellite data, subtropical region, Terra (satellite), wind velocity

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