SATELLITE ANALYSIS OF THE SEVERE 1987 FOREST-FIRES IN NORTHERN CHINA AND SOUTHEASTERN SIBERIA

Meteorological conditions, extremely conducive to fire development and spread in the spring of 1987, resulted in forest fires burning over e xtremely large areas in the boreal forest zone in northeastern China a nd the southeastern region of Siberia. The great China fire, one of th e largest and most destructive forest fires in recent history, occurre d during this period in the Heilongjiang Province of China. Satellite imagery is used to examine the development and areal distribution of 1 987 forest fires in this region. Overall trace gas emissions to the at mosphere from these fires are determined using a satellite-derived est imate of area burned in combination with fuel consumption figures and carbon emission ratios for boreal forest fires.