Using dense Sentinel-2 time series to explore combined fire and drought impacts in eucalypt forests

Following one of the driest years on record, millions hectares forests in southeast Australia were burned 2019–2020 “Black Summer” wildfires. In addition to areas burned, drought related canopy collapse, dieback and tree mortality was widely observed. this paper, we present a method map damage due fire across large area. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery used monthly time series highlight forest where Normalized Burn Ratio index significantly below pre-disturbance “stable” period. The stable period defined as 3 prior 2019 disturbance thresholds are based bioregion specific standard deviations means. novel methods enabled impacted be identified, including those which subsequently by wildfire. Across 20 Mha studied, 9.9 (49%) fell threshold. Of that, 5.8 disturbed further 4.1 outside extent. Within extent, almost 0.9 identified being affected burned. An analysis spectral recovery following substantial rainfall from February 2020 onward indicates that most both have similar rates only fire. There some areas, however, combined effects “double disturbance” appears hindering recovery. presented here easily transferrable demonstrate an approach for monitoring at higher temporal spatial scales than typically used.