Delineation and mapping of coal mine fire using remote sensing data – a review

Various countries around the globe face numerous hazards due to the burning of coal on the surface as well as below ground. Countries like China, India, United States of America (USA), Australia, Indonesia, and many other countries have reported the burning of coal fires, and thus it is the urgent need to control the coal fire propagation to prevent the loss of energy resources. Coal is a fossil fuel that has a tendency to catch fire for many reasons; spontaneous combustion being the most frequent reasons for its burning. Other factors leading to coal fire include forest fires close to coal seams, natural hazards, old mining techniques, and external heat sources. The review work demonstrates the application of various satellite data in fire detection and mapping. The literature reveals that remote sensing plays an important role in facilitating quick and complete delineation of coal mine fires. Many algorithms have been developed around the world for fire detection from different satellite data. A comprehensive demonstration of different algorithms along with their merits and demerits are outlined. Comparative performances of the different algorithms with their case studies are also explained. It can be inferred from the various literature that it is very difficult to select a particular sensor algorithm for generating global fire products. Suggestions are given to further explore the possibility of improvement of fire detection algorithms.