dNBR Burn Severity Delta NDVI

Compute paired NIR/SWIR normalized burn ratio and signed pre-minus-post dNBR; title’s NDVI wording is not used because NBR requires SWIR, and severity class/local ecological outcome is not inferred.

Description

Normalized Burn Ratio uses near-infrared and shortwave-infrared bands.

Normalized Burn Ratio uses near-infrared and shortwave-infrared bands. Its pre-minus-post change is distinct from NDVI, which uses a red band.^[1]

When to use dNBR Burn Severity Delta NDVI

Use this tool to compute paired NIR/SWIR normalized burn ratio and signed pre-minus-post dNBR; title’s NDVI wording is not used because NBR requires SWIR, and severity class/local ecological outcome is not inferred.

Gather the tree inventory, plot measurements or model parameters. Check diameter, area, time and moisture conventions; keep paired observations aligned.

How to use dNBR Burn Severity Delta NDVI and understand its results

Gather the tree inventory, plot measurements or model parameters. Check diameter, area, time and moisture conventions; keep paired observations aligned.
Enter preFireNir, preFireSwir, postFireNir, postFireSwir using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
Read preFireNbr, postFireNbr, deltaNbr. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.

Input field	Meaning	Value type; see rules below	Requirement
preFireNir	Pre fire nir	list of number	Required
preFireSwir	Pre fire swir	list of number	Required
postFireNir	Post fire nir	list of number	Required
postFireSwir	Post fire swir	list of number	Required

Pair nonnegative pre/post NIR and SWIR lists with positive band sums. Return pre/post NBR and signed dNBR in sample order. The implementation uses SWIR even though the tool title also mentions NDVI.

Paired lists must be nonempty and have equal lengths.

NBR=(NIR−SWIR)/(NIR+SWIR); dNBR=pre NBR−post NBR

Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.

Output field	Meaning	Value type
preFireNbr	Pre fire nbr	list of number
postFireNbr	Post fire nbr	list of number
deltaNbr	Delta nbr	list of number

json

{
  "input": {
    "preFireNir": [
      0.8
    ],
    "preFireSwir": [
      0.2
    ],
    "postFireNir": [
      0.4
    ],
    "postFireSwir": [
      0.6
    ]
  },
  "output": {
    "preFireNbr": [
      0.6000000000000001
    ],
    "postFireNbr": [
      -0.19999999999999996
    ],
    "deltaNbr": [
      0.8
    ]
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

Sensor comparability and correction are supplied. No severity class or ecological outcome is inferred.

Numeric inputs and returned numeric values must be finite; an unrepresentable returned value produces an error. Numeric lists are limited to 100,000 entries; the rules above may require smaller limits. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use Annual NDVI Change Defoliation Watch: Track paired annual NIR/red NDVI drops against caller screening threshold, retaining greening; unlike SWIR-based dNBR, input bands differ and neither index diagnoses defoliation agents. For a complementary task, use Prescribed Burn Consumption Tonnes Per Unit Area: Difference matched pre/post dry-load measurements with physical area weights, retaining negative apparent consumption rather than clipping measurement/background changes; not a prescribed-burn recipe.

References

dNBR Burn Severity Delta NDVI — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

Annual NDVI Change Defoliation Watch
Track paired annual NIR/red NDVI drops against caller screening threshold, retaining greening; unlike SWIR-based dNBR, input bands differ and neither index diagnoses defoliation agents.
Prescribed Burn Consumption Tonnes Per Unit Area
Difference matched pre/post dry-load measurements with physical area weights, retaining negative apparent consumption rather than clipping measurement/background changes; not a prescribed-burn recipe.