Mapping Wildfire Burn Scars with NASA EMIT Hyperspectral Data: A WISER-Based Remote Sensing Lab

<jats:p>This remote sensing lab activity utilizes NASA's EMIT hyperspectral imagery and the WISER visualization software to map wildfire burn scars. Students calculate the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) index, visualize burn severity, and analyze spectral reflectance plots to compare pre- and post-fire vegetation and soil signatures. The activity aims to introduce students to hyperspectral remote sensing workflows, spectral index construction, and reflectance spectra interpretation, framed around a wildfire disaster. The lab is designed for lower-division undergraduates with some coursework in environmental science, GIS, or remote sensing.</jats:p>