Background
GFED was developed in the early 2000s, when fire processes were incorporated into a biogeochemical model to better understand how fires influence the carbon cycle. Over time, the dataset has been refined and consistently made available for large‑scale scientific studies. GFED5 represents a major overhaul from GFED4 and marks the largest departure from earlier versions in terms of total emissions.
GFED data have been widely used in global atmospheric modeling studies, IPCC assessments, annual updates of the Global Carbon Project, and related radiative forcing assessments, as well as studies of methane and nitrous oxide dynamics in the atmosphere.
Contact Information
Below are email contacts for the individuals responsible for specific GFED layers and datasets. Please consult our frequently asked questions before reaching out.
- GFED5 burned area: Yang Chen or James Randerson
- MODIS 500 m burned area (not a GFED product): Louis Giglio
- GFED emissions: Guido van der Werf, Yang Chen or James Randerson
- Historic emissions: Margreet van Marle
- Fire Atlas: Niels Andela
- 500 m emissions: Dave van Wees
Funding
Much of the fire science that has supported GFED development has been funded through grants awarded to Randerson, Giglio, Morton, and Van der Werf by NASA, ESA, the European Research Council (ERC), the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the Schmidt Futures program, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Maintaining and further developing GFED is not directly funded.
