Generally, existing systems identify alerts through large-scale automated analysis of medium-resolution satellite images (10 to 80 meters resolution). These images have a weekly or bi-weekly revisit frequency and allow for the identification of deforestation alerts, but without many options for analysis at the rural property level, considering the spatial resolution and low acquisition frequency of the images.
In MapBiomas Alerta, deforestation alerts produced by various monitoring initiatives are gathered, validated, and refined using daily images with 3.7-meter resolution. Each alert is evaluated by trained analysts, who select high-resolution before-and-after images of the deforestation, producing an effect similar to a photo of a vehicle's license plate in traffic violation reports.