DETER (Real-Time Detection System) is a satellite-based monitoring system operated by INPE (National Institute of Space Research) that detects and reports changes in forest cover with near real-time frequency. This system provides:
DETER is the primary early-warning system for deforestation in the Amazon, used by Brazilian environmental agencies for enforcement, research institutions for analysis, and internationally for monitoring compliance with forest conservation goals.
DETER monitoring: - Uses imagery from wide-field optical satellites (the satellites listed in the raw data are CBERS-4, CBERS-4A and Amazonia-1 and, for the Amazon product only, Resourcesat-2) - Automated and manual analysis to detect recent disturbances - Generates “alerts” - polyons representing areas of detected change - Updates available regularly (frequency varies by satellite availability) - Operated by INPE’s Remote Sensing Division
For technical details, visit INPE DETER System.
DETER monitoring data for the Legal Amazon biome.
alert_type):
DESMATAMENTO_CR, DESMATAMENTO_VEG,
DEGRADACAO, CICATRIZ_DE_QUEIMADA,
CORTE_SELETIVO, CS_DESORDENADO,
CS_GEOMETRICO and MINERACAODETER monitoring data for the Cerrado biome.
alert_type): only
DESMATAMENTO_CR (clear-cut deforestation)DETER monitoring data for the Pantanal biome.
alert_type): lowercase
Portuguese labels – cicatriz de queimada (burn scar),
mineracao (mining), supressao com solo exposto
(suppression with exposed soil) and supressao com vegetacao
(suppression with vegetation)DETER monitoring data for the non-forest areas of the Legal Amazon,
published by INPE as a product separate from deter_amz.
alert_type): the same
lowercase Portuguese labels as deter_pantanaldeter_amz) with
this separate productNote on class vocabularies: the raw source data uses
different class labels across these products – upper-snake-case codes
for deter_amz and deter_cerrado, lowercase
Portuguese labels for deter_pantanal and
deter_non_forest. load_deter() does not
normalize them: alert_type keeps whichever vocabulary the
source used, so recode it yourself before stacking datasets from
different products.
The raw DETER data from INPE reports one alert/detection per row, with each row typically associated with a single municipality in the raw data. However, many alerts actually overlap multiple municipalities (typically 2-4 municipalities) that are not all shown in the original records. ### Data Processing
This package provides an important enhancement: spatial intersection with IBGE municipality geometries (2019 version) to identify ALL municipalities that each DETER alert overlaps with. This creates a more complete and accurate geographic picture than the original raw data.
Important note on CRS metadata:
load_deter() reprojects internally to IBGE’s official
equal-area projection for area calculations (Albers, SIRGAS 2000/GRS80,
central meridian -54) before computing area and overlaying
municipality boundaries – not UTM zones (see “Important Considerations”
below for the exact parameters).
Selects which biome’s DETER data to download.
Controls whether to download the original data or the processed/enhanced version.
TRUE: Returns raw INPE data with limited municipality
informationFALSE: Returns treated data with spatial intersection
to identify all affected municipalities, standardized English variable
namesRecommendation: Use raw_data = FALSE to
get the enhanced municipality identification from spatial
intersection.
# download treated DETER Amazon data
deter_amz <- load_deter(
dataset = "deter_amz",
raw_data = FALSE,
language = "eng"
)
# download treated DETER Cerrado data
deter_cerrado <- load_deter(
dataset = "deter_cerrado",
raw_data = FALSE,
language = "eng"
)
# download treated DETER Pantanal data
deter_pantanal <- load_deter(
dataset = "deter_pantanal",
raw_data = FALSE,
language = "eng"
)
# download treated DETER non-forest (Legal Amazon) data
deter_non_forest <- load_deter(
dataset = "deter_non_forest",
raw_data = FALSE,
language = "eng"
)Each alert/row typically contains: - Spatial
geometry: Polygon coordinates (SF object) - Detection
date: When the alert was issued - Alert type:
Deforestation, forest degradation, or other disturbance (the label
vocabulary differs between products, see above) - Area:
Size of detected change in square metres (a units object,
[m^2]) - Municipality: Geographic unit
identification - State: Brazilian state -
Metadata: Satellite source, confidence level (varies by
product)
load_deter() reprojects
internally to IBGE’s official equal-area projection for area
calculations (Albers, SIRGAS 2000/GRS80, central meridian -54, latitude
of origin -12, standard parallels -2 and -22, false easting/northing
5,000,000/10,000,000) before computing area and overlaying
municipality boundaries – not UTM zones.