Petrel Layers

The data that feeds the
hazards.

Layers are global derived data products that Petrel builds to power our hazard models. We open them up for the broader community — fire scientists, climate researchers, geospatial engineers — under CC-BY-NC-4.0 with free account signup. Commercial use is available on request.

Every Layer ships with a model card, methodology document, source provenance, validation report, and citation. Distribution is via the Petrel API — global 90 m GeoTIFFs, signed S3 URLs, rate-limited per account tier.

Petrel Layers · 1 live
Free for non-commercial use under CC-BY-NC-4.0. Account required.
Roadmap · 4 planned
Population, climate normals, building stock, surface roughness.

Live

Fuel Layer preview
Global canopy cover from v0.3 — Greenland correctly masked as land-no-data
FUEVegetationv0.3 · 2026-06

Fuel Layer

Feeds the Petrel Wildfire Hazard product. Scott-Burgan FM40 classification + canopy structure (cover, base height, stand height, bulk density). Greenland data-availability masked due to Meta GCH and WorldCover coverage gaps.

Method · XGBoost multi-class + per-class regressors
Inputs · ESA WorldCover 2021, Meta For Good canopy heights (Tolan 2023), Copernicus DEM, Köppen-Geiger climate
Ships · 5 global 90 m GeoTIFF layers compatible with Cell2Fire (FM40 class + 4 canopy regressions)
Open layer

Roadmap

Layers we plan to release as the hazard catalog expands. Each answers a covariate or input gap the team has hit while building a downstream hazard.

POPPopulation densityIn progressGlobal gridded population at 90 m. Multi-source ensemble (WorldPop, GPW, GHSL).
CLMClimate normalsDesignedDecade-aggregated mean temperature, precipitation, humidity from CHELSA + ERA5.
BLDBuilding stockDesignedMicrosoft Global Building Footprints + Google Open Buildings, regularized at 90 m.
RGHSurface roughnessQueuedAerodynamic roughness from landcover + canopy. Feeds wind-field downscaling.

How to access

  1. Create a free Petrel account — email verification only, no card required.
  2. Generate an API key from your account settings.
  3. Hit the Layer endpoint: GET /v1/layer/<name>/<vintage>/bundle — returns a 1-hour signed download URL.
  4. See the API documentation for code samples in curl, Python, and R.

License: CC-BY-NC-4.0. Free for academic, research, and other non-commercial use. For commercial licensing, contact licensing@petreldata.io.