Generally, existing systems identify alerts through large-scale automated analysis of medium-resolution satellite images (10 to 250 meters resolution). These images have a weekly or bi-weekly revisit frequency and allow for the identification of loss of natural vegetation alerts, but without many options for analysis at the rural property level, considering the limitations associated with spatial resolution and the image acquisition frequency.

In MapBiomas Alerta, loss of natural vegetation 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 illustrative effect similar to a photo of a vehicle's license plate in traffic violation reports.