Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Fire And Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment - A Plan For Integrated, Large Fire-Atmosphere Field Campaigns, Susan Prichard, Roger Ottmar, Nancy H. F. French, Kirk Baker, Tim Brown, Craig Clements, Danielle Tanzer, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is designed to collect integrated observations from large wildland fires and provide evaluation datasets for new models and operational systems. Wildland fire, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry models have become more sophisticated, and next-generation operational models will require evaluation datasets that are coordinated and comprehensive for their evaluation and advancement. Integrated measurements are required, including ground-based observations of fuels and fire behavior, estimates of fire-emitted heat and emissions fluxes, and observations of near-source micrometeorology, plume properties, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry. To address these requirements the FASMEE campaign design includes a study …

Satellite Observed Water Quality Changes In The Laurentian Great Lakes Due To Invasive Species, Anthropogenic Forcing, And Climate Change, Robert A. Shuchman, Karl Bosse, Michael J. Sayers, Gary L. Fahnenstiel, George Leshkevich

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Long time series of ocean and land color satellite data can be used to measure Laurentian Great Lakes water quality parameters including chlorophyll, suspended minerals, harmful algal blooms (HABs), photic zone and primary productivity on weekly, monthly and annual observational intervals. The observed changes in these water quality parameters over time are a direct result of the introduction of invasive species such as the Dreissena mussels as well as anthropogenic forcing and climate change. Time series of the above mentioned water quality parameters have been generated based on a range of satellite sensors, starting with Landsat in the 1970s and …

Climate, Wildfire, And Erosion Ensemble Foretells More Sediment In Western Usa Watersheds, John B. Sankey, Jason Kreitler, Todd J. Hawbaker, Jason L. Mcvay, Mary Ellen Miller, Erich R. Mueller, Nicole M. Vaillant, Scott E. Lowe, Temuulen T. Sankey

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

The area burned annually by wildfires is expected to increase worldwide due to climate change. Burned areas increase soil erosion rates within watersheds, which can increase sedimentation in downstream rivers and reservoirs. However, which watersheds will be impacted by future wildfires is largely unknown. Using an ensemble of climate, fire, and erosion models, we show that postfire sedimentation is projected to increase for nearly nine tenths of watersheds by >10% and for more than one third of watersheds by >100% by the 2041 to 2050 decade in the western USA. The projected increases are statistically significant for more than eight …

Biomass Offsets Little Or None Of Permafrost Carbon Release From Soils, Streams, And Wildfire: An Expert Assessment, Benjamin W. Abbott, Jeremy B. Jones, Edward A.G. Schuur, F Stuart Chapin |||, William B. Bowden, Syndonia Bret-Harte, Nancy H.F. French, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

As the permafrost region warms, its large organic carbon pool will be increasingly vulnerable to decomposition, combustion, and hydrologic export. Models predict that some portion of this release will be offset by increased production of Arctic and boreal biomass; however, the lack of robust estimates of net carbon balance increases the risk of further overshooting international emissions targets. Precise empirical or model-based assessments of the critical factors driving carbon balance are unlikely in the near future, so to address this gap, we present estimates from 98 permafrost-region experts of the response of biomass, wildfire, and hydrologic carbon flux to climate …

Fire Disturbance Effects On Land Surface Albedo In Alaskan Tundra, Nancy H. F. French, Matthew A. Whitley, Liza K. Jenkins

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

The study uses satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer albedo products (MCD43A3) to assess changes in albedo at two sites in the treeless tundra region of Alaska, both within the foothills region of the Brooks Range, the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire (ARF) and 2012 Kucher Creek Fire (KCF). Results are compared to each other and other studies to assess the magnitude of albedo change and the longevity of impact of fire on land surface albedo. In both sites there was a marked decrease of albedo in the year following the fire. In the ARF, albedo slowly increased until 4 years after …

Distributed Visualization Of Gridded Geophysical Data: The Carbon Data Explorer, Version 0.2.3, Kevin Arthur Endsley, Michael G. Billmire

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Due to the proliferation of geophysical models, particularly climate models, the increasing resolution of their spatiotemporal estimates of Earth system processes, and the desire to easily share results with collaborators, there is a genuine need for tools to manage, aggregate, visualize, and share data sets. We present a new, web-based software tool – the Carbon Data Explorer – that provides these capabilities for gridded geophysical data sets. While originally developed for visualizing carbon flux, this tool can accommodate any time-varying, spatially explicit scientific data set, particularly NASA Earth system science level III products. In addition, the tool's open-source licensing and …

Development Of A Bi-National Great Lakes Coastal Wetland And Land Use Map Using Three-Season Palsar And Landsat Imagery, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Sarah L. Endres, Michael Battaglia, Mary Ellen Miller, Elizabeth Banda, Zachary Laubach, Phyllis Higman, Pat Chow-Fraser, James Marcaccio

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Methods using extensive field data and three-season Landsat TM and PALSAR imagery were developed to map wetland type and identify potential wetland stressors (i.e., adjacent land use) for the United States and Canadian Laurentian coastal Great Lakes. The mapped area included the coastline to 10 km inland to capture the region hydrologically connected to the Great Lakes. Maps were developed in cooperation with the overarching Great Lakes Consortium plan to provide a comprehensive regional baseline map suitable for coastal wetland assessment and management by agencies at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels. The goal was to provide …

Rapid Response Tools And Datasets For Post-Fire Modeling: Linking Earth Observations And Process-Based Hydrological Models To Support Post-Fire Remediation, Mary Ellen Miller, Michael Billmire, William J. Elliot, K. A. Endsley, P. R. Robichaud

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Preparation is key to utilizing Earth Observations and process-based models to support post-wildfire mitigation. Post-fire flooding and erosion can pose a serious threat to life, property and municipal water supplies. Increased runoff and sediment delivery due to the loss of surface cover and fire-induced changes in soil properties are of great concern. Remediation plans and treatments must be developed and implemented before the first major storms in order to be effective. One of the primary sources of information for making remediation decisions is a soil burn severity map derived from Earth Observation data (typically Landsat) that reflects fire induced changes …

Using The Landsat Data Archive To Assess Long-Term Regional Forest Dynamics Assessment In Eastern Europe, 1985-2012, S. Turubanova, P. Potapov, A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, Jessica L. Mccarty, V. C. Radeloff, M. C. Hansen

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Abstract. Dramatic political and economic changes in Eastern European countries following the dissolution of the “Eastern Bloc” and the collapse of the Soviet Union greatly affected land-cover and land-use trends. In particular, changes in forest cover dynamics may be attributed to the collapse of the planned economy, agricultural land abandonment, economy liberalization, and market conditions. However, changes in forest cover are hard to quantify given inconsistent forest statistics collected by different countries over the last 30 years. The objective of our research was to consistently quantify forest cover change across Eastern Europe from 1985 until 2012 using the complete Landsat …

An Approach For Verifying Biogenic Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories With Atmospheric Co₂ Concentration Data, Stephen M. Ogle, Kenneth Davis, Thomas Lauvaux, Andrew Schuh, Dan Cooley, Tristram O. West, Linda S. Heath, Natasha L. Miles, Scott Richardson, F. Jay Breidt, James E. Smith, Jessica L. Mccarty, Kevin R. Gurney, Pieter Tans, A. Scott Denning

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Verifying national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories is a critical step to ensure that reported emissions data to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are accurate and representative of a country's contribution to GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. Furthermore, verifying biogenic fluxes provides a check on estimated emissions associated with managing lands for carbon sequestration and other activities, which often have large uncertainties. We report here on the challenges and results associated with a case study using atmospheric measurements of CO₂ concentrations and inverse modeling to verify nationally-reported biogenic CO₂ emissions. The biogenic CO₂ emissions inventory was …

Biomass Burning Fuel Consumption Rates: A Field Measurement Database, T. T. Van Leeuwen, G. R. Van Der Werf, A. A. Hoffmann, R. G. Detmers, G. Rücker, Nancy H. F. French, S. Archibald, J. A. Carvalho Jr, G. D. Cook, William J. De Groot, C. Hély, Eric S. Kasischke, S. Kloster, Jessica Mccarty, M. L. Pettinari, P. Savadogo, E. C. Alvarado, L. Boschetti, S. Manuri, C. P. Meyer, F. Siegert, L. A. Trollope, W. S. W. Trollope

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Landscape fires show large variability in the amount of biomass or fuel consumed per unit area burned. Fuel consumption (FC) depends on the biomass available to burn and the fraction of the biomass that is actually combusted, and can be combined with estimates of area burned to assess emissions. While burned area can be detected from space and estimates are becoming more reliable due to improved algorithms and sensors, FC is usually modeled or taken selectively from the literature. We compiled the peer-reviewed literature on FC for various biomes and fuel categories to understand FC and its variability better, and …

Low Cost Infrared And Near Infrared Sensors For Uavs, Samuel T. Aden, James P. Bialas, Zachary Champion, Eugene Levin, Jessica L. Mccarty

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Thermal remote sensing has a wide range of applications, though the extent of its use is inhibited by cost. Robotic and computer components are now widely available to consumers on a scale that makes thermal data a readily accessible resource. In this project, thermal imagery collected via a lightweight remote sensing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was used to create a surface temperature map for the purpose of providing wildland firefighting crews with a cost-effective and time-saving resource. The UAV system proved to be flexible, allowing for customized sensor packages to be designed that could include visible or infrared cameras, GPS, …

Remote Sensing Estimates Of Stand-Replacement Fires In Russia, 2002–2011, Alexander Krylov, Jessica L. Mccarty, Peter Potapov, Tatiana Loboda, Alexandra Tyukavina, Svetlana Turubanova, Matthew Hansen

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

The presented study quantifies the proportion of stand-replacement fires in Russian forests through the integrated analysis of Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data products. We employed 30 m Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus derived tree canopy cover and decadal (2001–2012) forest cover loss (Hansen et al 2013 High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change Science 342 850–53) to identify forest extent and disturbance. These data were overlaid with 1 km MODIS active fire (earthdata.nasa.gov/data/near-real-time-data/firms) and 500 m regional burned area data (Loboda et al 2007 Regionally adaptable dNBR-based algorithm for burned area mapping from …

Modeling Regional-Scale Wildland Fire Emissions With The Wildland Fire Emissions Information System, Nancy H. F. French, Donald Mckenzie, Tyler Erickson, Benjamin Koziol, Michael Billmire, K. A. Endsley, Naomi K. Yager Scheinerman, Liza K. Jenkins, Mary Ellen Miller, Roger Ottmar, Susan Prichard

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

As carbon modeling tools become more comprehensive, spatial data are needed to improve quantitative maps of carbon emissions from fire. The Wildland Fire Emissions Information System (WFEIS) provides mapped estimates of carbon emissions from historical forest fires in the United States through a web browser. WFEIS improves access to data and provides a consistent approach to estimating emissions at landscape, regional, and continental scales. The system taps into data and tools developed by the U.S. Forest Service to describe fuels, fuel loadings, and fuel consumption and merges information from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration …

Development Of Methods For Detection And Monitoring Of Fire Disturbance In The Alaskan Tundra Using A Two-Decade Long Record Of Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Images, Liza K. Jenkins, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Nancy H. F. French, Tatiana V. Loboda, Brian Thelen

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Using the extensive archive of historical ERS-1 and -2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, this analysis demonstrates that fire disturbance can be effectively detected and monitored in high northern latitudes using radar technology. A total of 392 SAR images from May to August spanning 1992–2010 were analyzed from three study fires in the Alaskan tundra. The investigated fires included the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire and the 1993 DCKN178 Fire on the North Slope of Alaska and the 1999 Uvgoon Creek Fire in the Noatak National Preserve. A 3 dB difference was found between burned and unburned tundra, with the best …

Management And Climate Contributions To Satellite-Derived Active Fire Trends In The Contiguous United States, Hsiao-Wen Lin, Jessica L. Mccarty, Dongdong Wang, Brendan M. Rogers, Douglas C. Morton, G. James Collatz, Yufang Jin, James T. Randerson

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Fires in croplands, plantations, and rangelands contribute significantly to fire emissions in the United States, yet are often overshadowed by wildland fires in efforts to develop inventories or estimate responses to climate change. Here we quantified decadal trends, interannual variability, and seasonality of Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations of active fires (thermal anomalies) as a function of management type in the contiguous U.S. during 2001–2010. We used the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity database to identify active fires within the perimeter of large wildland fires and land cover maps to identify active fires in croplands. A third class …

Melt Water Input From The Bering Glacier Watershed Into The Gulf Of Alaska, Edward G. Josberger, Robert Shuchman, Liza K. Jenkins, K. A. Endsley

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

The annual runoff from the melting of large glaciers and snow fields along the northern perimeter of the Gulf of Alaska is a critical component of marine physical and biological systems; yet, most of this freshwater is not measured. Here we show estimates of melt for the watershed that contains the largest and longest glacier in North America, the Bering Glacier. The procedure combines in situ observations of snow and ice melt acquired by a long-term monitoring program, multispectral satellite observations, and nearby temperature measurements. The estimated melt is 40 km3 per melt season, ± 3.0 km3, observed over the …

Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) And Multispectral Scanner (Mss) Studies Examine Coastal Environments Influenced By Mining, W. Charles Kerfoot, Martin M. Hobmeier, Foad Yousef, Sarah A. Green, Robert Regis, Colin N. Brooks, Robert Shuchman, Jamey Anderson, Molly Reif

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

There are numerous examples of past and present mine disposal into freshwater and marine coastal bays and riverine environments. Due to its high spatial resolution and extended water penetration, coastal light detection and ranging (LiDAR), coupled with multispectral scanning (MSS), has great promise for resolving disturbed shoreline features in low turbidity environments. Migrating mine tailings present serious issues for Lake Superior and coastal marine environments. Previous investigations in Lake Superior uncovered a metal-rich “halo” around the Keweenaw Peninsula, related to past copper mining practices. For over a century, waste rock migrating from shoreline tailing piles has moved along extensive stretches …

Rapid Response Tools And Datasets For Post-Fire Erosion Modeling: Linking Remote Sensing And Process-Based Hydrological Models To Support Post-Fire Remediation, Mary Ellen Miller, William J. Elliot, K. A. Endsley, P. R. Robichaud, Michael Billmire

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Post-fire flooding and erosion can pose a serious threat to life, property and municipal water supplies. Increased runoff and sediment delivery due to the loss of surface cover and fire-induced changes in soil properties are of great concern to both resource managers and the public. To respond to this threat, interdisciplinary Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams are formed to assess potential erosion and flood risks. These teams are under tight deadlines, as remediation plans and treatments must be developed and implemented before the first major storms in order to be effective. One of the primary sources of information for …

Modeling Acute Respiratory Illness During The 2007 San Diego Wildland Fires Using A Coupled Emissions-Transport System And General Additive Modeling, Brian Thelen, Nancy H. F. French, Benjamin W. Koziol, Michael Billmire, Robert Chris Owen, Jeffrey Johnson, Michele Ginsberg, Tatiana Loboda, Shiliang Wu

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Background

A study of the impacts on respiratory health of the 2007 wildland fires in and around San Diego County, California is presented. This study helps to address the impact of fire emissions on human health by modeling the exposure potential of proximate populations to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) from vegetation fires. Currently, there is no standard methodology to model and forecast the potential respiratory health effects of PM plumes from wildland fires, and in part this is due to a lack of methodology for rigorously relating the two. The contribution in this research specifically targets that absence by modeling …

Radar Measurements Of Nhtsa’S Surrogate Vehicle ‘Ss-V’, William Buller, Brian Wilson, James Ebling, Line Van Nieuwstadt, Benjamin E. Hart

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

NHTSA seeks to objectively quantify the performance of forward-looking advanced technologies such as Crash Imminent Braking (CIB) and Dynamic Brake Support (DBS) on the test track. Since these evaluations are expected to result in collisions between the subject vehicle (SV) and a principal other vehicle (POV) positioned directly in front of it, safety necessitates that the POV be a surrogate. However, to insure the tests will provide an accurate assessment of the SV’s CIB and/or DBS capabilities, the surrogate must present as realistic. One way “realism” must be quantified involves a surrogate’s radar return characteristics. The tests described in this …

Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) And Multispectral Studies Of Disturbed Lake Superior Coastal Environments, W. Charles Kerfoot, Foad Yousef, Sarah A. Green, Robert Regis, Robert Shuchman, Colin N. Brooks, Michael Sayers, Bruce Sabol, Mark Graves

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Due to its high spatial resolution and excellent water penetration, coastal light detection and ranging (LiDAR) coupled with multispectral imaging (MSS) has great promise for resolving shoreline features in the Great Lakes. Previous investigations in Lake Superior documented a metal-rich “halo” around the Keweenaw Peninsula, related to past copper mining practices. Grand Traverse Bay on the Keweenaw Peninsula provides an excellent Great Lakes example of global mine discharges into coastal environments. For more than a century, waste rock migrating from shoreline tailings piles has moved along extensive stretches of coast, damming stream outlets, intercepting wetlands and recreational beaches, suppressing benthic …

Multi-Scale Gis Data-Driven Method For Early Assessment Of Wetlands Impacted By Transportation Corridors, Rodrigo Nobrega, Colin Brooks, Charles O'Hara, Bethany Stich

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Burned Area For North American Forests: Implications For Direct Reduction Of Carbon Stocks, Eric S. Kasischke, Tatiana Loboda, Louis Giglio, Nancy H. F. French, E. E. Hoy, Bernardus De Jong, David Riano

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

A synthesis was carried out to analyze information available to quantify fire activity and burned area across North America, including a comparison of different data sources and an assessment of how variations in burned area estimate impact carbon emissions from fires. Data sets maintained by fire management agencies provide the longest record of burned area information. Canada and Alaska have the most well developed data sets consisting of the perimeters of large fires (>200 ha) going back to 1959 and 1950, respectively. A similar data set back to 1980 exists for the Conterminous U.S., but contains data only from …

Model Comparisons For Estimating Carbon Emissions From North American Wildland Fire, Nancy H. F. French, Willam J. De Groot, Liza K. Jenkins, Brendan M. Rogers, Ernesto Alvarado, Brian Amiro, Bernardus De Jong, Scott Goetz, Elizabeth Hoy, Edward Hyer, Robert Keane, B. E. Law, Donald Mckenzie, Steven G. Mcnulty, Roger Ottmar, Diego R. Perez-Salicrup, James Randerson, Kevin M. Robertson, Merritt Turetsky

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Research activities focused on estimating the direct emissions of carbon from wildland fires across North America are reviewed as part of the North American Carbon Program disturbance synthesis. A comparison of methods to estimate the loss of carbon from the terrestrial biosphere to the atmosphere from wildland fires is presented. Published studies on emissions from recent and historic time periods and five specific cases are summarized, and new emissions estimates are made using contemporary methods for a set of specific fire events. Results from as many as six terrestrial models are compared. We find that methods generally produce similar results …

Vulnerability Of High Latitude Soil Organic Carbon In North America To Disturbance, Guido Grosse, Jennifer Harden, Merritt Turetsky, David A. Mcguire, Philip Camill, Charles Tarnocai, Steve Frolking, Edward A.G. Schuur, Torre Jorgenson, Sergei Marchenko, Vladimir Romanovsky, Kimberly P. Wickland, Nancy H. F. French, Mark Waldrop, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Robert G. Striegl

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

This synthesis addresses the vulnerability of the North American high-latitude soil organic carbon (SOC) pool to climate change. Disturbances caused by climate warming in arctic, subarctic, and boreal environments can result in significant redistribution of C among major reservoirs with potential global impacts. We divide the current northern high-latitude SOC pools into (1) near-surface soils where SOC is affected by seasonal freeze-thaw processes and changes in moisture status, and (2) deeper permafrost and peatland strata down to several tens of meters depth where SOC is usually not affected by short-term changes. We address key factors (permafrost, vegetation, hydrology, paleoenvironmental history) …

Environmental Change And Potential Impacts: Applied Research Priorities For Alaska's North Slope, B. Streever, R. Suydam, J. F. Payne, Robert Shuchman, R. P. Angliss, G. Balogh, J. Brown, J. Grunblatt, S. Guyer, D. L. Kane, J. J. Kelley, G. Kofinas, D. R. Lassuy, W. Loya, P. Martin, S. E. Moore, W. S. Pegau, C. Rea, D. J. Reed, T. Sformo, M. Sturm, J. J. Taylor, T. Viavant, D. Williams, D. Yokel

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Wetland Characterization With Multi-Sensor, Multi-Temporal Sar And Optical/Infrared Data Fusion, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, K. Riordan, Richard Powell, Nicole Miller, Mitch Nowels

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

No abstract provided.