L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires
The 2014 Northwest Territories fires are one of the largest wildfires in history. However, it is difficult to explain what caused such devastating wildfires simply with meteorological conditions and hydrological drought. There is a lack of large-scale Near-Real-Time (NRT) observations that character...
Published in: | International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2024
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Online Access: | https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftvuamstcris:oai:research.vu.nl:publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 2024-09-09T20:00:06+00:00 L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires Lee, Ju Hyoung Veraverbeke, Sander Rogers, Brendan Kerr, Yann H. 2024-05 https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Lee , J H , Veraverbeke , S , Rogers , B & Kerr , Y H 2024 , ' L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires ' , International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation , vol. 129 , 103776 , pp. 1-10 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 Amplifying effects Fire fuel temperature Large-scale wildfires Passive microwave sensors Vegetation heat article 2024 ftvuamstcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 2024-08-22T00:13:36Z The 2014 Northwest Territories fires are one of the largest wildfires in history. However, it is difficult to explain what caused such devastating wildfires simply with meteorological conditions and hydrological drought. There is a lack of large-scale Near-Real-Time (NRT) observations that characterize fuel conditions. To fill this research gap, we provide the new earth observations that the meso-scale vegetation heat represented by L-band microwave-retrieved fuel (or canopy) temperature serves as a predictor of fire spread and lightning. We studied two million-ha-scale extreme fire events in the Northwest Territories in 2014 and British Columbia in 2018 to demonstrate that preheated endothermic vegetation condition (canopy temperature>295 K) ahead of flaming is a prerequisite for mega-fires. Canopy temperature is thus proposed as an indicator to modulate convective heating ahead of combustion, and fire spread, which strongly correlated (R 2 of 0.8 ∼ 0.9) with pre-fire canopy temperature increments. It is possible to predict large-wildfires with this threshold of canopy temperature. We suggested a mechanism for vegetation under heat stress to trigger ignition and spread large fires. Our findings provide additional evidence that continued warming of the Earth's surface will lead to more severe firestorms and carbon emissions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal Northwest Territories International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 129 103776 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftvuamstcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Amplifying effects Fire fuel temperature Large-scale wildfires Passive microwave sensors Vegetation heat |
spellingShingle |
Amplifying effects Fire fuel temperature Large-scale wildfires Passive microwave sensors Vegetation heat Lee, Ju Hyoung Veraverbeke, Sander Rogers, Brendan Kerr, Yann H. L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
topic_facet |
Amplifying effects Fire fuel temperature Large-scale wildfires Passive microwave sensors Vegetation heat |
description |
The 2014 Northwest Territories fires are one of the largest wildfires in history. However, it is difficult to explain what caused such devastating wildfires simply with meteorological conditions and hydrological drought. There is a lack of large-scale Near-Real-Time (NRT) observations that characterize fuel conditions. To fill this research gap, we provide the new earth observations that the meso-scale vegetation heat represented by L-band microwave-retrieved fuel (or canopy) temperature serves as a predictor of fire spread and lightning. We studied two million-ha-scale extreme fire events in the Northwest Territories in 2014 and British Columbia in 2018 to demonstrate that preheated endothermic vegetation condition (canopy temperature>295 K) ahead of flaming is a prerequisite for mega-fires. Canopy temperature is thus proposed as an indicator to modulate convective heating ahead of combustion, and fire spread, which strongly correlated (R 2 of 0.8 ∼ 0.9) with pre-fire canopy temperature increments. It is possible to predict large-wildfires with this threshold of canopy temperature. We suggested a mechanism for vegetation under heat stress to trigger ignition and spread large fires. Our findings provide additional evidence that continued warming of the Earth's surface will lead to more severe firestorms and carbon emissions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lee, Ju Hyoung Veraverbeke, Sander Rogers, Brendan Kerr, Yann H. |
author_facet |
Lee, Ju Hyoung Veraverbeke, Sander Rogers, Brendan Kerr, Yann H. |
author_sort |
Lee, Ju Hyoung |
title |
L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
title_short |
L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
title_full |
L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
title_fullStr |
L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
title_full_unstemmed |
L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
title_sort |
l-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189170496&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Northwest Territories |
geographic_facet |
Northwest Territories |
genre |
Northwest Territories |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories |
op_source |
Lee , J H , Veraverbeke , S , Rogers , B & Kerr , Y H 2024 , ' L-band microwave-retrieved fuel temperature predicts million-hectare-scale destructive wildfires ' , International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation , vol. 129 , 103776 , pp. 1-10 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 |
op_relation |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/3a9cd4e0-9818-430b-a476-a275df83bd79 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.103776 |
container_title |
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation |
container_volume |
129 |
container_start_page |
103776 |
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1809931223555899392 |