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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Airborne measurements of western U.S. wildfire emissions: Comparison with prescribed burning and air quality implications: Western U.S. Wildfire Emissions

Wildfires emit significant amounts of pollutants that degrade air quality. Plumes from three wildfires in the western U.S. were measured from aircraft during the Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) and the Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP), both in summer 2013. This study reports an extensive set of emission factors (EFs) for over 80 gases and 5 components of submicron particulate matter (PM 1 ) from these temperate wildfires. These include rarely, or never before, measured oxygenated volatile organic compounds and multifunctional organic nitrates. The observed EFs are compared with previous measurements of temperate wildfires, boreal forest fires, and temperate prescribed fires. Furthermore, the wildfires emitted high amounts of PM 1 (with organic aerosol (OA) dominating the mass) with an average EF that is more than 2 times the EFs for prescribed fires. The measured EFs were used to estimate the annual wildfire emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, total nonmethane organic compounds, and PM 1 from 11 western U.S. states. The estimated gas emissions are generally comparable with the 2011 National Emissions Inventory (NEI). However, our PM 1 emission estimate (1530 ± 570 Gg yr -1 ) is over 3 times that of the NEI PM2.5 estimate and is also higher than the PM2.5 emitted from all other sources in these states in the NEI. This study indicates that the source of OA from biomass burning in the western states is significantly underestimated. Additionally, our results indicate that prescribed burning may be an effective method to reduce fine particle emissions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2022

Gatlinburg & Beatty Wildfires: Evaluating the Role of Soil Moisture in Determining Vegetation Health, Fuel Loads, and Wildfires in the Gatlinburg and Beatty Wildfires

Wildfire potential monitoring, which is increasingly vital under climate change-induced droughts, could be improved by incorporating remotely-sensed soil moisture data. To better understand the connections between soil moisture and vegetation health, stakeholders are interested in using soil moisture data in the development of fire-related indices. NASA DEVELOP partnered with the Desert Research Institute’s Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC), NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), the North Carolina State Climate Office, and Oklahoma State University to evaluate how measures of remotely-sensed standardized soil moisture compare to vegetation health and fire fuel indices in a case study of two fire events: the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire near Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the 2021 Bootleg Fire near Beatty, Oregon. The team visualized vegetation change six months prior to each event using spectral vegetation indices observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). These visualizations were compared to soil moisture data from European Space Agency's (ESA) Climate Change Initiative Soil Moisture (CCI SM) project, collected in part by the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. Overall, period of record percentiles and fraction of available water standardizations correlated more strongly with fuel load and vegetation indices, indicating their utility for fire potential monitoring. Soil moisture conditions remained exceptionally dry for several months before the Chimney Tops 2 Fire whereas drought conditions only intensified immediately prior to the Bootleg Fire. This indicates greater sensitivity to drought conditions under Western fire regimes. These findings will inform partners’ monitoring of wildfire potential in both regions and development of early warning systems.

soil moisture↗
DOE OSTI2021

Meteorological environments associated with California wildfires and their potential roles in wildfire changes during 1984-2017

California has been seeing more wildfires in recent years, resulting in huge economic losses and threatening human health. Clarifying the meteorological environments of wildfires is foundational to improving the understanding and prediction of wildfires and their impacts. Here, 1535 California wildfires during 1984-2017 are systematically investigated. Based on two key meteorological factors - temperature and moisture anomalies - all wildfires are classified into four groups: hot-dry, hot-wet, cold-dry, cold-wet. Most (~60%) wildfires occurred on hot-dry days. Compositing the large-scale environments of the four groups shows that persistent high pressure and strong northeasterly wind descending from inland favor hot-dry conditions for wildfires. This analysis also reveals an important role of anomalies in southerly onshore flow that supports stronger convection, accompanied by more lightning flashes that provide a triggering mechanism for wildfires under hot-wet conditions. Self-organizing map analysis lends confidence in the large-scale meteorological pattern for dominating hot-dry wildfires in California. Besides wildfire occurrence, wildfire size is also influenced by meteorological anomalies through their magnitudes. Among them, moisture anomaly explains the largest fraction (~69%) of variability in wildfire sizes. Large-scale meteorological anomalies are found to play an important role in the devastating 2018 wildfire season in California. During 1984-2017, wildfire burned area has significantly increased by ~3.6% per year, indicating a doubling of burned area in 2017 relative to 1984, with the trend dominated by hot-dry wildfires in summer. Drying and warming in conjunction with strengthening of the high pressure in summer support more frequent and larger wildfires in California.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Impact of Wildfires on Solar Generation, Reserves and Energy Prices

Wildfire seasons in the Western U.S. become more prolonged and intense in recent years bringing significant variability and uncertainty of solar generation. It greatly challenges the bulk power system and electricity market operation managed by California Independent System Operator (CAISO) as California leads both the wildfire records and the solar power integration. This study presents a screening-level analysis of the impact of wildfires on solar generation, operating reserve and energy prices applying historical real-world wildfire and market operation data. To the best of the authors knowledge, it is a first-of-its-kind study and will lay the foundation for market impact quantification and wildfire mitigation strategies design based on projected wildfire activities in future years.

electricity price↗
NASA NTRS2022

Idaho Wildfires II: Assessing the Relationship Between Drought Indicators and Wildfire Risk to Enhance Hazard Modeling and Inform Mitigation Planning

The western United States has experienced twenty years of increased and prolonged drought which have exacerbated wildfire hazards. These jeopardize population centers through increased risks to ecosystem services, local economies, and livelihoods. The Idaho Office of Emergency Management, Water Resources, and Department of Lands are seeking methods to dynamically monitor these conditions and update models that inform hazard mitigation planning and resource allocation. Towards this, these agencies partnered with NASA DEVELOP to produce drought-enhanced wildfire hazard models. Part of a two-term project, the two teams revised the state’s static wildfire hazard model with refined data layers and remotely-sensed data to reflect dynamic ecosystem responses to drought conditions and wildfire potential. Our team distinguished between rangeland and forestland ecosystems, and investigated relationships between drought metrics and vegetation condition using TerrSet Earth Trends Modeler. This analysis determined that total precipitation at a 5-month lag interval (r 2 = 0.72) along with the Evaporative Stress Index (r 2 = 0.69); and precipitation at a 5-month interval (r 2 = 0.42) were important drivers in rangeland and forestland, respectively. These driver variables were incorporated into a temporally dynamic wildfire hazard map. Our team used linear regression to correlate hazard ratings with wildfire frequency. For the year 2020, neither the enhanced hazard model (p < 0.10, r 2 = 0.01) nor the state’s static model (p < 0.05, r 2 = 0.03) were strongly correlated with actual wildfire frequency as they expressed an inverse relationship between wildfire hazard and frequency. This suggests wildfire occurrence is complex and not necessarily driven by the variables used.

Wildfire↗
NASA NTRS2022

Chile Wildfires: Utilizing NASA and NOAA Earth Observations to Determine Lightning-ignited Wildfire Risks in Central Chile

In recent years, Central Chile has experienced wildfires of increasing frequency and intensity which threaten natural resources and communities. The Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) responds to wildfires caused by a variety of ignitions, including lightning, but it is difficult to determine the prevalence of lightning-ignited wildfires based solely on ground observations. In collaboration with CONAF and the Embassy of Chile, Agricultural Office, the team used Earth observations to map coincidence of lightning strikes and wildfire ignitions. The Active Fire Product of Suomi NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) identified wildfires as thermal anomalies, which the team compared to the lightning events detected by NOAA’s GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). Next, the team mapped lightning strike frequency and lightning related wildfires across the study area. Finally, the team calculated and mapped a relative estimate of lightning-ignited wildfire vulnerability across the year, fire season (December – March), and off-season (April – November) by summing the following factors: lightning frequency, the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) and land surface temperature (LST). These risks were then weighted by fuel availability. Preliminary analysis of the lightning fire relationship showed a spatiotemporal coincidence, primarily in the South-central region of study, near Temuco, and isolated areas on the Andean front. The team identified areas at risk of lightning-induced wildfires, predominantly in the northern third of the study area and along the Andean front. Adjusting the relative weight of risk factors and improving the lightning and fire coincidence map by clustering VIIRS thermal anomalies into fire events could reduce discrepancies and improve risk assessments for future work.

Christopher Matechik↗
DOE OSTI2023

Using Satellite‐Derived Fire Arrival Times for Coupled Wildfire‐Air Quality Simulations at Regional Scales of the 2020 California Wildfire Season

Abstract Wildfire frequency has increased in the Western US over recent decades, driven by climate change and a legacy of forest management practices. Consequently, human structures, health, and life are increasingly at risk due to wildfires. Furthermore, wildfire smoke presents a growing hazard for regional and national air quality. In response, many scientific tools have been developed to study and forecast wildfire behavior, or test interventions that may mitigate risk. In this study, we present a retrospective analysis of 1 month of the 2020 Northern California wildfire season, when many wildfires with varying environments and behavior impacted regional air quality. We simulated this period using a coupled numerical weather prediction model with online atmospheric chemistry, and compare two approaches to representing smoke emissions: an online fire spread model driven by remotely sensed fire arrival times and a biomass burning emissions inventory. First, we quantify the differences in smoke emissions and timing of fire activity, and characterize the subsequent impact on estimates of smoke emissions. Next, we compare the simulated smoke to surface observations and remotely sensed smoke; we find that despite differences in the simulated smoke surface concentrations, the two models achieve similar levels of accuracy. We present a detailed comparison between the performance and relative strengths of both approaches, and discuss potential refinements that could further improve future simulations of wildfire smoke. Finally, we characterize the interactions between smoke and meteorology during this event, and discuss the implications that increases in regional smoke may have on future meteorological conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

WildFire Ignition Resistance Estimator (WildFIRE) Wizard Software Development Report

This report describes the development of a software tool, entitled “WildFire Ignition Resistance Estimator Wizard” (WildFIRE Wizard, Version 2.10). This software was developed within the Wildfire Ignition Resistant Home Design (WIRHD) program, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Infrastructure Protection & Disaster Management Division. WildFIRE Wizard is a tool that enables homeowners to take preventive actions that will reduce their home’s vulnerability to wildfire ignition sources (i.e., embers, radiant heat, and direct flame impingement) well in advance of a wildfire event. This report describes the development of the software, its operation, its technical basis and calculations, and steps taken to verify its performance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Regional Influence of Aerosol Emissions from Wildfires Driven by Combustion Efficiency: Insights from the BBOP Campaign

Abstract Wildfires are important contributors to atmospheric aerosols and a large source of emissions that impact regional air quality and global climate. In this study, wildfire emissions in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States were characterized using real-time measurements near their sources using an aircraft, and farther downwind from a fixed ground site located at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (~ 2700 m a.s.l.). The characteristics of aerosol emissions were found to depend strongly on the modified combustion efficiency (MCE), a qualitative index of the combustion processes of a fire. Organic aerosol emissions had negative correlations with MCE, whereas the carbon oxidation state of organic aerosol increased with MCE. The relationships between the aerosol properties and MCE were consistent between fresher emissions (~1 hour old) and emissions sampled after atmospheric transport (6 - 45 hours), suggesting that organic aerosol mass loading and chemical properties were strongly influenced by combustion processes at the source and conserved to a significant extent during regional transport. These results suggest that MCE can be a useful metric for describing aerosol properties of regionally transported wildfire emissions and their impacts on regional air quality and global climate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1994

Inter-comparison of Wildfire and High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) data from STORM-FEST: An investigation of wildfire spectral channel discrepancies

This simultaneous collection of HIS spectral measurements aboard the ER-2 during STORM-FEST provided a means to explore calibration problems in the infrared bands of the Wildfire instrument. Large discrepancies in brightness temperatures were noted in Wildfire bands designed to sample the 'wings' of the strong ozone absorption band centered at 9.6 microns, where the atmospheric transmittance changes rapidly with wavelength. Examination of interchannel relationships in Wildfire data and subsequent comparison to Wildfire data synthesized from the HIS measurements suggests that a wavelength shift in the channel spectral response from those determined in the laboratory may have occurred. Based on comparisons from several flights, this spectral shift has been empirically determined to be about 0.15 micron. It is speculated that this problem resulted from a slight misalignment of the spectrometer grating or other optical elements, or was a result of extreme range in temperatures experienced by the instrument throughout the course of an ER-2 flight. A consequence of this temperature fluctuation may be a change in a position of the grating in the optical path and could result in the variations in channel spectral response during flight. These findings for Wildfire may have significant bearing on future use of the MAS because of the similarities to the original Wildfire configuration.

Jedlovec, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Chile Disasters: Automating Wildfire Risk and Occurrence Mapping in Google Earth Engine to Improve Wildfire Detection and Response Time Efforts

Wildfires in Chile in the last decade were the worst on record, destroying homes and livelihoods, polluting the air, and displacing whole towns. To predict locations where wildfires were likely to start, the Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) created a wildfire risk model within ArcGIS Pro and Google Earth Engine (GEE) that utilized the NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS) and the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (STRM) 90-meter datasets. The previous CONAF model was very resource-heavy and time-intensive to run. NASA DEVELOP, in partnership with CONAF, automated the previous model and transferred it fully into GEE where all Earth observation datasets could be used without downloading. The new model substantially reduced the runtime. The final model was used to create a near real-time wildfire monitoring application as well as fire severity maps. The end products will be used by CONAF for wildfire prediction and management to prevent more destruction in the future.

Maria De Los Santos↗
DOE OSTI2026

Wildfire-Power Grid Interactions: Feedback, Impacts, Monitoring, Modeling, and Mitigation Strategies

Wildfires are increasingly interacting with electric power systems through a two-way hazard chain: fires damage grid assets and trigger cascading outages, while grid faults can ignite new fires under hot, dry, and windy conditions. This review synthesizes the state of knowledge across five domains: (i) physical impacts of flames, heat, and smoke on lines, towers, insulators, and substations; (ii) power-infrastructure-initiated ignitions via conductor clash, high-impedance faults, and corona discharge; (iii) widespread blackouts and disproportionate societal impacts; (iv) multi-scale monitoring spanning laboratory tests, in-situ and grid-integrated sensors, and Earth observation; (v) coupled modeling that links fire behavior with grid operations; and (vi) technological and strategic mitigation pathways spanning prevention, response, and recovery. We integrate these domains into a novel 'feedback-aware' socio-technical framework. Through a longitudinal analysis (2005-2025) of global incidents, we identify that while vegetation contact remains the most frequent ignition source, aging infrastructure failure has emerged as a critical driver of catastrophic 'mega-fires'. We further identify persistent gaps, including limited interoperability of high-frequency grid and environmental data, scarce real-time data assimilation, and under-developed equity metrics for outage management. We conclude by outlining a research agenda to (1) deploy interoperable sensing architectures, (2) advance feedback-coupled fire-grid simulations, and (3) evaluate mitigation portfolios through techno-economic and fairness lenses. Recognizing wildfire-grid interactions as coupled socio-technical systems is essential for protecting infrastructure and communities and for ensuring reliable, sustainable electricity in a changing world.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Resilience Applications: A Summary of NASA’s DEVELOP 2022 Wildfire Projects

NASA’s DEVELOP Program engages individuals and organizations in 10-week feasibility studies to apply NASA Earth observations (EO) to decision makers’ needs. DEVELOP maintains a balance of projects across nine application areas, one of which is Wildfires. DEVELOP's Wildfires application area supports pre-fire (fuel loading, fire risk), during (active fire detection), and post-fire (fire extent, intensity) monitoring and modeling. In 2022 so far, DEVELOP has conducted six projects with Wildfires as a primary or secondary component across a diverse set of study areas. This presentation introduces DEVELOP, its approach to capacity building, key partnerships, and project results highlighting the capabilities of EO for enhanced decision-making regarding wildfires.

Wildfire↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wildfire Produces Transient Minerals: Speciation, Reactivity, and Fate of Iron and Manganese in Surface Soils Post Wildfire

Wildfire leads to the deposition of an ash layer at the land surface. This material typically has alkaline properties, abundant pyrogenic carbon, and elevated metal concentrations compared to surface soils. Here, we compare ash and surface soils collected three weeks and two years after the Glass Fire (St. Helena, California, USA) to determine how wildfire affects the speciation and reactivity of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), two micronutrients that influence many soil processes. Synchrotron-based analyses revealed that wildfire generated stable Fe oxides like maghemite (γ-Fe 2 O 3 ) and hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) that likely derived from surface soil or mineral dust rather than the vegetation, and Mn oxides such as hausmannite (Mn 3 O 4 ) and bixbyite (Mn 2 O 3 ) that derived primarily from aboveground biomass. However, these pyrogenic minerals were absent in soils collected two years after the fire. Their loss from the soil surface may result from a combination of erosion, translocation to deeper soil layers, and chemical weathering. The latter hypothesis is supported by the enhanced mobilization of Fe and Mn from ash upon the addition of pyoverdine, a model biogenic ligand. The increased mobility of micronutrients from fire-derived minerals in ash in response to microbial and root exudation may facilitate postfire soil and vegetation recovery.

bixbyite↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Input from Wildfire Incident Experts to Identify Key Risks and Hazards in Wildfire Emergency Response

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes wildland fires as, “a force of nature that can be nearly as impossible to prevent, and as difficult to control, as hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.” Existing challenges in managing wildland fires often put first responders’ lives at risk. The emergence of drones and their capabilities to supplement human efforts could alleviate some, if not all, of those risks that first responders face during wildfire management efforts. However, the process of adding drones to wildfire response has come with its own challenges as well. NASA’s System-Wide Safety Project is working towards overcoming these challenges to enable routine transfer of risk from responders to aviation assets. The concept of operations and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) effort for this shift is underway. To inform and to validate the MBSE effort, we delivered a questionnaire to wildland firefighting experts on the hazards they currently face. This questionnaire has given us insight and a better understanding of the challenges related to the use of drones from a first responder’s point of view. We are using this information to better address responders’ concerns, develop a safety management system, and eliminate the roadblocks that prevent the use of drones in wildfire management.

Wildfire↗
NASA NTRS2023

Fighting Wildfires Using UAVs Using Autonomous Biodegradable Self-sacrificing (ABS) Drones to Combat Large Wildfires with the Assistance of Satellite Imagery

As wildfires continue to increase in number and severity due to global warming, firefighters are having a harder time combating them safely. This paper examines the application of Autonomous Biodegradable Self-sacrificing (ABS) Drones as a method of fighting wildfires that decreases the number of lives put at risk and proposes a sustainable alternative to current aerial firefighting methods. When a fire is detected or predicted through satellite imagery, ABS Drones are dispatched from firefighting stations or aerial watchtowers to fly towards designated areas and release fire retardants, preventing the fire from further spreading. The most significant feature of this drone is its ability to complete its mission without having to worry about returning safely because ABS Drones are designed to crash and release fire retardants, while not further harming the environment with water-based lithium-ion batteries and a biodegradable body. ABS Drones make it safer for firefighters as it gives firefighters one less life-threatening task to do and allows them to focus on putting out the fire. This solution aims to tackle the unpredictable nature of wildfires that often threaten the safety of firefighters and civilian communities.

ABS Drones↗
NASA NTRS2020

Great Basin Ecological Forecasting II: Assessing and Forecasting Live Fuel Moisture Content of Wildfire Fuels for the Eastern Great Basin to Improve Wildfire Timing and Severity Predictions

The eastern Great Basin (EGB) extends throughout the states of Arizona, Colorado,Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, covering approximately 411,000 km2. In recent years, wildfires in the EGB have increased in frequency and size, representing a growing concern for our partners at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Weather Service (NWS), and the Great Basin Coordination Center (GBCC). Live fuel moisture (LFM) is an important factor in predicting wildfire risk, as dry vegetation requires less energy to combust than wet vegetation. Land managers currently derive LFM levels from just 165 in situ sites in the EGB. In order to provide partners with a more accurate assessment of LFM, the team used data from the National Elevation Dataset, Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, and Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. These datasets include vegetation indices, evapotranspiration, and topographic variables, which were used to create biweekly forecasts of LFM throughout the EGB. An accuracy assessment was conducted using historical in situ data from our partners at the BLM and the GBCC. This model allowed our partners to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation in response to the predicted timing and severity of wildfires in the EGB.

Ecological Forecasting↗