Journal article
Mobile radar provides insights into hydrologic responses in burn areas
International journal of wildland fire, Vol.34(6), 24163
05/26/2025
DOI: 10.1071/WF24163
Abstract
Background Wildfires often occur in mountainous terrain, regions that pose substantial challenges to operational meteorological and hydrologic observing networks.Aims A mobile, post-fire hydrometeorological observatory comprising remote-sensing and in situ instrumentation was developed and deployed in a burnt area to provide unique insights into rainfall-induced post-fire hazards.Methods Mobile radar-based rainfall estimates were produced throughout the burn area at 75-m resolution and compared with rain gauge accumulations and basin response variables.Key results The mobile radar was capable of resolving details in intra-basin rain fields as well as detecting storms approaching the burn area with accuracy equivalent to rain gauges. Runoff responses were complex and dependent on spatiotemporal patterns and magnitude of rainfall intensity over the burn area.Conclusions The complement of the mobile radar with the near-field, non-contact instruments measuring the hydrologic response provided valuable information in regions that are difficult to access and are not routinely monitored by conventional observing networks.Implications Post-fire observatories equipped with mobile radars deployed on burn areas provide real-time data, early alerting capabilities and visualizations to potentially guide impact-based decision support for local authorities.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Mobile radar provides insights into hydrologic responses in burn areas
- Creators
- Jonathan J. Gourley - NOAA, Natl Severe Storms Lab, Norman, OK 73072 USAYagmur Derin - University of OklahomaPierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter - NOAA, Natl Severe Storms Lab, Norman, OK 73072 USAJohn W. Fulton - US Geol Survey, Golden, CO USALaura A. Hempel - US Geol Survey, Golden, CO USABraden White - NOAA, Natl Severe Storms Lab, Norman, OK 73072 USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International journal of wildland fire, Vol.34(6), 24163
- DOI
- 10.1071/WF24163
- ISSN
- 1049-8001
- eISSN
- 1448-5516
- Publisher
- Csiro Publishing
- Number of pages
- 19
- Grant note
- NA21OAR4320204 / NOAA/Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research under NOAA-University of Oklahoma Cooperative Agreement, US Department of Commerce; National Oceanic Atmospheric Admin (NOAA) - USA Colorado State Department of Transportation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/26/2025
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984945144302771
Metrics
6 Record Views