JFSP Projects in Progress

You may search JFSP Project Information by the following: Project Number, Title, Principal Investigator, Cooperators or key words contained in a brief description of the project.

Air Quality, Smoke Management and Climate

FY 2005 Projects
05-3-1-04: Hybrid Source Apportionment Model: an operational tool to distinguish wildfire emissions from prescribed fire emissions in measurements of PM2.5 for use in visibility and PM regulatory programs
Bret Schichtel NPS, CIRA CO State Univ. Fort Collins, CO 80523-1375 Ph: 970-491-8581 Fax: 970-491-8598 Schichtet@cira.colostate.edu	Other Collaborators: John Vimont - NPS
We propose to develop a new tool based on a hybrid source apportionment model (HSAM), which incorporates air quality modeling results into a new type of receptor model. HSAM will be capable of apportioning primary and secondary aerosols in measured PM2.5 to contributing source types, including different fire types, with associated uncertainties on a daily basis. HSAM will be thoroughly tested using data from the IMPROVE, STN, and other monitoring networks and results from multiple air quality modeling runs to assess HSAM capabilities and uncertainties. HSAM will then be applied to all IMPROVE and STN monitoring sites from 2002. Fully documented HSAM and 2002 apportionment results will be made available via the IMPROVE and VIEWS websites. Last, a workshop will be convened with modeling centers tasked with routine air quality modeling of smoke and PM2.5, such as the Forest Service’s BlueSky and FCAMMS, to facilitate the incorporation of HSAM into their programs.
FY 2004 Projects
04-4-1-08: Real-time monitoring of the three-dimensional distribution of smoke aerosol levels from prescribed fires and wildfires
Ronald Susott USFS,RMRS P.O. Box 8089 Missoula, MT 59807 Phone: 406-329-4829 E-mail: rsussott@fs.fed.us	Other Collaborators: Vladimir Kovalev-FS Wei Min Hao-FS
The goal of this project is to demonstrate and implement the most advanced technologies for measurements of smoke particulates in real-time. It will focus on obtaining and documenting critical, time-sensitive information on the three-dimensional distribution of smoke particulate concentration over extended areas around and close to prescribed fires and wildfires. Plume rise and smoke dispersion also will be directly measured with remote sensing optical instrumentation. The project objectives will be achieved by using the most advanced remotely-sensed, fast-response Light Detection And Ranging (lidar) and a set of in-situ optical instrumentation. The information on particulate levels will allow fire and air quality managers to assess smoke effects on visibility and public and firefighter health in near real-time. Such measurements will also provide critical information on plume heights and aerosol levels to validate smoke dispersion models operated by the Forest Service Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS).
FY 2003 Projects
03-1-1-37: Atmospheric Fire Risk (Haines Index) in a Changed Climate
Julie Winkler Michigan State Univ. 314 Natural Science East Lansing , MI 48824 Phone: 517-353-9186 Email: winkler@msu.edu	Other Cooperators: Brian Potter, USFS, NCRS
Planning for future fire regimes and fuel conditions involves predicting future fuel loads and conditions, as well as evaluating how the atmospheric potential for large or dangerous fires will change in the future. There have been several studies examining the potential changes in vegetation under proposed climate change conditions, and a small number looking at how the Canadian Fire Weather Index will differ under a future climate from its current values and spatial patterns. There are other measures of atmospheric fire potential that can be evaluated under a changed climate. All but one, the Haines Index, rely on surface atmospheric conditions, which are known to be poorly determined by General Circulation Models (GCMs) of the atmosphere. We propose to 1) examine how well GCMs simulate the variables that enter into the calculation of the Haines Index for the present climate; 2) evaluate the sensitivity of current Haines Index patterns to a changing climate; 3) assess the range of uncertainty associated with projections of the Haines Index for a future climate; and 4) compare the spatial patterns of the projected, future Haines Index climate to known, observed patterns of the Index for the present and recent past climate. We will present maps of current and projected Haines Index climatology, with accompanying discussion of the degree of uncertainty present in the projected climatology and the sources of that uncertainty. Results will be distributed through meetings, workshops and conferences with land and fire management personnel; presentation at scientific conferences; publication in user-oriented journals such as Fire Management Today and Wildfire; publication on the World Wide Web; and publication in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
03-1-3-09: An Automated System for Evaluating BlueSky Predictions of Smoke Impacts on Community Health and Ecosystems
Susan M. O’Neill USFS, PNW 400 N 34th St., Suite 201 Seattle , WA 98103 Phone: 206-732-7851 E-mail: oneill@fs.fed.us	Other Cooperators: David Levinson, BLM Brian Lamb, Washington State Univ. Clint Bowman, Washington State Sue Ferguson, USFS Dick Stender, Washington State Univ. Rob Wilson, EPA Joe Vaughan , Washington State Univ.
BlueSky, a National Fire Plan product, provides real-time predictions of surface smoke concentrations from prescribed fire, wildfire, and agricultural burn activities to aid land managers in burn/no-burn decisions. Currently operational in the Pacific Northwest , BlueSky is a success story of what inter-agency collaboration can accomplish. One critical component of BlueSky that remains to be addressed, and that directly supports JFSP AFP 2003-1-Task3, is the development of an automated verification system to evaluate predicted impacts from smoke on communities and ecosystems. A verification system is necessary because land managers need to evaluate their burn decisions against potential National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) exceedances, which requires a clear understanding of the accuracy of the predicted particulate matter (PM) concentration fields. We are proposing to develop this as a real-time tool to allow rapid verification and understanding of smoke dispersion models under all burn conditions.
FY 2001 Projects
01-1-5-03: Automated forecasting of smoke dispersion and air quality using NASA terra and aqua satellite data
Wei Min Hao USFS Fire Sciences Lab P.O. Box 8089 Missoula, MT 59807 Phone: 406-329-4838 E-mail: whao@fs.fed.us	Other Cooperators: Bruce Hicks, NOAA/OAR Mark Finney, USFS Ann Acheson, USFS
This project will develop an automated system that will forecast smoke dispersion and air quality in the continental U.S. The forecasting system assimilates real-time NASA Terra and Aqua satellite data on active fire locations and burned areas into the FARSITE fire behavior model and the HYSPLIT forecast model.
FY 1998 Projects
98-1-9-01: Smoke produced from residual combustion
Wei Min Hao USFS, Fire Sciences Lab P.O. Box 8089 Missoula, MT 59807 Phone: 406-329-4838 E-mail: whao@fs.fed.us	Additional Cooperators: Roger Ottmar, USFS Dale D. Wade, USFS Robert Yokelson, Univ. of Montana and others
Data on emissions from residual smoldering combustion (RSC) are lacking. This project will determine RSC emissions from five major fuel classes at two different moisture contents at ten or more sites.