Articles | Volume 18, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7805-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7805-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
22 Dec 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 22 Dec 2025
| 22 Dec 2025
Integrating fireline observations to characterize fire plumes during pyroconvective extreme wildfire events: implications for firefighter safety and plume modeling
Marc Castellnou Ribau
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Mercedes Bachfischer
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Pau Guarque
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Laia Estivill
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Marta Miralles Bover
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Borja Ruiz
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Jordi Pagès
GRAF, Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, Av Serragalliners, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
Brian Verhoeven
Netherlands Institute for Public Safety, IJsselburcht 2, 6825 BS Arnhem, the Netherlands
Zisoula Ntasiou
Hellenic Fire and Rescue Service, Mourouzi 4, 10674 Athens, Greece
Ove Stokkeland
Grenland Fire and Rescue IKS, Hydrovegen 53, 3936 Porsgrunn, Vestfold og Telemark, Norway
Chiel van Heerwaarden
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Tristan Roelofs
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Martin Janssens
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Cathelijne R. Stoof
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano
Wageningen University & Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Related authors
Tomàs Artés, Marc Castellnou, Tracy Houston Durrant, and Jesús San-Miguel
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 509–522, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-509-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-509-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
During the last 20 years extreme wildfires have challenged firefighting capabilities. Several fire danger indices are routinely used by firefighting services but are not suited to forecast convective extreme wildfire behaviour at the global scale. This article proposes a new fire danger index for deep moist convection, the extreme-fire behaviour index (EFBI), based on the analysis of the vertical profiles of the atmosphere above wildfires to use along with traditional fire danger indices.
Robbert P. J. Moonen, Getachew A. Adnew, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, David J. Bonell Fontas, and Thomas Röckmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5969, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5969, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
We used high-frequency H₂O and CO₂ isotope measurements at ATTO to separate water vapour and carbon dioxide fluxes into their component processes. During midday, ~95 % of evapotranspiration came from plant transpiration. Isotopes also revealed the balance between photosynthesis and respiration, showing strong sensitivity to leaf CO₂ ratios. These results improve understanding of Amazon ecosystem function.
Dieu Anh Tran, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Ingrid T. Luijkx, Christoph Gerbig, Michał Gałkowski, Santiago Botía, Kim Faassen, and Sönke Zaehle
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 16553–16588, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16553-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16553-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Analysis of CH4 data (2010–2021) from ZOtino Tall Tower Observatory in Central Siberia shows an increase in the late summer diurnal amplitude, driven by nighttime emissions. These trends correlate with rising soil temperature and moisture during the late summer and snow depth of the preceding spring. Peaks in 2012 and 2019 emission link to wildfires activity. Findings suggest wetlands as key CH4 sources and underscore the need for ongoing high-resolution monitoring in this region.
Jolanda J. E. Theeuwen, Sarah N. Warnau, Imme B. Benedict, Stefan C. Dekker, Hubertus V. M. Hamelers, Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, and Arie Staal
Biogeosciences, 22, 6913–6936, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6913-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6913-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Mediterranean Basin is prone to drying. This study uses a simple model to explore how forests affect the potential for rainfall by analyzing the lowest part of the atmosphere. Results show that forest contributes to rainfall potential in wet regions, where it also promotes cooling, and may reduce local precipitation in dry regions. These findings suggest that the impact of forestation varies with soil moisture, and may possibly mitigate or intensify future drying.
Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Roderick Dewar, Kim A. P. Faassen, Teemu Hölttä, Remco de Kok, Ingrid T. Luijkx, and Timo Vesala
Biogeosciences, 22, 6327–6341, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6327-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6327-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores how oxygen moves through tiny pores in leaves, especially when water vapor is also flowing out. We show that under common conditions, oxygen can move from the leaf to the air even when its concentration is higher outside – a surprising effect. Our findings help explain oxygen exchange in still air and support better models of plant–atmosphere interactions.
Tristan Roelofs, Marc Castellnou, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Martin Janssens, and Chiel van Heerwaarden
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4620, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4620, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study simulated an extreme wildfire event to study its impact on the surrounding airflow. We found not only an accelerated rear inflow (often hypothesised), but also the development of a circulation ahead of the fire. Our findings are a plausible explanation for the faster-than-predicted fire spread and the continued nighttime burning often observed during extreme wildfire events. Hence, we suggest considering both airflow changes ahead and behind a fire when predicting its behaviour.
Hans Segura, Xabier Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Philipp Weiss, Sebastian K. Müller, Thomas Rackow, Junhong Lee, Edgar Dolores-Tesillos, Imme Benedict, Matthias Aengenheyster, Razvan Aguridan, Gabriele Arduini, Alexander J. Baker, Jiawei Bao, Swantje Bastin, Eulàlia Baulenas, Tobias Becker, Sebastian Beyer, Hendryk Bockelmann, Nils Brüggemann, Lukas Brunner, Suvarchal K. Cheedela, Sushant Das, Jasper Denissen, Ian Dragaud, Piotr Dziekan, Madeleine Ekblom, Jan Frederik Engels, Monika Esch, Richard Forbes, Claudia Frauen, Lilli Freischem, Diego García-Maroto, Philipp Geier, Paul Gierz, Álvaro González-Cervera, Katherine Grayson, Matthew Griffith, Oliver Gutjahr, Helmuth Haak, Ioan Hadade, Kerstin Haslehner, Shabeh ul Hasson, Jan Hegewald, Lukas Kluft, Aleksei Koldunov, Nikolay Koldunov, Tobias Kölling, Shunya Koseki, Sergey Kosukhin, Josh Kousal, Peter Kuma, Arjun U. Kumar, Rumeng Li, Nicolas Maury, Maximilian Meindl, Sebastian Milinski, Kristian Mogensen, Bimochan Niraula, Jakub Nowak, Divya Sri Praturi, Ulrike Proske, Dian Putrasahan, René Redler, David Santuy, Domokos Sármány, Reiner Schnur, Patrick Scholz, Dmitry Sidorenko, Dorian Spät, Birgit Sützl, Daisuke Takasuka, Adrian Tompkins, Alejandro Uribe, Mirco Valentini, Menno Veerman, Aiko Voigt, Sarah Warnau, Fabian Wachsmann, Marta Wacławczyk, Nils Wedi, Karl-Hermann Wieners, Jonathan Wille, Marius Winkler, Yuting Wu, Florian Ziemen, Janos Zimmermann, Frida A.-M. Bender, Dragana Bojovic, Sandrine Bony, Simona Bordoni, Patrice Brehmer, Marcus Dengler, Emanuel Dutra, Saliou Faye, Erich Fischer, Chiel van Heerwaarden, Cathy Hohenegger, Heikki Järvinen, Markus Jochum, Thomas Jung, Johann H. Jungclaus, Noel S. Keenlyside, Daniel Klocke, Heike Konow, Martina Klose, Szymon Malinowski, Olivia Martius, Thorsten Mauritsen, Juan Pedro Mellado, Theresa Mieslinger, Elsa Mohino, Hanna Pawłowska, Karsten Peters-von Gehlen, Abdoulaye Sarré, Pajam Sobhani, Philip Stier, Lauri Tuppi, Pier Luigi Vidale, Irina Sandu, and Bjorn Stevens
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 7735–7761, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-7735-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-7735-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Next Generation of Earth Modeling Systems project (nextGEMS) developed two Earth system models that use horizontal grid spacing of 10 km and finer, giving more fidelity to the representation of local phenomena, globally. In its fourth cycle, nextGEMS simulated the Earth System climate over the 2020–2049 period under the SSP3-7.0 scenario. Here, we provide an overview of nextGEMS, insights into the model development, and the realism of multi-decadal, kilometer-scale simulations.
Robbert P. J. Moonen, Getachew A. Adnew, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Oscar K. Hartogensis, David J. Bonell Fontas, Shujiro Komiya, Sam P. Jones, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12197–12212, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12197-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12197-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understory ejections are distinct turbulent features emerging in prime tall-forest ecosystems. We share a method to isolate understory ejections based on H2O–CO2 anomaly quadrants. From these, we calculate the flux contributions of understory ejections and all flux quadrants. In addition, we show that a distinctly depleted isotopic composition can be found in the ejected water vapour. Finally, we explored the role of clouds as a potential trigger for understory ejections.
Leon Geers, Ruud Janssen, Gudrun Thorkelsdottir, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, and Martijn Schaap
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 6647–6669, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6647-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6647-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
High-resolution data on reactive nitrogen deposition are needed to inform cost-effective policies. Here, we describe the implementation of a dry deposition module in a large eddy simulation code. With this model, we are able to represent the turbulent exchange of tracers at the hectometer resolution. The model calculates the dispersion and deposition of NOx and NH3 in great spatial detail, clearly showing the influence of local land use patterns.
Hong Zhao, Han Dolman, Jan Elbers, Wilma Jans, Bart Kruijt, Eddy Moors, Henk Snellen, Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano, Wouter Peters, Maarten Krol, Ronald Hutjes, and Michiel van der Molen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-372, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-372, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Under the Kyoto Protocol the carbon dioxide (CO2) balance for forest ecosystems was required to be measured. Consequently, CO2 flux measurements have been conducted in Loobos site in the Netherlands since 1996, becoming one of the 17 first FLUXNET sites globally. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the instrumentation, data processing and the resulting data archive, enabling its further use in data analysis, model development and validation of satellite data retrievals.
Job I. Wiltink, Hartwig Deneke, Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, and Jan Fokke Meirink
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3917–3936, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3917-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3917-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Global horizontal irradiance retrievals from satellite observations are affected by spatial displacements due to parallax and cloud shadows. We assess different approaches to correct for these displacements and quantify their added value by comparison with a network of ground-based pyranometer observations. The corrections are found to become increasingly important at higher spatial resolutions and are most relevant for variable cloud types.
Mary Rose Mangan, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Bart J. H. van Stratum, Marie Lothon, Guylaine Canut-Rocafort, and Oscar K. Hartogensis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 8959–8981, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8959-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-8959-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Using observations and high-resolution turbulence modeling, we examine the influence of irrigation-driven surface heterogeneity on the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). We use a multi-scale approach for characterizing surface heterogeneity to explore how its influence on the ABL within a grid cell would change with higher-resolution models. We find that the height of the ABL is variable across short distances and that the surface heterogeneity is felt least strongly in the middle of the ABL.
Arseniy Karagodin-Doyennel, Fredrik Jansson, Bart J. H. van Stratum, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, and Sander Houweling
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 4571–4599, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-4571-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-4571-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a new simulation platform based on the Dutch Atmospheric Large-Eddy Simulation (DALES) to simulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their dispersion in turbulent environments at a hectometer resolution. This model incorporates both anthropogenic emission inventories and online ecosystem fluxes. Simulation results for the main urban area in the Netherlands demonstrate the strong potential of DALES to improve CO2 emission modeling and to support mitigation strategies.
Wouter Mol and Chiel van Heerwaarden
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4419–4441, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4419-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4419-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Sunlight varies often and quickly under broken cloud cover, and every cloud field creates a unique pattern of sunlight on the surface below. These variations affect many processes in the Earth system, from photosynthesis and chemistry to cloud formation itself. The exact way in which cloud particles interact with sunlight is complex and expensive to calculate. We demonstrate a simplified framework which explains how sunlight changes for potentially any cloud field.
Sreehari Kizhuveettil, Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano, Martina Krämer, Armin Afchine, Luiz A. T. Machado, Martin Zöger, and Wiebke Frey
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1637, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1637, 2025
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Aircraft measurements are used to investigate high-altitude downdrafts in tropical deep convective clouds. The cloud water present in the downdrafts and its intensity do not show any correlation. Surprisingly, downdrafts occurred in supersaturated regions, contradicting the classical view of subsaturated downdrafts. Up- and downdrafts of similar strength show similar particle size distributions. These findings shed new light on the interplay between deep convection dynamics and microphysics.
Felipe Lobos-Roco, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, and Camilo del Río
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 109–125, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-109-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-109-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Water resources are fundamental for the social, economic, and natural development of (semi-)arid regions. Precipitation decreases due to climate change obligate us to find new water resources. Fog harvesting (FH) emerges as a complementary resource in regions where it is abundant but untapped. This research proposes a model to estimate FH potential in coastal (semi-)arid regions. This model could have broader applicability worldwide in regions where FH could be a viable water source.
Job I. Wiltink, Hartwig Deneke, Yves-Marie Saint-Drenan, Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, and Jan Fokke Meirink
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6003–6024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6003-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6003-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Meteosat Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) global horizontal irradiance (GHI) retrievals are validated at standard and increased spatial resolution against a network of 99 pyranometers. GHI accuracy is strongly dependent on the cloud regime. Days with variable cloud conditions show significant accuracy improvements when retrieved at higher resolution. We highlight the benefits of dense network observations and a cloud-regime-resolved approach in validating GHI retrievals.
Mirjam Tijhuis, Bart J. H. van Stratum, and Chiel C. van Heerwaarden
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10567–10582, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10567-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10567-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Radiative transfer in the atmosphere is a 3D processes, which is often modelled in 1D for computational efficiency. We studied the differences between using 1D and 3D radiative transfer. With 3D radiation, larger clouds that contain more liquid water develop. However, they cover roughly the same part of the sky, and the average total radiation at the surface is nearly unchanged. The increase in cloud size might be important for weather models, as it can impact the formation of rain, for example.
Luiz A. T. Machado, Jürgen Kesselmeier, Santiago Botía, Hella van Asperen, Meinrat O. Andreae, Alessandro C. de Araújo, Paulo Artaxo, Achim Edtbauer, Rosaria R. Ferreira, Marco A. Franco, Hartwig Harder, Sam P. Jones, Cléo Q. Dias-Júnior, Guido G. Haytzmann, Carlos A. Quesada, Shujiro Komiya, Jost Lavric, Jos Lelieveld, Ingeborg Levin, Anke Nölscher, Eva Pfannerstill, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Akima Ringsdorf, Luciana Rizzo, Ana M. Yáñez-Serrano, Susan Trumbore, Wanda I. D. Valenti, Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano, David Walter, Jonathan Williams, Stefan Wolff, and Christopher Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 8893–8910, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8893-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8893-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Composite analysis of gas concentration before and after rainfall, during the day and night, gives insight into the complex relationship between trace gas variability and precipitation. The analysis helps us to understand the sources and sinks of trace gases within a forest ecosystem. It elucidates processes that are not discernible under undisturbed conditions and contributes to a deeper understanding of the trace gas life cycle and its intricate interactions with cloud dynamics in the Amazon.
Kim A. P. Faassen, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Raquel González-Armas, Bert G. Heusinkveld, Ivan Mammarella, Wouter Peters, and Ingrid T. Luijkx
Biogeosciences, 21, 3015–3039, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3015-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3015-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The ratio between atmospheric O2 and CO2 can be used to characterize the carbon balance at the surface. By combining a model and observations from the Hyytiälä forest (Finland), we show that using atmospheric O2 and CO2 measurements from a single height provides a weak constraint on the surface CO2 exchange because large-scale processes such as entrainment confound this signal. We therefore recommend always using multiple heights of O2 and CO2 measurements to study surface CO2 exchange.
Raquel González-Armas, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Mary Rose Mangan, Oscar Hartogensis, and Hugo de Boer
Biogeosciences, 21, 2425–2445, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2425-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2425-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the water and CO2 exchange for an alfalfa field with observations and a model with spatial scales ranging from the stomata to the atmospheric boundary layer. To relate the environmental factors to the leaf gas exchange, we developed three equations that quantify how many of the temporal changes of the leaf gas exchange occur due to changes in the environmental variables. The novelty of the research resides in the capacity to dissect the dynamics of the leaf gas exchange.
Ruben B. Schulte, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Susanna Rutledge-Jonker, Shelley van der Graaf, Jun Zhang, and Margreet C. van Zanten
Biogeosciences, 21, 557–574, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-557-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-557-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed measurements with the aim of finding relations between the surface atmosphere exchange of NH3 and the CO2 uptake and transpiration by vegetation. We found a high correlation of daytime NH3 emissions with both latent heat flux and photosynthetically active radiation. Very few simultaneous measurements of NH3, CO2 fluxes and meteorological variables exist at sub-diurnal timescales. This study paves the way to finding more robust relations between the NH3 exchange flux and CO2 uptake.
Robbert P. J. Moonen, Getachew A. Adnew, Oscar K. Hartogensis, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, David J. Bonell Fontas, and Thomas Röckmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5787–5810, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5787-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5787-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Isotope fluxes allow for net ecosystem gas exchange fluxes to be partitioned into sub-components like plant assimilation, respiration and transpiration, which can help us better understand the environmental drivers of each partial flux. We share the results of a field campaign isotope fluxes were derived using a combination of laser spectroscopy and eddy covariance. We found lag times and high frequency signal loss in the isotope fluxes we derived and present methods to correct for both.
Bert G. Heusinkveld, Wouter B. Mol, and Chiel C. van Heerwaarden
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3767–3785, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3767-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3767-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a new instrument for fast measurements of solar irradiance in 18 wavebands (400–950 nm): GPS perfectly synchronizes 10 Hz measurement speed to universal time, low-cost (< EUR 200) complete standalone solution for realizing dense measurement grids to study cloud-shading dynamics, 940 nm waveband reveals atmospheric moisture column information, 11 wavebands to study photosynthetic active radiation and light interaction with vegetation, and good reflection spectra performance.
Wouter B. Mol, Wouter H. Knap, and Chiel C. van Heerwaarden
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 2139–2151, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2139-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2139-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a dataset of detailed measurements of sunlight reaching the surface, recorded at a rate of one measurement per second for 10 years. The dataset includes detailed information on direct and scattered sunlight; classifications and statistics of variability; and observations of clouds, atmospheric composition, and wind. The dataset can be used to study how the atmosphere influences sunlight variability and to validate models that aim to predict this variability with greater accuracy.
Adrián Cardíl, Victor M. Tapia, Santiago Monedero, Tomás Quiñones, Kerryn Little, Cathelijne R. Stoof, Joaquín Ramirez, and Sergio de-Miguel
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 361–373, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-361-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-361-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study aims to unravel large-fire behavior in northwest Europe, a temperate region with a projected increase in wildfire risk. We propose a new method to identify wildfire rate of spread from satellites because it is important to know periods of elevated fire risk for suppression methods and land management. Results indicate that there is a peak in the area burned and rate of spread in the months of March and April, and there are significant differences for forest-type land covers.
Kim A. P. Faassen, Linh N. T. Nguyen, Eadin R. Broekema, Bert A. M. Kers, Ivan Mammarella, Timo Vesala, Penelope A. Pickers, Andrew C. Manning, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Harro A. J. Meijer, Wouter Peters, and Ingrid T. Luijkx
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 851–876, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-851-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-851-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The exchange ratio (ER) between atmospheric O2 and CO2 provides a useful tracer for separately estimating photosynthesis and respiration processes in the forest carbon balance. This is highly relevant to better understand the expected biosphere sink, which determines future atmospheric CO2 levels. We therefore measured O2, CO2, and their ER above a boreal forest in Finland and investigated their diurnal behaviour for a representative day, and we show the most suitable way to determine the ER.
Luuk D. van der Valk, Adriaan J. Teuling, Luc Girod, Norbert Pirk, Robin Stoffer, and Chiel C. van Heerwaarden
The Cryosphere, 16, 4319–4341, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4319-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4319-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Most large-scale hydrological and climate models struggle to capture the spatially highly variable wind-driven melt of patchy snow cover. In the field, we find that 60 %–80 % of the total melt is wind driven at the upwind edge of a snow patch, while it does not contribute at the downwind edge. Our idealized simulations show that the variation is due to a patch-size-independent air-temperature reduction over snow patches and also allow us to study the role of wind-driven snowmelt on larger scales.
Micael Amore Cecchini, Marco de Bruine, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, and Paulo Artaxo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11867–11888, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11867-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11867-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Shallow clouds (vertical extent up to 3 km height) are ubiquitous throughout the Amazon and are responsible for redistributing the solar heat and moisture vertically and horizontally. They are a key component of the water cycle because they can grow past the shallow phase to contribute significantly to the precipitation formation. However, they need favourable environmental conditions to grow. In this study, we analyse how changing wind patterns affect the development of such shallow clouds.
Felipe Lobos-Roco, Oscar Hartogensis, Francisco Suárez, Ariadna Huerta-Viso, Imme Benedict, Alberto de la Fuente, and Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3709–3729, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3709-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3709-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This research brings a multi-scale temporal analysis of evaporation in a saline lake of the Atacama Desert. Our findings reveal that evaporation is controlled differently depending on the timescale. Evaporation is controlled sub-diurnally by wind speed, regulated seasonally by radiation and modulated interannually by ENSO. Our research extends our understanding of evaporation, contributing to improving the climate change assessment and efficiency of water management in arid regions.
Ruben B. Schulte, Margreet C. van Zanten, Bart J. H. van Stratum, and Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8241–8257, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8241-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8241-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a fine-scale simulation framework, utilizing large-eddy simulations, to assess NH3 measurements influenced by boundary-layer dynamics and turbulent dispersion of a nearby emission source. The minimum required distance from an emission source differs for concentration and flux measurements, from 0.5–3.0 km and 0.75–4.5 km, respectively. The simulation framework presented here proves to be a powerful and versatile tool for future NH3 research at high spatio-temporal resolutions.
Anja Ražnjević, Chiel van Heerwaarden, and Maarten Krol
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3611–3628, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3611-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3611-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluate two widely used observational techniques (Other Test Method (OTM) 33A and car drive-bys) that estimate point source gas emissions. We performed our analysis on high-resolution plume dispersion simulation. For car drive-bys we found that at least 15 repeated measurements were needed to get within 40 % of the true emissions. OTM 33A produced large errors in estimation (50 %–200 %) due to its sensitivity to dispersion coefficients and underlying simplifying assumptions.
Anja Ražnjević, Chiel van Heerwaarden, Bart van Stratum, Arjan Hensen, Ilona Velzeboer, Pim van den Bulk, and Maarten Krol
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6489–6505, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6489-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6489-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Mobile measurement techniques (e.g., instruments placed in cars) are often employed to identify and quantify individual sources of greenhouse gases. Due to road restrictions, those observations are often sparse (temporally and spatially). We performed high-resolution simulations of plume dispersion, with realistic weather conditions encountered in the field, to reproduce the measurement process of a methane plume emitted from an oil well and provide additional information about the plume.
Tomàs Artés, Marc Castellnou, Tracy Houston Durrant, and Jesús San-Miguel
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 509–522, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-509-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-509-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
During the last 20 years extreme wildfires have challenged firefighting capabilities. Several fire danger indices are routinely used by firefighting services but are not suited to forecast convective extreme wildfire behaviour at the global scale. This article proposes a new fire danger index for deep moist convection, the extreme-fire behaviour index (EFBI), based on the analysis of the vertical profiles of the atmosphere above wildfires to use along with traditional fire danger indices.
Carlos Román-Cascón, Marie Lothon, Fabienne Lohou, Oscar Hartogensis, Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano, David Pino, Carlos Yagüe, and Eric R. Pardyjak
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 3939–3967, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3939-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3939-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The type of vegetation (or land cover) and its status influence the heat and water transfers between the surface and the air, affecting the processes that develop in the atmosphere at different (but connected) spatiotemporal scales. In this work, we investigate how these transfers are affected by the way the surface is represented in a widely used weather model. The results encourage including realistic high-resolution and updated land cover databases in models to improve their predictions.
Robin Stoffer, Caspar M. van Leeuwen, Damian Podareanu, Valeriu Codreanu, Menno A. Veerman, Martin Janssens, Oscar K. Hartogensis, and Chiel C. van Heerwaarden
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 3769–3788, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3769-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-3769-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Turbulent flows are often simulated with the large-eddy simulation (LES) technique, which requires subgrid models to account for the smallest scales. Current subgrid models often require strong simplifying assumptions. We therefore developed a subgrid model based on artificial neural networks, which requires fewer assumptions. Our data-driven SGS model showed high potential in accurately representing the smallest scales but still introduced instability when incorporated into an actual LES.
Felipe Lobos-Roco, Oscar Hartogensis, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Alberto de la Fuente, Ricardo Muñoz, José Rutllant, and Francisco Suárez
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9125–9150, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9125-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9125-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the influence of regional atmospheric circulation on the evaporation of a saline lake in the Altiplano region of the Atacama Desert through a field experiment and regional modeling. Our results show that evaporation is controlled by two regimes: (1) in the morning by local conditions with low evaporation rates and low wind speed and (2) in the afternoon with high evaporation rates and high wind speed. Afternoon winds are connected to the regional Pacific Ocean–Andes flow.
Cited articles
Artés, T., Castellnou, M., Houston Durrant, T., and San-Miguel, J.: Wildfire–atmosphere interaction index for extreme-fire behaviour, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 509–522, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-509-2022, 2022.
Badlan, R. L., Sharples, J. J., Evans, J. P., McRae, R. H. D., Badlan, R. L., Sharples, J. J., Evans, J. P., and McRae, R. H. D.: Factors influencing the development of violent pyroconvection. Part I: fire size and stability, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 30, 484–497, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF20040, 2021.
Banta, R. M., Olivier, L. D., Holloway, E. T., Kropfli, R. A., Bartram, B. W., Cupp, R. E., and Post, M. J.: Smoke-Column Observations from Two Forest Fires Using Doppler Lidar and Doppler Radar, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 31, 1328–1349, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1992)031<1328:SCOFTF>2.0.CO;2, 1992.
Benik, J., Farguell, A., Mirocha, J., Clements, C., and Kochanski, A.: Analysis of Fire-Induced Circulations during the FireFlux2 Experiment, Fire, 6, 332, https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090332, 2023.
Bessardon, G. E. Q., Fosu-Amankwah, K., Petersson, A., and Brooks, B. J.: Evaluation of Windsond S1H2 performance in Kumasi during the 2016 DACCIWA field campaign, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 1311–1324, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1311-2019, 2019.
Bolton, D.: The Computation of Equivalent Potential Temperature, Monthly Weather Review, 108, 1046–1053, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<1046:TCOEPT>2.0.CO;2, 1980.
Boone, A., Best, M., Bellvert, J., Brooke, J., Canut-Rocafort, G., Cuxart, J., Hartogensis, O., Ramon Miro, J., LeMoigne, P., Polcher, J., Price, J., and Quintana Segui, P.: Land surface Interactions with the Atmosphere over the Iberian Semi-arid Environment (LIAISE) Project: Overview of the Field Campaign intense phase, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-8028, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8028, 2022.
Brewer, M. J. and Clements, C. B.: Meteorological Profiling in the Fire Environment Using UAS, Fire, 3, 36, https://doi.org/10.3390/fire3030036, 2020.
Butler, B. W.: Wildland firefighter safety zones: a review of past science and summary of future needs, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 23, 295–308, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF13021, 2014.
Canfield, J. M., Linn, R. R., Sauer, J. A., Finney, M., and Forthofer, J.: A numerical investigation of the interplay between fireline length, geometry, and rate of spread, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 189–190, 48–59, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.01.007, 2014.
Cardil, A. and Molina, D. M.: Factors Causing Victims of Wildland Fires in Spain (1980–2010), Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 21, 67–80, https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2013.871995, 2015.
Castellnou, M., Prat-Guitart, N., Arilla, E., Larrañaga, A., Nebot, E., Castellarnau, X., Vendrell, J., Pallàs, J., Herrera, J., Monturiol, M., Cespedes, J., Pagès, J., Gallardo, C., and Miralles, M.: Empowering strategic decision-making for wildfire management: avoiding the fear trap and creating a resilient landscape, Fire Ecology, 15, https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-019-0048-6, 2019.
Castellnou, M., Bachfischer, M., Miralles, M., Ruiz, B., Stoof, C. R., and de Arellano, J. V.-G.: Pyroconvection Classification based on Atmospheric Vertical Profiling Correlation with Extreme Fire Spread Observations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD036920, 2022.
Castellnou Ribau, M., Bachfischer, M., Guarque, P., Estivill, L., and Miralles, M.: Radiosonde dataset of: Integrating Fireline Observations to Characterize Fire Plumes During Pyroconvective Extreme Wildfire Events: Implications for Firefighter Safety and Plume Modeling (Campaigns 2021–2025), Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17886250, 2025.
Charland, A. M. and Clements, C. B.: Kinematic structure of a wildland fire plume observed by Doppler lidar, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118, 3200–3212, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50308, 2013.
Clark, T. L., Jenkins, M. A., Coen, J., and Packham, D.: A Coupled Atmosphere–Fire Model: Convective Feedback on Fire-Line Dynamics, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 35, 875–901, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1996)035<0875:ACAMCF>2.0.CO;2, 1996.
Clements, C. B.: Thermodynamic structure of a grass fire plume, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 19, 895–902, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF09009, 2010.
Clements, C. B., Lareau, N. P., Seto, D., Contezac, J., Davis, B., Teske, C., Zajkowski, T. J., Hudak, A. T., Bright, B. C., Dickinson, M. B., Butler, B. W., Jimenez, D., and Hiers, J. K.: Fire weather conditions and fire–atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires – RxCADRE 2012, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 25, 90–101, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF14173, 2015.
Clements, C. B., Lareau, N. P., Kingsmill, D. E., Bowers, C. L., Camacho, C. P., Bagley, R., and Davis, B.: The Rapid Deployments to Wildfires Experiment (RaDFIRE): Observations from the Fire Zone, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99, 2539–2559, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0230.1, 2018.
Clements, C. B., Kochanski, A. K., Seto, D., Davis, B., Camacho, C., Lareau, N. P., Contezac, J., Restaino, J., Heilman, W. E., Krueger, S. K., Butler, B., Ottmar, R. D., Vihnanek, R., Flynn, J., Filippi, J.-B., Barboni, T., Hall, D. E., Mandel, J., Jenkins, M. A., O'Brien, J., Hornsby, B., and Teske, C.: The FireFlux II experiment: a model-guided field experiment to improve understanding of fire–atmosphere interactions and fire spread, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 28, 308–326, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18089, 2019.
Couto, F. T., Filippi, J.-B., Baggio, R., Campos, C., and Salgado, R.: Triggering Pyro-Convection in a High-Resolution Coupled Fire–Atmosphere Simulation, Fire, 7, 92, https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7030092, 2024.
Cruz, M. G., Sullivan, A. L., Gould, J. S., Sims, N. C., Bannister, A. J., Hollis, J. J., and Hurley, R. J.: Anatomy of a catastrophic wildfire: The Black Saturday Kilmore East fire in Victoria, Australia, Forest Ecology and Management, 284, 269–285, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.02.035, 2012.
Duane, A., Castellnou, M., Bachfisher, M., and Brotons, L.: Fire Rate of Spread and Growth Rate in a Set of 30 Global Wildfires: New Evidence of Extreme Fire Behavior, Journal of Environmental Informatics, 44, 87–99, 2024.
Dutra, E., Johannsen, F., and Magnusson, L.: Late Spring and Summer Subseasonal forecasts in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes: biases and skill in the ECMWF model, Monthly Weather Review, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-20-0342.1, 2021.
Eghdami, M., Juliano, T. W., Jiménez, P. A., Kosovic, B., Castellnou, M., Kumar, R., and Vila-Guerau de Arellano, J.: Characterizing the Role of Moisture and Smoke on the 2021 Santa Coloma de Queralt Pyroconvective Event Using WRF-Fire, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 15, e2022MS003288, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003288, 2023.
Filippi, J.-B., Bosseur, F., Mari, C., and Lac, C.: Simulation of a Large Wildfire in a Coupled Fire-Atmosphere Model, Atmosphere, 9, 218, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9060218, 2018.
Finney, M. A., Cohen, J. D., Forthofer, J. M., McAllister, S. S., Gollner, M. J., Gorham, D. J., Saito, K., Akafuah, N. K., Adam, B. A., and English, J. D.: Role of buoyant flame dynamics in wildfire spread, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112, 9833–9838, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1504498112, 2015.
Finney, M. A., McAllister, S. S., Forthofer, J. M., and Grumstrup, T. P.: Wildland Fire Behaviour: Dynamics, Principles and Processes, Csiro Publishing, 377 pp., ISBN 9781486309092, 2021.
Freitas, S. R., Longo, K. M., Chatfield, R., Latham, D., Silva Dias, M. A. F., Andreae, M. O., Prins, E., Santos, J. C., Gielow, R., and Carvalho Jr., J. A.: Including the sub-grid scale plume rise of vegetation fires in low resolution atmospheric transport models, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 3385–3398, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-3385-2007, 2007.
Freitas, S. R., Longo, K. M., Trentmann, J., and Latham, D.: Technical Note: Sensitivity of 1-D smoke plume rise models to the inclusion of environmental wind drag, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 585–594, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-585-2010, 2010.
Gleason, P.: LCES – a key to safety in the wildland fire environment, Fire Management Notes, 52, 1991.
Goens, D. W. and Andrews, P. L.: Weather and fire behavior factors related to the 1990 Dude Fire near Payson, Arizona, in: Proceedings: 2nd symposium on fire and forest meteorology, American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA, 153–158, 1998.
Granados-Muñoz, M. J., Navas-Guzmán, F., Bravo-Aranda, J. A., Guerrero-Rascado, J. L., Lyamani, H., Fernández-Gálvez, J., and Alados-Arboledas, L.: Automatic determination of the planetary boundary layer height using lidar: One-year analysis over southeastern Spain, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 117, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JD017524, 2012.
Haines, D. A.: A lower atmosphere severity index for wildlife fires, National Weather Digest, 13, 23–27, 1989.
Heilman, W. E.: Atmospheric turbulence and wildland fires: a review, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 32, 476–495, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF22053, 2023.
Holzworth, G. C.: Estimates of mean maximum mixing depths in the contiguous United States, Monthly Weather Review, 92, 235–242, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1964)092<0235:EOMMMD>2.3.CO;2, 1964.
Jenkins, M.: Investigating the Haines Index using parcel model theory, International Journal of Wildland Fire, 13, 297–309, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF03055, 2004.
Kiefer, M. T., Parker, M. D., and Charney, J. J.: Regimes of Dry Convection above Wildfires: Idealized Numerical Simulations and Dimensional Analysis, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 66, 806–836, https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JAS2896.1, 2009.
Koch, S. E., Fengler, M., Chilson, P. B., Elmore, K. L., Argrow, B., Andra, D. L., and Lindley, T.: On the Use of Unmanned Aircraft for Sampling Mesoscale Phenomena in the Preconvective Boundary Layer, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 35, 2265–2288, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0101.1, 2018.
Kochanski, A. K., Mallia, D. V., Fearon, M. G., Mandel, J., Souri, A. H., and Brown, T.: Modeling Wildfire Smoke Feedback Mechanisms Using a Coupled Fire-Atmosphere Model With a Radiatively Active Aerosol Scheme, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 9099–9116, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD030558, 2019.
Krishna, M., Saide, P. E., Ye, X., Turney, F., Hair, J., Fenn, M. A., and Shingler, T.: Evaluation of Wildfire Plume Injection Heights Estimated from Operational Weather Radar Observations Using Airborne Lidar Retrievals – Krishna – 2024 – Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres – Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD039926, 2025.
Lahaye, S., Curt, T., Fréjaville, T., Sharples, J., Paradis, L., and Hély, C.: What are the drivers of dangerous fires in Mediterranean France?, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 27, 155–163, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF17087, 2018.
Lareau, N. P. and Clements, C. B.: Environmental controls on pyrocumulus and pyrocumulonimbus initiation and development, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4005–4022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4005-2016, 2016.
Lareau, N. P., Donohoe, A., Roberts, M., and Ebrahimian, H.: Tracking Wildfires With Weather Radars, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127, e2021JD036158, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036158, 2022.
Lareau, N. P., Clements, C. B., Kochanski, A., Aydell, T., Hudak, A. T., McCarley, T. R., and Ottmar, R.: Observations of a rotating pyroconvective plume, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 33, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23045, 2024.
Leach, R. N. and Gibson, C. V.: Assessing the Potential for Pyroconvection and Wildfire Blow Ups, J. Operational Meteor., 47–61, https://doi.org/10.15191/nwajom.2021.0904, 2021.
Li, H., Liu, B., Ma, X., Jin, S., Ma, Y., Zhao, Y., and Gong, W.: Evaluation of retrieval methods for planetary boundary layer height based on radiosonde data, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5977–5986, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5977-2021, 2021.
Liu, S. and Liang, X.-Z.: Observed Diurnal Cycle Climatology of Planetary Boundary Layer Height, Journal of Climate, 23, 5790–5809, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JCLI3552.1, 2010.
Liu, Y., Achtemeier, G. L., Goodrick, S. L., and Jackson, W. A.: Important parameters for smoke plume rise simulation with Daysmoke, Atmospheric Pollution Research, 1, 250–259, https://doi.org/10.5094/APR.2010.032, 2010.
Liu, Y., Goodrick, S. L., Achtemeier, G. L., Forbus, K., and Combs, D.: Smoke plume height measurement of prescribed burns in the south-eastern United States, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 22, 130–147, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF11072, 2012.
Luderer, G., Trentmann, J., Andreae, M. O., Luderer, G., Trentmann, J., and Andreae, M. O.: A new look at the role of fire-released moisture on the dynamics of atmospheric pyro-convection, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 18, 554–562, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF07035, 2009.
May, R. M., Goebbert, K. H., Thielen, J. E., Leeman, J. R., Camron, M. D., Bruick, Z., Bruning, E. C., Manser, R. P., Arms, S. C., and Marsh, P. T.: MetPy: A Meteorological Python Library for Data Analysis and Visualization, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 103, E2273–E2284, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0125.1, 2022.
McCarthy, N., Guyot, A., Dowdy, A., and McGowan, H.: Wildfire and Weather Radar: A Review, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 266–286, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029285, 2019.
McCutchan, M. H.: Second AMS Conference on Mountain Meteorology 9–12 November 1981, Steamboat Springs, Colo., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 63, 767–772, 1982.
McRae, R. H. D., Sharples, J. J., and Fromm, M.: Linking local wildfire dynamics to pyroCb development, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 417–428, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-417-2015, 2015.
Moisseeva, N.: A numerical perspective on wildfire plume-rise dynamics, University of British Columbia, https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0395299, 2020.
Page, W. G., Freeborn, P. H., Butler, B. W., and Jolly, W. M.: A review of US wildland firefighter entrapments: trends, important environmental factors and research needs, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 28, 551, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF19022, 2019.
Paugam, R., Wooster, M., Freitas, S., and Val Martin, M.: A review of approaches to estimate wildfire plume injection height within large-scale atmospheric chemical transport models, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 907–925, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-907-2016, 2016.
Peterson, D. A., Hyer, E. J., Campbell, J. R., Solbrig, J. E., and Fromm, M. D.: A Conceptual Model for Development of Intense Pyrocumulonimbus in Western North America, Monthly Weather Review, 145, 2235–2255, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-16-0232.1, 2017.
Potter, B. E.: The role of released moisture in the atmospheric dynamics associated with wildland fires, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 14, 77–84, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF04045, 2005.
Potter, B.: The Haines Index – it's time to revise it or replace it, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 27, 437–440, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18015, 2018.
Potter, B. E. and Anaya, M. A.: A Wildfire-relevant climatology of the convective environment of the United States, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 24, 267–275, https://doi.org/10.1071/WF13211, 2015.
Prichard, S., Larkin, N. S., Ottmar, R., French, N. H. F., Baker, K., Brown, T., Clements, C., Dickinson, M., Hudak, A., Kochanski, A., Linn, R., Liu, Y., Potter, B., Mell, W., Tanzer, D., Urbanski, S., and Watts, A.: The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment – A Plan for Integrated, Large Fire–Atmosphere Field Campaigns, Atmosphere, 10, 66, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10020066, 2019.
Rio, C., Hourdin, F., and Chédin, A.: Numerical simulation of tropospheric injection of biomass burning products by pyro-thermal plumes, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 3463–3478, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3463-2010, 2010.
Rodriguez, B., Lareau, N. P., Kingsmill, D. E., and Clements, C. B.: Extreme Pyroconvective Updrafts During a Megafire, Geophysical Research Letters, 47, e2020GL089001, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089001, 2020.
Romps, D. M.: Exact Expression for the Lifting Condensation Level, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 74, 3891–3900, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-17-0102.1, 2017.
Rothermel, R. C.: Predicting behavior and size of crown fires in the northern Rocky Mountains, Res. Pap. INT-438, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT, 46 pp., 438, https://doi.org/10.2737/INT-RP-438, 1991.
Salvador, N., Reis, N. C., Santos, J. M., Albuquerque, T. T. d. A., Loriato, A. G., Delbarre, H., Augustin, P., Sokolov, A., and Moreira, D. M.: Evaluation of weather research and forecasting model parameterizations under sea-breeze conditions in a North Sea coastal environment, J. Meteorol. Res., 30, 998–1018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-016-6019-9, 2016.
Scott, J. H. and Burgan, R. E.: Standard Fire Behavior Fuel Models: A Comprehensive Set for Use with Rothermel's Surface Fire Spread Model, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 84 pp., General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-153, 2005.
Seibert, P., Beyrich, F., Gryning, S.-E., Joffre, S., Rasmussen, A., and Tercier, P.: Review and intercomparison of operational methods for the determination of the mixing height, Atmospheric Environment, 34, 1001–1027, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00349-0, 2000.
Stull, R. B. (Ed.): An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3027-8, 1988.
Tory, K. J. and Kepert, J. D.: Pyrocumulonimbus Firepower Threshold: Assessing the Atmospheric Potential for pyroCb, Weather and Forecasting, 36, 439–456, https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-20-0027.1, 2021.
Tory, K. J., Thurston, W., and Kepert, J. D.: Thermodynamics of Pyrocumulus: A Conceptual Study, Monthly Weather Review, 146, 2579–2598, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-17-0377.1, 2018.
van Stratum, B. J. H., de Arellano, J. V.-G., van Heerwaarden, C. C., and Ouwersloot, H. G.: Subcloud-Layer Feedbacks Driven by the Mass Flux of Shallow Cumulus Convection over Land, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 71, 881–895, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-13-0192.1, 2014.
Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, J., van Heerwaarden, C. C., van Stratum, B. J. H., and van den Dries, K.: Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Integrating Air Chemistry and Land Interactions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316117422, 2015.
Wagner, J. S., Gohm, A., and Rotach, M. W.: The Impact of Horizontal Model Grid Resolution on the Boundary Layer Structure over an Idealized Valley, Monthly Weather Review, 142, 3446–3465, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-14-00002.1, 2014.
Werth, P. A., Potter, B. E., Clements, C. B., Finney, M. A., Goodrick, S. L., Alexander, M. E., Cruz, M. G., Forthofer, J. A., and McAllister, S. S.: Synthesis of knowledge of extreme fire behavior: volume I for fire managers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR, https://doi.org/10.2737/PNW-GTR-854, 2011.
Wilmot, T. Y., Mallia, D. V., Hallar, A. G., and Lin, J. C.: Wildfire plumes in the Western US are reaching greater heights and injecting more aerosols aloft as wildfire activity intensifies, Sci. Rep., 12, 12400, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16607-3, 2022.
Wilson, C. C.: Fatal and Near-fatal Forest Fires. The commom denominators, The International Fire Chief, 43, 12–15, 1977.
Wooster, M. J., Roberts, G. J., Giglio, L., Roy, D. P., Freeborn, P. H., Boschetti, L., Justice, C., Ichoku, C., Schroeder, W., Davies, D., Smith, A. M. S., Setzer, A., Csiszar, I., Strydom, T., Frost, P., Zhang, T., Xu, W., de Jong, M. C., Johnston, J. M., Ellison, L., Vadrevu, K., Sparks, A. M., Nguyen, H., McCarty, J., Tanpipat, V., Schmidt, C., and San-Miguel-Ayanz, J.: Satellite remote sensing of active fires: History and current status, applications and future requirements, Remote Sensing of Environment, 267, 112694, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112694, 2021.
Zhang, Y., Gao, Z., Li, D., Li, Y., Zhang, N., Zhao, X., and Chen, J.: On the computation of planetary boundary-layer height using the bulk Richardson number method, Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 2599–2611, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-2599-2014, 2014.
Zhang, Y., Fan, J., Logan, T., Li, Z., and Homeyer, C. R.: Wildfire Impact on Environmental Thermodynamics and Severe Convective Storms, Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 10082–10093, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084534, 2019.
Ziegler, J. A.: The Story Behind an Organizational List: A Genealogy of Wildland Firefighters' 10 Standard Fire Orders, Communication Monographs, 74, 415–442, https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750701716594, 2007.
Executive editor
Obtaining a better understanding of how the fire-perturbed atmosphere may ignite more fuel is important to firefighters, but it is also a topic of interest for the general public. If large enough, fires can grow by feeding themselves. Atmospheric measurements during a fire can help scientists and firefighters better understand how the fire will evolve and whether there is a risk that the fire will run out of control. The authors show that using sonde measurements during the fire enables firefighters to better predict how it will evolve, thereby improving their security. At the same time, such measurements provide a valuable dataset for scientific model testing and development.
Obtaining a better understanding of how the fire-perturbed atmosphere may ignite more fuel is...
Short summary
Firefighter entrapments can occur when wildfires escalate suddenly due to fire-atmosphere interactions. This study presents a method to analyze this in real-time using two weather balloon measurements: ambient and in-plume conditions. Researchers launched 156 balloons during wildfire seasons in Spain, Chile, Greece, and the Netherlands. This methodology detects sudden changes in fire behavior by comparing ambient and in-plume data, ultimately enhancing research on fire-atmosphere interactions.
Firefighter entrapments can occur when wildfires escalate suddenly due to fire-atmosphere...
