Update camp-fire-burn-scar.stories.mdx

stories/camp-fire-burn-scar.stories.mdx

@@ -18,13 +18,9 @@ taxonomy:
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   <Prose>
 
-  Authors: Andrew Blackford<sup>1</sup>, Trent Cowan<sup>1</sup>, Udaysankar Nair<sup>1</sup>
-
+  Authors: Andrew Blackford<sup>1</sup>, Trent Cowan<sup>1</sup>, Udaysankar Nair<sup>1</sup>\
   <sup>1</sup> The University of Alabama in Huntsville
 
-  Disclaimer: This research is ongoing and is not yet peer-reviewed. 
-
-
   </Prose>
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@@ -35,7 +31,6 @@ taxonomy:
     Wildfires burn thousands of acres of land every year, resulting in drastic changes in land use and land cover (LULC). The burn scars left behind by these wildfires have the potential to alter local weather, climate, and hydrology. A typical example of the drastic change in LULC is the burn scar that resulted from the November 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, California. 
 
     The Camp Fire occurred from November 8 to 25, 2018, burning over 153,000 acres and causing $16.65 billion (2018 USD) in damages. The fire was initiated by a faulty transmission line maintained by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), and resulted in 85 fatalities and 17 injuries. The Camp Fire was the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 and remains the seventh deadliest wildfire in U.S. history as of October 2023. Among several communities impacted by the fire, the city of Paradise was the most severely impacted, with 95% of the city burned and 18,804 of the city’s buildings destroyed.     
-
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   <Figure>
@@ -51,9 +46,9 @@ taxonomy:
 
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   <Prose>
-     A dominant pathway through which wildfires affect local weather, climate, and hydrology is via alteration of land-atmosphere interactions. Removal of vegetation by wildfires cause surface albedo (proportion of sunlight reaching the surface that is reflected) to increase, which reduces the amount of energy deposited by sunlight at the surface. The emissivity of the surface (efficiency for emitting/absorbing infrared radiation) can decrease following a wildfire, leading to a reduction in loss of energy from the surface in the form of infrared radiation. The net radiative energy deposited at the surface is transported as heat and moisture (through evaporation and transpiration) into the atmosphere and the rest as heat flow into deeper layers of the surface. The presence of vegetation at the surface influences how the radiative energy deposited at the surface is partitioned into heat and moisture fluxes into the atmosphere. When vegetation is present at the surface, it increases resistance to airflow and increases the efficiency of heat and moisture transport to the atmosphere. Further, vegetation roots can access water from over a deeper layer of the soil. Thus, removal of vegetation by wildfires alters the amount of heat and moisture removed from the surface, as well as land surface temperature (LST).
+     A dominant pathway through which wildfires affect local weather, climate, and hydrology is via alteration of land-atmosphere interactions. Removal of vegetation by wildfires causes surface albedo (proportion of sunlight reaching the surface to that which is reflected) to increase, which reduces the amount of energy deposited by sunlight at the surface. The emissivity of the surface (efficiency for emitting/absorbing infrared radiation) can decrease following a wildfire, leading to a reduction in loss of energy from the surface in the form of infrared radiation. The net radiative energy deposited at the surface is transported as heat and moisture (through evaporation and transpiration) into the atmosphere and the rest as heat flow into deeper layers of the surface. The presence of vegetation at the surface influences how the radiative energy deposited at the surface is partitioned into heat and moisture fluxes into the atmosphere. When vegetation is present at the surface, it increases resistance to airflow and increases the efficiency of heat and moisture transport to the atmosphere. Further, vegetation roots can access water from over a deeper layer of the soil. Thus, removal of vegetation by wildfires alters the amount of heat and moisture removed from the surface, as well as land surface temperature (LST).
 
-    After wildfires, soil water repellency (soil hydrophobicity) is altered and surface debris is removed, leading to a reduction in water infiltration and an increase in runoff. In addition, vegetation removal causes an increase in soil erosion. Immediately following the fires, runoff can transport ash deposits in addition to soil. If water bodies are present near fire-damaged locations, then an increase in sediments and ash in runoff can lead to higher turbidity and cause water pollution. 
+    After wildfires, soil water repellency (soil hydrophobicity) is altered and surface debris is removed, leading to a reduction in water infiltration and an increase in runoff. In addition, vegetation removal causes an increase in soil erosion. Immediately following the fires, runoff can transport ash deposits in addition to soil. If water bodies are present near fire-damaged locations, then an increase in sediments and ash in runoff can lead to higher turbidity or cloudiness in water bodies and cause water pollution. 
   </Prose>
 
   <Figure>
@@ -62,7 +57,7 @@ taxonomy:
       alt='Camp Fire on November 11, 2018'
     />
     <Caption>
-    HLS false-color composite imagery from November 11, 2018, of the same scene shown in Figure 1 at left. False color composite imagery is useful in fire analysis in that it makes it easier to see the contrast of healthy vegetation (reds) and burned, bare ground (browns).
+    HLS false-color composite imagery from November 11, 2018, of the same scene shown in Figure 1. False color composite imagery is useful in fire analysis in that it makes it easier to see the contrast of healthy vegetation (reds) and burned, bare ground (browns).
     </Caption>
   </Figure>
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@@ -177,9 +172,9 @@ taxonomy:
 
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   <Prose>   
-    Before the Camp Fire, part of the energy deposited is utilized by green vegetation cover for transpiration. However, after the fire, more of the energy deposited at the surface goes into heating and raising the temperature of the land surface. Thus, during the daytime, loss of vegetation caused by the fire could result in an increase in land surface temperature and a reduction of moisture flux to the atmosphere. The MODIS-derived LST Day and Night products were utilized to determine whether such changes in LST were observed following the fire. Indeed, the mean daytime LST over the fire-affected areas increased by 4.51°F (2.51 K) following the Camp Fire.
+    Before the Camp Fire, part of the energy deposited is utilized by green vegetation cover for transpiration. However, after the fire, more of the energy deposited at the surface goes into heating and raising the temperature of the land surface. Thus, during the daytime, loss of vegetation caused by the fire results in an increase in land surface temperature and a reduction of moisture flux to the atmosphere. The MODIS-derived LST Day and Night products were utilized to determine whether such changes in LST were observed following the fire. Indeed, the mean daytime LST over the fire-affected areas increased by 4.5°F (2.5 K) following the Camp Fire.
 
-    However, during nighttime, when sunlight is not warming the surface, the change in surface emissivity (efficiency in emitting infrared radiation) caused by the wildfire is the major factor that influences nighttime LST. Generally, green vegetation cover has similar emissivity in comparison to bare ground, depending on soil wetness. Removal of vegetation can lead to either an increase or reduction in the loss of energy to the atmosphere in the form of infrared radiation and an increase in nighttime LST, depending upon the nature of surface emissivity. The monthly mean value of emissivity and nighttime LST over the fire scar region for periods before and after the fire were examined. It was found that the mean emissivity for the fire scar area increased minutely, from 97.66% to 97.96% with a corresponding decrease of 0.64℉ (0.34 K) in nighttime LST.
+    However, during nighttime, when sunlight is not warming the surface, the change in surface emissivity (efficiency in emitting infrared radiation) caused by the wildfire is the major factor that influences nighttime LST. Generally, green vegetation cover has similar emissivity in comparison to bare ground, depending on soil wetness. Removal of vegetation can lead to either an increase or reduction in the loss of energy to the atmosphere in the form of infrared radiation and an increase in nighttime LST, depending upon the nature of surface emissivity. The monthly mean value of emissivity and nighttime LST over the fire scar region for periods before and after the fire were examined. A very slight increase in the mean emissivity, from 97.66% to 97.96% with a corresponding decrease of 0.64℉ (0.34 K) in nighttime LST was observed over the fire scar.
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@@ -204,7 +199,7 @@ taxonomy:
 
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   <Prose>  
-    The analysis of the satellite data described above implies that the Camp Fire caused significant alterations in the interactions between the land and the atmosphere. As explained earlier, the modifications in vegetation cover resulted in increased heat and decreased moisture movement from the land into the atmosphere. These alterations within the fire-affected area created a noticeable distinction in the land-atmosphere exchanges when compared to the adjacent unaffected regions. This particular response in airflow could bring about variations in wind patterns and cloud formation, a phenomenon akin to the well-known sea breeze effect commonly observed along land-ocean boundaries. Further exploration using computer models and additional data analysis is necessary to fully understand these processes.
+    The analysis of the satellite data described above implies the Camp Fire caused significant alterations in the interactions between the land and the atmosphere. As explained earlier, the modifications in vegetation cover resulted in increased heat and decreased moisture movement from the land into the atmosphere. These alterations within the fire-affected area created a noticeable distinction in the land-atmosphere energy exchanges when compared to the adjacent unaffected regions. This particular response in airflow could bring about variations in wind patterns and cloud formation, a phenomenon akin to the well-known sea breeze effect commonly observed along land-ocean boundaries. Further exploration using computer models and additional data analysis is necessary to fully understand these processes.
   </Prose>
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@@ -232,7 +227,7 @@ taxonomy:
     ## MODIS LST Day Difference
     ## (2019-2022) - (2015-2018)
 
-    On average, satellite observations show that daytime land surface temperature (LST) increased by 4.51°F (2.51 K) over the area affected by the Camp Fire. Satellite observations also show that local changes in daytime LST within the burnscar region can increase by up to 6.12 K, which implies correspondingly large increases in maximum air temperatures as well.
+    On average, satellite observations show that daytime land surface temperature (LST) increased by 4.5°F over the area affected by the Camp Fire. Satellite observations also show that local changes in daytime LST within the burnscar region can increase by as much as 11°F, which implies correspondingly large increases in maximum air temperatures as well.
 
   </Chapter>
 
@@ -246,7 +241,7 @@ taxonomy:
     ## MODIS LST Night Difference
     ## (2019-2022) - (2015-2018)
 
-    Satellite observations show that loss of vegetation caused by the Camp Fire leads to an average decrease in night time LST of 0.64°F (0.35 K). Locally, decreases in night time LST can reach up to 1.56 K. Satellite observations also show that decreases in nighttime LST is due to increase in efficiency of loss of energy from the surface in the form of infrared radiation.
+    Satellite observations show that loss of vegetation caused by the Camp Fire leads to an average decrease in night time LST of 0.64°F (0.35 K). Locally, decreases in night time LST can be as much as 2.8°F. Satellite observations also show that decreases in nighttime LST is due to increase in efficiency of loss of energy from the surface in the form of infrared radiation.
 
   </Chapter>
 
@@ -292,13 +287,12 @@ taxonomy:
 
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-    The normalized difference turbidity index (NDTI) was utilized to examine if the turbidity of this lake was affected following the Camp Fire. NDTI was computed using the NASA Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset using the reflectance of the surface at a geographical location estimated from satellite sensor observations at red and green wavelengths of light. Denoting the reflectance values at red and green wavelengths as r and g, the NDTI is given by the ratio of (r-g) to (r+g). The reflectance of clear water is higher in green than red wavelengths; however, when the water is turbid, the reflectance of water in the red wavelengths becomes higher than in the green wavelengths. Thus NDTI has negative values when the water is clear and becomes positive when it is turbid. It is important to note that the above-described interpretation of NDTI is valid only for water bodies, and thus it needs to be determined if water is indeed present at a location.
+    The normalized difference turbidity index (NDTI) was utilized to examine if the turbidity of Lake Oroville was affected following the Camp Fire. NDTI was computed using the NASA Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset using surface reflectance at a geographical location estimated from satellite sensor observations at red and green wavelengths. Denoting the reflectance values at red and green wavelengths as r and g, the NDTI is given by the ratio of (r-g) to (r+g). The reflectance of clear water is higher in green than red wavelengths; however, when the water is turbid, the reflectance of water in the red wavelengths becomes higher than the green wavelengths. Thus NDTI has negative values when the water is clear and becomes positive when it is turbid. It is important to note that the above-described interpretation of NDTI is valid only for water bodies, and thus it needs to be determined if water is indeed present at a location.
 
-    The normalized difference water index (NDWI) was then used to determine if water is present at a given location in an HLS scene. The NDWI is computed using reflectance at the green (g) and near-infrared (nir) wavelengths as the ratio of (g-nir) and (g+nir). The near-infrared reflectance of water is lower compared to that at the green wavelength while the opposite is true for vegetation and bare ground. Thus, the NDWI values are positive for water bodies, and locations in the satellite imagery with values greater than 0.03 were identified as water for this analysis. The NDTI for water bodies present in the cloud-free HLS scenes was computed over the study area between the years 2017 to 2022. A time series of mean NDTI for Lake Oroville was then derived for this time period, which shows a noticeable increase in NDTI following the Camp Fire before returning to a more typical variability after approximately one year. 
+    The normalized difference water index (NDWI) was then used to determine if water is present at a given location in an HLS scene. The NDWI is computed using reflectance at the green (g) and near-infrared (nir) wavelengths as the ratio of (g-nir) and (g+nir). The near-infrared reflectance of water is lower compared to that at the green wavelength while the opposite is true for vegetation and bare ground. Thus, the NDWI values are positive for water bodies, and locations in the satellite imagery with values greater than 0.03 were identified as water for this analysis. The NDTI for surface water locations in the cloud-free HLS scenes was computed over the study area between the years 2017 to 2022. A time-series of mean NDTI for Lake Oroville was derived for this time period, which shows a noticeable increase in NDTI following the Camp Fire before returning to a more typical variability after approximately one year. 
   </Prose>
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-
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@@ -327,7 +321,7 @@ taxonomy:
     </video>
 
     <Caption>
-    HLS computed Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) values over Lake Oroville from 2017 to 2022. This lake is just downstream of the Camp Fire, which occurred from November 8 to 25, 2018.
+    HLS computed Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) values over Lake Oroville from 2017 to 2022.
     </Caption>
   </Figure>
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@@ -350,7 +344,7 @@ taxonomy:
 
     [MODIS Albedo](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/mcd43c3v006/)
 
-    [HLS](https://hls.gsfc.nasa.gov/) 
+    [HLS](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/data/get-started-data/collection-overview/missions/harmonized-landsat-sentinel-2-hls-overview/) 
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