The moisture, type, and amount of fuels has a big impact on fire behavior. We are developing applications of hyperspectral data and time series multispectral data for mapping fuel type, fuel moisture, and fuel condition. Our current efforts are focused on mapping fuel properties in Utah and California.

Hyperspectral remote sensing data have a proven ability to map vegetation at the function type level, and can sometimes map vegetation at the species level. We are investigating new techniques for mapping vegetation species and functional types at multiple locations across the Western U.S.

Fire mapping typically uses thermal infrared wavelengths, while fuels mapping typically uses visible and near infrared wavelengths. Hyperspectral data span the visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared, and contain information on both fuels and fire. We are developing methods for mapping fire properties from hyperspectral data.

A massive mountain pine beetle outbreak is occurring throughout the Rocky Mountains, killing millions of lodgepole pines. After the trees have died, their needles turn red. We are testing the use of high resolution satellite data for mapping areas of beetle-killed lodgepole pine.

The invasive tree tamarisk has had considerable impacts on riparian habitat in the Southwestern US. The release of the saltcedar leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) has resulted in defoliation of tamarisk along the Colorado and Green Rivers in Utah. We are using remote sensing data to map and monitor tamarisk defoliation in southeastern Utah.

"Dambo" is a Bantu term used to describe the extensive seasonally saturated wetlands common to Central and Southern Africa. We are using multispectral remote sensing data to map dambos to better understand their emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. For more information on this project, click here.

The wildland urban interface (WUI) is the zone where wildland fuels and human settlement meet. We are using a geospatial model called WUIVAC to create evacuation trigger buffers based on fire rate of spread. When one of these trigger buffers is crossed by the fire, the minimum travel time required for the fire to reach a protected area has been exceeded and an evacuation should be ordered.