Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1451
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1451
21 Jul 2023
 | 21 Jul 2023

The Fire Weather Index Improved for Boreal Peatlands Using Hydrological Modeling and Satellite-Based L-band Microwave Observations

Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold

Abstract. The Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) system, even though originally developed and calibrated for an upland jack pine forest, is used globally to estimate fire danger for any fire environment. However, for some environments, such as peatlands, the applicability of the FWI in its current form, is often questioned. In this study, we replaced the original moisture codes of the FWI with hydrological estimates resulting from the assimilation of satellite-based L-band passive microwave observations into a peatland-specific land surface model. In a conservative approach that maintains the integrity of the original FWI structure, the distributions of the hydrological estimates were first matched to those of the corresponding original moisture codes before replacement. The resulting adapted FWI, hereafter called PEAT-FWI, was evaluated using fire occurrences over boreal peatlands from 2010 through 2018. Adapting the FWI with model- and satellite-based hydrological information was found to be beneficial to estimate fire danger, especially when replacing the deeper moisture codes of the FWI. For late-season fires, further adaptations of the fine fuel moisture code show even more improvement due to the fact that late-season fires are more hydrologically driven. The proposed PEAT-FWI should enable improved monitoring of fire risk in boreal peatlands.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

09 Feb 2024
Improving the fire weather index system for peatlands using peat-specific hydrological input data
Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle J. M. De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert D. Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 445–464, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-445-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-445-2024, 2024
Short summary
Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1451', Sophie Wilkinson, 16 Aug 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1451', Francesca Di Giuseppe, 15 Sep 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1451', Sophie Wilkinson, 16 Aug 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1451', Francesca Di Giuseppe, 15 Sep 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (further review by editor and referees) (05 Nov 2023) by Pascal Haegeli
AR by Jonas Mortelmans on behalf of the Authors (21 Nov 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (07 Dec 2023) by Pascal Haegeli
RR by Sophie Wilkinson (20 Dec 2023)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (21 Dec 2023) by Pascal Haegeli
AR by Jonas Mortelmans on behalf of the Authors (21 Dec 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

09 Feb 2024
Improving the fire weather index system for peatlands using peat-specific hydrological input data
Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle J. M. De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert D. Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 445–464, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-445-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-445-2024, 2024
Short summary
Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold
Jonas Mortelmans, Anne Felsberg, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Sander Veraverbeke, Robert Field, Niels Andela, and Michel Bechtold

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
With global warming increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the boreal region, accurate risk assessments are becoming more crucial than ever before. The Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) is a renowned system, yet its effectiveness in peatlands, where hydrology plays a key role, is limited. By incorporating groundwater data from numerical models and satellite observations, our modified FWI improves the accuracy of fire danger predictions, especially over summer.