Fire Metrology: Current and Future Directions in Physics-Based Measurements

Robert L. Kremens, Alistair M.S. Smith, Matthew B. Dickinson
2010 Fire Ecology  
The robust evaluation of fire impacts on the biota, soil, and atmosphere requires measurement and analysis methods that can characterize combustion processes across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Numerous challenges are apparent in the literature. These challenges have led to novel research to quantify the 1) structure and heterogeneity of the pre-fire vegetation; 2) energy released during the combustion process and the ultimate disposition of that energy through conduction, radiation,
more » ... and convective transport; and 3) landscape-scale impacts of fire on soils, vegetation, and atmosphere. The grand challenge is how to integrate the pre-, active-, and post-fire measurements and physical process models into a single robust and well validated framework. This paper presents a brief review of the current state of fire metrology research and proposes future research to address the measurement grand challenge. Citation: Kremens, R.L., A.M.S. Smith, and M.B. Dickinson. 2010. Fire metrology: current and future directions in physics-based methods. Fire Ecology 6(1): 13-35.
doi:10.4996/fireecology.0601013 fatcat:h3auorjtyfalfo5h7k23e2wrf4