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Visualizing Megafires: How AI can be used to drive wildfire simulations with better predictive skill

Published: 10 September 2023 Publication History

Abstract

The East Troublesome Wildfire was the fourth largest wildfire to date in Colorado history, igniting on October 14, 2020. Driven by low humidity and high winds, the wildfire spread to over 200,000 acres in nine days, with 87,000 of those acres being burnt in a single 24 hour period. Wildfire simulations and forecasts help decision-makers issue evacuation orders and inform response teams, but these simulations depend on accurate variable inputs to produce trustworthy results. These wildfire visualizations demonstrate new AI tools developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which are producing superior wildfire simulation outputs than have been available in the past.

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The East Troublesome Wildfire was the fourth largest wildfire to date in Colorado history, igniting on October 14, 2020. Driven by low humidity and high winds, the wildfire spread to over 200,000 acres in nine days, with 87,000 of those acres being burnt in a single 24 hour period. Wildfire simulations and forecasts help decision-makers issue evacuation orders and inform response teams, but these simulations depend on accurate variable inputs to produce trustworthy results. These wildfire visualizations demonstrate new AI tools developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which are producing superior wildfire simulation outputs than have been available in the past.

References

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NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Accessed 12-May-2023. EOSDIS Worldview. https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov.
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National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). accessed 2023-05-12. Casper supercomputer at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC). https://doi.org/10.5065/D6RX99HX. (accessed 2023-05-12). Boulder, CO: UCAR/NCAR/CISL.
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National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). accessed 2023-05-12. Cheyenne supercomputer at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC). https://doi.org/10.5065/D6RX99HX. (accessed 2023-05-12). Boulder, CO: UCAR/NCAR/CISL.
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Kristen M Thyng, Chad A Greene, Robert D Hetland, Heather M Zimmerle, and Steven F DiMarco. 2016. True colors of oceanography: Guidelines for effective and accurate colormap selection. Oceanography 29, 3 (2016), 9–13.

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      cover image ACM Conferences
      PEARC '23: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good
      July 2023
      519 pages
      ISBN:9781450399852
      DOI:10.1145/3569951
      Publication rights licensed to ACM. ACM acknowledges that this contribution was authored or co-authored by an employee, contractor or affiliate of the United States government. As such, the Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free right to publish or reproduce this article, or to allow others to do so, for Government purposes only.

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      Published: 10 September 2023

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