PD14C Fire and Water in a Changing Environment

Thursday, 1 February 2024: 10:45 AM-12:00 PM
Ballroom II (The Baltimore Convention Center)
Host: Presidential Conference
Organizers:
Aaron Piña, NASA Headquarters, Earth Science Division, Deputy Program Scientist, Weather Focus Area; Ethan D. Gutmann and Megan Johnson
Moderators:
Aaron Piña, NASA Headquarters, Earth Science Division, Deputy Program Scientist, Weather Focus Area and Joseph J. Charney, USDA, Northern Research Station, Lansing, MI
Panelists:
Ariane Pinson; Vanessa Marie Escobar; Melissa Yang Martin; Travis Yonts, US Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, DC; Scott Goodrick, USDA, US Forest Service, Athens, GA and J. Kevin Hiers, DOD SERDP, Alexandria, VA

Society is facing impacts from changes in the frequency and availability of two critical, tightly coupled environmental components – fire and water. Fire and associated smoke hazards are a growing problem, with climate science reports regularly noting the increasing frequency and likelihood of such events as the climate warms. Likewise, recent hydrologic droughts have created shocking images of depleted reservoirs and fears of more to come. Elevated temperatures affect trends in snow melt and snowpack, contributing to drought conditions. Increases in fire activity are due, in part, to drought conditions and elevated temperatures, and fire further affects water resources through changes in vegetation and landscape hydrologic response. To manage and adapt to these coupled societal impacts, many U.S. agencies coordinate internally and externally on research, applications, and operations related to the linkages of hydrometeorology, fire and smoke, and their associated feedbacks in our fast-changing environment. This session will bring together representatives from different agencies to discuss how they are responding to the changing fire and water climate, where they see the greatest threats, and the greatest opportunities for scientific cooperation to aid society.

Papers:
10:45 AM
Panel Discussion

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