RAPID: Post-Wildfire Runoff from Burned Urban Coastal Landscape

野火是多方面的灾难。2023年8月8日，拉海纳西毛伊岛的意外野火对夏威夷来说是前所未有的。在无人管理的草原和城市景观中燃烧的大火增加了火灾后径流影响的复杂性和不确定性。由此产生的火山灰和污染物对拉海纳的居民和生计有害。环境被火山灰、过多的沉积物和污染物所覆盖。 陆地径流将流入三角洲和沿海地貌，影响海洋和河流的地球化学和沿海生态系统。这种独特的前农业和城市景观的非线性和复杂的属性，使其具有挑战性的预测没有立即采样，记录和继续研究的演变烧毁的分水岭。当夏威夷进入雨季（从10月开始）时预计会有风暴时，情况尤其如此，因为事先没有观测数据。可预见的风暴将造成燃烧区的火山灰冲刷和近岸沉积物侵蚀，破坏生物多样性和渔业。对于这个快速项目，PI寻求调查和安装仪器，以收集拉海纳野火后的暴雨径流和沉积物样本。通过及时记录和传播易腐烂和时间敏感的火灾后的数据，这项研究使受影响的居民的知识作出明智的决定，他们的直接安全和长期的环境wellbeing.This快速项目提出，以解决迫切需要的样本后野火的影响，在夏威夷的拉海纳西毛伊岛的数据。2023年8月8日的毁灭性野火对这座历史悠久的沿海城市来说是一场意想不到的前所未有的灾难，并提供了一个机会来调查火山，陡峭和城市景观中的火灾后径流动态，沉积和污染物运输。该项目采用实地和实验室方法收集关于水质、沉积物通量以及土壤和火山灰样本的数据。将沿沿着卡波溪收集离散水样和浊度测量值，并将在更广泛的拉海纳地区收集陆地土壤和灰烬样品。自动取样器将安装在KaiserStream内，以便于长期跟踪。使用自动采样器允许收集多个风暴事件的连续样本，以代表来自燃烧景观的河流沉积物通量。通过社区参与、既定科学渠道和网络GIS门户传播的数据将增强我们对野火对沿海生态系统、珊瑚礁、生物多样性和渔业影响的了解。这项研究有助于新兴的环境科学对灾害恢复力。通过关注一个罕见的，靠近沿海地区的城市野火，该项目提供了一个独特的透镜，通过它来了解野火，水文系统和生态反应之间错综复杂的相互作用。这项研究推进了我们对火灾后动力学的基础知识，并促进了预测模型和缓解策略的发展，这些预测模型和缓解策略适用于因气候变化而面临日益增加的野火风险的类似沿海地区。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Wildfire is a disaster in multiple facets. On Aug 8, 2023, the unexpected wildfire in Lahaina West Maui was unprecedented for Hawai‘i. The fire that burned across unmanaged grasslands and urban landscapes adds complexity and uncertainty to the impact of post-fire runoff. The resulting ash and contaminants are detrimental to residents and livelihood in Lahaina. The environment is covered in ash, excessive sediment, and contaminants. Runoff from the land will drain into deltaic and coastal geomorphology, affecting marine and riverine geochemistry and coastal ecosystems. The non-linear and complex attributes of this unique former agricultural and urban landscape make it challenging to predict without immediate sampling, documenting and continued studying of the evolvement of the burned watershed. This is particularly true when storms are anticipated as Hawai‘i is entering its rainy season (starting from October), for which no prior observational data exists. The foreseeable storms will cause undesirable ash wash-off from burned areas and sediment erosion to the near-shore and damage the biodiversity and fisheries. For this RAPID project, the PI seeks to survey and install instruments to collect storm runoff and sediment samples after the wildfires in Lahaina. By promptly documenting and disseminating perishable and time-sensitive post-fire data, this research empowers affected residents with the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding their immediate safety and long-term environmental well-being.This RAPID project proposes to address the pressing need to sample the data of post-wildfire impact in Lahaina West Maui, Hawai‘i. The devastating wildfire on August 8, 2023, was an unexpected and unprecedented disaster to this historical coastal city and presents an opportunity to investigate post-fire runoff dynamics, sedimentation, and contaminant transport in a volcanic, steep, and urban landscape. This project employs field and laboratory methods to collect data on water quality, sediment fluxes, and soil and ash samples. Discrete water samples and turbidity measurements will be collected along the Kahoma Stream and terrestrial soil and ash samples will be collected across the broader Lahaina region. Autosamplers will be installed within Kahoma Stream to facilitate long-term tracking. Using autosamplers allows for the collection of continuous samples over multiple storm events to represent fluvial sediment fluxes from the burned landscape. The data, disseminated through community engagement, established scientific channels, and a web-GIS portal, will enhance our knowledge of wildfire impacts on coastal ecosystems, coral reefs, biodiversity, and fisheries. This study contributes to the emerging environmental science on disaster resilience. By focusing on a rare, urban wildfire with proximity to a coastal area, this project offers a unique lens through which to understand the intricate interplay between wildfires, hydrological systems, and ecological responses. This research advances our fundamental knowledge of post-fire dynamics and facilitates the development of predictive models and mitigation strategies for similar coastal regions facing increasing wildfire risks due to climate change.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.