RAPID: Post-Wildfire Runoff from Burned Urban Coastal Landscape

野火在多个方面都是一场灾难。2023年8月8日，西毛伊岛拉海纳突如其来的野火对夏威夷来说是史无前例的。这场大火席卷了无人管理的草原和城市景观，为火灾后径流的影响增加了复杂性和不确定性。由此产生的火山灰和污染物对拉海纳的居民和生计都是有害的。环境中覆盖着火山灰、过量的沉积物和污染物。来自陆地的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。这一独特的农业和城市景观的非线性和复杂属性使得在没有立即采样、记录和继续研究烧毁流域的演变的情况下预测具有挑战性。当夏威夷即将进入雨季(从10月份开始)，预计会有风暴时，情况尤其如此，而雨季之前没有观测数据。可预见的风暴将造成烧毁地区的不必要的灰尘冲刷和对近岸的沉积物侵蚀，并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。通过迅速记录和传播易腐烂和时间敏感的火灾后数据，这项研究使受影响的居民能够就他们的即时安全和长期环境福祉做出明智的决定。这一快速项目旨在解决夏威夷拉海纳西毛伊岛野火后影响数据的迫切需求。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，并为研究火灾后径流动态、沉积和污染物在火山、陡峭和城市景观中的迁移提供了机会。该项目使用现场和实验室方法收集有关水质、沉积物通量以及土壤和灰样的数据。将沿着Kahoma溪流收集离散的水样和浊度测量，并将在更广泛的Lahaina地区收集陆地土壤和火山灰样本。将在Kahoma Stream内安装自动取样器，以便于长期跟踪。使用自动取样器可以在多个风暴事件中收集连续样本，以表示来自燃烧景观的河流沉积物通量。这些数据通过社区参与、建立的科学渠道和网络地理信息系统门户网站传播，将增强我们对野火对沿海生态系统、珊瑚礁、生物多样性和渔业的影响的知识。这项研究对新兴的环境科学的抗灾能力做出了贡献。通过聚焦于一场罕见的、靠近沿海地区的城市野火，这个项目提供了一个独特的视角，通过它来了解野火、水文系统和生态反应之间复杂的相互作用。这项研究增进了我们对火灾后动态的基本知识，并促进了类似沿海地区因气候变化而面临越来越大的野火风险的预测模型和缓解策略的开发。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.