IDEAS station threatened by Tank Fire

Post date: Sep 02, 2014 8:3:25 PM

On June 26 a fire broke out on the Coal Oil Point Reserve coming within a few meters of the Innovative Datasets for Environmental Analysis by Students (IDEAS) station. The fire, dubbed the Tank Fire, burned approximately 20 acres of vegetation of the 158 acre reserve. While no structures or buildings were damage, some research plots were burned and others threatened. One of the threatened was the IDEAS station, which is maintained by Dar Roberts and hosted by the UCSB Geography Department. Established in 2007, the station contains equipment to measure radiation, wind, precipitation, leaf wetness, temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture and temperature. This equipment measured the close proximity of the fire and can be seen with a large drop in the relative humidity with a peak in temperature. Fortunately no equipment was harmed during the fire and this provides a unique opportunity for future classes.

More information about the IDEAS station can be found at www.geog.ucsb.edu/IDEAS.