Evaluating the Representation of Fires in Georgia, USA, in the FINN Biomass Burning Emissions Inventory
Patrin, S., Acdan, J. J. M., Wolff, J. K.. (2026). Evaluating the Representation of Fires in Georgia, USA, in the FINN Biomass Burning Emissions Inventory. , doi:https://doi.org/10.5065/r0v7-yj57
| Title | Evaluating the Representation of Fires in Georgia, USA, in the FINN Biomass Burning Emissions Inventory |
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| Genre | Manuscript |
| Author(s) | Sophia Patrin, Juanito Jerrold Mariano Acdan, Jamie K. Wolff |
| Abstract | Biomass burning emissions inventories transform observational data into inputs for chemical transport and Earth system models, but uncertainty remains in their representation of fire activity in regions where prescribed and agricultural burning are common. This study evaluates the Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) v2.5 in Georgia, USA, during June 2022 by comparing FINN detections and PM₂.₅ emissions with U.S. EPA fire records. Georgia provides a useful case study because prescribed burns accounted for approximately 70% of reported fire activity statewide in 2022. Fire detection performance, spatial agreement, PM₂.₅ emissions, and burned-area representation were assessed using point-to-grid and grid-to-grid approaches. FINN represented fewer than 10% of EPA-reported fires under exact matching criteria, and the mean daily spatial correlation between inventories was approximately -0.03. Burned area was the strongest predictor of detection; a tenfold increase approximately doubled the odds of detection. Although FINN more frequently represented larger fires, approximately 68% of EPA-reported PM₂.₅ emissions and approximately 72% of reported burned area were associated with fires not represented by FINN under the exact-matching framework. June accounted for 3.5% of annual EPA-reported fire activity and occurred near the annual minimum in FINN detection performance (F1 score = 0.12), indicating that it was not representative of year-round conditions. These results suggest that, in Georgia, FINN more effectively represents larger fires than smaller events, and that inventory differences may influence modeled PM₂.₅ concentrations, smoke exposure estimates, and air-quality assessments. |
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| Publication Date | Aug 1, 2026 |
| Publisher's Version of Record | https://doi.org/10.5065/r0v7-yj57 |
| OpenSky Citable URL | https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7gb28nh |
| OpenSky Listing | View on OpenSky |
| RAL Affiliations | ERAP |