Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.
A global database on holdover time of lightning-ignited wildfires
Jose V. Moris1,Pedro Álvarez-Álvarez2,Marco Conedera3,Annalie Dorph4,Thomas D. Hessilt5,Hugh G. P. Hunt6,Renata Libonati7,Lucas S. Menezes7,Mortimer M. Müller8,Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón9,Gianni B. Pezzatti3,Nicolau Pineda10,Rebecca C. Scholten5,Sander Veraverbeke5,B. Mike Wotton11,and Davide Ascoli1Jose V. Moris et al.Jose V. Moris1,Pedro Álvarez-Álvarez2,Marco Conedera3,Annalie Dorph4,Thomas D. Hessilt5,Hugh G. P. Hunt6,Renata Libonati7,Lucas S. Menezes7,Mortimer M. Müller8,Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón9,Gianni B. Pezzatti3,Nicolau Pineda10,Rebecca C. Scholten5,Sander Veraverbeke5,B. Mike Wotton11,and Davide Ascoli1
Received: 25 Nov 2022 – Discussion started: 06 Dec 2022
Abstract. Holdover fires are usually associated with lightning-ignited wildfires (LIWs), which can experience a smouldering phase or go undetected for several hours to days and weeks before being reported. Since the existence and duration of the smouldering combustion in LIWs is usually unknown, holdover time is conventionally defined as the time between the lightning event that ignited the fire and the time the fire is detected. Therefore, all LIWs have an associated holdover time, which may range from a few minutes to several days. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of holdover times. Here, we introduce a global database on holdover times of LIWs. We have collected holdover time data from 29 different studies across the world through a literature review and datasets assembled by authors of the original studies. The database is composed of three data files (censored data, non-censored data, ancillary data) and three metadata files (description of database variables, list of references, reproducible examples). Censored data are the core of the database and consist of different frequency distributions reporting the number or relative frequency of LIWs per interval of holdover time. In addition, ancillary data provide further information to understand the methods and contexts in which the data were generated in the original studies. The first version of the database contains 42 frequency distributions of holdover time built with data on more than 152,375 LIWs from 13 countries in five continents covering a time span from 1921 to 2020. This database is the first freely available, harmonized, and ready-to-use global source of holdover time data, which may be used in different ways to investigate LIWs and model the holdover phenomenon. The complete database can be downloaded at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7352172 (Moris et al., 2022).
The paper is dedicated to the description of the construction and structure of a global database of lightning-ignited wildfire (LIW) holdover times collected from a large number of studies during the last century in different regions. The investigation of LIWs characteristics, especially on the background of global climate change is a topic of highly relevance and interest. Moreover, this database is the first freely available and usable in its current format. Since this data set is the first one and unique, it is probably incomplete, but it can be assumed that it will be constantly updated in the future, of course. Even now, the database on holdover has diverse potential applications. This database undoubtedly may become a significant data source for researchers interested in studying LIWs.
However, I have some points that are unclear for me.
May be, it is worth to exclude Table 3 and Table 4 from the text? They are already presented in the database. Or if the authors want to provide an example of data, probably it will be better to make the Tables shorter? However, this is just a suggestion, it is on the authors’ decision.
What concerns Table 4, as I understood non-censored data also could be derived from the censored data? For what purposes non-censored data are provided (in Table 4 and in the database, in general)? Moreover, non-censored data are not discussed and analyzed in the text. How one can use them?
In general, the article is well structured and clear, the language consistent and precise. The article is appropriate to support the publication of a data set.
Database on holdover time of lightning-ignited wildfiresJose V. Moris, Pedro Álvarez-Álvarez, Marco Conedera, Annalie Dorph, Thomas D. Hessilt, Hugh G. P. Hunt, Renata Libonati, Lucas S. Menezes, Mortimer M. Müller, Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón, Gianni B. Pezzatti, Nicolau Pineda, Rebecca C. Scholten, Sander Veraverbeke, B. Mike Wotton, Davide Ascoli https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7352172
Jose V. Moris et al.
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This work describes a database on holdover times of lightning-ignited wildfires (LIWs). Holdover time is defined as the time between lightning-induced fire ignition and fire detection. The database contains 42 datasets built with data on more than 152,375 LIWs from 13 countries extending from 1921 to 2020. This database is the first freely-available, harmonized, and ready-to-use global source of holdover time data, which may be used to investigate LIWs and model the holdover phenomenon.
This work describes a database on holdover times of lightning-ignited wildfires (LIWs). Holdover...
