Predicting where lightning strikes
NEW METHOD CAN PREDICT WHERE LIGHTNING MAY SPARK WILDFIRES: CALGARY STUDY
Apparently lightning can strike the same place twice after all.
A study by researchers at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering suggests it’s possible to predict where lightning will strike and how often.
They say satellite data and artificial intelligence can help foresee where lightning poses a greater risk to spark wildfires.
“That will give us a more precise description about the patterns happening in the lightning and the wildfire hazard,” said Dr. Xin Wang, one of three researchers involved in the study. “It also can be used for the future predictions about those hazards.
“Those events don’t just randomly happen. They also have spatial and temporal patterns.”
Lightning-caused wildfires are a growing problem in Western Canada and have been stretching fire resources to their limits.
British Columbia recorded its worst fire season in 2017. Wildfires that began in early April scorched just over 12,000 square kilometres of timber, bush and grassland and, at their height, forced 45,000 people from their homes.
Last September, Waterton Lakes National Park was evacuated after lightning sparked a blaze just inside the B.C. boundary. The flames eventually crossed into the park in southwestern Alberta.
The study used historical data from 2010 to 2016 and examines how lightning is affected by a number of elements, including land use, soil type, elevation, vegetation cover and surface temperature.
The study published in Sensors open access journal was written by Wang, Jeong Woo Kim and DongHwan Cha.
Kim said the group used advanced technology, including artificial intelligence.
“We analyzed a number of different types of data over a number of years so we can pinpoint the location that has a high chance of wildfire,” he said. “Statistically I would say it is more than 90 per cent accurate.”
Kim said the analysis should be invaluable to government agencies that oversee the deployment of fire-fighting resources.
“If they use this method, they can probably monitor those areas more closely and also they can build more fire stations and so on. They should be able to avoid any pipelines or power lines so they can reduce the hazard.”
The poster advertising the event did not mention McArthur by name, but referenced “the series of killings that have rocked Toronto’s LGBTQ community.” The 66-year-old landscaper is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths and disappearances of six men with links to the city’s gay community.
On Saturday, a statement on Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam’s website announced that the event would be postponed so organizers could address concerns raised by community members, who called the event tone-deaf.
“Our intention was to bring the city together in love and healing after hearing from many people who wanted to come together in unity and strength,” read the statement.
“Unfortunately, the event created an unintentional division at a historic time in the LGBTQ2S community.”
Malabar, who started a “Stop #LoveWins Concert” page on Facebook, said the announcement was appreciated by members of the community who thought it was inappropriate to have a celebration while police are still finding more alleged victims of McArthur.
“I’m taking it as good news that they’re reconsidering the approach,” said Malabar, who previously produced the opening and closing ceremonies of WorldPride.
She also offered to help in creating a more appropriate event.
“The fact that the organizers are willing to postpone the event and speak with the community and create the event they originally intended to create is a good step.”