Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Matthew Azuara, and I'm a meteorology major. I'm a freshman originally from Guilford, Connecticut, and have had a lifelong passion for meteorology. I want to thank Dr. Holmes for providing the opportunity to work within the department, especially at a time when I would have had limited exposure to meteorology otherwise. I am excited to get more into meteorology coursework within the coming semesters!

Building an Updated Estimate of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Fires

Abstract

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a database of greenhouse gas sources, and a table of greenhouse gas estimates stemming from agricultural fires are included in their report. While the EPA’s estimates for greenhouse gas emissions stemming from agricultural fires are a helpful resource, we hope to improve upon their information by analyzing a wider range of crops and land types in order to calculate greenhouse gas estimates. In addition, since the EPA does not provide spatial data with its agricultural fire estimates, we plan to organize our data in maps so it is apparent where these emissions are stemming from. It is important to get an accurate estimate of agricultural fires’ impact on greenhouse gas emissions, especially because this data can be used to better shape agricultural practices. We used an already existing database of fires in the Eastern United States, and hope to compare the estimates produced by this new database for agricultural fire emissions to the values the EPA has published.

Keywords: meteorology, fires, agriculture, greenhouse gases