Definition
Aspect is defined as the orientation of a slope in relation to cardinal points or compass directions. For instance, a south-facing slope would be said to have a southern exposure.
Effect on the Fire Environment
The effects of aspect on the fire environment and fire occurrence are many. Aspect captures different levels of solar irradiance based on the sun azimuth (i.e., how high the sun is in the sky) and latitude, as these two factors dictate the length of time a slope is exposed to the sun and thus the amount of energy it receives (Kumar et al. 1997). Other factors influencing the amount of solar irradiance and heat load received are slope steepness, where steeper slope gradients receive more energy (McCune and Keon 2002), as well as the timing of the day during which a slope is exposed to the sun. Hence, a slope aspect receiving the afternoon sun will benefit from a greater heat...
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Rogeau, MP. (2018). Aspect. In: Manzello, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_109-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_109-1
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