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dMRV for cropland burning informatics
Active
TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)
Description
Operational tracking of cropland burning emissions using Digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) science and technology for GHG inventory and VCM. Benefiting from favorable developments in EU policies, COP28, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the USDA's substantial $3 billion investment in Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, tracking and quantification of agricultural practices have experienced rapid, dynamic expansion. Agricultural burning has remained a gap given the lack of robust, transparent, and operational data available to these different programs; thus a point of uncertainty in quantification of soil organic carbon sequestration and GHG emissions.
Benefits
Feed Global Cropland Area Burned Products (GlobCARB) & Global Fire Emissions Database (G-FED) Parameterize NASA GISS pyre & EPA SMOKE models Support NASA & U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center with Inventories Support Applied Sciences and Carbon Monitoring System programs Greenhouse Gas Inventories and Climate Smart Ag: Benefiting from favorable developments in EU policies, COP28, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the USDA's substantial $3 billion investment in Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, tracking and quantification of agricultural practices have experienced rapid, dynamic expansion. Agricultural burning has remained a gap given the lack of robust, transparent, and operational data available to these different programs; thus a point of uncertainty in quantification of soil organic carbon sequestration and GHG emissions. Emissions, Air Quality, & Human Health: Due to the close proximity of cropland fields to populated areas and the magnitude of emissions during burning events, the health and safety consequences associated with repeated exposure to crop residue burning can be significant. To model the transport of crop residue burning emissions, accurate spatial and temporal informatics on residue burning are required. Voluntary Carbon Markets: Robust and consistent cropland burning emissions products will help elevate the integrity of credit programs (i.e., standards, methodologies) and this SBIR will address this dMRV gap. Soil health programs: While burning releases carbon into the atmosphere, it also affects the soil’s carbon content. Frequent burning, followed by tilling (plowing) of the same field over time, reduces the amount of carbon and nitrogen stored in the soil. Accurately mapping cropland burned area is necessary to identify regions that may benefit from extension services or policy measures to reduce the negative impacts of crop residue burning on soil health
Details
| Technology area | Software, Modeling, Simulation, and Information Processing |
| Program | Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR) |
| Lead organization | NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC |
| Start date | 2025-09-29 |
| End date | 2027-09-28 |
Project contacts
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