# RAPID: Drone-Based Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Fire-Induced Hydrologic Hazards in the Aftermath of the Monroe Canyon Wildfire

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL) · $49,934

## Abstract

This project team will collect high-resolution, post-wildfire soil data using drone-mounted microwave sensors in response to the ongoing Monroe Canyon Wildfire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest. This wildfire intersects a region identified by the Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) project as a critical data collection zone. As a result of this team's prior involvement in FASMEE's field campaigns and established relationships with local authorities and agencies, they are uniquely positioned to deploy and collect urgently needed post-fire soil hydrologic data. They will deploy their existing drone-mounted passive L-band radiometer system for two weeks following a precipitation event to measure fire-induced changes in soil moisture, infiltration dynamics, and hydrophobicity. These parameters are critical for understanding post-fire flood risks, erosion susceptibility, and ecosystem recovery. The resulting dataset will fill a crucial gap: no high-resolution, post-fire soil moisture datasets currently exist at this scale and resolution. Integration with NASA's UAVSAR pre-, during-, and post-fire L-band SAR observations will enable multi-scale, multi-modal analysis that is unprecedented in the wildfire recovery domain. The project will offer field based training for students and share resulting data in open repositories.

The researchers will collect the first high-resolution, drone-based microwave remote sensing dataset focused on soil moisture dynamics and

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2544973
- **Awardee organization:** University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Y8CWNJRCNN91
- **PI:** Mohamad Alipour
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** RAPID
- **Estimated total:** $49,934
- **Funds obligated:** $49,934
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 08/15/2025 → 07/31/2026

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2544973

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2544973, RAPID: Drone-Based Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Fire-Induced Hydrologic Hazards in the Aftermath of the Monroe Canyon Wildfire. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2544973. Licensed CC0.

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