1. Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources
  2. Geoscience Data System

Field Activity 2020-638-FA

Identifier 2020-638-FA
Alternate names CZU wildfire geochemistry
Also known as CZU wildfire geochemistry
Purpose Characterize sediment geochemical, carbon, and contaminant changes associated with wildfire and potential loading to coastal systems.
Location Santa Cruz county and San Mateo county coastal watersheds, California, United States
Summary Stream nutrient samples were collected approximately monthly. Stream sediment was collected two or three times a year around the first flush, winter high flow, and low flow conditions. In situ ash was collected every six months.
Info derived Grain size, carbon, charcoal, detrital zircon, carbon isotopes, radiocarbon, rare earth elements, metals, PAHs
Comments End date was changed from original 3/31/21 to a 5-year period ending 9/30/26 to allow for sample collection for a weathering study post-fire.
Projects
Platform
on foot
survey conducted on foot
Vehicles
Mitsubishi Outlander G61-0912R
Itinerary
Start Santa Cruz, California 2020-09-09
End Santa Cruz, California 2026-09-30
Days in the field 30
Activity events
Start date End date Description
2020-10-23 2020-10-23 Onset HOBO RG3-M standalone tipping-bucket rain gages were deployed at the Berry Creek and Brookdale Lodge locations. The gages were affixed to a 1-meter-high stake.
2020-10-29 2020-10-29 An Onset HOBO RG3-M standalone tipping-bucket rain gage was deployed at the Big Basin location. The gage was affixed to a 1-meter-high stake.
2021-01-25 2021-01-25 An Onset HOBO RG3-M standalone tipping-bucket rain gage was deployed at the Green Valley location. The gage was affixed to a 1-meter-high stake.
2021-03-27 2021-03-27 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-04-19 2021-04-19 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-05-27 2021-05-28 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-06-24 2021-06-24 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-07-29 2021-07-29 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-08-16 2021-08-16 In-situ ash weathering sampling, 12 mo. post-fire. Field personnel: Renee Takesue, Pam Campbell, Miranda Baker.
2021-08-26 2021-08-26 Water quality sampling
2021-08-26 2021-08-26 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-09-30 2021-09-30 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-10-28 2021-10-28 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-11-23 2021-11-23 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2021-12-23 2021-12-23 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-01-27 2022-01-27 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-02-24 2022-02-24 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-03-24 2022-03-24 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-04-28 2022-04-28 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-05-26 2022-05-26 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-05-31 2022-05-31 Data for all four rain gages were recorded on a self-contained pendant logger housed within each unit and downloaded manually at intervals of weeks to months.
2022-06-23 2022-06-23 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-07-28 2022-07-28 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-08-23 2022-08-23 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-09-21 2022-09-21 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-10-26 2022-10-26 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-11-30 2022-11-30 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2022-12-29 2022-12-29 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-01-25 2023-01-25 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-02-22 2023-02-22 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-03-31 2023-03-31 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-04-24 2023-04-24 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-05-31 2023-05-31 Stream sediment/water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-06-29 2023-06-29 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-07-26 2023-07-26 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-08-28 2023-08-28 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-11-21 2023-11-21 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2023-12-21 2023-12-21 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
2024-01-25 2024-01-25 Stream water quality and nutrients sampling
Bounds
West -122.64260752
East -121.83870808
North 37.60378762
South 36.92179151
Marine operations Yes

Personnel

Organization
2885 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA95060
(831) 460-7401
Principal investigators Renee K Takesue
Crew members
Pamela Campbell-Swarzenski
Scientist, Staff
Nancy G Prouty
Scientist, Staff
Amy East
Scientist, Staff
Leticia P Hallas
Scientist, Staff
Matthew A Malkowski
Scientist, Staff
Ferdinand K Oberle
Scientist, Staff
Baker, Miranda
Scientist, Staff
Information specialist(s)
Renee K Takesue
Specialist, Information
Affiliate principal Amy East (charcoal), Nancy Prouty (radiocarbon and carbon isotopes), Ferdinand Oberle (stream chemistry), Matthew Malkowski (Stanford Univ., detrital zircon)
Affiliate staff Leticia Hallas, Miranda Baker, Pam Campbell

Data types and categories

Data category: Environmental Data, Location-Elevation, Sampling
Data type: Meteorology, Navigation, Chemistry

Equipment used

Equipment Usage description Data types Datasets
Onset HOBO RG3-M Rain Gauge Meteorology 2
Handheld GPS Navigation (no data reported)
Hand-grab sample Biology, Chemistry, Geology 2

Datasets

Datasets produced in this activity

Dataset name Equipment Description Dataset contact
Rain measurements in and near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire area, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, 2020 to 2021 Onset HOBO RG3-M Rain Gauge Rainfall measurements were collected in and near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire (hereafter, "CZU Fire") burn area, Santa Cruz Mountains, California. The CZU Fire ignited in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California, on August 16, 2020. Amy East
Rain measurements in and near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire area, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, 2021 to 2022 Onset HOBO RG3-M Rain Gauge Rainfall measurements were collected in and near the CZU Lightning Complex Fire (hereafter, "CZU Fire") burn area, Santa Cruz Mountains, California. This data release contains rain records from the Big Basin, Berry Creek, Brookdale, and Green Valley locations, measured over the second wet season after the CZU Fire. Amy East
Charcoal counts, stable isotopes, and elemental chemistry of particulate materials after the 2020 CZU Wildfire Hand-grab sample After the CZU Wildfire in August 2020, stream sediment (7 burned, 1 unburned drainages), airborne ash, in situ ash, and regolith were collected from August 2020 to August 2023 to characterize wildfire effects. Solid-phase parameters include sand-sized charcoal counts, total carbon (TC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), bulk stable carbon 13/12 isotope ratios (d13C), bulk stable nitrogen 15/14 isotope ratios (d15N), and concentrations of 60 elements in the less than 63 micron fine fraction. Renee K Takesue
Parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ash, stream sediment, steelhead, crayfish, and marine mussels after the 2020 CZU Wildfire Hand-grab sample Seventy-six parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified in wildfire ash (airborne and in situ), stream sediment, steelhead, crayfish, and marine mussels after the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Wildfire and at regular intervals over three years. Renee K Takesue

Publications

Samples collected during this field activity