Grant J Williamson
Biographic Data
| ID | 5002298 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Grant J Williamson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Grant J |
| FAMILY NAME | Williamson |
| SIGNATURE | WILLIAMSON G J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Tasmania |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3469-7550 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 13 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 23 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Spatial heterogeneity in Holocene vegetation dynamics across Bass Strait and its regional paleoclimatic implications
We present a Late Pleistocene paleoecological record from King Island in western Bass Strait, Tasmania, and compare this to existing records from the eastern Bass Strait islands to improve our understanding of the region’s paleoecology and paleoclimatology. Vegetation change across the region followed similar trajectories during the late glacial–Middle Holocene, characterized by homogeneous warming and wetting trends. Spatial divergence occurred …
An expert system to quantify wildfire hazards in gardens and create effective defensible space
Wildfires are causing increased house loss worldwide, especially at the wildland-urban interface. Despite the existing plethora of guidelines to help creating defensible space in a garden and protect houses from wildfire, quantifying risk remains a research frontier. We designed an assessment method based on a recent global review of defensible space guidelines and identified hazards based on fuel type, amount, and spatial arrangement. We trialle…
Fire regime change in western Tasmania between 1830 and 2025
Journal records of explorers’ routes can illuminate colonial vegetation patterns and fire regimes at regional scales. Using geographic information systems and current vegetation and fire history mapping, we analyse the 1830 and 1833 expeditions to make contact with the Toogee nation of western Tasmania made by George Augustus Robinson with the assistance of Tasmanian Aboriginal guides. We found that Robinson’s routes were concentrated on treeless…
Social and health factors influence self-reported evacuation intentions in the wildfire-prone island of Tasmania, Australia
Personal decisions regarding evacuation to a safer place in response to the threat of wildfire have multiple social and cultural influences. However, little is understood about the role of an individual's health in shaping these decisions. Aim: To investigate associations between self-reported sociodemographic and health-related variables and wildfire evacuation intentions. We used data collected in the 2016 Tasmanian Population Health Survey and…
Climate, fire, and anthropogenic disturbance determine the current global distribution of tropical forest and savanna
Tropical forest and savanna biomes are pivotal in the functioning of the Earth system. Both are biodiverse and under increasing threat due to land clearing and anthropogenic climate change, and play important roles in the global carbon cycle, through maintenance of a large carbon pool in tropical forests, and exchange in savannas through extensive landscape fires. Reliable mapping of tropical forest and savanna is essential to understand how the …
Impact of elevated fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) during landscape fire events on cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in Perth, Western Australia
Background Australia has experienced extreme fire weather in recent years. Information on the impact of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) from landscape fires (LFs) on cardiorespiratory hospital admissions is limited. Methods We conducted a population-based time series study to assess associations between modelled daily elevated PM 2.5 at a 1.5×1.5 km resolution using a modified empirical PM 2.5 exposure model during LFs and hospital admissions f…
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during landscape fire events and the risk of cardiorespiratory emergency department attendances
Background Landscape fires (LFs) are the main source of elevated particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in Australian cities and towns. This study examined the associations between daily exposure to fine PM 2.5 during LF events and daily emergency department attendances (EDA) for all causes, respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. Methods Daily PM 2.5 was estimated using a model that included PM 2.5 measurements on the previous day, remotely sensed aeroso…
Smoke pollution must be part of the savanna fire management equation
Savanna fire management is a topic of global debate, with early dry season burning promoted as a large-scale emissions reduction opportunity. To date, discussions have centred on carbon abatement efficacy, biodiversity and cultural benefits and/or risks. Here we use a case study of Darwin, Australia to highlight smoke pollution as another critical consideration. Smoke pollution from savanna fires is a major public health issue, yet absent so far …
Can Public Spaces Effectively Be Used as Cleaner Indoor Air Shelters during Extreme Smoke Events
During extreme air pollution events, such as bushfires, public health agencies often recommend that vulnerable individuals visit a nearby public building with central air conditioning to reduce their exposure to smoke. However, there is limited evidence that these "cleaner indoor air shelters" reduce exposure or health risks. We quantified the impact of a "cleaner indoor air shelter" in a public library in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia when conc…
Environmental Hazards and Behavior Change
AirRater is a free smartphone app developed in 2015, supporting individuals to protect their health from environmental hazards. It does this by providing (i) location-specific and near real-time air quality, pollen and temperature information and (ii) personal symptom tracking functionality. This research sought to evaluate user perceptions of AirRater's usability and effectiveness. We collected demographic data and completed semi-structured inte…
AQVx—An Interactive Visual Display System for Air Pollution and Public Health
Fine particulate matter emissions (PM2.5) from landscape biomass fires, both prescribed and wild, pose a significant public health risk, with smoke exposure seasonally impacting human populations through both highly concentrated local plumes, and more dispersed regional haze. A range of technologies now exist for mapping and modelling atmospheric particulate concentration, including low-cost mobile monitors, dispersion and chemical transport mode…
Health Impacts of Ambient Biomass Smoke in Tasmania, Australia
The island state of Tasmania has marked seasonal variations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations related to wood heating during winter, planned forest fires during autumn and spring, and bushfires during summer. Biomass smoke causes considerable health harms and associated costs. We estimated the historical health burden from PM 2.5 attributable to wood heater smoke (WHS) and landscape fire smoke (LFS) in Tasmania between 2010 and …
Unprecedented health costs of smoke-related PM2.5 from the 2019–20 Australian megafires
Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM2.5 Smoke Exposure
In 2014, wildfires ignited a fire in the Morwell open cut coal mine, Australia, which burned for six weeks. This study examined associations between self-reported respiratory outcomes in adults and mine fire-related PM 2.5 smoke exposure. Self-reported data were collected as part of the Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey. Eligible participants were adult residents of Morwell. Mine fire-related PM 2.5 concentrations were provided by the Commonwea…
The Value of Local Heatwave Impact Assessment
Heatwaves have been identified as a threat to human health, with this impact projected to rise in a warming climate. Gaps in local knowledge can potentially undermine appropriate policy and preparedness actions. Using a case-crossover methodology, we examined the impact of heatwave events on hospital emergency department (ED) presentations in the two most populous regions of Tasmania, Australia, from 2008-2016. Using conditional logistic regressi…
Human–environmental drivers and impacts of the globally extreme 2017 Chilean fires
Using smartphone technology to reduce health impacts from atmospheric environmental hazards
Background: Global environmental change is exacerbating human vulnerability to adverse atmospheric conditions including air pollution, aeroallergens such as pollen, and extreme weather events. Public information and advisories are a central component of responses to mitigate the human impacts of environmental hazards. Digital technologies are emerging as a means of providing personalised, timely and accessible warnings. Method: We describe AirRat…
Human exposure and sensitivity to globally extreme wildfire events
A transdisciplinary approach to understanding the health effects of wildfire and prescribed fire smoke regimes
Prescribed burning is used to reduce the occurrence, extent and severity of uncontrolled fires in many flammable landscapes. However, epidemiologic evidence of the human health impacts of landscape fire smoke emissions is shaping fire management practice through increasingly stringent environmental regulation and public health policy. An unresolved question, critical for sustainable fire management, concerns the comparative human health effects o…
Measurement of inter- and intra-annual variability of landscape fire activity at a continental scale
Climate dynamics at diurnal, seasonal and inter-annual scales shape global fire activity, although difficulties of assembling reliable fire and meteorological data with sufficient spatio-temporal resolution have frustrated quantification of this variability. Using Australia as a case study, we combine data from 4760 meteorological stations with 12 years of satellite-derived active fire detections to determine day and night time fire activity, fir…
Climate–vegetation–fire interactions and feedbacks
Fire is a complex process involving interactions and feedbacks between biological, socioeconomic, and physical drivers across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This complexity limits our ability to incorporate fire into Earth system models and project future fire activity under climate change. Conceptual, empirical, and process models have identified the mechanisms and processes driving fire regimes, and provide a useful basis to consider fut…
Climate-induced variations in global wildfire danger from 1979 to 2013
Climate strongly influences global wildfire activity, and recent wildfire surges may signal fire weather-induced pyrogeographic shifts. Here we use three daily global climate data sets and three fire danger indices to develop a simple annual metric of fire weather season length, and map spatio-temporal trends from 1979 to 2013. We show that fire weather seasons have lengthened across 29.6 million km 2 (25.3%) of the Earth’s vegetated surface, res…
Trajectory of change in land cover and carbon stocks following European settlement in Tasmania, Australia
Unprecedented health costs of smoke-related PM2.5 from the 2019–20 Australian megafires
Human–environmental drivers and impacts of the globally extreme 2017 Chilean fires
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during landscape fire events and the risk of cardiorespiratory emergency department attendances
Background Landscape fires (LFs) are the main source of elevated particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in Australian cities and towns. This study examined the associations between daily exposure to fine PM 2.5 during LF events and daily emergency department attendances (EDA) for all causes, respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. Methods Daily PM 2.5 was estimated using a model that included PM 2.5 measurements on the previous day, remotely sensed aeroso…
Climate–vegetation–fire interactions and feedbacks
Fire is a complex process involving interactions and feedbacks between biological, socioeconomic, and physical drivers across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This complexity limits our ability to incorporate fire into Earth system models and project future fire activity under climate change. Conceptual, empirical, and process models have identified the mechanisms and processes driving fire regimes, and provide a useful basis to consider fut…
Climate-induced variations in global wildfire danger from 1979 to 2013
Climate strongly influences global wildfire activity, and recent wildfire surges may signal fire weather-induced pyrogeographic shifts. Here we use three daily global climate data sets and three fire danger indices to develop a simple annual metric of fire weather season length, and map spatio-temporal trends from 1979 to 2013. We show that fire weather seasons have lengthened across 29.6 million km 2 (25.3%) of the Earth’s vegetated surface, res…
Trajectory of change in land cover and carbon stocks following European settlement in Tasmania, Australia
A transdisciplinary approach to understanding the health effects of wildfire and prescribed fire smoke regimes
Prescribed burning is used to reduce the occurrence, extent and severity of uncontrolled fires in many flammable landscapes. However, epidemiologic evidence of the human health impacts of landscape fire smoke emissions is shaping fire management practice through increasingly stringent environmental regulation and public health policy. An unresolved question, critical for sustainable fire management, concerns the comparative human health effects o…
Measurement of inter- and intra-annual variability of landscape fire activity at a continental scale
Climate dynamics at diurnal, seasonal and inter-annual scales shape global fire activity, although difficulties of assembling reliable fire and meteorological data with sufficient spatio-temporal resolution have frustrated quantification of this variability. Using Australia as a case study, we combine data from 4760 meteorological stations with 12 years of satellite-derived active fire detections to determine day and night time fire activity, fir…
Climate–vegetation–fire interactions and feedbacks
Fire is a complex process involving interactions and feedbacks between biological, socioeconomic, and physical drivers across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This complexity limits our ability to incorporate fire into Earth system models and project future fire activity under climate change. Conceptual, empirical, and process models have identified the mechanisms and processes driving fire regimes, and provide a useful basis to consider fut…
Human exposure and sensitivity to globally extreme wildfire events
Using smartphone technology to reduce health impacts from atmospheric environmental hazards
Background: Global environmental change is exacerbating human vulnerability to adverse atmospheric conditions including air pollution, aeroallergens such as pollen, and extreme weather events. Public information and advisories are a central component of responses to mitigate the human impacts of environmental hazards. Digital technologies are emerging as a means of providing personalised, timely and accessible warnings. Method: We describe AirRat…
Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM2.5 Smoke Exposure
In 2014, wildfires ignited a fire in the Morwell open cut coal mine, Australia, which burned for six weeks. This study examined associations between self-reported respiratory outcomes in adults and mine fire-related PM 2.5 smoke exposure. Self-reported data were collected as part of the Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey. Eligible participants were adult residents of Morwell. Mine fire-related PM 2.5 concentrations were provided by the Commonwea…
The Value of Local Heatwave Impact Assessment
Heatwaves have been identified as a threat to human health, with this impact projected to rise in a warming climate. Gaps in local knowledge can potentially undermine appropriate policy and preparedness actions. Using a case-crossover methodology, we examined the impact of heatwave events on hospital emergency department (ED) presentations in the two most populous regions of Tasmania, Australia, from 2008-2016. Using conditional logistic regressi…
Human–environmental drivers and impacts of the globally extreme 2017 Chilean fires
AQVx—An Interactive Visual Display System for Air Pollution and Public Health
Fine particulate matter emissions (PM2.5) from landscape biomass fires, both prescribed and wild, pose a significant public health risk, with smoke exposure seasonally impacting human populations through both highly concentrated local plumes, and more dispersed regional haze. A range of technologies now exist for mapping and modelling atmospheric particulate concentration, including low-cost mobile monitors, dispersion and chemical transport mode…
Health Impacts of Ambient Biomass Smoke in Tasmania, Australia
The island state of Tasmania has marked seasonal variations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations related to wood heating during winter, planned forest fires during autumn and spring, and bushfires during summer. Biomass smoke causes considerable health harms and associated costs. We estimated the historical health burden from PM 2.5 attributable to wood heater smoke (WHS) and landscape fire smoke (LFS) in Tasmania between 2010 and …
Unprecedented health costs of smoke-related PM2.5 from the 2019–20 Australian megafires
Can Public Spaces Effectively Be Used as Cleaner Indoor Air Shelters during Extreme Smoke Events
During extreme air pollution events, such as bushfires, public health agencies often recommend that vulnerable individuals visit a nearby public building with central air conditioning to reduce their exposure to smoke. However, there is limited evidence that these "cleaner indoor air shelters" reduce exposure or health risks. We quantified the impact of a "cleaner indoor air shelter" in a public library in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia when conc…
Environmental Hazards and Behavior Change
AirRater is a free smartphone app developed in 2015, supporting individuals to protect their health from environmental hazards. It does this by providing (i) location-specific and near real-time air quality, pollen and temperature information and (ii) personal symptom tracking functionality. This research sought to evaluate user perceptions of AirRater's usability and effectiveness. We collected demographic data and completed semi-structured inte…
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during landscape fire events and the risk of cardiorespiratory emergency department attendances
Background Landscape fires (LFs) are the main source of elevated particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in Australian cities and towns. This study examined the associations between daily exposure to fine PM 2.5 during LF events and daily emergency department attendances (EDA) for all causes, respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. Methods Daily PM 2.5 was estimated using a model that included PM 2.5 measurements on the previous day, remotely sensed aeroso…
Smoke pollution must be part of the savanna fire management equation
Savanna fire management is a topic of global debate, with early dry season burning promoted as a large-scale emissions reduction opportunity. To date, discussions have centred on carbon abatement efficacy, biodiversity and cultural benefits and/or risks. Here we use a case study of Darwin, Australia to highlight smoke pollution as another critical consideration. Smoke pollution from savanna fires is a major public health issue, yet absent so far …
Social and health factors influence self-reported evacuation intentions in the wildfire-prone island of Tasmania, Australia
Personal decisions regarding evacuation to a safer place in response to the threat of wildfire have multiple social and cultural influences. However, little is understood about the role of an individual's health in shaping these decisions. Aim: To investigate associations between self-reported sociodemographic and health-related variables and wildfire evacuation intentions. We used data collected in the 2016 Tasmanian Population Health Survey and…
Climate, fire, and anthropogenic disturbance determine the current global distribution of tropical forest and savanna
Tropical forest and savanna biomes are pivotal in the functioning of the Earth system. Both are biodiverse and under increasing threat due to land clearing and anthropogenic climate change, and play important roles in the global carbon cycle, through maintenance of a large carbon pool in tropical forests, and exchange in savannas through extensive landscape fires. Reliable mapping of tropical forest and savanna is essential to understand how the …
Impact of elevated fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) during landscape fire events on cardiorespiratory hospital admissions in Perth, Western Australia
Background Australia has experienced extreme fire weather in recent years. Information on the impact of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) from landscape fires (LFs) on cardiorespiratory hospital admissions is limited. Methods We conducted a population-based time series study to assess associations between modelled daily elevated PM 2.5 at a 1.5×1.5 km resolution using a modified empirical PM 2.5 exposure model during LFs and hospital admissions f…
An expert system to quantify wildfire hazards in gardens and create effective defensible space
Wildfires are causing increased house loss worldwide, especially at the wildland-urban interface. Despite the existing plethora of guidelines to help creating defensible space in a garden and protect houses from wildfire, quantifying risk remains a research frontier. We designed an assessment method based on a recent global review of defensible space guidelines and identified hazards based on fuel type, amount, and spatial arrangement. We trialle…
Fire regime change in western Tasmania between 1830 and 2025
Journal records of explorers’ routes can illuminate colonial vegetation patterns and fire regimes at regional scales. Using geographic information systems and current vegetation and fire history mapping, we analyse the 1830 and 1833 expeditions to make contact with the Toogee nation of western Tasmania made by George Augustus Robinson with the assistance of Tasmanian Aboriginal guides. We found that Robinson’s routes were concentrated on treeless…
Spatial heterogeneity in Holocene vegetation dynamics across Bass Strait and its regional paleoclimatic implications
We present a Late Pleistocene paleoecological record from King Island in western Bass Strait, Tasmania, and compare this to existing records from the eastern Bass Strait islands to improve our understanding of the region’s paleoecology and paleoclimatology. Vegetation change across the region followed similar trajectories during the late glacial–Middle Holocene, characterized by homogeneous warming and wetting trends. Spatial divergence occurred …
Environmental Science (15 works) · Geography (13 works) · Fire effects on ecosystems (12 works) · Ecology (10 works) · Environmental health (10 works) · Ecosystem (9 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Air Quality and Health Impacts (8 works) · Climate change (8 works) · Meteorology (8 works)