diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index e8f361a..91acc87 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # fireSense_dataPrepPredict (development version)
 
+- New parameter `.studyAreaName` (default `NA`). The module already read `P(sim)$.studyAreaName` without defining it,
+  so it was always `NULL`, whatever the user set. Left `NA`, it becomes a hash of `studyArea` (or of the extent of
+  `rasterToMatch`), as in Biomass_borealDataPrep. It names the study area in the landcover file
+  (`rstLCC_<dataYear>_<studyAreaName>.tif`) and in cache tags, so caches built before this rebuild.
 - Several fitted ELFs in one study area: with `sppEquivs`, `nonForestedLCCGroupsList` and `missingLCCgroupList` from `fireSense_dataPrepFit` (one element per ELF), every ELF's fuel covariates are made for every pixel, each with its own species table, non-forest groups and `landcoverDT`, and merged by `pixelID` (spread) or by layer (ignition). `fireSense_SpreadPredict` and `fireSense_IgnitionPredict` then apply each ELF's model to its own columns. One ELF works as before.
 
 # fireSense_dataPrepPredict 1.0.2
diff --git a/fireSense_dataPrepPredict.R b/fireSense_dataPrepPredict.R
index fbf0825..adb573a 100644
--- a/fireSense_dataPrepPredict.R
+++ b/fireSense_dataPrepPredict.R
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ defineModule(sim, list(
     person("Alex M", "Chubaty", role = "ctb", email = "achubaty@for-cast.ca")
   ),
   childModules = character(0),
-  version = list(fireSense_dataPrepPredict = "1.0.4.9001"),
+  version = list(fireSense_dataPrepPredict = "1.0.4.9002"),
   timeframe = as.POSIXlt(c(NA, NA)),
   timeunit = "year",
   citation = list("citation.bib"),
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ defineModule(sim, list(
     defineParameter(
       ".runInitialTime", "numeric", start(sim), NA, NA, "Time of the first climate and covariate preparation events."
     ),
+    defineParameter(".studyAreaName", "character", NA, NA, NA,
+                    "Human-readable name for the study area used."),
     defineParameter(
       ".useCache", "logical", FALSE, NA, NA,
       paste(
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@ doEvent.fireSense_dataPrepPredict <- function(sim, eventTime, eventType) {
 #'
 #' @return The `simList`, invisibly.
 Init <- function(sim) {
+  sim <- resolveStudyAreaName(sim)
 
   # force it to be same as the other module's value
   params(sim)[[currentModule(sim)]][["igAggFactor"]] <- SpaDES.core::paramCheckOtherMods(sim, "igAggFactor")
@@ -573,6 +576,20 @@ unionLCCGroups <- function(fuelSets) {
 #' @param sim A `simList`.
 #'
 #' @return The `simList`, invisibly.
+## An NA `.studyAreaName` becomes a hash of the study area (as in Biomass_borealDataPrep), so NA never
+## reaches a file name or cache tag. Without `studyArea`, the extent of `rasterToMatch` stands in for it.
+resolveStudyAreaName <- function(sim) {
+  if (is.na(P(sim)$.studyAreaName)) {
+    sa <- sim$studyArea
+    if (is.null(sa))
+      sa <- terra::as.polygons(terra::ext(sim$rasterToMatch), crs = terra::crs(sim$rasterToMatch))
+    params(sim)[[currentModule(sim)]][[".studyAreaName"]] <- reproducible::studyAreaName(sa)
+    message("The .studyAreaName is not supplied; derived name from the study area: ",
+            params(sim)[[currentModule(sim)]][[".studyAreaName"]])
+  }
+  sim
+}
+
 .inputObjects <- function(sim) {
   cacheTags <- c(currentModule(sim), "otherFunctions:.inputObjects")
   dPath <- asPath(inputPath(sim), 1)
@@ -589,6 +606,7 @@ unionLCCGroups <- function(fuelSets) {
     if (suppliedElsewhere("rstLCCs", sim)) {
       sim$rstLCC_RTM <- tail(sim$rstLCCs, 1)[[1]]
     } else {
+      sim <- resolveStudyAreaName(sim)
       rstLCC <- Cache(makeFireSenseLCC,
                       neededYear = P(sim)$dataYear,
                       writeTo = .suffix(
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-metadata.R b/tests/testthat/test-metadata.R
index 20aa09c..aeae8d4 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-metadata.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-metadata.R
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ test_that("parameters are the expected names", {
   md <- SpaDES.core::moduleMetadata(module = moduleName, path = modulePath)
   expect_identical(
     sort(md$parameters$paramName),
-    sort(c(".runInitialTime", ".useCache", "cutoffForYoungAge", "dataYear",
+    sort(c(".runInitialTime", ".studyAreaName", ".useCache", "cutoffForYoungAge", "dataYear",
            "fireTimeStep", "flammabilityThreshold", "forestedLCC", "fuelClassCol",
            "igAggFactor", "nonflammableLCC", "nonForestCanBeYoungAge", "sppEquivCol",
            "whichModulesToPrepare"))
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-studyAreaName.R b/tests/testthat/test-studyAreaName.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..309079d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-studyAreaName.R
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+## `.studyAreaName` names the study area in the landcover file and cache tags. Its default, NA,
+## must become a real name before use, never "NA" in a file name.
+
+test_that("an unset .studyAreaName becomes a hash of the study area", {
+  objs <- toyObjects()
+  sim <- SpaDES.core::spades(toyPrepSim(objs), events = "init", debug = FALSE)
+  nm <- SpaDES.core::P(sim, module = moduleName)$.studyAreaName
+  expect_false(is.na(nm))
+  expect_identical(nm, reproducible::studyAreaName(objs$studyArea))
+})
+
+test_that("without studyArea, the extent of rasterToMatch names it", {
+  objs <- toyObjects()
+  objs$studyArea <- NULL
+  sim <- SpaDES.core::spades(toyPrepSim(objs), events = "init", debug = FALSE)
+  nm <- SpaDES.core::P(sim, module = moduleName)$.studyAreaName
+  expect_false(is.na(nm))
+  expect_type(nm, "character")
+})
+
+test_that("a supplied .studyAreaName is kept", {
+  sim <- SpaDES.core::spades(toyPrepSim(params = list(.studyAreaName = "myArea")),
+                             events = "init", debug = FALSE)
+  expect_identical(SpaDES.core::P(sim, module = moduleName)$.studyAreaName, "myArea")
+})