Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Georgia 2007 Fires

Eun-Su Yang, Sundar A. Christopher, Yuling Wu, Arastoo P. Biazar

Earth System Science Center

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Shobha Kondragunta

NOAA/NESDIS

Presentation to 2008 CMAS Conference

October 7, 2008

Overview of the GA/FL fires in May 2007

Fire emissions derived from satellite data

Air quality modeling approach

CMAQ simulations with local emissions

Simulations with local plus fire emissions

Evaluations with satellite and in-situ data

Summary

OutlineOutline

Meteorological situation in May 2007Meteorological situation in May 2007

NCEP 850 hPa Geopotential Height:http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/cdc/reanalysis

MM5: Surface pressure and wind

Dry spring caused extensive wildfires in Georgia and Florida.

MODIS Terra: 1615Z FLAMBE

Fires in May 22, 2007Fires in May 22, 2007

Fire detection is near real time.

(upper) http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/flambe/index.html (left) http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/2007142

Emissions (kg)

= (burned area) GOES

x (fuel load) MODIS vegetation

x (fraction of combustion) AVHRR moisture

x (fraction of emission) AVHRR moisture

Produces:

PM2.5*, CO, N2O, NH3, SO2, CH4, NOX*, and TNMHC*.

(*non-CBIV species)

Biomass burning emissions are derived from (burned area).

Biomass Burning EmissionsBiomass Burning Emissions

PM2.5 mass from one location in Birmingham, Alabama from April 1-May 31, 2007. The colors indicate various air quality categories ranging from Good to extremely unhealthy conditions.

smoke plume or local emission?

Contribution of local emissionContribution of local emission

Background emissions could be important in urban areas.

MM5/WRF

SMOKE:EmissionInventory Model

CMAQ

fire emissions

satellite and ground-based measurements: AOT, PM2.5

AQI Forecast:

GoodModerateUnhealthy for Sensitive GroupUnhealthyVery UnhealthyHazardous

input

validation

MM5/SMOKE/CMAQMM5/SMOKE/CMAQ

Biogenic (BEIS3)Mobile (MOBILE6)

Point, Area

Modeling ApproachesModeling Approaches

CMAQ run for May 22-23.

12-km grid.

40 vertical layers: more layers near surface and tropopause.

Include BIOGENIC and MOBILE emissions for local emissions.

EBI solver, cb4-ae4-aq mechanism.

Fire emissions are uniformly distributed from surface to PBL.

CMAQ simulations with local emissionsCMAQ simulations with local emissions

AOT simulations with local & fire emissionsAOT simulations with local & fire emissions

There is big difference near the boundary of smoke plume.

PM2.5 simulations with local & fire emissionsPM2.5 simulations with local & fire emissions

Local emissions are ok, but fire emissions are overestimated.

• Fire emissions can be estimated near-real time satellite measurements.

• Meteorological fields such as winds are important to precisely locate fire plumes.

• The results are preliminary and, therefore, subject to change.

• Fire emission rate are overestimated; need check consistency in unit.

SummarySummary