Tuesday, 13 November 2001: 1:30 PM
Recent results from two fine-scale models for short-range predictions of residual smoke at night
Southern pine ecosystems require periodic episodes of fire to maintain ecosystem health. In the Southern States, the use of fire is increasingly threatened by air quality including stiffer national air quality standards and more complaints of nuisance smoke from a burgeoning population. Perhaps the most serious threat posed by smoke is local visibility impairment over Southern roadways, especially at night.
Results from two smoke models designed to simulate the movement of smoke near the ground at night on the scale of an average prescribed burn will be presented. Prescribed Burn (PB) Piedmont simulates smoke movement over terrain typical of the Piedmont of the Southeast. PB-Coastal Plain, which simulates smoke movement over the flat coastal plain, also includes circulations induced by differences in land use and land/water surfaces. Plans to make these models predictive out to 48 hours will be discussed in connection with the Southern High Resolution Modeling Consortium being set up at the University of Georgia.
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