Real-time smoke prediction systems

Real-time smoke predictions are now available at both the global and regional scale from a number of sources. These systems can be primarily characterized by the scales (from 1 km to 1 degree) at which they operate, whether they include other types of emissions other than fire, and how they disperse the emissions. They also differ in the primary audience that they were designed to serve from carbon cycling to air quality to smoke management. The existing available systems will be surveyed and placed into context, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques. Additionally, user needs as determined from several recent studies will be presented, and the need for multiple interlocking smoke prediction systems to meet these needs will be discussed.