Technical Discussion Forum

 This page is a discussion forum on technical issues relevant to the Central American Fire event. To submit a comment you must be registered with the Central American FirePeople Page.

Spectral aerosol optical depth data on fires
I have access to multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer data from various sites in the US (mainly). These data can be used to derive estimates of aerosol optical depth as a function of wavelength. I am in the process of looking at these data for sites impacted by the fires in Central America and plan to report on these results at this website.
Submitted by Laulainen Nels on 6/1/98
RecID: Forum.NelsLaulainen
Re: Spectral aerosol optical depth data on fires
Nels, having spectral turbidity data of the dust would be great. Sharing our respective results and ideas early (incomplete and unfinished as they may be), helps the synergy a lot. I would recommend that you place a web page about your results on your own server. This way you are in control of its fate: any modifications, additions can be done at your place and the report can grow into a full scale report/paper. Once you have a web address for the report page, register it under Reports in this website.
Submitted by Husar Rudolf on 6/1/98
RecID: ForumForum.NelsLaulainen.RudolfHusar
St. Louis PM10 concentration reaches 135 ug/m3
The city of St. Louis has a beta gauge that continuously records the PM10 concentration. Throughout the past week, the concentrations ranged between 10 and 70 ug/m3. As the smoke moved in on Thursday the 14th, the PM10 has been rising to 135 and later to 156 ug/m3. Evidently, this is a record concentration for the city (?). One could speculate that most of the PM10 is PM2.5 and that the PM2.5 concentration is now at least 100 ug/m3. The new standard for daily max. is 65 ug/m3.
Submitted by Husar Rudolf on 5/15/98
RecID: Forum.RudolfHusar1
24-average PM-2.5 of 68 ug/m3 monitored in St. Louis
The Air Quality Laboratory has been running a PM-2.5 FRM on the roof of Urbauer Hall at Washington University in St. Louis since the unit arrived a few weeks back. On Wednesday, May 13, the 24-hour average PM-2.5 was 27 micrograms per cubic meter, and on Friday, May 15, the 24-hour average PM-2.5 was 68 micrograms per cubic meter! The latter value is larger than any 24-hour average concentration recorded by the dichot operated by St. Louis County at the Clayton site - only a few miles from the university - over the past decade (more than 400 samples). Recently we have been running a dichot at various locations in the St. Louis area and for eighteen samples over the period Nov '97 - Mar '98 observed maximum, average, and minimum fine PM values of 37, 16, and 5 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively. Thus, Friday was quite an event!
Submitted by Turner Jay on 5/17/98
RecID: ForumForum.RudolfHusar1.JayTurner
smoke reaches Wisconsin, moves into Canada
Our CIMSS GOES Gallery has a Web page with GOES-8 imagery showing the transport of smoke from the period 06-15 May 1998:

(http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/misc/980513.html)

I was amazed at how thick the smoke appears from the ground here in Madison; I took some photos with my digital camera today, and I'll be adding them to the aforementioned page tonight...

Submitted by Bachmeier Scott on 5/15/98
RecID: Forum.ScottBachmeier
Re: smoke reaches Wisconsin, moves into Canada
Hi, Scott deja vu all over again, huh?. Yes the smoke is sure thick. Last night as I was expecting the smoke to hit St. Louis, I was also ready with my camera and here are the pictures at 6PM and 7:20 PM. The sun was deep red, faint and dispeared into the smoke well before sunset.
Submitted by Husar Rudolf on 5/15/98
RecID: ForumForum.ScottBachmeier.RudolfHusar
Smoke heading to Canada and the Eas Coast?
OK, virtual community, this may be a good way to start this Tech Forum: I have just posted a color SeaWiFS image of the BigSmoke over the Eastern US taken on Thursday, May 14th and a GOES 8 image of today the 15th. It appears to me that both Canada and the East Coast might get hit by the smoke. I have dipatched heads-up notes about this to Canadian and East Coast friends. Looking forward for some interaction.
Submitted by Husar Rudolf on 5/15/98
RecID: Forum.RudolfHusar
Re: Smoke heading to Canada and the Eas Coast?
Northern VT was moderately hazy Friday afternoon 5/15 through Sunday morning 5/17/98. A high, thin, uniform haze that made the sky appear washed-out blue-grey. No continuous PM data from VT, but there should be some from CT and ME shortly. Sunday 5/17 was an EPA 6th day (all PM-10s and a few PM-2.5 samplers running nationally), while Wednesday 5/13 and Saturday 5/16 were IMPROVE sample days - so there should eventually be abundant surface concentration data to characterize the event
Submitted by Poirot Rich on 5/18/98
RecID: ForumForum.RudolfHusar.RichPoirot