Blue Sky smoke modeling framework and Rapid Access INformation System

(BlueSkyRAINS)

Maintained by the USDA-FS Fire and Environmental Research Applications team

 

http://www.blueskyrains.org/

 

Introduction

This web-based system will provide regulatory agencies, burn managers, and the public with information on planned burns, meteorological conditions, pollutant trajectories, and potential air quality impacts, along with links to other relevant information. It is run by the USDA-FS Fire and Environmental Research Applications team.

About BlueSkyRAINS: http://www.blueskyrains.org/whatisblueskyrains.html

Project Overview: http://bluesky.cfr.washington.edu/bluesky/bluesky.jsp?page=overview

 

Data Available:

BlueSkyRAINS provides information on the location of a prescribed burn, the start time for the burn, the duration of the burn, the amount of acreage to be burned, and the amount of key pollutants to be emitted by the burn.

Pollutant emission values are provided for carbon dioxide (CO2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4) , non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), particulate matter (PM), particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10) , and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5).

 

Data Range:

Meteorology data will display for the past 4 months, but its accuracy is unknown. Only current planned fires will display. Forecasts are made up to three days ahead of the current day.

This prototype BlueSky Rains system provides information for the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Western Montana.

It is unknown if or where any archives of data are stored.

 

Data Layers:

Burn Information: Burn Locations, Burn Traj Hourly Pts, Burn Traj Lines, Def Traj Hourly Pts, Default Traj Lines, Predicted PM2.5

Meteorology: Surface Winds – General and Detailed, Mixing Height, Vent Index, Relative Humidity

Air Emission Sources: PM10 Point Sources, WA PM Air Monitors

Receptors: Census 2000 Data, Schools, Hospitals, Health Service Areas, PM10 Non-Attainment Areas, Class One Airshed, MT ID Airsheds, HUC Level Four, Tribal Lands

Base Map Data: Major Roads, Streams, Counties, Gray Shaded Relief

 

Data Collection:

Forestry burning information is currently being obtained from the USDA Forest Service FASTRACS database. To support trajectory and air quality modeling, output from the University of Washington's MM5 model runs is employed. Key parameters include winds (at multiple levels), relatively humidity, boundary layer height, and ventilation index. Trajectory modeling is done using the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory HYSPLIT model. The model is provided to BlueSkyRAINS through the courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Air Resource Laboratory. Trajectories are generated for each prescribed burning site and for a grid of locations over the entire region. Estimates of potential air quality impacts are made with emissions data and forecast meteorological data that are input to the CALPUFF air quality modeling system to predicts ambient concentrations of pollutants.

 

Links to Other Source Lists:

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/framework/firecharacteristics.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/framework/meteorology.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/framework/emissions.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/framework/smokedispersion.html

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/framework/output.html

 

Data Analysis:

Forecasts include Smoke Forecast, Meteorology, and Default Smoke Trajectories.

HYSPLIT is used to generate estimates of smoke trajectories. HYSPLIT computes the transport of a single pollutant particle from each release site to provide estimates of the trajectory of pollutants emitted from multiple burn sites. It also is used to compute the backward trajectory of a pollutant particle to provide an indication of potential transport pathways backward through time. HYSPLIT’s Atmospheric transport projections are based on a dense network of forecast meteorological data that includes estimates of winds and other meteorological parameters at multiple levels in the atmosphere.

 

Presentation/Features:

The website uses ArcIMS Mapping Applications (GIS software)

Maps can be printed.

The option to download data is available, but does not seem to work.

 

Users:

The three primary audiences that have been identified as the RAINS user base are environmental managers; program, policy, and technical specialists; and the general public.

 

Contact:

BlueSkyRAINS is being developed cooperatively by both the US Forest Service Fire and Research Applications Team and the US EPA Region 10.

Maintained by the USDA-FS Fire and Environmental Research Applications team.
BlueSkyRAINS contact: Dr. Susan O'Neill (oneill@fs.fed.us)
Webmaster: Mitchell Johnson (mitchelljohnson@fs.fed.us)

 

System Requirements:

The current version of the Internet Explorer or Netscape web browser is needed. Some animations require JAVA.