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This GLAS observation over the
eastern Pacific Ocean, acquired on October 28, 2003, shows the thick
smoke plumes emanating from several large wildfires burning in
southern California. |
Image courtesy:
IceSat Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Environmental Impacts:
- The image represents
a vertical slice of Earth’s atmosphere, from sea level to 16 km in
altitude.
- The image inset
(upper left) reveals the precise path (green line) of the GLAS observation
path as the IceSat satellite flew overhead, as compared to the same scene
observed about 7 hours earlier by Aqua MODIS. (related
link)
- The zig-zag features
toward the lower left of the image show the smoke plumes from the fires
rising up as high as 5 km (3 miles ) above the surface. The much thinner features
toward the upper right are high-level cirrus clouds. The large black
feature jutting up above sea level shows the mountain range separating
Santa Barbara from the San Joaquin
Valley. Note the low-lying pollution over San Joaquin Valley.
- By transmitting a
green beam of laser light downward at the Earth and then precisely
measuring how much of that light is backscattered back up into space, GLAS
can determine the vertical structure of clouds, pollution, or smoke plumes
in the atmosphere.
- The colors of the
features in the air in this image represent how much laser light a given
feature reflects back to space. This measure, called “backscatter
coefficient” directly relates to the density of smoke and clouds. The
thickness of the smoke plumes increase as the colors graduate from blue
(low values), to green (intermediate values), to orange, and finally to
white (very high values).
- Note the “shadows”
under the thickest portions of the smoke plumes. The dense smoke masks
the air underneath.
- The IceSat sensor is
now making these same measurements over biomass burning sites every day
all over the world. Such measures are helping scientists understand how
smoke is carried by winds, how smoke mixes with and modifies clouds, and
how smoke affects the heating of Earth’s atmosphere as the smoke scatters
and absorbs incoming solar radiation. Large-scale biomass burning is
unusual in the United States. However, it
is a common practice in many parts of the world, especially in South
America and Africa, where fire is a primary tool used in agriculture as
well as to help clear away forests for human development. Scientists are
interested in observing the smoke from biomass burning on a global scale
because it can significantly affect climate.
Air Quality:
24-hour Average
Concentration animations:
Los
Angeles
California Air Quality - EPA AIRNow
Las
Vegas
Phoenix
For the latest air
quality information please visit the EPA AirNow site
TIPS FOR YOUR VIEWERS
Place
these links on your website and mention them on-air:
Protect yourself:
Pay attention to local air
quality reports.
Stay alert to any news coverage or health warnings related to smoke. Also
find out if your community reports EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI,
based on data from local air quality monitors, tells you about the daily air
quality in your area and recommends precautions you can take to protect your
health. As smoke gets worse, the concentration of particles in the air
changes — and so do the steps you should take to protect yourself.
Use common sense.
If it looks smoky outside, it's probably not a good time to mow the lawn or
go for a run. And it's probably not a good time for your children to play
outdoors.
If you are advised to stay indoors,
take steps to keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep your windows and
doors closed — unless it's extremely hot outside. Run your air conditioner,
if you have one. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to
prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Note: If you don't have an air
conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in
extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelter.
Help keep particle levels inside lower.
When smoke levels are high, try to avoid using anything that burns, such as
wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves — and even candles! Don’t vacuum. That
stirs up particles already inside your home. And don't smoke. That puts even
more pollution in your lungs, and in the lungs of people around you.
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Image NTSC 720x486 031030a_01_tva.jpg shows the
GLAS imagery of the thick smoke plumes emanating from several large wildfires
burning in southern California.on October 28, 2003. |
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Image NTSC 720x486 031030a_02_tva.jpg is the
same as above, with limited annotation. |
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Image NTSC 720x486 031030a_03_tva.jpg is the
same as above, with no insetmap annotation. |
 |
IImage NTSC 720x486 031030a_04_tva.jpg is the
same as above, with no annotation. |
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Image NTSC 720x486 031030a_05_tva.jpg shows
the track of ICESat satellite passing over eastern Pacific Ocean on October 28,
2003. |
 |
Image NTSC 720x486 031030a_06_tva.jpg is the
same as above, with no annotation. |
|
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Image NTSC 640x480 031030a_01_tvb.jpg shows the
GLAS imagery of the thick smoke plumes emanating from several large wildfires
burning in southern California.on October 28, 2003. |
 |
Image NTSC
640x480 031030a_02_tvb.jpg is the
same as above, with limited annotation. |
 |
Image NTSC
640x480 031030a_03_tvb.jpg is the
same as above, with no insetmap annotation. |
 |
IImage NTSC
640x480 031030a_04_tvb.jpg is the
same as above, with no annotation. |
 |
Image NTSC
640x480 031030a_05_tvb.jpg shows the track of ICESat satellite passing
over eastern Pacific Ocean on October 28, 2003. |
 |
Image NTSC 640x480 031030a_06_tvb.jpg is the
same as above, with no annotation. |
Related EnvirocastTM TV Updates:
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