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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Upper Troposphere Smoke Injection From Large Areal Fires

Abstract Large areal fires, such as those ignited following a nuclear detonation, can inject smoke into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Detailed fire simulations allow for assessment of how local weather interacts with these fires and affects smoke lofting. In this study, we employ the fire simulation package in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF‐Fire) model, Version 4.0.1, to explore how smoke lofting from a fire burning a homogeneous fuel bed changes with varying local winds, relative humidity, and atmospheric boundary‐layer stability for two different‐sized areal fires. The presence of moisture has the greatest influence on the results by raising the altitude of lofting, while faster wind speeds dampen lofting and lower the injection height. Stably stratified conditions inhibit plume propagation compared with neutrally stratified conditions, although the impact of stability is not as strong as that of moisture and winds. These findings highlight the importance of using an appropriate atmospheric profile when simulating large fires, as the local weather can have a meaningful influence on smoke lofting.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Regional differences in tobacco smoking and lung cancer in Portugal in 2018: a population-based analysis using nationwide incidence and mortality data

Objectives: This study aims to estimate the proportion of lung cancer cases and deaths attributable to tobacco smoking in Portugal in 2018, complemented by trends in incidence and mortality, by sex and region. Design: Cancer cases for 1998–2011 and cancer deaths for 1991–2018 were obtained from population-based registries and Statistics Portugal, respectively. We projected cases for 2018 and used reported deaths for the same year to estimate, using Peto’s method, the number and proportion of lung cancer cases and deaths caused by tobacco smoking in 2018. We calculated the age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates in each year of diagnosis and death. We fitted a joinpoint regression to the observed data to estimate the annual percentage change (APC) in the rates. Setting: Portugal. Results: In 2018, an estimated 3859 cases and 3192 deaths from lung cancer were attributable to tobacco smoking in Portugal, with men presenting a population attributable fraction (PAF) of 82.6% (n=3064) for incidence and 84.1% (n=2749) for mortality, while in women those values were 51.0% (n=795) and 42.7% (n=443), respectively. In both sexes and metrics, the Azores were the region with the highest PAF and the Centre with the lowest. During 1998–2011, the APC for incidence ranged from 0.6% to 3.0% in men and 3.6% to 7.9% in women, depending on region, with mortality presenting a similar pattern between sexes. Conclusion: Exposure to tobacco smoking has accounted for most of the lung cancer cases and deaths estimated in Portugal in 2018. Differential patterns of tobacco consumption across the country, varying implementation of primary prevention programmes and differences in personal cancer awareness may have contributed to the disparities observed. Primary prevention of lung cancer remains a public health priority, particularly among women.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1981

Infrared radiation emerging from smoke produced by brush fires

The IR radiative transport properties of brush fire smoke clouds, computed for a model with finite horizontal dimensions as well as the more common plane-parallel model, are presented. The finite model is a three-dimensional version of the two-stream approximation applied to cubic clouds of steam, carbon, and silicates. Assumptions are made with regard to the shape and size distributions of the smoke particles. It is shown that 11.5-micron radiometry can detect fires beneath smoke clouds if the path integrated mass density of the smoke is less than or equal to 3 g/sq m.

Weinman, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A smoke generator system for aerodynamic flight research

A smoke generator system was developed for in-flight vortex flow studies on the F-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV). The development process included conceptual design, a survey of existing systems, component testing, detailed design, fabrication, and functional flight testing. Housed in the forebody of the aircraft, the final system consists of multiple pyrotechnic smoke cartridges which can be fired simultaneously or in sequence. The smoke produced is ducted to desired locations on the aircraft surface. The smoke generator system (SGS) has been used successfully to identify vortex core and core breakdown locations as functions of flight condition. Although developed for a specific vehicle, this concept may be useful for other aerodynamic flight research which requires the visualization of local flows.

Richwine, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Mapping continental-scale biomass burning and smoke palls over the Amazon basin as observed from the Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle and Skylab-3 photography has been used to map the areal extent of Amazonian smoke palls associated with biomass burning (1973-1988). Areas covered with smoke have increased from approximately 300,000 sq km in 1973 to continental-size smoke palls measuring approximately 3,000,000 sq km in 1985 and 1988. Mapping of these smoke palls has been accomplished using space photography mainly acquired during Space Shuttle missions. Astronaut observations of such dynamic and vital environmental phenomena indicate the possibility of integrating the earth observation capabilities of all space platforms in future Global Change research.

Helfert, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Simulations of microphysical, radiative, and dynamical processes in a continental-scale forest fire smoke plume

The impact of a large forest fire smoke plume on atmospheric processes is studied through a numerical model of meteorology, aerosols, and radiative transfer. The simulated smoke optical depths at 0.63-micron wavelength are in agreement with analyses of satellite data and show values as high as 1.8. The smoke has an albedo of 35 percent, or more than double the clear-sky value, and cools the surface by as much as 5 K. An imaginary refractive index, n sub im, of 0.01 yields results which closely match the observed cooling, single scattering albedo, and the Angstrom wavelength exponent. An n exp im of 0.1, typical of smoke from urban fires, produces 9 K cooling. Coagulation causes the geometric mean radius by number to increase from the initial value of 0.08 micron to a final value of 0.15 micron, while the specific extinction and absorption increase by 40 and 25 percent, respectively.

Westphal, Douglas L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Effect of Amazon smoke on cloud microphysics and albedo - Analysis from satellite imagery

The effect of smoke aerosol particles on the properties of low cumulus and stratocumulus clouds is studied on the basis of NOAA AVHRR images taken over the Brazilian Amazon Basin during the biomass burning season of 1987. The reflectance at a wavelength of 0.64 micron and the drop size, derived from the cloud reflectance at 3.75 microns, is studied for tens of thousands of clouds. It is shown that the presence of dense smoke can reduce the remotely sensed drop size of continental cloud drops from 15 to 9 microns. Due to both the high initial reflectance of clouds in the visible part of the spectrum and the presence of graphitic carbon, the average cloud reflectance at 0.6 micron is reduced from 0.71 to 0.68 for an increase in smoke optical thickness from 0.1 to 2.0. High concentration of aerosol particles is shown to cause a decrease in the cloud-drop size, and smoke is found to darken the bright Amazonian clouds.

Kaufman, Yoram J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Mapping continental-scale biomass burning and smoke palls from the space shuttle

Space shuttle photographs have been used to map the areal extent of Amazonian smoke palls associated with biomass burning. Areas covered with smoke have increased from approximately 300,000 sq km to continental-size smoke palls of approximately 3,000,000 sq km. The smoke palls interpreted from the STS-48 data indicate that this phenomenon is persistent. Astronaut observations of such dynamic and vital environmental phenomena indicate the possibility of intergrating the earth observation capabilities of all space platforms in future modeling of the earth's dynamic processes.

Lulla, Kamlesh↗
NASA NTRS1954

Formation and Combustion of Smoke in Laminar Flames

The nature and formation of smoke and its combustion were investigated. Smoke, which consist of tiny mesomorphous crystals tightly packed into popcorn-ball-like particles that agglomerate to give filaments, was found to contain about 5 percent of the hydrogen originally present in the fuel. Factors affecting smoke formation were studied in both diffusion flames and premixed Bunsen flames. It is suggested that smoking tendency increases with increasing stability of the carbon skeleton of the molecule, as determined by relative bond strength.

Schalla, Rose L↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flight validation of a pulsed smoke flow visualization system

A flow visualization scheme, designed to measure vortex fluid dynamics on research aircraft, was validated in flight. Strake vortex trajectories and axial core velocities were determined using pulsed smoke, high-speed video images, and semiautomated image edge detection hardware and software. Smoke was pulsed by using a fast-acting three-way valve. After being redesigned because of repeatedly jamming in flight, the valve shuttle operated flawlessly during the last two tests. A 25-percent scale, Gothic strake was used to generate vortex over the wing of a GA-7 Cougar and was operated at a local angle of attack of 22 degrees and Reynolds number of approximately 7.8 x 10(exp 5)/ft. Maximum axial velocities measured in the vortex core were between 1.75 and 1.95 times the freestream velocity. Analysis of the pulsed smoke system's affect on forebody vortices indicates that the system may reorient the forebody vortex system; however, blowing momentum coefficients normally used will have no appreciable affect on the leading-edge extension vortex system. It is recommended that a similar pulsed smoke system be installed on the F/A-18 High Angle Research Vehicle and that this approach be used to analyze vortex core dynamics during the remainder of its high-angle-of-attack research flights.

Ward, Donald T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Remote sensing of smoke, clouds, and fire using AVIRIS data

Clouds remain the greatest element of uncertainty in predicting global climate change. During deforestation and biomass burning processes, a variety of atmospheric gases, including CO2 and SO2, and smoke particles are released into the atmosphere. The smoke particles can have important effects on the formation of clouds because of the increased concentration of cloud condensation nuclei. They can also affect cloud albedo through changes in cloud microphysical properties. Recently, great interest has arisen in understanding the interaction between smoke particles and clouds. We describe our studies of smoke, clouds, and fire using the high spatial and spectral resolution data acquired with the NASA/JPL Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS).

Gao, Bo-Cai↗
NASA NTRS1998

The 1985 Biomass Burning Season in South America: Satellite Remote Sensing of Fires, Smoke, and Regional Radiative Energy Budgets

Using satellite imagery, more than five million square kilometers of the forest and cerrado regions over South America are extensively studied to monitor fires and smoke during the 1985 biomass burning season. The results are characterized for four major ecosystems, namely: (1) tropical rain forest, (2) tropical broadleaf seasonal, (3) savannah/grass and seasonal woods (SGW), and (4) mild/warm/hot grass/shrub (MGS). The spatial and temporal distribution of fires are examined from two different methods using the multispectral Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Local Area Coverage data. Using collocated measurements from the instantaneous scanner Earth Radiation Budget Experiment data, the direct regional radiative forcing of biomass burning aerosols is computed. The results show that more than 70% of the fires occur in the MGS and SGW ecosystems due to agricultural practices. The smoke generated from biomass burning has negative instantaneous net radiative forcing values for all four major ecosystems within South America. The smoke found directly over the fires has mean net radiative forcing values ranging from -25.6 to -33.9 W m(exp -2). These results confirm that the regional net radiative impact of biomass burning is one of cooling. The spectral and broadband properties for clear-sky and smoke regions are also presented that could be used as input and/or validation for other studies attempting to model the impact of aerosols on the earth-atmosphere system. These results have important applications for future instruments from the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. Specifically, the combination of the Visible Infrared Scanner and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and the combination of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and CERES instruments from the EOS morning crossing mission could provide reliable estimates of the direct radiative forcing of aerosols on a global scale, thereby reducing the uncertainties in current global aerosol radiative forcing values.

Christopher, Sundar A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Radiative Impact of Smoke Aerosols on Clouds in Southeast Asia

The impact of smoke aerosols generated from biomass burning activities in Southeast Asia on the total (direct and indirect) reflected solar radiation from clouds was investigated using satellite data. Narrowband measurements from UV to near-infrared wavelengths (from SeaWiFS and TOMS) were combined with broadband radiation measurements (from CERES). Using this information, we quantified how smoke aerosols change the cloud forcing spectrally and as a whole in the Southeast Asia region. In this region our results show that smoke is present over large areas of cloud-covered regions, and that the frequency of such occurrences is high in the boreal spring. Depending on the thickness of the smoke aerosol, the reflected solar radiation from clouds could he reduced by as much as 100 Watt/sq m, on average over the March 2000 data. We also found that the reduction in the reflectance of the clouds at 670 nm is large enough to lead to significant errors in cloud optical thickness retrievals from satellites such as AVHRR and MODIS.

Hsu, N. Christina↗
NASA NTRS2003

Biomass-burning Aerosols in South East-Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment (BASE-ASIA)

Biomass burning has been a regular practice for land clearing and land conversion in many countries, especially those in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. However, the unique climatology of Southeast Asia is very different than that of Africa and South America, such that large-scale biomass burning causes smoke to interact extensively with clouds during the peak-burning season of March to April. Significant global sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4), chemically active gases (e.g., NO, CO, HC, CH3Br), and atmospheric aerosols are produced by biomass burning processes. These gases influence the Earth-atmosphere system, impacting both global climate and tropospheric chemistry. Some aerosols can serve as cloud condensation nuclei, which play an important role in determining cloud lifetime and precipitation, hence, altering the earth's radiation and water budget. Biomass burning also affects the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon compounds from the soil to the atmosphere; the hydrological cycle (i.e., run off and evaporation); land surface reflectivity and emissivity; as well as ecosystem biodiversity and stability. Analyses from satellite measurements reveal that smoke is frequently present solar (emitted thermal) radiation from clouds due to smoke aerosols can be reduced (enhanced) by as much as 100 (20) W/sq m over the month of March 2000. In addition, the reduction in cloud spectral reflectance at 670 run is large enough to lead to significant errors in retrieving cloud properties (e.g., optical thickness and effective radius) from satellite measurements. The fresh water distribution in this region is highly dependent on monsoon rainfall; in fact, the predictability of the tropical climate system is much reduced during the boreal spring. Estimating the burning fuel (e.g., bark, branches, and wood), an important part of studying regional carbon cycle, may rely on utilizing a wide range of distinctive spectral features in the shortwave and longwave regions. Therefore, to accurately assess the impact of smoke aerosols in this region requires continuous observations from satellites, aircraft, networks of ground-based instruments and dedicated field experiments. A new initiative will be proposed and discussed.

Tsay, Si-Chee↗
NASA NTRS2004

Combining Satellite Data, Trajectory Modeling and Surface Insolation Measurements to Deduce the Direct Radiative Effect of Smoke Aerosol

In this paper, we have introduced a method of inferring the radiative effect of smoke aerosols using a technique that combines satellite remote sensing with trajectory modeling. The results shown here clearly show large flux biases between theoretical and measured radiative fluxes correlate with the arrival of smoke aerosol to the area. Further analysis is required to convincingly demonstrate that the reason for these differences is the radiative effect of the smoke aerosols. To do this, the estimated fluxes taken from the ERA-15 will be recomputed every 3 hours using International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data set entitled DX gridded to a 1o equal angle resolution (see paper 7B.2 for details). Surface radiometric and ancillary data for several more Canadian surface sites are being obtained at minute temporal resolution. The ultimate purpose of this research is to derive aerosol smoke maps for fire events such as this to be included in an aerosol climatology and be incorporated in the computation of the earth's surface radiation budget to better understand the radiative effect of aerosols.

Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Application of MODIS-Derived Active Fire Radiative Energy to Fire Disaster and Smoke Pollution Monitoring

The radiative energy emitted by large fires and the corresponding smoke aerosol loading are simultaneously measured from the MODIS sensor from both the Terra and Aqua satellites. Quantitative relationships between the rates of emission of fire radiative energy and smoke are being developed for different fire-prone regions of the globe. Preliminary results are presented. When fully developed, the system will enable the use of MODIS direct broadcast fire data for near real-time monitoring of fire strength and smoke emission as well as forecasting of fire progression and smoke dispersion, several hours to a few days in advance.

Ichoku, Charles↗
NASA NTRS2006

Modeling the Optical Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols: Young Smoke Aerosols From Savanna Fires and Comparisons to Observations from SAFARI 2000

Annually, farmers in southern Africa manage their land resources and prepare their fields for cultivation by burning crop residual debris, with a peak in the burning season occurring during August and September. The emissions from these fires in southern Africa are among the greatest from fires worldwide, and the gases and aerosol particles produced adversely affect air quality large distances from their source regions, and can even be tracked in satellite imagery as they cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins. During August and September 2000 an international group of researchers participating in the Southern African Regional Science Initiate field experiment (SAFARI 2000) made extensive ground-based, airborne, and satellite measurements of these gases and aerosols in order to quantify their amounts and effects on Earth's atmosphere. In this study we interpreted the measurements of smoke aerosol particles made during SAFARI 2000 in order to better represent these particles in a numerical model simulating their transport and fate. Typically, smoke aerosols emitted from fires are concentrated by mass in particles about 0.3 micrometers in diameter (1,000,000 micrometers = 1 meter, about 3 feet); for comparison, the thickness of a human hair is about 50 micrometers, almost 200 times as great. Because of the size of these particles, at the surface they can be easily inhaled into the lungs, and in high concentrations have deleterious health effects on humans. Additionally, these particles reflect and absorb sunlight, impacting both visibility and the balance of sunlight reaching -Earth's surface, and ultimately play a role in modulating Earth's climate. Because of these important effects, it is important that numerical models used to estimate Earth's climate response to changes in atmospheric composition accurately represent the quantity and evolution of smoke particles. In our model, called the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) we used estimates of smoke emissions based on field studies and observations made with the NASA Terra and TRMM satellites. The meteorology used to calculate the transport was based on an assimilation of observed meteorological conditions provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Matichuk, R. I.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Aircraft-Measured Indirect Cloud Effects from Biomass Burning Smoke in the Arctic and Subarctic

The incidence of wildfires in the Arctic and subarctic is increasing; in boreal North America, for example, the burned area is expected to increase by 200-300 over the next 50-100 years, which previous studies suggest could have a large effect on cloud microphysics, lifetime, albedo, and precipitation. However, the interactions between smoke particles and clouds remain poorly quantified due to confounding meteorological influences and remote sensing limitations. Here, we use data from several aircraft campaigns in the Arctic and subarctic to explore cloud microphysics in liquid-phase clouds influenced by biomass burning. Median cloud droplet radii in smoky clouds were 50 smaller than in background clouds. Based on the relationship between cloud droplet number (N(liq))/ and various biomass burning tracers (BBt/ across the multi-campaign dataset, we calculated the magnitude of subarctic and Arctic smoke aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI, where ACI = (1/3) x dln(N(liq))/dln(BBt)) to be 0.12 out of a maximum possible value of 0.33 that would be obtained if all aerosols were to nucleate cloud droplets. Interestingly, in a separate subarctic case study with low liquid water content (0.02 gm/ cu m) and very high aerosol concentrations (2000-3000 cu m) in the most polluted clouds, the estimated ACI value was only 0.06. In this case, competition for water vapor by the high concentration of CCN strongly limited the formation of droplets and reduced the cloud albedo effect, which highlights the importance of cloud feedbacks across scales. Using our calculated ACI values, we estimate that the smoke-driven cloud albedo effect may decrease shortwave radiative flux by 2 and 4 W/sq or more under some low and homogeneous cloud cover conditions in the subarctic, although the changes should be smaller in high surface albedo regions of the Arctic. We lastly show evidence to suggest that numerous northern latitude background Aitken particles can interact with combustion particles, perhaps impacting their properties as cloud condensation and ice nuclei. However, the influence of background particles on smoke-driven indirect effects is currently unclear.

Arctic↗