Process / pipelineFire Ecology
Smoke Dispersion
Smoke dispersion modeling predicts how smoke from wildfires and prescribed burns travels and disperses through the atmosphere, affecting air quality and visibility. Models use fire characteristics (size, intensity, fuel type), atmospheric conditions (wind, stability, mixing height), and topography to forecast smoke plumes and estimate particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations downwind. Used for air quality forecasting, prescribed burn planning, and public health protection.
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Sources
- Larson, T., Gould, T., Simpson, C., & Liu, L. J. S. (2004). Source apportionment of indoor, outdoor, and personal PM2.5 in Seattle, Washington using positive matrix factorization. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 54(9), 1175–1187. DOI: 10.1080/10473289.2004.10470945 ↗
- Reid, C. E., Brauer, M., Johnston, F. H., Jerrett, M., Balmes, J. R., & Elliott, C. T. (2016). Critical review of health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(9), 1334–1343. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409185 ↗