Smoke incursions into urban areas: simulation of a Georgia prescribed burn

Abstract

This study investigates smoke incursion into urban areas by examining a prescribed burn in central Georgia,USA, on 28 February 2007. Simulations were conducted with a regional modeling framework to understand transport, dispersion,and structure of smoke plumes, the air quality effects, sensitivity to emissions, and the roles of burn managementstrategy in mitigating the effects.The results indicate that smoke plumes firstwentwest, but turned north-west at noon owingto a shift in wind direction. The smoke then invaded metropolitan Atlanta during the evening rush hour. The plumes causedsevere air quality problems in Atlanta. Some hourly ground PMconcentrations at three metropolitanAtlanta locationswere three to four times as high as the daily (24-h)USNationalAmbientAirQuality Standard.The simulated shift in the smoke transport direction and the resultant effects on air quality are supportedby the satellite and ambient air measurements. Two sensitivity simulations indicate a nearly linear relation betweenthe emission intensities and PMresidents of Atlanta during the evening commute could have been reduced if the starting time of the burn had been altered.

Citation

Liu, Y., Goodrick, S., Achtemeier, G., Jackson, W.A., Qu, J.J., Wang, W. 2009. Smoke incursions into urban areas: simulation of a Georgia prescribed burn. International Journal of Wildland Fire 18: 336-348.