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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Air Quality and Smoke Management
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Air Quality and Smoke Management

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 October 2019) | Viewed by 27084

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Scott L. Goodrick

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Forest Disturbance Science, USDA Forest Service, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: fire weather; fire climate; smoke management; fire-atmosphere interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, we have seen heightened wildfire activity characterized by a rise in the frequency of large wildfires (>1000 acres), longer fire seasons, and dramatic increases in the average fire size and total area burned. The smoke from these fires plays a larger role in air quality problems around the globe. Whether the issue is the health impacts of smoke or the potential climate feedbacks of smoke related aerosols, there are many unknowns regarding smoke. With the projected temperature increases, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent air stagnation, the burden of wildfires on air quality, public health, and environmental management will continue to increase.

As an alternative to uncontrolled wildfires, prescribed fire provides a means of maintaining the ecological benefits of fire, while minimizing its adverse impacts. Chief among these adverse impacts is that of smoke. By carefully selecting the environmental conditions under which an area is burned, resource managers can control how much smoke is produced and where that smoke is likely to go. The goals of smoke management are to protect human health, comply with applicable air quality regulations, and reduce hazardous fuels as a component of sustainable resource management.

The focus of this Special Issue is on improving our understanding of how smoke from wildland fires impacts human health and the climate system, as well as examining the tradeoffs between wildfires and prescribed fires that may provide a means of mitigating adverse smoke impacts. Manuscripts dealing with any aspect of wildland fire smoke impacts are welcome. These can include, but are not limited to, human health impacts, climate impacts, smoke modeling tools, comparative studies of wildfire versus prescribed fire smoke, the evaluation of smoke management techniques, or case studies of past smoke events. The goals for the Special Issue are to review the current science related to smoke from wildland fire, identify tools and technologies for improving smoke management, and identify knowledge gaps limiting our ability to manage smoke and mitigate smoke impacts.

Dr. Scott L. Goodrick
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Air quality
  • Smoke management
  • Wildfire
  • Prescribed fire
  • Climate
  • Human health

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 128 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management
by Scott L. Goodrick
Atmosphere 2020, 11(12), 1361; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11121361 - 15 Dec 2020
Viewed by 1405
Abstract
The Atmosphere Special Issue “Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management” explores our ability to simulate wildland fire smoke events and the potential to link such modeling to future studies of human health impacts [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)

Research

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13 pages, 1816 KiB  
Article
Simulation Comparisons of Particulate Emissions from Fires under Marginal and Critical Conditions
by Alexander J. Josephson, Daniel Castaño, Marlin J. Holmes and Rodman R. Linn
Atmosphere 2019, 10(11), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10110704 - 13 Nov 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2270
Abstract
Using a particulate emissions model developed for FIRETEC, we explore differences in particle emission profiles between high-intensity fires under critical conditions and low-intensity fires under marginal conditions. Simulations were performed in a chaparral shrubland and a coniferous pine forest representative of the southeast [...] Read more.
Using a particulate emissions model developed for FIRETEC, we explore differences in particle emission profiles between high-intensity fires under critical conditions and low-intensity fires under marginal conditions. Simulations were performed in a chaparral shrubland and a coniferous pine forest representative of the southeast United States. In each case, simulations were carried out under marginal and critical fire conditions. Marginal fire conditions include high moisture levels and low winds, often desired for prescribed fires as these conditions produce a low-intensity burn with slower spread rates. Critical fire conditions include low moisture levels and high winds, which easily lead to uncontrollable wildfires which produce a high-intensity burn with faster spread rates. These simulations’ resultant particle emission profiles show critical fire conditions generate larger particle emission factors, higher total mass emissions, and a higher lofting potential of particles into the atmosphere when compared against marginal fire conditions but similar particle size distrubtions. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of the emissions model was performed to evaluate key parameters which govern particle emission factor and particle size. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)
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35 pages, 12411 KiB  
Article
Air-Quality Challenges of Prescribed Fire in the Complex Terrain and Wildland Urban Interface Surrounding Bend, Oregon
by Colton Miller, Susan O’Neill, Miriam Rorig and Ernesto Alvarado
Atmosphere 2019, 10(9), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10090515 - 03 Sep 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3210
Abstract
Prescribed fires in forest ecosystems can negatively impact human health and safety by transporting smoke downwind into nearby communities. Smoke transport to communities is known to occur around Bend, Oregon, United States of America (USA), where burning at the wildland–urban interface in the [...] Read more.
Prescribed fires in forest ecosystems can negatively impact human health and safety by transporting smoke downwind into nearby communities. Smoke transport to communities is known to occur around Bend, Oregon, United States of America (USA), where burning at the wildland–urban interface in the Deschutes National Forest resulted in smoke intrusions into populated areas. The number of suitable days for prescribed fires is limited due to the necessity for moderate weather conditions, as well as wind directions that do not carry smoke into Bend. To better understand the conditions leading to these intrusions and to assess predictions of smoke dispersion from prescribed fires, we collected data from an array of weather and particulate monitors over the autumn of 2014 and spring of 2015 and historical weather data from nearby remote automated weather stations (RAWS). We characterized the observed winds to compare with meteorological and smoke dispersion models using the BlueSky smoke modeling framework. The results from this study indicated that 1–6 days per month in the spring and 2–4 days per month in the fall met the general meteorological prescription parameters for conducting prescribed fires in the National Forest. Of those, 13% of days in the spring and 5% of days in the fall had “ideal” wind patterns, when north winds occurred during the day and south winds did not occur at night. The analysis of smoke intrusions demonstrated that dispersion modeling can be useful for anticipating the timing and location of smoke impacts, but substantial errors in wind speed and direction of the meteorological models can lead to mischaracterizations of intrusion events. Additionally, for the intrusion event modeled using a higher-resolution 1-km meteorological and dispersion model, we found improved predictions of both the timing and location of smoke delivery to Bend compared with the 4-km meteorological model. The 1-km-resolution model prediction fell within 1 h of the observed event, although with underpredicted concentrations, and demonstrated promise for high-resolution modeling in areas of complex terrain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)
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20 pages, 3363 KiB  
Article
Mapping Modeled Exposure of Wildland Fire Smoke for Human Health Studies in California
by Patricia D. Koman, Michael Billmire, Kirk R. Baker, Ricardo de Majo, Frank J. Anderson, Sumi Hoshiko, Brian J. Thelen and Nancy H.F. French
Atmosphere 2019, 10(6), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10060308 - 04 Jun 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6243
Abstract
Wildland fire smoke exposure affects a broad proportion of the U.S. population and is increasing due to climate change, settlement patterns and fire seclusion. Significant public health questions surrounding its effects remain, including the impact on cardiovascular disease and maternal health. Using atmospheric [...] Read more.
Wildland fire smoke exposure affects a broad proportion of the U.S. population and is increasing due to climate change, settlement patterns and fire seclusion. Significant public health questions surrounding its effects remain, including the impact on cardiovascular disease and maternal health. Using atmospheric chemical transport modeling, we examined general air quality with and without wildland fire smoke PM2.5. The 24-h average concentration of PM2.5 from all sources in 12-km gridded output from all sources in California (2007–2013) was 4.91 μg/m3. The average concentration of fire-PM2.5 in California by year was 1.22 μg/m3 (~25% of total PM2.5). The fire-PM2.5 daily mean was estimated at 4.40 μg/m3 in a high fire year (2008). Based on the model-derived fire-PM2.5 data, 97.4% of California’s population lived in a county that experienced at least one episode of high smoke exposure (“smokewave”) from 2007–2013. Photochemical model predictions of wildfire impacts on daily average PM2.5 carbon (organic and elemental) compared to rural monitors in California compared well for most years but tended to over-estimate wildfire impacts for 2008 (2.0 µg/m3 bias) and 2013 (1.6 µg/m3 bias) while underestimating for 2009 (−2.1 µg/m3 bias). The modeling system isolated wildfire and PM2.5 from other sources at monitored and unmonitored locations, which is important for understanding population exposure in health studies. Further work is needed to refine model predictions of wildland fire impacts on air quality in order to increase confidence in the model for future assessments. Atmospheric modeling can be a useful tool to assess broad geographic scale exposure for epidemiologic studies and to examine scenario-based health impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)
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24 pages, 2751 KiB  
Article
Assessing Forest Canopy Impacts on Smoke Concentrations Using a Coupled Numerical Model
by Joseph J. Charney, Michael T. Kiefer, Shiyuan Zhong, Warren E. Heilman, Jovanka Nikolic, Xindi Bian, John L. Hom, Kenneth L. Clark, Nicholas S. Skowronski, Michael R. Gallagher, Matthew Patterson, Yongqiang Liu and Christie Hawley
Atmosphere 2019, 10(5), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10050273 - 14 May 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3213
Abstract
The impact of a forest canopy on smoke concentration is assessed by applying a numerical weather prediction model coupled with a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to two low-intensity wildland (prescribed) fires in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. A comparison with observations indicates that [...] Read more.
The impact of a forest canopy on smoke concentration is assessed by applying a numerical weather prediction model coupled with a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to two low-intensity wildland (prescribed) fires in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. A comparison with observations indicates that the coupled numerical model can reproduce some of the observed variations in surface smoke concentrations and plume heights. Model sensitivity analyses highlight the effect of the forest canopy on simulated meteorological conditions, smoke concentrations, and plume heights. The forest canopy decreases near-surface wind speed, increases buoyancy, and increases turbulent mixing. Sensitivities to the time of day, plant area density profiles, and fire heat fluxes are documented. Analyses of temporal variations in smoke concentrations indicate that the effect of the transition from a daytime to a nocturnal planetary boundary layer is weaker when sensible heat fluxes from the fires are stronger. The results illustrate the challenges in simulating meteorological conditions and smoke concentrations at scales where interactions between the fire, fuels, and atmosphere are critically important. The study demonstrates the potential for predictive tools to be developed and implemented that could help fire and air-quality managers assess local air-quality impacts during low-intensity wildland fires in forested environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)
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Review

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23 pages, 9203 KiB  
Review
The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment—A Plan for Integrated, Large Fire–Atmosphere Field Campaigns
by Susan Prichard, N. Sim Larkin, Roger Ottmar, Nancy H.F. French, Kirk Baker, Tim Brown, Craig Clements, Matt Dickinson, Andrew Hudak, Adam Kochanski, Rod Linn, Yongqiang Liu, Brian Potter, William Mell, Danielle Tanzer, Shawn Urbanski and Adam Watts
Atmosphere 2019, 10(2), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10020066 - 03 Feb 2019
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 10067
Abstract
The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is designed to collect integrated observations from large wildland fires and provide evaluation datasets for new models and operational systems. Wildland fire, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry models have become more sophisticated, and next-generation operational [...] Read more.
The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is designed to collect integrated observations from large wildland fires and provide evaluation datasets for new models and operational systems. Wildland fire, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry models have become more sophisticated, and next-generation operational models will require evaluation datasets that are coordinated and comprehensive for their evaluation and advancement. Integrated measurements are required, including ground-based observations of fuels and fire behavior, estimates of fire-emitted heat and emissions fluxes, and observations of near-source micrometeorology, plume properties, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry. To address these requirements the FASMEE campaign design includes a study plan to guide the suite of required measurements in forested sites representative of many prescribed burning programs in the southeastern United States and increasingly common high-intensity fires in the western United States. Here we provide an overview of the proposed experiment and recommendations for key measurements. The FASMEE study provides a template for additional large-scale experimental campaigns to advance fire science and operational fire and smoke models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality and Smoke Management)
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