Smoke ModelingSmoke ModelingBlueSkyRains and SHRMC-4SBlueSkyRains and SHRMC-4S

Rick GillamRick GillamU.S. EPA Region 4U.S. EPA Region 4

Air Modeler’s WorkshopAir Modeler’s WorkshopMarch 8-10, 2005March 8-10, 2005

Today’s PresentationToday’s Presentation

Smoke emissions Smoke emissions from prescribed-from prescribed-burn and wildland burn and wildland firesfires

What is What is BlueSkyRains?BlueSkyRains?

What is SHRMC-4s?What is SHRMC-4s?

(Slide taken from a presentation by Allison Davis of EPA’s OAQPS)

(Slide taken from a presentation by Allison Davis of EPA’s OAQPS)

Smoke EmissionsSmoke Emissions

EPA Policy: 1998 Interim Air Quality Policy EPA Policy: 1998 Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fireson Wildland and Prescribed Fires Addresses public health and welfare impactsAddresses public health and welfare impacts Encourages use of smoke management plans Encourages use of smoke management plans

(SMP)(SMP) Available at: Available at:

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/memoranda/firefnl.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/memoranda/firefnl.pdf

Wild and Prescribed Fire Issues:Wild and Prescribed Fire Issues: Public safetyPublic safety VisibilityVisibility economic impacts and economic impacts and health impactshealth impacts

Smoke EmissionsSmoke Emissions

Wildland and Prescribed-burn Wildland and Prescribed-burn fires release large amounts of fires release large amounts of PM, CO, SOPM, CO, SO22,NO,NOxx, and VOCs., and VOCs. 90% of smoke emissions are 90% of smoke emissions are

PMPM1010 and 70% are PM and 70% are PM2.52.5

Emissions can affect regional Emissions can affect regional air quality and visibilityair quality and visibility

Need modeling tools to Need modeling tools to

evaluate the impacts of these evaluate the impacts of these emissionsemissions

What is BlueSkyRains?What is BlueSkyRains?

BlueSkyRainsBlueSkyRains - - A Web-Based Information System to Help A Web-Based Information System to Help Manage Prescribed Burning, Wildland Fires and Agricultural Manage Prescribed Burning, Wildland Fires and Agricultural BurningBurning

Currently operational for the Northwest USCurrently operational for the Northwest US Provides daily predictions of where smoke plumes will occur and Provides daily predictions of where smoke plumes will occur and

relative areal impact information by predicting PM concentrationsrelative areal impact information by predicting PM concentrations

BlueSkyBlueSky - - A product developed by the USDA Forest Service that A product developed by the USDA Forest Service that links computer models of fuel consumption and emissions, fire, links computer models of fuel consumption and emissions, fire, weather, and smoke dispersion into one system for predicting the weather, and smoke dispersion into one system for predicting the cumulative impacts of smoke from firescumulative impacts of smoke from fires

RAINSRAINS - - RRapid apid AAccess ccess ININformation formation SSystem developed by the ystem developed by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 - the GIS (mapping) Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 - the GIS (mapping) part of the systempart of the system

Uses Uses ArcIMS (the internet mapping service) and ArcSDE (the spatial ArcIMS (the internet mapping service) and ArcSDE (the spatial database engine) database engine)

BlueSkyRains FrameworkBlueSkyRains Framework(Taken from the USDA Forest Service website: (Taken from the USDA Forest Service website:

http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/)http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/)

BlueSky Smoke DispersionBlueSky Smoke Dispersion

Smoke Dispersion Smoke Dispersion simulated with simulated with CALPUFF and the CALPUFF and the HYSPLIT trajectory HYSPLIT trajectory modelmodel

CALPUFF used to CALPUFF used to estimate PM estimate PM concentrationsconcentrations

HYSPLIT used to create HYSPLIT used to create trajectories for mapping trajectories for mapping with RAINSwith RAINS

BlueSkyRains Website BlueSkyRains Website ((http://www.blueskyrains.org)http://www.blueskyrains.org)

What is SHRMC?What is SHRMC? USDA USDA SSouthern outhern HHigh igh RResolution esolution MModeling odeling CCenter enter

located in Athens, Georgialocated in Athens, Georgia Formed in 2001 by the University of Georgia and USDA Formed in 2001 by the University of Georgia and USDA

Forest ServiceForest Service One of five FCAMS (One of five FCAMS (FFire ire CConsortia for onsortia for AAdvanced dvanced

MModeling of odeling of MMeteorology and eteorology and SSmoke)moke)

What is SCRMC-4S?What is SCRMC-4S?

Dr. Gary Achtemeier, co-director of SHRMC, has led the Dr. Gary Achtemeier, co-director of SHRMC, has led the development of a coupled prescribed fire-air chemistry modeling development of a coupled prescribed fire-air chemistry modeling framework called the framework called the SSouthern outhern SSmoke moke SSimulation imulation SSystem (4S)ystem (4S)

SHRMC-4S simulates and predicts chemical concentrations of SHRMC-4S simulates and predicts chemical concentrations of smoke componentssmoke components

Designed to interface with EPA’s Models-3 community multi-scale Designed to interface with EPA’s Models-3 community multi-scale air quality (CMAQ) modeling systemair quality (CMAQ) modeling system

Uses a model called DAYSMOKE, developed by Dr. AchtemeierUses a model called DAYSMOKE, developed by Dr. Achtemeier Simulates movement and deposition of smoke particles injected from Simulates movement and deposition of smoke particles injected from

firesfires Provides plume rise and vertical distribution of smoke particles for Provides plume rise and vertical distribution of smoke particles for

input into CMAQinput into CMAQ

Overview of the SHRMC-4S Overview of the SHRMC-4S FrameworkFramework

Status of SHRMC-4S and Status of SHRMC-4S and DAYSMOKEDAYSMOKE

Unlike BlueSkyRains, still in development and testing Unlike BlueSkyRains, still in development and testing stagesstages

Collaboration between SHRMC and EPA Region 4 to Collaboration between SHRMC and EPA Region 4 to compare DAYSMOKE with CALPUFFcompare DAYSMOKE with CALPUFF

Also plans to compare SHRMC-4S with BlueSky once it Also plans to compare SHRMC-4S with BlueSky once it is operational at SHRMCis operational at SHRMC

Additional technical detail is available in a paper titled Additional technical detail is available in a paper titled “AIR QUALITY EFFECTS OF FLORIDA PRESCRIBED FIRES “AIR QUALITY EFFECTS OF FLORIDA PRESCRIBED FIRES SIMULATED WITH CMAQ” available on the web:SIMULATED WITH CMAQ” available on the web:

http://www.cmascenter.org/html/2004_workshop/abstracts/Model%20Development/http://www.cmascenter.org/html/2004_workshop/abstracts/Model%20Development/liu_abstract.pdf liu_abstract.pdf

Questions?Questions?