This document summarizes research on the effects of wildfires in Arizona on atmospheric conditions observed at Storm Peak Laboratory in Colorado in June 2011. Instrumentation including radiometers and satellite imagery were used to analyze clear and smoky days. On clear days, total visible irradiance followed expected patterns but smoke days showed limitations in radiometer and satellite data. Future research could improve using ground data to enhance satellite aerosol measurements and better understand long-term climate impacts of increased wildfires globally.

1. Effects of Arizona Wildfires
Observed at Storm Peak Lab
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
June 2011
Kyle Nelson1
Chiemeka Ihebom2
Rodrigue Payen2
1Central Michigan University
2York College / CUNY

2. Completing the “Big Picture”
 Know:
Trace Gases
Meteorological Data
HYSPLIT
Aerosol Particle
Sizer
Health Effects
 Discuss:
Radiometers
MODIS
GOES-W Visible
 “See” what’s
happening

3. Overview
 Area of Interest
 Investigation Variables
 Instrumentation
In-Situ
Remote Sensing
 Clear Day
 Aerosol Day

4. Area of Interest
485 miles

5. Investigation Variables
 Radiometric data
Shadowband UV Irradiance
Shadowband Visible Irradiance
Total Optical Depth
 MODIS Visible Imagery
 GOES-W Visible Imagery

6.  Solar irradiance at seven wavelengths
 Shadowband benefits
 Products
 Measured
 Diffuse and Total Radiation
 Derived
 Direct Radiation
 Direct = Total - Diffuse
 Measure every 20 seconds
UV Multifilter Rotating Shadowband
Radiometer (UVMFRSR)

7. Visible Multifilter Rotating
Shadowband Radiometer (VMFRSR)
 Solar irradiance at six wavelengths
 Three components measured simultaneously
 Products
 Measured
 Diffuse and Total Radiation
 Derived
 Direct Radiation
 Total Optical Depth
 Measurements every 15 seconds

8. Scattering
 Rayleigh scattering
 Particle size < wavelength

9. Scattering
 Mie Scattering
 Particle size ≈ wavelength
 Relation to chosen wavelength = 500nm

10.  Contained on Aqua and Terra platforms
 36 bands, 405nm to 14μm
 Visible to Infrared
Able to detect fires using IR bands
MODIS: Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer

11. MODIS: Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer
 Orbital period: 98 minutes
Each covers entire Earth once per day
Morning: Terra; Afternoon: Aqua

12. GOES-W
 Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite – West
 Atmospheric sounder and imager onboard
 Images every 30 minutes (Routine mode),
15 minutes (Rapid mode)
 Greater temporal resolution than MODIS
 Geostationary over Equator at 135W
 22,300 miles/36,000km above ground

13. GOES-W

14. Clear Skies Above
Storm Peak Lab
June 10, 2011

15. Total Visible Irradiance – Clear Day
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Total Visible Irradiance

16. Direct Visible Irradiance – Clear Day
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Direct Visible Irradiance

17. Diffuse Visible Irradiance – Clear Day
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.20
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Diffuse Visible Irradiance

18. MODIS – Clear Day (Aqua 12:54 LDT)
Arizona Colorado
June 10

19. GOES-W – Clear Day – June 10

20. Total Optical Depth – Clear Day
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
ScaledDepth:Unitless
Local Time
500 Nanometer Total Visible Optical Depth

21. Aerosols Overhead
Storm Peak Lab
June 5, 2011

22. Total Visible Irradiance - Smoke
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Total Visible Irradiance
Smoke
Clear

23. Direct Visible Irradiance - Smoke
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Direct Visible Irradiance
Smoke
Clear

24. Diffuse Visible Irradiance - Smoke
0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.90
1.00
Watts/m2
Local Time
500 Nanometer Diffuse Visible Irradiance
Smoke
Clear

25. MODIS – Smoke (Aqua 12:54 LDT)
Arizona Colorado
June 5

26. GOES-W – Smoke – June 5

27. Total Optical Depth - Smoke
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
ScaledDepth:Unitless
Local Time
500 Nanometer Total Visible Optical Depth
Smoke
Clear

28. Conclusions
 Effects of smoke and suspended aerosols
observed with in-situ and remote sensing
 Limitations in analysis
Extreme variations in radiometric data
Non-cloud screened total optical depth data
 Must GOES-W data to cloud screen manually

29. Future Research
 Using MFRSR aerosol optical depth to improve
MODIS aerosol optical depth
 Lack of radiation reaching Earth’s surface
 Fires globally, year round
 Cumulative effects? Climate change?
 Aerosols enabling cloud formation
 Mesoscale temperature anomalies leading to
change in local weather patterns
 Clouds from darker CCN absorb(reflect) more(less)
solar radiation than clouds from lighter CCN

30. Acknowledgements
 Storm Peak Lab
 Dr. Gannet Hallar
 Dr. Ian McCubbin
 Dr. Craig Dodson
 GRASP Mentors
 Erica Strom
 Zach Valdez
 Kyra Han Kim
 Dimauro Edwards
 Wanda Vargas
 Class of GRASP 2011
 Howard University
 Desert Research Institute
 GOES-W VIS Imagery
 Deb Molenar (RAMMB/NOAA)
 Dave Watson, Dan Welsh,
Kevin Micke (RAMMB/CIRA)

31. Additional Products
MODIS Fire Detection
Atmospheric Profiles

32. June 5  Google Earth Overlays
 Fire boundaries; Hotspots

33. June 5  Google Earth Overlays
 Fire boundaries; MODIS Visible

34. Skew-T – Grand Junction, CO
Clear Day, June 5 Cloudy Day, June 11