As mentioned earlier smoke from fires (refer to the HMS image which integrates several fire layers measured by MODIS and AVHRR) in the Southeast and Central U.S are likely contributing to the smoky/hazy mass seen in the Southeast. Not mentioned in the previous post is that there are other factors perpetuating the formation of haze in the Southeast.
NOAA HYSPLIT backward trajectories indicate that aerosols were primarily transported from the Midwest. Many coal-burning power plants also exist in this region. The products (sulfates) produced by these plants coupled with the smoke from fires and warm temperatures are all to blame for the hazy conditions seen in the South.
Posted by Nikisa Jordan at March 6, 2006 11:52 PM
