March 29, 2006
Smoke in Arkansas and Missouri
L: HMS map showing burning fires in red and smoke in gray.
R: IDEA image
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The HMS map above shows that several fires are still burning in central US. According to the same map, two smoke plumes were detected in North and South Carolina. On IDEA images, it is possible to see that, the AOD seems higher where the fires are located especially in Arkansas and Missouri.
The NASA EOS has an article on the southern fires (see here).
EPA AirNow showing PM2.5 AQI
Concerning the Air Quality (AQ), the EPA AirNow map shows that the air quality is moderate in the Midwest and southeast. The AQ is said moderate when the fine particulate concentration is between 15.5ug/m3 and 40.4ug/m3. The AQ is moderate in Hagerstown MD with PM2.5 levels reaching 24.6ug/m3 (69 AQI). The AQI is high enough in South Bend IN, for the AQ to be classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (120 AQI or 50.1ug/m3). According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the AQ is expected to remain the same tomorrow.
Looking at the EPA AirNow ozone map, the ozone levels are good throughout the country with concentrations below 65ppb. However, southern Florida has a monitoring site under code yellow, which means that the concentrations range between 65ppb and 84ppb (EPA AirNow).
Posted by Kamonayi Y. Mubenga at March 29, 2006 5:32 PM