April 19, 2006
Hazy in central US
Image taken by MODIS showing the dust/smoke plume in eastern Asia.
As you can see from previous posts, we have been talking a lot about the dust/smoke coming from Asia. Looking at the MODIS and SeaWiFS images, we can see that the plume is proudly advecting to the northeast. Based upon the NRL model which shows the plume coming from Asia, the concentration would be 0.1-0.4ug/m3.
NAAPS model showing the asian plume
Looking at the HMS map, it is possible to see that several fires persist in central US, especially in Kansas. These fires may in part be responsible for the moderate AQI in that region. According to the IDEA image, there is a plume extending from the Midwest to the south. The haze is being mixed with the clouds from the low-pressure system. Also, notice that the EPA AirNow reported moderate (0-15.4 ug/m3) PM2.5 levels for the same region. The fine particulate matter is also moderate in southern Texas (see map).
RGB from MODIS Direct and IDEA map showing AOD
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Ozone levels are unhealthy for sensitive groups in the Houston Galveston Brazoria area where the EPA AirNow registered an AQI of 101.
Posted by Kamonayi Y. Mubenga at April 19, 2006 5:51 PM