July 9, 2009
Haze in the Southern US, strong light extinction from Nevada to Washington and over the Pacific
Today’s MODIS TERRA AOD map (top, left) shows strong values over the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana. This is also shown on the GASP AOD image. The TERRA RGB image over Alabama (top, right) shows, in deed, some visible haze.
The TERRA AOD image also shows strong light extinction from Nevada to Washington and over the Pacific. According to the National Interagency fire center, Arizona and Oregon reported new large fires. Also possibly related, the GASP AOD map shows very strong values over the Gulf of Alaska.
According to the SSD fire team at NOAA and the HMS map, a thin ribbon of haze is moving west to northeast from the border of Washington and Oregon, continuing into Idaho and Montana. This haze may be a mix of smoke from the fires throughout Alaska and remnant SO2 from the eruption of Sarychev Peak. This could not be confirmed by the MODIS RGB image due to strong cloud cover.
Finally, the EPA AIRnow’s PM2.5 map (bottom, left) shows, at the most, “moderate” PM values over a significant part of the eastern US. The ozone levels (bottom, right) are, at the most, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Missouri and Illinois.
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