Characterization of the Station Fire, Los Angeles Aug. – Sept NASA Team MODIS Data products: Robert Levy Lorraine Remer N. Christina Hsu Charles Ichoku MODIS Rapid Response Team AERONET Data products: Brent Holben Carol Bruegge (Frenchman Flat Station PI) MISR Data products: Matt Davis Dave Diner Mike Garay Ralph Kahn David Nelson MISR Team – JPL & GSFC OMI Data products: Dave Larko GOCART model: Mian Chin Huisheng Bian

Characterization of the Station Fire, Los Angeles Aug. – Sept Preliminary Data Summary Complementary NASA satellite and sub-orbital measurement assets, along with advanced numerical modeling capabilities, can develop comprehensive, 3-dimensional, time-dependent pictures of major aerosol pollution events such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, desert dust plumes, and urban smog episodes. Aerosol pollution has both immediate and long-term impacts on climate and health. Frequent, global monitoring is essential, as the cumulative effects of numerous small events must be included with the major, severe ones, to account for direct and indirect global cooling, atmospheric warming, exacerbation of chronic and acute respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and impacts on the planetary water cycle, atmospheric circulation, ecosystem nutrient budgets, and visibility. The Station Fire in Los Angeles County offers an opportunity to demonstrate these capabilities. A preliminary set of observations is given here, using operational products from MODIS, MISR, OMI, and AERONET, and near-real- time analysis performed by the respective instrument science teams. This initial description of the fire will be expanded as more data are processed, analyzed in detail, and inter-compared, and as numerical model runs synthesize the observations into a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of environmental impacts. Quantitative aerosol optical depth (AOD) from MODIS, MISR, and an AERONET surface station, aerosol index from OMI, and plume height mapping from MISR are shown here. In addition, downwind aerosol vertical distribution from CALIPSO lidar, quantitative fire radiative energy flux and burn area assessment from MODIS, and aerosol type information from MISR can be included in the observational complement. Meteorological fields from GEOS- 5 and a comprehensive picture of aerosol plume evolution, from initial injection into the atmosphere, to downwind dispersal and deposition, along with the net radiative effects and near-surface concentrations in populated areas, can be produced from the GOCART aerosol transport model constrained by these observations.

OMI Aerosol Index shows the broad extent of the Station Fire smoke plume on August 30, 2009

MISR Station Fire Perspective View August 30, Terra orbit º aft camera image 4

The pattern of smoke injection 5 MISR stereo image retrievals show smoke up to more than 7 km above sea level (yellow and green in right image), and related clouds at over 10 km (red). MISR 70º aft image MISR Stereo Height Map

Analysis of plume injection heights 6 Detailed stereoscopic analysis of MISR data with the MINX (MISR INteractive eXplorer) tool pinpoints regions where the main plume injects smoke at altitudes exceeding 7 km above sea level. Injection into the free troposphere makes long-distance transport of the smoke possible, increasing its atmospheric lifetime and environmental impact.

Long-distance transport of smoke 7 MISR aerosol optical depths show fairly thick smoke extending well into Nevada on August 30. Smoke from the Station Fire has been reported to have reached Colorado and beyond. 70º forward image 558 nm AOD

AERONET Time Series at Frenchman Flats August 26 – September 02, º aft camera image, perspective view 8 AngExp UP [to ~1.8] (small smoke particles) AOT UP [to ~0.4] CA smoke plume Arrives Sept. 1

MODIS Station Fire Time Series August 29 – August 30, º aft camera image, perspective view 9 Aug 29 MODIS Aqua Aug 30 MODIS Terra Red outlines indicate MODIS 4-micron hot spots

MODIS Station Fire Time Series August 31 – September 01, Aug 31 MODIS Aqua Sept 01 MODIS Terra Red outlines indicate MODIS 4-micron hot spots

MODIS Station Fire Radiative Power (FRP) in MW August 30, From Terra-MODIS measurements

MODIS Station Fire Categories on Google Earth August 30, Fire categories (1-5) based on Terra MODIS FRP: 1=purple, 2=green, 3=yellow, 4=orange, 5=red

MODIS Station Fire Aerosol Optical Depth Map September 01, 2009 Station Fire smoke Merges with Non-smoke pollution MODIS Terra Dark Land AOD 18:30 UTC Frenchman Flat AERONET AOT = 0.40

ASTER Station Fire Burn Scar September 06, ASTER image of September 6, 2009 Courtesy of NASA EarthObservatory