Smoke from Station Fire Blankets Southern CaliforniaTriple-digit temperatures, extremely low relative humidities, dense vegetation that has not burned in decades, and years of extended drought are all contributing to the explosive growth of wildfires throughout Southern California. The Station Fire, which began Aug. 26, 2009, in La Cañada/Flintridge, not far from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had reportedly burned 105,000 acres (164 square miles) of the Angeles National Forest by mid-day Aug. 31, destroying at least 21 homes and threatening more than 12,000 others. It is one of four major fires burning in Southern California at the present time. >>
MISR Multi-angle Views of Sunday Morning Fires
Hot, dry Santa Ana winds began blowing through the Los Angeles and San Diego areas on Sunday October 21, 2007. Wind speeds ranging from 30 to 50 mph were measured in the area, with extremely low relative humidities. These winds, coupled with exceptionally dry conditions due to lack of rainfall resulted in a number of fires in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, causing the evacuation of more than 250,000 people. >>
Satellites Track Human Exposure to Fine Particle Pollution
When it comes to air pollution, the smallest size can do the most harm. More than a decade ago, a pioneering study by Harvard's School of Public Health showed that one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution is particulate matter 10 microns (about 0.0004 inch) or less in size. Called PM 10, this tiny airborne debris is a product of burning fossil fuels. It can be found wherever there are cars, boilers and power plants. Fires and dust storms are also sources. >>
Smoke Plume Dispersal from the World Trade Center Disaster
The collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and the fires that followed produced a noxious smoke plume, a complex mixture of tiny airborne particles and gases. Determining where humans may have been exposed to these contaminants and the amount of their exposure is very difficult. >>
