Examining the impact of wildfires in California (2020).
August and September, 2020 in California were defined by wildfires that pumped high quantities of smoke into the troposphere over North America.
Satellite imagery from August 25, 2020, combined with identified instances of fire, shows us visibly high levels of Smoke sitting over California.
We can also see the smoke being pulled Eastward, over the contiguous United States.
Average Aerosol Optical Depth over the Western United States for August 14 - September 14, 2020.
Average Single Scattering Albedo over the Western United States for August 14 - September 14, 2020.
AOD data from Aqua MODIS show us elevated levels of AOD sitting over California while also being pulled eastward. These values are corroborated by Single Scattering Albedo values derived from Aura OMI.
AOD levels on August 25, 2020 match the satellite image above - showing significant smoke transport over the Eastern United States, stemming from wildfires in California.
Average Aerosol Optical Depth over the United States on August 25, 2020.