Model helps warn of worst desert locust swarms in a quarter century
NOAA’s powerful air quality model used to track the movement and deposition of pollution from wildfires, volcanoes and industrial accidents is now being used to help warn communities across Africa and Asia of what have been called the worst locust swarms in a quarter century.
Working with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, NOAA has developed a new web application based on NOAA’s HYSPLIT dispersion model that FAO is using to issue forecasts and warnings to affected countries about a potentially devastating second wave of locust swarms.
FAO forecasts enable local officials to conduct aerial spraying to reduce the impact of desert locusts which can destroy grains, grasses and other greens that are life-sustaining foods for entire regions.
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