As the worst wildfire season on record in Canada continues to wreak environmental havoc on both sides of the border, a Texas A&M atmospheric scientist outlines what it means for human health and what to expect in the coming days and weeks.
As the worst wildfire season on record in Canada continues to wreak environmental havoc on both sides of the border, a Texas A&M atmospheric scientist outlines what it means for human health and what to expect in the coming days and weeks.
This week, Canadian wildfires are producing significant amounts of smoke that is traveling vast distances, hovering over the eastern United States and producing unhealthy levels of air quality for millions of people.
Dr. Gunnar Schade, an associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University, discusses what is causing these hazardous conditions to blanket so much of the U.S. airspace and the related impacts for human health.
What is Causing Fires in Canada to Blanket the Air at Such an Alarming Level on the East Coast of the U.S.?
Simple — current weather conditions. Smoke is lifted into the atmosphere by the heat of the fire that is producing it in Canada. The smoke is then distributed vertically and horizontally based on the current synoptic weather conditions — the North Central Canadian (Arctic) high-pressure system and a persistent, slow-moving, low-pressure system off the northeast coast. Combined, they cause large-scale southerly to southeasterly air movement, which has taken the smoke to the U.S. upper Midwest, southeast and east coast.
Read more at Texas A&M University
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