As a result of the record-breaking wildfires in Canada over the past several months, smoke and haze has moved to different segments of North America. While not in the literal line of fire, Michigan–along with other U.S. states–has seen a change in air quality and, if nothing else, eerily gray skies. So, how does wildfire smoke move, and what effects are a direct result of raging wildfires?
How Smoke Moves
During massive fires, smoke is pushed upward by heat, creating plumes that can reach the atmosphere. Once it’s there, the movement of the smoke follows specific wind patterns. For example, when the wind is moving north to south, smoke from Canadian wildfires is pushed into the United States. The distance smoke is able to cover and how long it stays is partially dependent on how much of it is being produced. In large wildfires, more and more smoke is supplied into the atmosphere, which can then move thousands of miles.
Haze
Haze and fog are similar in that they both obscure vision because of their presence in the air, but they have a crucial difference. While fog is essentially just saturated air particles, haze comes from dust and smoke particles in the air. The smoke from wildfires creates a haze in the air that skews vision. For example, haze can make the skies gray without clouds present.
Air Quality
The small particles from smoke that pollute the air worsen the overall air quality and can have harmful respiratory effects. Air quality takes into consideration different factors in the atmosphere, combining data of air pollution levels both on a small scale of local air quality as well as the grander scale of the Earth’s energy patterns. When wildfire smoke spreads, the air may not always be safe to breathe due to particles such as metals, organic compounds, particle combustion, and so on. In situations when wildfire smoke is prevalent, it’s helpful to keep an eye on air quality notices in your area.
When it comes to something like wildfires, the effects go far beyond the fires themselves, and the smoke and haze following Canada’s fires has proven that. Therefore, it becomes even more important to understand the parts of these disasters that extend beyond the fire’s source.