Wildfires have been ripping through the west, and while they endanger homes and may or may not be good for the natural habitats they burn, they are definitely bad for the air quality.
The Smog Blog tracks air quality nationwide on a daily basis with satellite data, lidar, EPA pollution-monitoring networks, and more, compiled by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Atmospheric Lidar Group. The team provides lots of maps showing clouds, smoke, particle levels, ozone levels, etc.
In recent days the emphasis has been on the wildfires in California. Plumes of smoke are easily seen from satellite images. They suggest the huge scale of the fire, but don't do justice to the havoc much closer to the ground.
Check out the maps and the air quality near you.
(Image: Measurements of particles < 2.5 microns shown over California. Maroon points near Auburn, Sacramento, Roseville-Rocklin and Bakersfield show hazardous levels, overlaid on true color satellite image. Image obtained from the U.S. Air Quality Smog Blog.)



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