NASA, NOAA Team Up In Effort To Study Impact Of Wild Fires On Air Quality
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The recent California wildfires are having a serious impact on air quality across the country.
Although it's 2,000 miles away, the impacts of the recent wildfires on the west coast can be felt in Maryland.
NASA Scientist Elizabeth Hoy is currently working on a joint venture between NASA and NOAA.
"It's trying to understand how air quality changes due to fires, that's still an area where more research can be done," Hoy said.
That research uses satellites, airplanes and ground instruments to collect data.
The information they collect is sent back to computers where they put together models tracking smoke that's drifting across the country.
"So it's really trying to understand what changes are happening, what air chemistry is occurring, and how that's going to impact people," Hoy said.
Specifically those with respiratory conditions, the elderly and children.
"They might need to really pay attention to those air quality metrics and it might be time for them to stay inside," Hoy said,
The fires aren't just affecting air quality. Early data shows this past July could be the hottest month ever recorded, which Hoy says paints a dark picture of what's to come.
"We're just seeing this cycle, where warming is beginning fires, beginning more warming," Hoy said.
Data is constantly being collected, as it's analyzed and understood, it will be made available to the public.