The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) Smoke modeling system

The HRRR-Smoke model is based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to Chemistry (WRF-Chem, http://ruc.noaa.gov/wrf/WG11/). The dynamics and physics packages and settings for the meteorology of HRRR-Smoke are based on the experimental version of the HRRR model, which is run in real-time (http://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/) at NOAA/ESRL Global Systems Division (GSD). HRRR-Smoke has been developed to simulate the emissions and transport of smoke from wildfires in real time in high spatial resolution. Since HRRR-Smoke includes anthropogenic emissions of other particulate matter species, and includes an aerosol aware microphysics scheme, we will also look at aerosol impacts on Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP).

The fire emissions are calculated using the fire detection and characterization data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. Fire Radiative Power (FRP) data from VIIRS determine fire size and are then applied in HRRR-Smoke to calculate injection heights using a plume rise model. The real-time VIIRS data is provided by NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research.

Currently HRRR-Smoke is run in real time by NOAA/ESRL/GSD for the CONUS domain (3km horizontal grid resolution). HRRR-Smoke is initialized every day at 00 and 12UTC using input files for the meteorology from the real-time HRRR experimental runs. The model is then run to produce 36 hour forecasts.

The development of the HRRR-Smoke modeling system is conducted in collaboration with Saulo Freitas (NASA) and Gabriel Pereira (Brazil). This work is funded by the JPSS Proving Ground program (www.jpss.noaa.gov/community_proving-ground.html).

 

Ongoing developments:

-   Adding more graphics for the smoke visualization on the web-page;

-   Updating physics packages;

-   Display smoke feedback on radiation and microphysics;

 

 

For questions please contact Ravan Ahmadov (ravan.ahmadov@noaa.gov) and Eric James (eric.james@noaa.gov) at NOAA/ESRL/GSD.