Function
The ClearSky project is an experimental application of a plume dispersion model, employed in a forecast system to support local smoke managers in making decisions about the advisability of field burning with respect to the effect on air quality. Initially developed in 2002 for Idaho's Kootanai and Benewah counties, in 2003 ClearSky operations have expanded to the south to include Idaho's Clearwater Valley and Nez Perce Tribal lands and to the east to pick up eastern Washington. ClearSky allows local managers to generate field-burning scenarios and review animations of simulation results, through the project website, prior to making burn decisions. For each area supported, a database of field data (acreage, location, and crop type) must be created. An interactive web-based application allows managers to 1) select acreages within specific localities for simulated burning, and 2) submit these selections as uniquely identifiable field-burning scenarios to be processed by ClearSky. Multiple scenarios can be generated for simulating burns on the following day.