Smoke, Smog, Dust 2014 Chiang Mai

[T_Dog 1,950]

Trying to find most recent readings of Chiang Mai area, the link seems to not include our area anymore. Do I need to log in and if so how do I sign up? Or s there another site that would provide me with good current info?

Fill in the parameters here and you should be able to graph it. Chiang Mai stations are #35 and #36. http://aqmthai.com/public_report.php

[MMan 49]

The air in Chiang Mai is really bad today - by far the worst I've seen it this year. From Chang Klan road looking toward Doi Suthep all I can see is a brown haze. Seems to be worst to the west and north.

[wolfmuc 62]

PM10 - Lampang 488, Phayao 337, Phrae 320 ... (microgram/cbm)

while ChiangMai and ChiangRai are around 100.

Any idea about the high levels?

Is it China?

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=83213&src=eoa-iotd

Haze Blows Across Northeastern Asia

[T_Dog 1,950]

wolfmuc..... Check out post #120 on this thread for a major contributor. Some of those sites you graphed also have local sources like coal-fired electric plants.

[Tywais 12,116]

wolfmuc..... Check out post #120 on this thread for a major contributor. Some of those sites you graphed also have local sources like coal-fired electric plants.

Near Lampang is Mae Mo lignite mines and coal fired power plants and are a major contributor to pollution in that area.

[wolfmuc 62]

wolfmuc..... Check out post #120 on this thread for a major contributor. Some of those sites you graphed also have local sources like coal-fired electric plants.

Thanks T_Dog, local sources might be an explanation.

Will try to find out the nearest power plants when the internet

is a bit faster than today.

Check out #120? - Didn't find this 'major contributor'.

[T_Dog 1,950]

wolfmuc..... Check out post #120 on this thread for a major contributor. Some of those sites you graphed also have local sources like coal-fired electric plants.

Thanks T_Dog, local sources might be an explanation.

Will try to find out the nearest power plants when the internet

is a bit faster than today.

Check out #120? - Didn't find this 'major contributor'.

Burning up in the mountains to open up farm land and to improve mushroom production is a major cause of our smoke. Tywais has a pinned link at the beginning of this thread and also on post # 120. Here it is again, and it shows the active fires in Asia.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/692704-smoke-smog-dust-2014-chiang-mai/?p=7221266

[wolfmuc 62]

T_Dog, thank you for the answers. - Maybe it's slash&burn too, but I don't think predominantly.

If you would have a look at this site

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-254.09,20.00,295 .

As I see it there might be a circuit of winds, blowing the haze from Beijing, Shanghai

and Hong Kong via the north of Vietnam even into Thailand.

http://aqicn.org/map/ shows the air pollution in Asia conveniently displayed, yet the results

for Thailand seem to be too low. - But there might be another route (south-west) for the haze

coming from Beijing as I noticed the last weeks. Of course based on the results of that site.

But all the same, it's really bad here in Phrae province.

And it's not the farmers burning their fields.

[cloudhopper 2,263]

Rode up the cable car to the highest point in the Langkawi Is. group just over the S border and at 700m ASL the horizon had a noticeably brown tinge in all directions, even though at sea level the viz is excellent.

[Mapguy 1,002]

More local observations: There are some new (FIRMS) instances of blazes which appear strongly to be agricultural burning on a north-south line from Rte 1095 (Mae Taeng-Pai Road) about 20km west of Rte 107 to somewhat north of Samoeng.

What is missing, comparably, this year to last ---so far --- are many agricultural fires in a close radius around the intersection of those two roads.

And the incidence of blazes appears to have dropped considerably within the same time frame. Of course, it ain't over until it's over.

In looking at the attachment, I should note that FIRMS misses a lot, and the coordinates seem consistently skewed to the East a couple of hundred meters. These eyes in the sky miss a lot, especially the small stuff.

Otherwise, there seemed to be a rather distinctive (and unfamiliar) odor in the Muang Chiang Mai air this morning, not a wood/rice straw smell but something different. Anyone else notice that?

[Mapguy 1,002]

This website has not been noted much lately. Some people may wish to follow it.

Notice the general SW pattern of the winds which are very much consistent with monsoon patterns year after year. I think you'd have a difficult time making a persuasive argument correlating seasonal pollution here with industrial pollution in Northern China. The barometric effect contributing to a high pressure "lid" is a different matter.

Incidentally, it is the Japanese who got furious with the Chinese (not just about property rights to rocks in the Sea of Japan or the East Sea (take your pick!) but wind-blown air pollution, as I recall from last year's press. That indicates Westerlies typical, I believe, of those latitudes. Here we have the seasonal SW monsoon toward Southern China, not the reverse.

[MESmith 4,601]

Incidentally, it is the Japanese who got furious with the Chinese (not just about property rights to rocks in the Sea of Japan or the East Sea (take your pick!) but wind-blown air pollution,

The Japanese can't complain about jacksh1t, with all the radiation circulating the Pacific......

[WinnieTheKhwai 7,594]

This remains a fascinating thing every year.. By relative virtue of being stuck in a hospital room this week I've had a near continuous view of the mountain, with not much else to do.

It's interesting that there was a big dip in visibility (spike in haze) around noon. And then a dramatic clearing up afternoon. (Mountain completely disappeared from view for me around noon). Then I look at the figures from the Yupparaj measuring station (in town) and it matches that exactly:

And now I can see trees and separate ridges again. It's just remarkable how it can come and go like that in a matter of an hour or two. And again, this is absolutely nothing yet compared to how bad it can get. I think we'll end up at a daily average of about 80 ug/m3

[Mapguy 1,002]

In the hospital, and no view! Except to keep your eye on the nurses, of course!

Get better!

[chooka 16,038]

Been here 7 yrs and this seems to be the worst year ever. Never before have my eyes watered or been red, never before has my wife coughed so much or even me. Before you could always make out Doi Suthep if you looked hard but now you can't. What happened to the law enforcement clamp downs they have been promising for 7 years, things are getting worse not better.