Effect of Small-Scale Wildfires on the Air Parameters near the Burning Centers

The results of seminatural experiments on the study of steppe and field wildfires characteristic of the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Western Siberia are presented. Using infrared (IR) thermography methods, the main thermal characteristics of the fire front are derived, the flame turbulence scal...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Egor Loboda, Denis Kasymov, Mikhail Agafontsev, Vladimir Reyno, Yevgeniy Gordeev, Veronika Tarakanova, Pavel Martynov, Yuliya Loboda, Konstantin Orlov, Kirill Savin, Andrey Dutov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/1/75
Description
Summary:The results of seminatural experiments on the study of steppe and field wildfires characteristic of the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Western Siberia are presented. Using infrared (IR) thermography methods, the main thermal characteristics of the fire front are derived, the flame turbulence scale is estimated, and changes in the structure function of the air refractive index are analyzed in the vicinity of a fire. The effect of a model fire on the change of meteorological parameters (wind velocity components, relative air humidity, and temperature) is ascertained. Large-scale turbulence is observed in the front of a seminatural fire, which is absent in laboratory conditions. The predominance of large-scale turbulence in a flame results in turbulization of the atmosphere in the vicinity of a combustion center. Strong heat release in the combustion zone and flame turbulence increase the vertical component of the wind velocity and produce fluctuations in the air refractive index, which is an indicator of atmospheric turbulization. This creates prerequisites for the formation of a proper wind during large fires. Variations in the gas and aerosol compositions of the atmosphere are measured in the vicinity of the experimental site.
ISSN:2073-4433