Communicating emissions impacts to the public can sometimes be difficult because quantitatively conveying smoke concentrations is complicated. Regulators and land managers often refer to particulate-matter concentrations in micrograms per cubic meter, but this may not be intuitive or meaningful to everyone. The primary purpose of this guide is to serve as a tool for communicating potential particulate matter (PM2.5) levels during wildfire events using visual representation. Examples of visibility impairment under various levels of smoke concentration and humidity have been modeled using the WinHaze program.
Hyde JC. Smoke management photographic guide: A visual aid for communicating impacts. (Blades J). Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station; 2016 p. 59 p. Available from: http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/50985