Technical University of Crete: Professors conduct research on the forecast of gaseous pollution from forest fires

Research on the possibility of forecasting gaseous pollution from forest fires in Greece is conducted by professors of the Technical University of Crete in the framework of Climpact – National Network for Climate Change.

With the use of computer models and measurements in the field, it is sought to assess the effects of forest fires after their occurrence in the gas pollution of the affected areas. According to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, the professor of the Technical University of Crete, holder of the AXA Chair for Fires and Climate Change at the Technical University of Crete and Deputy Director of the Leverhulme Center for Fire Research in LondonApostolos Voulgarakis, a significant part of the gaseous pollution from fires in Greece (eg from the huge fires of the Peloponnese in 2007) can end up over the sea area of ​​the Mediterranean, due to the circulation of winds (meltemia) in summer is usually from north-northeast to south-southwest.

However, as he emphasizes, this depends on the special meteorological conditions of each day (eg on the day of the fire in Mati, the winds were blowing from an unusual direction), as well as the exact geographical point of occurrence of the fire. «What is certain is that the combinations of fires and winds that lead the smoke to residential areas, especially in large urban centers, have many times more serious effects on the health of the population than in cases where pollutants do not end up in such areas. In any case, fire pollutants can remain in the atmosphere for hours, days, or even weeks. What is the saving phenomenon that reduces these times: a good rain“, Notes Mr. Voulgarakis in APE-MPE.

According to the professor, in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which drastically affects the climate but is not a toxic gas, fires emit a number of other pollutants that are dangerous to human health. The most intense problems arise from the emission of suspended particles, which are often very small in size so that they can enter our respiratory system and cause problems, especially in vulnerable groups of the population. At the same time, as Mr. Voulgarakis points out, the fires emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, while they also cause the production of tropospheric ozone, a highly toxic pollutant for both humans and plants, with negative consequences in agriculture.

In many countries around the world, computer systems have already been developed that provide the possibility of detailed simulation and prediction of gaseous pollution from fires, both in the short term (next hours or days) and in the long term (increase of gaseous pollution due to fires in the coming decades). These systems, according to Mr. Voulgarakis, give a clear picture that fires are one of the main sources of gaseous pollution that affects billions of people. “The problem has worsened in much of the world, including high latitudes (eg Siberia), North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and of course the Mediterranean. “Climate change is the main factor causing this deterioration”, notes Mr. Voulgarakis in APE-MPE.

At the same time, due to climate change, what the scientific community has observed is that the risk factors for fires in our country are constantly increasing, as, as Mr. Voulgarakis points out, most heat waves and longer periods of drought, in combined with summer meltemia are a mixture that unfortunately creates constantly deteriorating conditions.

«It is no coincidence that last year’s catastrophic fires in Greece occurred at a time when the aforementioned meteorological conditions were particularly acute. To the changing meteorological factors must also be added the unbridled residential development in suburban areas in forest areas (without the necessary measures), the abandonment of the countryside that reduced the management of fuel by local populations, as well as the lack of public information, which are timeless problems. In the context of CLIMPACT we also study how climate change is expected to affect the future of fires in Greece“, He underlines in .

Finally, special importance is given to prevention in order to better manage and deal with forest fires. One of the main tools for prevention is the fire risk forecasting systems (indicators), which are mainly based on meteorological parameters, such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and wind. «These indicators are particularly important for the state in case of fire. Their further improvement is the subject of research by the National Network for Climate Change and its Impact (CLIMPACT)“, Notes Mr. Voulgarakis.