Numerical simulation of precipitation scavenging and comparison with observation of prescribed forest fires

The primary mechanism by which aerosol particles are removed from the atmosphere is precipitation scavenging. Because of our interest in understanding the processes by which aerosol particles are scavenging as well as basic cloud dynamic and microphysical interactions, we have developed a numerical model that simulates these processes. This model was developed as part of our study of the global climatic effects of smoke from a large number of massive fires. One of the ways that we have attempted to validate the accuracy of the model is to perform simulations of prescribed forest burns where there is information on the source characteristics and fire morphology, and observations of the cloud dynamics and microphysics. In this paper we describe simulations of the Hardiman township and Batterby township Ontario, Canada, prescribed fires. Our numerical model, OCTET, is a system of eight progressively more complex models designed to simulate plumes, clouds, and mesoscale system. OCTET has a three-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, compressible dynamic framework originally based on a convective storm model.