Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Flame Photometry: Overview01:02

Flame Photometry: Overview

Flame photometry, also known as flame emission spectrometry, is a technique used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of elements present in a sample using a flame as the source of excitation energy. The concept of flame photometry was realized in the early 1860s by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, who discovered that specific elements emit characteristic radiation when excited in flames. The first instrument developed for this purpose was used to measure sodium (Na) in plant ash using a Bunsen...
Flame Photometry: Lab01:16

Flame Photometry: Lab

In a flame photometer, when a solution like potassium chloride is aspirated into the flame, the solvent evaporates, leaving behind dehydrated salt. This salt dissociates into free gaseous atoms in their ground state. Some of these atoms absorb energy from the flame, leading to their excitation. The excited atoms return to the ground state, emitting photons at characteristic wavelengths. Because only electronic transitions are involved, the resulting emission lines are very narrow. The intensity...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference01:30

Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference

In atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), high-temperature atomizers excite a broad range of elements and molecules that generate complex emissions from sources such as oxides, hydroxides, and flame combustion products in the flame or plasma. Several strategies can be employed to minimize spectral interferences caused by overlapping emission lines or bands. These include increasing instrument resolution, choosing alternative emission lines, optimally placing the detector in low-background regions,...
Nuclear Fusion02:45

Nuclear Fusion

The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Combustion Energy: A Measure of Stability in Alkanes and Cycloalkanes02:14

Combustion Energy: A Measure of Stability in Alkanes and Cycloalkanes

The low reactivity in alkanes can be attributed to the non-polar nature of C–C and C–H σ bonds. Alkanes, therefore, were  initially termed as “paraffins,” derived from the Latin words: parum, meaning “too little,” and affinis, meaning “affinity.”
Alkanes undergo combustion in the presence of excess oxygen and high-temperature conditions to give carbon dioxide and water. A combustion reaction is the energy source in natural gas, liquified petroleum gas (LPG), fuel oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and...
Burn Injuries01:22

Burn Injuries

Burn injuries occur when the skin and underlying tissues are damaged due to exposure to heat, electricity, chemicals, radiation, or friction. They can vary in severity, from minor superficial burns to severe deep burns that can be life-threatening.
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comparisons of meteorological structure parameters in complex terrain using optical and acoustical techniques.

Applied optics·2010
Same author

Remote lapse-rate sensing using atmospheric refraction over complex terrain.

Applied optics·2010
Same author

Visibility of distant mountains as a measure of background aerosol pollution.

Applied optics·2010
Same author

Blue moon: is this a property of background aerosol?

Applied optics·2010
Same author

Wave optics simulation of atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle effects in CO2 lidar.

Applied optics·2008
Same author

Fast-response light scattering measurements of aerosol suspension in a desert area.

Atmospheric environment·1974
Same journal

Multifunctional reconfigurable terahertz metasurface based on vanadium dioxide phase transition: achieving broadband absorption and efficient polarization conversion.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

High-Q-factor electromagnetically induced transparency utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum in an all-dielectric terahertz metasurface.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Automated stitching interferometry for high-precision metrology of X-ray mirrors.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Experimental demonstration of an approach to designing a metal-dielectric DBR resonant cavity structure.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

High-precision wavefront reconstruction from a single-shot interferogram using a physics-driven hybrid feature calibration network.

Applied optics·2026
Same journal

Ultra-high-Q Fano resonance based on coupled topological corner states in Kagome photonic crystals.

Applied optics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Big Box Biochar Kiln Operation and Best Practices
02:58

Big Box Biochar Kiln Operation and Best Practices

Published on: October 27, 2023

Blue moons and large fires.

W M Porch

    Applied Optics
    |June 16, 2010
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Large forest fires can create blue moons and suns by dispersing smoke particles. This research uses these events to understand global pollution transport and aerosol effects on climate.

    More Related Videos

    Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
    09:27

    Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

    Published on: November 14, 2017

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

    Big Box Biochar Kiln Operation and Best Practices
    02:58

    Big Box Biochar Kiln Operation and Best Practices

    Published on: October 27, 2023

    Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
    09:27

    Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

    Published on: November 14, 2017

    Area of Science:

    • Atmospheric Science
    • Climate Science
    • Optical Physics

    Background:

    • Large-scale forest fires, like those in Canada in 1950, can cause significant atmospheric optical phenomena.
    • Understanding these events is crucial for studying long-range pollution transport and aerosol radiative effects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the conditions necessary for large fires to produce anomalous optical effects, such as blue moons and suns.
    • To utilize fire events for improving models of global pollution transport and aerosol climate impacts.

    Main Methods:

    • Theoretical analysis and simulations of optical effects.
    • Modeling the influence of initial submicron smoke particle concentration, fire extent, and plume dispersion.
    • Simulating the impact of capping clouds and high humidity on optical phenomena.

    Main Results:

    • Identified specific conditions required for large fires to cause blue moons and suns.
    • Demonstrated the link between fire characteristics (particle concentration, extent, dispersion) and optical anomalies.
    • Found that capping clouds and near-saturation humidity facilitate anomalous optical effects.

    Conclusions:

    • Large forest fires serve as natural experiments for studying atmospheric phenomena and climate interactions.
    • The findings enhance our understanding of long-range pollution transport and aerosol radiative forcing.
    • Data supports the occurrence of anomalous extinction events linked to concentrated fire plumes.