The purpose of this Partner's Project was to convene the fourth Alaska COMET
Symposium and Workshop at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) on 17-19
May 2000. The Symposium and Workshop was co-hosted by the UAF Geophysical Institute,
the International Arctic Research Center, and the Alaska National Weather Service.
The theme of the meeting involved the detection and tracking of volcanic eruptions
and forest fires and the influence this has on operational forecasting. Smoke
affects atmospheric clarity, and airborne volcanic ash adversely affects air
transportation throughout the region. The dispersion of the ash and smoke can
affect the entire North Pacific region, regardless of geographic boundaries,
and thus the workshop included many international participants.