CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : FRESNO : San Joaquin’s Smog Measured

A small package of sensitive instruments has been lifted high into the sky by a balloon in the start of tests that will measure the San Joaquin Valley’s smog. Instruments sent aloft in balloons and airplanes will transmit data back to a computer and give researchers their best look ever at the valley’s air quality, emissions patterns and meteorology. Results of this summer’s tests, cornerstone of a $10-million study of valley smog, are expected to help produce a long-term plan to improve the region’s air quality. Data will be used to develop a computerized model capable of simulating the San Joaquin Valley’s atmosphere, said Jananne Sharpless, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. Researchers will use the computer model to determine how well various methods of reducing pollution would work if put into practice.