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On the Radiative Impact of Biomass-Burning Aerosols in the Arctic: The August 2017 Case Study

TitleOn the Radiative Impact of Biomass-Burning Aerosols in the Arctic: The August 2017 Case Study
Publication TypeArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsQuaglia, Filippo Calì, Meloni Daniela, Muscari Giovanni, Di Iorio Tatiana, Ciardini Virginia, Pace Giandomenico, Becagli Silvia, Di Bernardino Annalisa, Cacciani Marco, Hannigan James W., Ortega Ivan, and Di Sarra Alcide
JournalRemote Sensing
Volume14
Issue2
Pagination313
Date PublishedJan-01-2022
ISSN20724292
KeywordsAerosol heating rate, Aerosol radiative effect, Aerosols, Arctic, Arctic climate, Arctic Regions, Atmospheric movements, Biomass, Biomass-burning, Budget control, Case-studies, Climate change, Fires, Heating rate, Radiative effects, Radiative impacts
Abstract

Boreal fires have increased during the last years and are projected to become more intense and frequent as a consequence of climate change. Wildfires produce a wide range of effects on the Arctic climate and ecosystem, and understanding these effects is crucial for predicting the future evolution of the Arctic region. This study focuses on the impact of the long-range transport of biomass-burning aerosol into the atmosphere and the corresponding radiative perturbation in the shortwave frequency range. As a case study, we investigate an intense biomass-burning (BB) event which took place in summer 2017 in Canada and subsequent northeastward transport of gases and particles in the plume leading to exceptionally high values (0.86) of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 500 nm measured in northwestern Greenland on 21 August 2017. This work characterizes the BB plume measured at the Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory (THAAO; 76.53◦ N, 68.74◦ W) in August 2017 by assessing the associated shortwave aerosol direct radiative impact over the THAAO and extending this evaluation over the broader region (60◦ N–80◦ N, 110◦ W–0◦ E). The radiative transfer simulations with MODTRAN6.0 estimated an aerosol heating rate of up to 0.5 K/day in the upper aerosol layer (8–12 km). The direct aerosol radiative effect (ARE) vertical profile shows a maximum negative value of −45.4 Wm−2 for a 78◦ solar zenith angle above THAAO at 3 km altitude. A cumulative surface ARE of −127.5 TW is estimated to have occurred on 21 August 2017 over a portion (∼3.1 × 106 km2) of the considered domain (60◦ N–80◦ N, 110◦ W–0◦ E). ARE regional mean daily values over the same portion of the domain vary between −65 and −25 Wm−2. Although this is a limited temporal event, this effect can have significant influence on the Arctic radiative budget, especially in the anticipated scenario of increasing wildfires. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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URLhttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/2/313
DOI10.3390/rs14020313
Short TitleRemote Sensing
Citation Key9521