Biomass smoke from southern Africa can significantly enhance the brightness of stratocumulus over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean

Wildfire-smoke-precipitation interactions in Siberia: Insights from a regional model study

Powerful wildfires occurring in Siberia each summer emit large amounts of smoke aerosol that, according to studies of the environmental impacts of biomass burning (BB) aerosol in different regions of the world, can affect precipitation and other weather parameters and induce feedback on fires. However, the knowledge of smoke-weather interactions and fire-weather feedback in Siberia is presently limited. To advance this knowledge, we performed coupled-meteorology-chemistry simulations of aerosols and weather in a Siberian region covering taiga and tundra using the CHIMERE chemistry-transport model and the WRF meteorological model. We addressed a monthly period of July 2016 and considered several modeling scenarios in which aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI) and aerosol-cloud interaction (ACI) were taken into account jointly or separately. The simulation results were combined with emission and precipitation data retrieved from satellite observations. The joint analysis of the simulated precipitation fields and satellite-observation-based data revealed that in the taiga, the inhibiting effect of Siberian smoke on precipitation induced a significant positive feedback on BB aerosol emissions that, according to our estimates, enhanced by 27 (±7) % respective to a hypothetical situation in which smoke-weather interactions were absent. At the same time, an increase of precipitation over active fire spots due to ACI and ARI in tundra led to the formation of a negative feedback loop between fire emissions and BB smoke, resulting in a reduction of BB aerosol emissions there by 14 (±6) %. Hence, this study revealed evidence for significant feedback of smoke-induced precipitation changes on fire emissions in Siberia. Given the global importance of Siberia as a major carbon sink, this feedback needs to be studied further and accurately taken into account in projections of climate change both on regional and global scales.

Quantifying the Light-Absorption Properties and Molecular Composition of Brown Carbon Aerosol from Sub-Saharan African Biomass Combustion

Sub-Saharan Africa is a hotspot for biomass burning (BB)-derived carbonaceous aerosols, including light-absorbing organic (brown) carbon (BrC). However, the chemically complex nature of BrC in BB aerosols from this region is not fully understood. We generated smoke in a chamber through smoldering combustion of common sub-Saharan African biomass fuels (hardwoods, cow dung, savanna grass, and leaves). We quantified aethalometer-based, real-time light-absorption properties of BrC-containing organic-rich BB aerosols, accounting for variations in wavelength, fuel type, relative humidity, and photochemical aging conditions. In filter samples collected from the chamber and Botswana in the winter, we identified 182 BrC species, classified into lignin pyrolysis products, nitroaromatics, coumarins, stilbenes, and flavonoids. Using an extensive set of standards, we determined species-specific mass and emission factors. Our analysis revealed a linear relationship between the combined BrC species contribution to chamber-measured BB aerosol mass (0.4-14%) and the mass-absorption cross-section at 370 nm (0.2-2.2 m2 g-1). Hierarchical clustering resolved key molecular-level components from the BrC matrix, with photochemically aged emissions from leaf and cow-dung burning showing BrC fingerprints similar to those found in Botswana aerosols. These quantitative findings could potentially help refine climate model predictions, aid in source apportionment, and inform effective air quality management policies for human health and the global climate.

Characterization of the aerosol vertical distributions and their impacts on warm clouds based on multi-year ARM observations

Aerosol vertical distribution plays a crucial role in cloud development and thus precipitation since both aerosol indirect and semi-direct effects significantly depend on the relative position of aerosol layer in reference to cloud, but its precise influence on cloud remains unclear. In this study, we integrated multi-year Raman Lidar measurements of aerosol vertical profiles from the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility with available Value-Added Products of cloud features to characterize aerosol vertical distributions and their impacts on warm clouds over the continental and marine ARM atmospheric observatories, i.e., Southern Great Plains (SGP) and Eastern North Atlantic (ENA). A unimodal seasonal distribution of aerosol optical depths (AODs) with a peak in summer is found at upper boundary layer over SGP, while a bimodal distribution is observed at ENA for the AODs at lower levels with a major winter-spring maximum. The diurnal mean of upper-level AOD at SGP shows a maximum in the early evening. According to the relative positions of aerosol layers to clouds we further identify three primary types of aerosol vertical distribution, including Random, Decreasing, and Bottom. It is found that the impacts of aerosols on cloud may or may not vary with aerosol vertical distribution depending on environmental conditions, as reflected by the wide variations of the relations between AOD and cloud properties. For example, as AOD increases, the liquid water paths (LWPs) tend to be reduced at SGP but enhanced at ENA. The relations of cloud droplet effective radius with AOD largely depend on aerosol vertical distributions, particularly showing positive values in the Random type under low-LWP condition (<50 g m-2). The distinct features of aerosol-cloud interactions in relation to aerosol vertical distribution are likely attributed to the continental-marine contrast in thermodynamic environments and aerosol conditions between SGP and ENA.

Using modelled relationships and satellite observations to attribute modelled aerosol biases over biomass burning regions

Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of aerosols that remain the most uncertain components of the global radiative forcing. Current global models have great difficulty matching observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) over BB regions. A common solution to address modelled AOD biases is scaling BB emissions. Using the relationship from an ensemble of aerosol models and satellite observations, we show that the bias in aerosol modelling results primarily from incorrect lifetimes and underestimated mass extinction coefficients. In turn, these biases seem to be related to incorrect precipitation and underestimated particle sizes. We further show that boosting BB emissions to correct AOD biases over the source region causes an overestimation of AOD in the outflow from Africa by 48%, leading to a double warming effect compared with when biases are simultaneously addressed for both aforementioned factors. Such deviations are particularly concerning in a warming future with increasing emissions from fires.

Error attribution based on modelled relationships and satellite observations suggests that errors in global models are more important and require more concerns than emission errors in creating the overall uncertainties for biomass burning aerosols.

Effects of Aerosols on Gross Primary Production from Ecosystems to the Globe

Aerosols affect the gross primary productivity (GPP) of plants by absorbing and scattering solar radiation. However, it is still an open question whether and to what extent the effects of aerosol on the diffuse fraction (Df) can enhance GPP globally. We quantified the aerosol diffuse fertilization effect (DFE) and incorporated it into a light use efficiency (LUE) model, EC-LUE. The new model is driven by aerosol optical depth (AOD) data and is referred to as AOD-LUE. The eddy correlation variance (EC) of the FLUXNET2015 dataset was used to calibrate and validate the model. The results showed that the newly developed AOD-LUE model improved the performance in simulating GPP across all ecosystem types (R2 from 0.6 to 0.68), with the highest performance for mixed forest (average R2 from 0.71 to 0.77) and evergreen broadleaf forest (average R2 from 0.34 to 0.45). The maximum LUE of diffuse photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) (3.61 g C m−2 MJ−1) was larger than that of direct PAR (1.68 g C m−2 MJ−1) through parameter optimization, indicating that the aerosol DFE seriously affects the estimation of GPP, and the separation of diffuse PAR and direct PAR in the GPP model is necessary. In addition, we used AOD-LUE to quantify the impact of aerosol on GPP. Specifically, aerosols impaired GPP in closed shrub (CSH) by 6.45% but enhanced the GPP of grassland (GRA) and deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) by 3.19% and 2.63%, respectively. Our study stresses the importance of understanding aerosol-radiation interactions and incorporating aerosol effects into regional and global GPP models.

Aerosol-boundary-layer-monsoon interactions amplify semi-direct effect of biomass smoke on low cloud formation in Southeast Asia

Low clouds play a key role in the Earth-atmosphere energy balance and influence agricultural production and solar-power generation. Smoke aloft has been found to enhance marine stratocumulus through aerosol-cloud interactions, but its role in regions with strong human activities and complex monsoon circulation remains unclear. Here we show that biomass burning aerosols aloft strongly increase the low cloud coverage over both land and ocean in subtropical southeastern Asia. The degree of this enhancement and its spatial extent are comparable to that in the Southeast Atlantic, even though the total biomass burning emissions in Southeast Asia are only one-fifth of those in Southern Africa. We find that a synergetic effect of aerosol-cloud-boundary layer interaction with the monsoon is the main reason for the strong semi-direct effect and enhanced low cloud formation in southeastern Asia.

Sensitivity of PM2.5 and O3 pollution episodes to meteorological factors over the North China Plain

The Comprehensive Air-quality Model with extensions (CAMx) was used to explore the sensitivity of PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations to four selected meteorological factors: wind speed, temperature, water vapor mixing ratio (Q), and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) during two pollution episodes over the North China Plain (NCP). We also investigated the impact pathways of different meteorological factors on the formation of PM_2.5 and O_3. It is found that PM_2.5 was more sensitive to the selected meteorological factors in the southeastern NCP, where high anthropogenic emissions and severe air pollution occur. Large variations were observed along the Taihang Mountains, where the height of the terrain changes dramatically. The sensitivity of O₃ to wind speed, PBLH, temperature, and Q was mainly determined by the inhibition effects of PM_2.5 in winter, while in summer, the complex chemical reactions were dominant. Significant diurnal variations of process analysis (PA) results were observed under various meteorological conditions. Higher temperature generally enhance heterogeneous chemistry and transport of NO₃^- through the top boundary layer during night-time in winter, however, in summer, the heterogeneous chemistry of NO₃^- and NH₄⁺ during daytime were the major pathways to the increased PM_2.5 due to increased temperature. Moreover, temperature alter PM_2.5 concentrations through affecting vertical diffusivity and relative humidity, and alter O₃ concentrations by affecting the gas phase chemistry and mass fluxes through the top boundary layer. Q mainly affects the rate of chemical reactions of PM_2.5 and O₃. The different impact pathways suggest that it is essential to consider variations in meteorological factors, in addition to the direct impacts of wind speed and PBLH, more attention should be paid to the complex impacts of temperature and Q, when developing emission control strategies.

Climate models generally underrepresent the warming by Central Africa biomass-burning aerosols over the Southeast Atlantic

The radiative budget, cloud properties, and precipitation over tropical Africa are influenced by solar absorption by biomass-burning aerosols (BBA) from Central Africa. Recent field campaigns, reinforced by new remote-sensing and aerosol climatology datasets, have highlighted the absorbing nature of the elevated BBA layers over the South-East Atlantic (SEA), indicating that the absorption could be stronger than previously thought. We show that most of the latest generation of general circulation models (GCMs) from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) underestimates the absorption of BBA over the SEA. This underlines why many (~75%) CMIP6 models do not fully capture the intense positive (warming) direct radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere observed over this region. In addition, underestimating the magnitude of the BBA-induced solar heating could lead to misrepresentations of the low-level cloud responses and fast precipitation feedbacks that are induced by BBA in tropical regions.

Aerosol as a critical factor causing forecast biases of air temperature in global numerical weather prediction models

Weather prediction is essential to the daily life of human beings. Current numerical weather prediction models such as the Global Forecast System (GFS) are still subject to substantial forecast biases and rarely consider the impact of atmospheric aerosol, despite the consensus that aerosol is one of the most important sources of uncertainty in the climate system. Here we demonstrate that atmospheric aerosol is one of the important drivers biasing daily temperature prediction. By comparing observations and the GFS prediction, we find that the monthly-averaged bias in the 24-h temperature forecast varies between ± 1.5 °C in regions influenced by atmospheric aerosol. The biases depend on the properties of aerosol, the underlying land surface, and aerosol-cloud interactions over oceans. It is also revealed that forecast errors are rapidly magnified over time in regions featuring high aerosol loadings. Our study provides direct "observational" evidence of aerosol's impacts on daily weather forecast, and bridges the gaps between the weather forecast and climate science regarding the understanding of the impact of atmospheric aerosol.

A Global Climatology of Dust Aerosols Based on Satellite Data: Spatial, Seasonal and Inter-Annual Patterns over the Period 2005–2019

A satellite-based algorithm is developed and used to determine the presence of dust aerosols on a global scale. The algorithm uses as input aerosol optical properties from the MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Aqua Collection 6.1 and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)-Aura version v003 (OMAER-UV) datasets and identifies the existence of dust aerosols in the atmosphere by applying specific thresholds, which ensure the coarse size and the absorptivity of dust aerosols, on the input optical properties. The utilized aerosol optical properties are the multiwavelength aerosol optical depth (AOD), the Aerosol Absorption Index (AI) and the Ångström Exponent (a). The algorithm operates on a daily basis and at 1° × 1° latitude-longitude spatial resolution for the period 2005–2019 and computes the absolute and relative frequency of the occurrence of dust. The monthly and annual mean frequencies are calculated on a pixel level for each year of the study period, enabling the study of the seasonal as well as the inter-annual variation of dust aerosols’ occurrence all over the globe. Temporal averaging is also applied to the annual values in order to estimate the 15-year climatological mean values. Apart from temporal, a spatial averaging is also applied for the entire globe as well as for specific regions of interest, namely great global deserts and areas of desert dust export. According to the algorithm results, the highest frequencies of dust occurrence (up to 160 days/year) are primarily observed over the western part of North Africa (Sahara), and over the broader area of Bodélé, and secondarily over the Asian Taklamakan desert (140 days/year). For most of the study regions, the maximum frequencies appear in boreal spring and/or summer and the minimum ones in winter or autumn. A clear seasonality of global dust is revealed, with the lowest frequencies in November–December and the highest ones in June. Finally, an increasing trend of global dust frequency of occurrence from 2005 to 2019, equal to 56.2%, is also found. Such an increasing trend is observed over all study regions except for North Middle East, where a slight decreasing trend (−2.4%) is found.

Biomass burning aerosols in most climate models are too absorbing

Uncertainty in the representation of biomass burning (BB) aerosol composition and optical properties in climate models contributes to a range in modeled aerosol effects on incoming solar radiation. Depending on the model, the top-of-the-atmosphere BB aerosol effect can range from cooling to warming. By relating aerosol absorption relative to extinction and carbonaceous aerosol composition from 12 observational datasets to nine state-of-the-art Earth system models/chemical transport models, we identify varying degrees of overestimation in BB aerosol absorptivity by these models. Modifications to BB aerosol refractive index, size, and mixing state improve the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) agreement with observations, leading to a global change in BB direct radiative effect of -0.07 W m^-2, and regional changes of -2 W m^-2 (Africa) and -0.5 W m^-2 (South America/Temperate). Our findings suggest that current modeled BB contributes less to warming than previously thought, largely due to treatments of aerosol mixing state.

Interannual variability and trends of combustion aerosol and dust in major continental outflows revealed by MODIS retrievals and CAM5 simulations during 2003-2017

Emissions and long-range transport of mineral dust and combustion-related aerosol from burning fossil fuels and biomass vary from year to year, driven by the evolution of the economy and changes in meteorological conditions and environmental regulations. This study offers both satellite and model perspectives on the interannual variability and possible trends of combustion aerosol and dust in major continental outflow regions over the past 15 years (2003-2017). The decade-long record of aerosol optical depth (AOD, denoted as τ), separately for combustion aerosol (τ _c) and dust (τ _d), over global oceans is derived from the Collection 6 aerosol products of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard both Terra and Aqua. These MODIS Aqua datasets, complemented by aerosol source-tagged simulations using the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5), are then analyzed to understand the interannual variability and potential trends of τ _c and τ _d in the major continental outflows. Both MODIS and CAM5 consistently yield a similar decreasing trend of -0.017 to -0.020 per decade for τ _c over the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea that is attributable to reduced emissions from North America and Europe, respectively. On the contrary, both MODIS and CAM5 display an increasing trend of +0.017 to +0.036 per decade for τ _c over the tropical Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea, which reflects the influence of increased anthropogenic emissions from South Asia and the Middle East in the last 2 decades. Over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, which is often affected by East Asian emissions of pollution and dust, the MODIS retrievals show a decreasing trend of -0.021 per decade for τ _c and -0.012 per decade for τ _d, which is, however, not reproduced by the CAM5 model. In other outflow regions strongly influenced by biomass burning smoke or dust, both MODIS retrievals and CAM5 simulations show no statistically significant trends; the MODIS-observed interannual variability is usually larger than that of the CAM5 simulation.

The diurnal cycle of the smoky marine boundary layer observed during August in the remote southeast Atlantic

Ascension Island (8° S, 14.5° W) is located at the northwestern edge of the south Atlantic stratocumulus deck, with most clouds in August characterized by surface observers as "stratocumulus and cumulus with bases at different levels", and secondarily as "cumulus of limited vertical extent" and occurring within a typically decoupled boundary layer. Field measurements have previously shown that the highest amounts of sunlight-absorbing smoke occur annually within the marine boundary layer during August. On more smoke-free days, the diurnal cycle in cloudiness includes a nighttime maximum in cloud liquid water path and rain, an afternoon cloud minimum, and a secondary late-afternoon increase in cumulus and rain. The afternoon low-cloud minimum is more pronounced on days with a smokier boundary layer. The cloud liquid water paths are also reduced throughout most of the diurnal cycle when more smoke is present, with the difference from cleaner conditions most pronounced at night. Precipitation is infrequent. An exception is the mid-morning, when the boundary layer deepens and liquid water paths increase. The data support a view that a radiatively enhanced decoupling persisting throughout the night is key to understanding the changes in the cloud diurnal cycle when the boundary layer is smokier. Under these conditions, the nighttime stratiform cloud layer does not always recouple to the sub-cloud layer, and the decoupling maintains more moisture within the sub-cloud layer. After the sun rises, enhanced shortwave absorption in a smokier boundary layer can drive a vertical ascent that momentarily couples the sub-cloud layer to the cloud layer, deepening the boundary layer and ventilating moisture throughout, a process that may also be aided by a shift to smaller droplets. After noon, shortwave absorption within smokier boundary layers again reduces the upper-level stratiform cloud and the sub-cloud relative humidity, discouraging further cumulus development and again strengthening a decoupling that lasts longer into the night. The novel diurnal mechanism provides a new challenge for cloud models to emulate. The lower free troposphere above cloud is more likely to be cooler, when boundary layer smoke is present, and lower free-tropospheric winds are stronger and more northeasterly, with both (meteorological) influences supporting further smoke entrainment into the boundary layer from above.

Effects of Biomass Burning on Stratocumulus Droplet Characteristics, Drizzle Rate, and Composition

This study reports on airborne measurements of stratocumulus cloud properties under varying degrees of influence from biomass burning (BB) plumes off the California coast. Data are reported from five total airborne campaigns based in Marina, California, with two of them including influence from wildfires in different areas along the coast of the western United States. The results indicate that subcloud cloud condensation nuclei number concentration and mass concentrations of important aerosol species (organics, sulfate, nitrate) were better correlated with cloud droplet number concentration (N d) as compared to respective above-cloud aerosol data. Given that the majority of BB particles resided above cloud tops, this is an important consideration for future work in the region as the data indicate that the subcloud BB particles likely were entrained from the free troposphere. Lower cloud condensation nuclei activation fractions were observed for BB-impacted clouds as compared to non-BB clouds due, at least partly, to less hygroscopic aerosols. Relationships between N d and either droplet effective radius or drizzle rate are preserved regardless of BB influence, indicative of how parameterizations can exhibit consistent skill for varying degrees of BB influence as long as N d is known. Lastly, the composition of both droplet residual particles and cloud water changed significantly when clouds were impacted by BB plumes, with differences observed for different fire sources stemming largely from effects of plume aging time and dust influence.

Relationships between Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Nitrogen Oxides during Urban Smoke Events in the Western US

Urban ozone (O₃) pollution is influenced by the transport of wildfire smoke but observed impacts are highly variable. We investigate O₃ impacts from smoke in 18 western US cities during July-September, 2013-2017, with ground-based monitoring data from air quality system sites, using satellite-based hazard mapping system (HMS) fire and smoke product to identify overhead smoke. We present four key findings. First, O₃ and PM_2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter) are elevated at nearly all sites on days influenced by smoke, with the greatest mean enhancement occurring during multiday smoke events; nitrogen oxides (NO_x) are not consistently elevated across all sites. Second, PM_2.5 and O₃ exhibit a nonlinear relationship such that O₃ increases with PM_2.5 at low to moderate 24 h PM_2.5, peaks around 30-50 μg m^-3, and declines at higher PM_2.5. Third, the rate of increase of morning O₃ is higher and NO/NO₂ ratios are lower on smoke-influenced days, which could result from additional atmospheric oxidants in smoke. Fourth, while the HMS product is a useful tool for identifying smoke, O₃ and PM_2.5 are elevated on days before and after HMS-identified smoke events implying that a significant fraction of smoke events is not detected.

Fire air pollution reduces global terrestrial productivity

Fire emissions generate air pollutants ozone (O3) and aerosols that influence the land carbon cycle. Surface O3 damages vegetation photosynthesis through stomatal uptake, while aerosols influence photosynthesis by increasing diffuse radiation. Here we combine several state-of-the-art models and multiple measurement datasets to assess the net impacts of fire-induced O3 damage and the aerosol diffuse fertilization effect on gross primary productivity (GPP) for the 2002-2011 period. With all emissions except fires, O3 decreases global GPP by 4.0 ± 1.9 Pg C yr-1 while aerosols increase GPP by 1.0 ± 0.2 Pg C yr-1 with contrasting spatial impacts. Inclusion of fire pollution causes a further GPP reduction of 0.86 ± 0.74 Pg C yr-1 during 2002-2011, resulting from a reduction of 0.91 ± 0.44 Pg C yr-1 by O3 and an increase of 0.05 ± 0.30 Pg C yr-1 by aerosols. The net negative impact of fire pollution poses an increasing threat to ecosystem productivity in a warming future world.