Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America
<p>Fires have great ecological, social, and economic impact. However, fire prediction and management remain challenges due to a limited understanding of their roles in the Earth system. Fires over southern Mexico and Central America (SMCA) are a good example of this, greatly impacting local ai...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/3115/2024/acp-24-3115-2024.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797265185496367104 |
|---|---|
| author | Y. Liu Y. Liu Y. Qian P. J. Rasch K. Zhang L.-R. Leung Y. Wang M. Wang M. Wang H. Wang X. Huang X. Huang X.-Q. Yang |
| author_facet | Y. Liu Y. Liu Y. Qian P. J. Rasch K. Zhang L.-R. Leung Y. Wang M. Wang M. Wang H. Wang X. Huang X. Huang X.-Q. Yang |
| author_sort | Y. Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Fires have great ecological, social, and economic impact. However, fire prediction and management remain challenges due to a limited understanding of their roles in the Earth system. Fires over southern Mexico and Central America (SMCA) are a good example of this, greatly impacting local air quality and regional climate. Here we report that the spring peak (April–May) of fire activities in this region has a distinct quasi-biennial signal based on multiple satellite datasets measuring different fire characteristics. The variability is initially driven by quasi-biennial variations in precipitation. Composite analysis indicates that strong fire years correspond to suppressed ascending motion and weakened precipitation over the SMCA. The anomalous precipitation over the SMCA is further found to be mostly related to the East Pacific–North Pacific (EP-NP) pattern 2 months prior to the fire season. The positive phase of the EP-NP leads to enhanced precipitation over the eastern US but suppressed precipitation over the SMCA, similar to the spatial pattern of precipitation differences between strong and weak fire years. Meanwhile, the quasi-biennial signals in precipitation and fires appear to be amplified by their interactions through a positive feedback loop at short timescales. Model simulations show that in strong fire years, more aerosol particles are released and transported downstream over the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern US, where suspended light-absorbing aerosols warm the atmosphere and cause the ascending motion of the air aloft. Subsequently, a compensating downward motion is formed over the region of the fire source and ultimately suppresses precipitation and intensifies fires. Statistical analysis shows the different durations of the two-way interaction, where the fire suppression effect of precipitation lasts for more than 20 d, while fire leads to a decrease in precipitation at shorter timescales (3–5 d). This study demonstrates the importance of fire–climate interactions in shaping the fire activities on an interannual scale and highlights how precipitation–fire interactions at short timescales contribute to the interannual variability in both fire and precipitation.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:40:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7144d011d60a4971b5e83a246e62e4d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:40:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-7144d011d60a4971b5e83a246e62e4d22024-03-12T10:22:14ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242024-03-01243115312810.5194/acp-24-3115-2024Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central AmericaY. Liu0Y. Liu1Y. Qian2P. J. Rasch3K. Zhang4L.-R. Leung5Y. Wang6M. Wang7M. Wang8H. Wang9X. Huang10X. Huang11X.-Q. Yang12School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaJoint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences & Institute for Climate and Global Change Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaAtmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USAAtmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USAAtmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USAAtmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USASchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USASchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaJoint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences & Institute for Climate and Global Change Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaAtmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USASchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaJoint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences & Institute for Climate and Global Change Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China<p>Fires have great ecological, social, and economic impact. However, fire prediction and management remain challenges due to a limited understanding of their roles in the Earth system. Fires over southern Mexico and Central America (SMCA) are a good example of this, greatly impacting local air quality and regional climate. Here we report that the spring peak (April–May) of fire activities in this region has a distinct quasi-biennial signal based on multiple satellite datasets measuring different fire characteristics. The variability is initially driven by quasi-biennial variations in precipitation. Composite analysis indicates that strong fire years correspond to suppressed ascending motion and weakened precipitation over the SMCA. The anomalous precipitation over the SMCA is further found to be mostly related to the East Pacific–North Pacific (EP-NP) pattern 2 months prior to the fire season. The positive phase of the EP-NP leads to enhanced precipitation over the eastern US but suppressed precipitation over the SMCA, similar to the spatial pattern of precipitation differences between strong and weak fire years. Meanwhile, the quasi-biennial signals in precipitation and fires appear to be amplified by their interactions through a positive feedback loop at short timescales. Model simulations show that in strong fire years, more aerosol particles are released and transported downstream over the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern US, where suspended light-absorbing aerosols warm the atmosphere and cause the ascending motion of the air aloft. Subsequently, a compensating downward motion is formed over the region of the fire source and ultimately suppresses precipitation and intensifies fires. Statistical analysis shows the different durations of the two-way interaction, where the fire suppression effect of precipitation lasts for more than 20 d, while fire leads to a decrease in precipitation at shorter timescales (3–5 d). This study demonstrates the importance of fire–climate interactions in shaping the fire activities on an interannual scale and highlights how precipitation–fire interactions at short timescales contribute to the interannual variability in both fire and precipitation.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/3115/2024/acp-24-3115-2024.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Y. Liu Y. Liu Y. Qian P. J. Rasch K. Zhang L.-R. Leung Y. Wang M. Wang M. Wang H. Wang X. Huang X. Huang X.-Q. Yang Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America |
| title_full | Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America |
| title_fullStr | Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America |
| title_short | Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America |
| title_sort | fire precipitation interactions amplify the quasi biennial variability in fires over southern mexico and central america |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/3115/2024/acp-24-3115-2024.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yliu fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT yliu fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT yqian fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT pjrasch fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT kzhang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT lrleung fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT ywang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT mwang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT mwang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT hwang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT xhuang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT xhuang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica AT xqyang fireprecipitationinteractionsamplifythequasibiennialvariabilityinfiresoversouthernmexicoandcentralamerica |