Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires

Indonesia has experienced frequent fires due to the lowering of groundwater levels caused by drainage via extensive canal networks for agricultural development since the 1970s. However, the impact of canals on fire emissions is still poorly understood. Here we investigate canal impacts on smoke aero...

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Main Authors: Xiaoman Lu, Xiaoyang Zhang, Fangjun Li, Lun Gao, Laura Graham, Yenni Vetrita, Bambang H Saharjo, Mark A Cochrane
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2021-01-01
Series:Environmental Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2011
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author Xiaoman Lu
Xiaoyang Zhang
Fangjun Li
Lun Gao
Laura Graham
Yenni Vetrita
Bambang H Saharjo
Mark A Cochrane
author_facet Xiaoman Lu
Xiaoyang Zhang
Fangjun Li
Lun Gao
Laura Graham
Yenni Vetrita
Bambang H Saharjo
Mark A Cochrane
author_sort Xiaoman Lu
collection DOAJ
description Indonesia has experienced frequent fires due to the lowering of groundwater levels caused by drainage via extensive canal networks for agricultural development since the 1970s. However, the impact of canals on fire emissions is still poorly understood. Here we investigate canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires by quantifying the resulting changes of smoke aerosol emission coefficient (Ce) that represents total aerosol emissions released from per unit of fire radiative energy. First, we quantified the impacts of canal drainage and backfilling on water table depth (WTD) variations using field data and then expanded such impacts from field to regional scales by correlating field WTD to satellite terrestrial water storage (TWS) anomalies from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment. Second, we estimated Ce from fire radiative power and smoke-aerosol emission rates based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer active fire and multi-angle implementation of atmospheric correction aerosol products. Finally, we evaluated the Ce variation with TWS anomalies. The results indicate: (a) Ce is larger in peatland fires than in non-peatland fires; (b) Ce increases significantly as TWS anomalies decrease for both peatland and non-peatland fires; and (c) Ce changes at nearly twice the rate in peatland for a given TWS anomaly range as in non-peatland. These phenomena likely result from the different fuel types and combustion phases prevalent under different moisture conditions. These findings support the Indonesian government’s recent peatland restoration policies and pave the way for improved estimation of tropical biomass burning emissions.
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spelling doaj.art-7308ffa39dbb45e487e4898e0695243e2023-08-09T15:06:19ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116909500810.1088/1748-9326/ac2011Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland firesXiaoman Lu0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0669-8780Xiaoyang Zhang1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8456-0547Fangjun Li2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4267-089XLun Gao3Laura Graham4Yenni Vetrita5Bambang H Saharjo6Mark A Cochrane7Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, South Dakota State University , Brookings, SD 57007, United States of AmericaGeospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, South Dakota State University , Brookings, SD 57007, United States of AmericaGeospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, South Dakota State University , Brookings, SD 57007, United States of AmericaSaint Anthony Falls Laboratory, Department of Civil Environmental and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States of AmericaBOSF-Mawas Program, Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation , Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, IndonesiaIndonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) , Jakarta 13220, IndonesiaDivision of Forest Protection, Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University , Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, West Java 16680, IndonesiaAppalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science , Frostburg, MD 21532, United States of AmericaIndonesia has experienced frequent fires due to the lowering of groundwater levels caused by drainage via extensive canal networks for agricultural development since the 1970s. However, the impact of canals on fire emissions is still poorly understood. Here we investigate canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires by quantifying the resulting changes of smoke aerosol emission coefficient (Ce) that represents total aerosol emissions released from per unit of fire radiative energy. First, we quantified the impacts of canal drainage and backfilling on water table depth (WTD) variations using field data and then expanded such impacts from field to regional scales by correlating field WTD to satellite terrestrial water storage (TWS) anomalies from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment. Second, we estimated Ce from fire radiative power and smoke-aerosol emission rates based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer active fire and multi-angle implementation of atmospheric correction aerosol products. Finally, we evaluated the Ce variation with TWS anomalies. The results indicate: (a) Ce is larger in peatland fires than in non-peatland fires; (b) Ce increases significantly as TWS anomalies decrease for both peatland and non-peatland fires; and (c) Ce changes at nearly twice the rate in peatland for a given TWS anomaly range as in non-peatland. These phenomena likely result from the different fuel types and combustion phases prevalent under different moisture conditions. These findings support the Indonesian government’s recent peatland restoration policies and pave the way for improved estimation of tropical biomass burning emissions.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2011peatland drainagepeatland restorationwater levelfireaerosol emissions
spellingShingle Xiaoman Lu
Xiaoyang Zhang
Fangjun Li
Lun Gao
Laura Graham
Yenni Vetrita
Bambang H Saharjo
Mark A Cochrane
Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
Environmental Research Letters
peatland drainage
peatland restoration
water level
fire
aerosol emissions
title Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
title_full Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
title_fullStr Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
title_full_unstemmed Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
title_short Drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for Indonesian peatland and non-peatland fires
title_sort drainage canal impacts on smoke aerosol emissions for indonesian peatland and non peatland fires
topic peatland drainage
peatland restoration
water level
fire
aerosol emissions
url https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2011
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AT lungao drainagecanalimpactsonsmokeaerosolemissionsforindonesianpeatlandandnonpeatlandfires
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