Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths
<p>Black carbon (BC) emissions from open biomass burning (BB) are known to have a considerable impact on the radiative budget of the atmosphere at both global and regional scales; however, these emissions are poorly constrained in models by atmospheric observations, especially in remote reg...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-10-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/14889/2018/acp-18-14889-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818538270733107200 |
|---|---|
| author | I. B. Konovalov D. A. Lvova M. Beekmann H. Jethva H. Jethva E. F. Mikhailov J.-D. Paris B. D. Belan V. S. Kozlov P. Ciais M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae |
| author_facet | I. B. Konovalov D. A. Lvova M. Beekmann H. Jethva H. Jethva E. F. Mikhailov J.-D. Paris B. D. Belan V. S. Kozlov P. Ciais M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae |
| author_sort | I. B. Konovalov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Black carbon (BC) emissions from open biomass burning (BB) are known to have
a considerable impact on the radiative budget of the atmosphere at both global and
regional scales; however, these emissions are poorly constrained in models by atmospheric
observations, especially in remote regions. Here, we investigate the
feasibility of constraining BC emissions from BB using satellite observations
of the aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) and the aerosol extinction
optical depth (AOD) retrieved from OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and
MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) measurements,
respectively. We consider the case of Siberian BB BC emissions, which have
the strong potential to impact the Arctic climate system. Using aerosol remote
sensing data collected at Siberian sites of the AErosol RObotic NETwork
(AERONET) along with the results of the fourth Fire Lab at Missoula
Experiment (FLAME-4), we establish an empirical parameterization relating the
ratio of the elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) contents in BB
aerosol to the ratio of AAOD and AOD at the wavelengths of the satellite
observations. Applying this parameterization to the BC and OC column amounts
simulated using the CHIMERE chemistry transport model, we optimize the
parameters of the BB emission model based on MODIS measurements of the fire
radiative power (FRP); we then obtain top-down optimized estimates of the total
monthly BB BC amounts emitted from intense Siberian fires that occurred from
May to September 2012. The top-down estimates are compared to the corresponding
values obtained using the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED4) and the Fire
Emission Inventory–northern Eurasia (FEI-NE). Our simulations using the
optimized BB aerosol emissions are verified against AAOD and AOD data that
were withheld from the estimation procedure. The simulations are further
evaluated against in situ EC and OC measurements at the Zotino Tall Tower
Observatory (ZOTTO) and also against aircraft aerosol measurement data collected
in the framework of the Airborne Extensive Regional Observations in SIBeria (YAK-AEROSIB) experiments.
We conclude that our BC and OC emission estimates, considered with their confidence intervals, are
consistent with the ensemble of the measurement data analyzed in this study.
Siberian fires are found to emit 0.41±0.14 Tg of BC over the
whole 5-month period considered; this estimate is a factor of 2 larger
and a factor of 1.5 smaller than the corresponding estimates
based on the GFED4 (0.20 Tg) and FEI-NE (0.61 Tg) data,
respectively. Our estimates of monthly BC emissions are also found to be
larger than the BC amounts calculated using the GFED4 data and smaller than
those calculated using the FEI-NE data for any of the 5 months. Particularly
large positive differences of our monthly BC emission estimates with respect
to the GFED4 data are found in May and September. This finding indicates that
the GFED4 database is likely to strongly underestimate BC emissions from
agricultural burns and grass fires in Siberia. All of these differences have
important implications for climate change in the Arctic, as it is found that
about a quarter of the huge BB BC mass emitted in Siberia during the fire
season of 2012 was transported across the polar circle into the Arctic.
Overall, the results of our analysis indicate that a combination of the
available satellite observations of AAOD and AOD can provide the necessary
constraints on BB BC emissions.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:26:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b2f9c5133dc49c0b43da44800b2eece |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:26:52Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b2f9c5133dc49c0b43da44800b2eece2022-12-22T00:50:18ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242018-10-0118148891492410.5194/acp-18-14889-2018Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depthsI. B. Konovalov0D. A. Lvova1M. Beekmann2H. Jethva3H. Jethva4E. F. Mikhailov5J.-D. Paris6B. D. Belan7V. S. Kozlov8P. Ciais9M. O. Andreae10M. O. Andreae11M. O. Andreae12Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhniy Novgorod, RussiaInstitute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhniy Novgorod, RussiaLISA/IPSL, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphèriques, UMR CNRS 7583, Universitè Paris Est Crèteil (UPEC) et Universitè Paris Diderot (UPD), FranceUniversities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USALaboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics, Code 614, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USADepartment of Atmospheric Physics, Saint-Petersburg University, St. Petersburg State University, SPbSU, SPbU, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., 199034, St. Petersburg, RussiaLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CNRS-CEA-UVSQ, Centre d'Etudes Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceV. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS, Tomsk, RussiaV. E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS, Tomsk, RussiaLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), CNRS-CEA-UVSQ, Centre d'Etudes Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceBiogeochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, GermanyScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Geology and Geophysics, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<p>Black carbon (BC) emissions from open biomass burning (BB) are known to have a considerable impact on the radiative budget of the atmosphere at both global and regional scales; however, these emissions are poorly constrained in models by atmospheric observations, especially in remote regions. Here, we investigate the feasibility of constraining BC emissions from BB using satellite observations of the aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) and the aerosol extinction optical depth (AOD) retrieved from OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) measurements, respectively. We consider the case of Siberian BB BC emissions, which have the strong potential to impact the Arctic climate system. Using aerosol remote sensing data collected at Siberian sites of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) along with the results of the fourth Fire Lab at Missoula Experiment (FLAME-4), we establish an empirical parameterization relating the ratio of the elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) contents in BB aerosol to the ratio of AAOD and AOD at the wavelengths of the satellite observations. Applying this parameterization to the BC and OC column amounts simulated using the CHIMERE chemistry transport model, we optimize the parameters of the BB emission model based on MODIS measurements of the fire radiative power (FRP); we then obtain top-down optimized estimates of the total monthly BB BC amounts emitted from intense Siberian fires that occurred from May to September 2012. The top-down estimates are compared to the corresponding values obtained using the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED4) and the Fire Emission Inventory–northern Eurasia (FEI-NE). Our simulations using the optimized BB aerosol emissions are verified against AAOD and AOD data that were withheld from the estimation procedure. The simulations are further evaluated against in situ EC and OC measurements at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) and also against aircraft aerosol measurement data collected in the framework of the Airborne Extensive Regional Observations in SIBeria (YAK-AEROSIB) experiments. We conclude that our BC and OC emission estimates, considered with their confidence intervals, are consistent with the ensemble of the measurement data analyzed in this study. Siberian fires are found to emit 0.41±0.14 Tg of BC over the whole 5-month period considered; this estimate is a factor of 2 larger and a factor of 1.5 smaller than the corresponding estimates based on the GFED4 (0.20 Tg) and FEI-NE (0.61 Tg) data, respectively. Our estimates of monthly BC emissions are also found to be larger than the BC amounts calculated using the GFED4 data and smaller than those calculated using the FEI-NE data for any of the 5 months. Particularly large positive differences of our monthly BC emission estimates with respect to the GFED4 data are found in May and September. This finding indicates that the GFED4 database is likely to strongly underestimate BC emissions from agricultural burns and grass fires in Siberia. All of these differences have important implications for climate change in the Arctic, as it is found that about a quarter of the huge BB BC mass emitted in Siberia during the fire season of 2012 was transported across the polar circle into the Arctic. Overall, the results of our analysis indicate that a combination of the available satellite observations of AAOD and AOD can provide the necessary constraints on BB BC emissions.</p>https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/14889/2018/acp-18-14889-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | I. B. Konovalov D. A. Lvova M. Beekmann H. Jethva H. Jethva E. F. Mikhailov J.-D. Paris B. D. Belan V. S. Kozlov P. Ciais M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae M. O. Andreae Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| title_full | Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| title_fullStr | Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| title_short | Estimation of black carbon emissions from Siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| title_sort | estimation of black carbon emissions from siberian fires using satellite observations of absorption and extinction optical depths |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/14889/2018/acp-18-14889-2018.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ibkonovalov estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT dalvova estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT mbeekmann estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT hjethva estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT hjethva estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT efmikhailov estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT jdparis estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT bdbelan estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT vskozlov estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT pciais estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT moandreae estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT moandreae estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths AT moandreae estimationofblackcarbonemissionsfromsiberianfiresusingsatelliteobservationsofabsorptionandextinctionopticaldepths |