Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2
We use the global circulation model ECHAM6 extended by the aerosol module HAM2 to simulate global patterns in wildfire emission heights. Prescribed plume heights in ECHAM6 are replaced by an implementation of a simple, semi-empirical plume height parametrization. In a first step, the global performa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/7155/2015/acp-15-7155-2015.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818140922658947072 |
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| author | A. Veira S. Kloster S. Wilkenskjeld S. Remy |
| author_facet | A. Veira S. Kloster S. Wilkenskjeld S. Remy |
| author_sort | A. Veira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We use the global circulation model ECHAM6 extended by the aerosol module
HAM2 to simulate global patterns in wildfire emission heights. Prescribed
plume heights in ECHAM6 are replaced by an implementation of a simple,
semi-empirical plume height parametrization. In a first step, the global
performance of the plume height parametrization is evaluated for plumes
reported in the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) Plume Height Project (MPHP) data set. Our results show that the
parametrization simulates a largely reasonable global distribution of plume
heights. While the modeled global mean plume height
(1411 ± 646 m) is in good agreement with the observed mean
(1382 ± 702 m), the upper and lower tails of the plume height
distribution tend to be slightly underrepresented. Furthermore, we compare
plume heights simulated by the simple parametrization to a more complex,
analytical plume model. Major differences in global plume height
distributions are found for the lowest 1.5 km, but reasonable
agreement is observed for higher plumes. In a second step, fire radiative power (FRP) as reported in the global fire assimilation system (GFAS) is used
to simulate plume heights for observed fires globally for the period
2005–2011. The global fraction of simulated daytime plumes injecting
emissions into the free troposphere (FT) ranges from 3.7 ± 0.7 to
5.2 ± 1.0 %. This range is comparable to results from
observational studies, but it is much lower than results for prescribed plume heights
in the ECHAM6-HAM2 standard setup. Nevertheless, occasionally deep emission
injections exceeding 5–7 km in height are simulated for intense
fires and favorable meteorological conditions. The application of
a prescribed diurnal cycle in FRP turns out to be of minor importance. For
a hypothetical doubling in FRP, moderate changes in plume heights of
100–400 m are simulated. These small changes indicate that
a potential future increase in fire intensity will only slightly impact the
emission heights on a global scale. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:51:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e1adbd972da45d884608619d3a569be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:51:41Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e1adbd972da45d884608619d3a569be2022-12-22T01:10:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242015-07-0115137155717110.5194/acp-15-7155-2015Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2A. Veira0S. Kloster1S. Wilkenskjeld2S. Remy3Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, GermanyEuropean Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, Reading, UKWe use the global circulation model ECHAM6 extended by the aerosol module HAM2 to simulate global patterns in wildfire emission heights. Prescribed plume heights in ECHAM6 are replaced by an implementation of a simple, semi-empirical plume height parametrization. In a first step, the global performance of the plume height parametrization is evaluated for plumes reported in the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) Plume Height Project (MPHP) data set. Our results show that the parametrization simulates a largely reasonable global distribution of plume heights. While the modeled global mean plume height (1411 ± 646 m) is in good agreement with the observed mean (1382 ± 702 m), the upper and lower tails of the plume height distribution tend to be slightly underrepresented. Furthermore, we compare plume heights simulated by the simple parametrization to a more complex, analytical plume model. Major differences in global plume height distributions are found for the lowest 1.5 km, but reasonable agreement is observed for higher plumes. In a second step, fire radiative power (FRP) as reported in the global fire assimilation system (GFAS) is used to simulate plume heights for observed fires globally for the period 2005–2011. The global fraction of simulated daytime plumes injecting emissions into the free troposphere (FT) ranges from 3.7 ± 0.7 to 5.2 ± 1.0 %. This range is comparable to results from observational studies, but it is much lower than results for prescribed plume heights in the ECHAM6-HAM2 standard setup. Nevertheless, occasionally deep emission injections exceeding 5–7 km in height are simulated for intense fires and favorable meteorological conditions. The application of a prescribed diurnal cycle in FRP turns out to be of minor importance. For a hypothetical doubling in FRP, moderate changes in plume heights of 100–400 m are simulated. These small changes indicate that a potential future increase in fire intensity will only slightly impact the emission heights on a global scale.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/7155/2015/acp-15-7155-2015.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Veira S. Kloster S. Wilkenskjeld S. Remy Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 |
| title_full | Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 |
| title_fullStr | Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 |
| title_short | Fire emission heights in the climate system – Part 1: Global plume height patterns simulated by ECHAM6-HAM2 |
| title_sort | fire emission heights in the climate system part 1 global plume height patterns simulated by echam6 ham2 |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/7155/2015/acp-15-7155-2015.pdf |
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