The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling
In January 2017, historic forest fires occurred in south-central Chile. Although their causes and consequences on health and ecosystems were studied, little is known about their atmospheric effects. Based on chemistry-transport modeling with WRF-CHIMERE, the impact of the 2017 Chilean mega-fires on...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/3/344 |
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| author | Rémy Lapere Sylvain Mailler Laurent Menut |
| author_facet | Rémy Lapere Sylvain Mailler Laurent Menut |
| author_sort | Rémy Lapere |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In January 2017, historic forest fires occurred in south-central Chile. Although their causes and consequences on health and ecosystems were studied, little is known about their atmospheric effects. Based on chemistry-transport modeling with WRF-CHIMERE, the impact of the 2017 Chilean mega-fires on regional atmospheric composition, and the associated meteorological feedback, are investigated. Fire emissions are found to increase pollutants surface concentration in the capital city, Santiago, by +150% (+30 µg/m<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>3</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>) for PM<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2.5</mn></mrow></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> and +50% (+200 ppb) for CO on average during the event. Satellite observations show an intense plume extending over 2000 km, well reproduced by the simulations, with Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm as high as 4 on average during the days of fire activity, as well as dense columns of CO and O<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mrow></mrow><mn>3</mn></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>. In addition to affecting atmospheric composition, meteorology is also modified through aerosol direct and indirect effects, with a decrease in surface radiation by up to 100 W/m<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> on average, leading to reductions in surface temperatures by 1 K and mixing layer heights over land by 100 m, and a significant increase in cloud optical depth along the plume. Large deposition fluxes of pollutants over land, the Pacific ocean and the Andes cordillera are found, signaling potential damages to remote ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:12:18Z |
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| id | doaj.art-c7c8db920f9545f3bb2b5944c31ab7cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:12:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7c8db920f9545f3bb2b5944c31ab7cc2023-12-03T12:48:22ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-03-0112334410.3390/atmos12030344The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport ModelingRémy Lapere0Sylvain Mailler1Laurent Menut2Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau, FranceLaboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau, FranceLaboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau, FranceIn January 2017, historic forest fires occurred in south-central Chile. Although their causes and consequences on health and ecosystems were studied, little is known about their atmospheric effects. Based on chemistry-transport modeling with WRF-CHIMERE, the impact of the 2017 Chilean mega-fires on regional atmospheric composition, and the associated meteorological feedback, are investigated. Fire emissions are found to increase pollutants surface concentration in the capital city, Santiago, by +150% (+30 µg/m<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>3</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>) for PM<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2.5</mn></mrow></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> and +50% (+200 ppb) for CO on average during the event. Satellite observations show an intense plume extending over 2000 km, well reproduced by the simulations, with Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm as high as 4 on average during the days of fire activity, as well as dense columns of CO and O<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mrow></mrow><mn>3</mn></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>. In addition to affecting atmospheric composition, meteorology is also modified through aerosol direct and indirect effects, with a decrease in surface radiation by up to 100 W/m<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> on average, leading to reductions in surface temperatures by 1 K and mixing layer heights over land by 100 m, and a significant increase in cloud optical depth along the plume. Large deposition fluxes of pollutants over land, the Pacific ocean and the Andes cordillera are found, signaling potential damages to remote ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/3/344biomass burningWRF-CHIMEREair pollutionon-line couplingaerosol feedbackcentral Chile |
| spellingShingle | Rémy Lapere Sylvain Mailler Laurent Menut The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling Atmosphere biomass burning WRF-CHIMERE air pollution on-line coupling aerosol feedback central Chile |
| title | The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling |
| title_full | The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling |
| title_fullStr | The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling |
| title_short | The 2017 Mega-Fires in Central Chile: Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Composition and Meteorology Assessed from Satellite Data and Chemistry-Transport Modeling |
| title_sort | 2017 mega fires in central chile impacts on regional atmospheric composition and meteorology assessed from satellite data and chemistry transport modeling |
| topic | biomass burning WRF-CHIMERE air pollution on-line coupling aerosol feedback central Chile |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/3/344 |
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