Abstract
In this study, we investigate the emissions from wildfires in the mid latitude (California) and high latitude (Krasnoyarsk Krai) during the periods of 16–17 August 2020 and 28 July 2019, respectively. Wildfires are unique in themselves as they are driven by various factors such as fuel type, topology, and meteorology. In this study, we analyze whether there are any major variations in the emissions and transport of pollutants between two large wildfire cases in the mid latitude of California and high latitude of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The study is important to understand and characterize the emission regime from biomass burning of different land covers using a mutli-dataset approach. We analyze whether there are any major variations in the emissions and transport of pollutants from these wildfires. For example, the aerosol extinction coefficient profile showed smoke detected at the highest altitude of 9 km in Krasnoyarsk Krai, whereas in California the highest altitude was observed at approximately 6 km. Moreover, large values of black carbon (BC) concentration were observed in Krasnoyarsk Krai approximately 7 µg/m3 compared to the 0.44 µg/m3 observed in California. Areas with an immense dense vegetation are prone to large emissions. The results from this case study suggest that high latitude wildfires emit more pollutants than mid latitude wildfires. However, more studies in the future will be conducted to conclude this observation and finding with certainty.
Highlights
Fires can be ignited naturally by lightning or humans either accidentally or to accomplish management objectives such as clearing and reduction in fuel loads [1]
The carbon monoxide (CO) was mostly concentrated in central California which is characterized by hardwood forests, hardwood woodland and conifer forests
California and the Krasnoyarsk Krai wildfires which occurred during 16–17 August 2020 and 28 July 2019, respectively, showed some differences in the emissions
Summary
Fires can be ignited naturally by lightning or humans either accidentally or to accomplish management objectives such as clearing and reduction in fuel loads [1]. Long-term changes in the climate and weather have resulted in some recent extreme wildfire events, including those that occurred in 2018 in the United States of America [8], 2019 in Brazil [9,10], and 2020 in Australia [11]. These wildfires resulted in vast burnt areas and large amounts of toxic gases and aerosols injected into the atmosphere. High concentrations of aerosols and gases can affect radiation, clouds, and climate on a regional and/or global scale Pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), sulphur dioxide (SO2 ), and particulate matter (PM) emitted by fires have impact on air quality and the human health at a local-to-regional scale [15]. Fire emission has significant impacts on atmospheric and biogeochemical cycles and the Earth’s radiative budget [16,17]
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