Impact of Wildfires on Mineral Dust Emissions in Europe

Abstract

AbstractMineral dust emissions mainly depend on soil erodibility and near‐surface wind speeds. During biomass burning episodes, pyroconvection locally generates high surface wind speed and non‐desert surfaces (such as forest and shrubs) are partially replaced by barren soil. These effects may induce additional mineral dust emission. However, they are generally not taken into account in chemistry‐transport models since the biomass burning and mineral dust emissions are usually considered as independent processes. This may lead to an underestimation of the mineral dust emissions and therefore of the transported concentrations. In this study, this link is added in the CHIMERE chemistry‐transport model. The summer of 2021 is modeled over Europe using the coupled WRF‐CHIMERE system. Simulations with and without the link between emission processes are performed. Results are compared to observations such as surface measurements of ozone and particulate matter by EEA and aerosol optical depth by AERONET. With more emitted mineral dust, an effect is found on the whole meteorological and chemical system: wind, temperature, cloud, gas (such as ozone with a few ppb changes) and aerosol concentrations are changed. The effect does not appear to be very important but significant enough to have to be taken into account in future modeling.