Abstract
Wildfires can have rapid and long-term effects on air quality, human health, climate change, and the environment. Smoke from large wildfires can travel long distances and have a harmful effect on human health, the environment, and climate in other areas. More recently, in 2018–2019 there have been many large fires. This study focused on the wildfires that occurred in the United States of America (USA), Brazil, and Australia using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarisation (CALIOP) and a TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). Specifically, we analyzed the spatial-temporal distribution of black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) and the vertical distribution of smoke. Based on the results, the highest detection of smoke (~14 km) was observed in Brazil; meanwhile, Australia showed the largest BC column burden of ~1.5 mg/m2. The meteorological conditions were similar for all sites during the fires. Moderate temperatures (between 32 and 42 °C) and relative humidity (30–50%) were observed, which resulted in drier conditions favorable for the burning of fires. However, the number of active fires was different for each site, with Brazil having 13 times more active fires than the USA and five times more than the number of active fires in Australia. However, the high number of active fires did not translate to higher atmospheric constituent emissions. Overall, this work provides a better understanding of wildfire behavior and the role of meteorological conditions in emissions at various sites.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Received: 7 December 2020Accepted: 19 December 2020Published: 24 December 2020Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.license.Approximately 90% of global wildfires are attributed to anthropogenic activities such as the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, campfires left unattended, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson
We investigate the United States of America (USA) fires that occurred in August 2018, the Brazil fires that occurred in August 2019, and the Australia fires that occurred in December 2019
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. 90% of global wildfires are attributed to anthropogenic activities such as the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, campfires left unattended, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson. Wildfires have adverse effects that include air pollution, deteriorated human health, loss of ecosystems and biodiversity, forest degradation, and economic losses [1–4]. Controlled ignited fires by humans can be used for the management of non-agricultural objectives such as fuel reduction, ecosystem management, and restoration [5,6]. This event contributes to increased air pollution and a decrease in air quality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
