Biomass Burning Aerosols Research Articles

Quantitative assessment of the impact of biomass burning episodes on surface solar radiation using machine learning technology: A case study of a pollution event in Beijing

As an important source of pollutants in Beijing, biomass burning (BB) aerosols emitted by BB have a strong absorption and scattering effect on surface solar radiation (SSR). However, the existence of meteorological factors has a powerful impact on the estimation of the BB aerosol radiation effect. In this paper, a deweathered technique based on machine learning is presented to quantitatively isolate the influence of weather conditions from the radiative effect of BB aerosols. Furthermore, the seasonal trend of SSR is constrained by removing the general seasonal changes by the detrending method. The BB event on October 7–11, 2014, in Beijing was used as a case to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experimental results show that meteorological factors aggravate the influence of BB events on SSR. Specifically, during the BB event, meteorological factors led to an additional increase of 10.9% in diffuse radiation and an additional decrease of 17.5%, 13.1%, 181.3%, 9.7% and 86.9% in global radiation, net radiation, horizontal direct radiation, reflected radiation and vertical direct radiation, respectively. After isolating the impact of meteorological factors on SSR in the BB event, we found that the average effects of BB aerosols on global radiation, net radiation, diffuse radiation, horizontal direct solar radiation, reflected radiation and vertical direct solar radiation during the BB event were −35.6 Wm−2 (−3.1 MJm−2day−1), −14.1 Wm−2 (−1.2 MJm−2day−1), 20.7 Wm−2 (1.8 MJm−2day−1), −67.3 Wm−2 (−5.8 MJm−2day−1), −8.9 Wm−2 (−0.8MJm−2day−1), and −132.9 Wm−2 (−11.5 MJm−2day−1), respectively. In conclusion, the weather normalization and detrended methods in this study provide a new idea for the accurate estimation of the impact of aerosols on SSR. This provides a quantitative reference for further understanding the impacts of atmospheric pollution on SSR.

Evaluation of Aerosol Optical Depth Forecasts from NOAA’s Global Aerosol Forecast Model (GEFS-Aerosols)

Abstract The NWS/NCEP recently implemented a new global deterministic aerosol forecast model named the Global Ensemble Forecast Systems Aerosols (GEFS-Aerosols), which is based on the Finite Volume version 3 GFS (FV3GFS). It replaced the operational NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS) GFS Aerosol Component version 2 (NGACv2), which was based on a global spectral model (GSM). GEFS-Aerosols uses aerosol modules from the GOCART previously integrated in the WRF Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), FENGSHA dust scheme, and several other updates. In this study, we have extensively evaluated aerosol optical depth (AOD) forecasts from GEFS-Aerosols against various observations over a timespan longer than one year (2019–20). The total AOD improvement (in terms of seasonal mean) in GEFS-Aerosols is about 40% compared to NGACv2 in the fall and winter season of 2019. In terms of aerosol species, the biggest improvement came from the enhanced representation of biomass burning aerosol species as GEFS-Aerosols is able to capture more fire events in southern Africa, South America, and Asia than its predecessor. Dust AODs reproduce the seasonal variation over Africa and the Middle East. We have found that correlation of total AOD over large regions of the globe remains consistent for forecast days 3–5. However, we have found that GEFS-Aerosols generates some systematic positive biases for organic carbon AOD near biomass burning regions and sulfate AOD over prediction over East Asia. The addition of a data assimilation capability to GEFS-Aerosols in the near future is expected to address these biases and provide a positive impact to aerosol forecasts by the model. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to quantify improvements associated with the newly implemented global aerosol forecast model at NWS/NCEP. The monthly and seasonal variations of AOD forecasts of various aerosol regimes are overall consistent with the observations. Our results provide a guide to downstream regional air quality models like CMAQ that will use GEFS-Aerosols to provide lateral boundary conditions.

Can Biomass Burning Aerosol Induced Surface Cooling Be Amplified Through Sea Surface Temperature‐Cloud Feedback Over the Southeast Atlantic?

AbstractBiomass burning (BB) aerosols exert a strong surface cooling effect over the southeast Atlantic (SEA) via aerosol‐radiation and aerosol‐cloud interactions. The reduction of the sea surface temperature (SST) can trigger the SST‐low cloud feedback. Whether this feedback can amplify the surface cooling effect is examined. The modeling results from the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) demonstrate that counterintuitively the cloud radiative effect (CRE) caused by the BB aerosols is weaker if SST‐low cloud feedback is considered compared to fixed‐SST simulation (−2.99 W m−2 vs. −4.79 W m−2). This is caused by (a) stronger sea breeze due to larger sea‐land temperature contrast causing less smoke transport over SEA and (b) less moisture supply from surface due to colder SST. Changes in SST also lead to counterclockwise rotation of ocean circulation anomalies. Consequently, the excess heat transport from the equator reverses the direction of SST‐cloud feedback in this region.

Emission factors for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from laboratory biomass-burning and their chemical transformations during aging in an oxidation flow reactor

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be emitted from different combustion sources including domestic biomass burning, internal combustion engines, and biomass burning (BB) in wild, prescribed, and agricultural fires. With climate warming and consequent global increases in frequency and severity of wildfires, BB is a dominant source of PAHs emitted into the atmosphere.In this study, six globally and regionally important and representative fuels (Alaskan peat, Moscow peat, Pskov peat, eucalyptus, Malaysian peat, and Malaysian agricultural peat) were burned under controlled conditions in the combustion chamber facility at the Desert Research Institute (DRI, Reno, NV, USA). Gas- and particle-phase BB emissions were aged in an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) to mimic five to sevendays of atmospheric aging. To sample gas- and particle-phase BB emissions, fresh and OFR-aged biomass-burning aerosols were collected on Teflon-impregnated glass fiber filters (TIGF) in tandem with XAD resin media for organic carbon speciation. The objectives of this study were to i) quantify the emission factors for 113 PAHs emitted from the combustion of the six selected fuels, ii) characterize the distribution of PAH compounds between gas and particle phases for these fuels, iii) identify the changes in PAHs during OFR-aging, and iv) evaluate toxicity potential with characterized compounds.We found that combustion emissions of gas-phase PAHs were more abundant (>80 % by mass) than particle-phase PAHs, for emissions from all combusted fuels. The mass fraction of substituted napthalenes in Moscow peat and Malaysian peat emissions were ∼70 % & 84 %, respectively, whereas in Eucalyptus the same fraction was <50 %, which indicates that these substituted compounds can be used as tracers for peat emissions. Mass concentrations of gas- and particle-phase PAHs were reduced by ∼70 % after OFR oxidation. However, the understanding of the fate of PAHs during OFR oxidation requires further investigations. Our results also indicate that the PAH toxicity of BB samples would be underestimated by 10–100 times if only the BaPeq for the 16 US EPA priority PAHs in the particle phase are included.

Fractal Dimensions of Biomass Burning Aerosols from TEM Images Using the Box-Grid and Nested Squares Methods

The fractal dimension is a key parameter in quantifying the morphology of aerosol aggregates, which is necessary to understand their radiative impact. Here we used Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images to determine 2D fractal dimensions using the nested square and box-grid method and used two different empirical equations to obtain the 3D fractal dimensions. The values ranged from 1.70 ± 0.05 for pine to 1.82 ± 0.07 for Eucalyptus, with both methods giving nearly identical results using one of the empirical equations and the other overestimated the 3D values significantly when compared to other values in the literature. The values we obtained are comparable to the fractal dimensions of fresh aerosols in the literature and were dependent on fuel type and combustion condition. Although these methods accurately calculated the fractal dimension, they have shortcomings if the images are not of the highest quality. While there are many ways of determining the fractal dimension of linear features, we conclude that the application of every method requires careful consideration of a range of methodological concerns.

Dynamic Wood Smoke Aerosol Toxicity during Oxidative Atmospheric Aging.

Wildfires are a major source of biomass burning aerosol to the atmosphere, with their incidence and intensity expected to increase in a warmer future climate. However, the toxicity evolution of biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) during atmospheric aging remains poorly understood. In this study, we report a unique set of chemical and toxicological metrics of BBOA from pine wood smoldering during multiphase aging by gas-phase hydroxyl radicals (OH). Both the fresh and OH-aged BBOA show activity relevant to adverse health outcomes. The results from two acellular assays (DTT and DCFH) show significant oxidative potential (OP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in OH-aged BBOA. Also, radical concentrations in the aerosol assessed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy increased by 50% following heterogeneous aging. This enhancement was accompanied by a transition from predominantly carbon-centered radicals (85%) in the fresh aerosol to predominantly oxygen-centered radicals (76%) following aging. Both the fresh and aged biomass burning aerosols trigger prominent antioxidant defense during the in vitro exposure, indicating the induction of oxidative stress by BBOA in the atmosphere. By connecting chemical composition and toxicity using an integrated approach, we show that short-term aging initiated by OH radicals can produce biomass burning particles with a higher particle-bound ROS generation capacity, which are therefore a more relevant exposure hazard for residents in large population centers close to wildfire regions than previously studied fresh biomass burning emissions.

Can biomass burning aerosol induced surface cooling be amplified through sea surface temperature-cloud feedback over the Southeast Atlantic?

Can biomass burning aerosol induced surface cooling be amplified through sea surface temperature-cloud feedback over the Southeast Atlantic?

Reaction of HOCl with Wood Smoke Aerosol: Impacts on Indoor Air Quality and Outdoor Reactive Chlorine.

High loadings of biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles from wildfire or residential heating sources can be present in both outdoor and indoor environments, where they deposit onto surfaces such as walls and furniture. These pollutants can interact with oxidants in both the aerosol and deposited forms. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a strong oxidant emitted during cleaning with chlorine-cleaning agents such as bleach, can attain mixing ratios of hundreds of ppbv indoors; moreover, lower mixing ratios are naturally present outdoors. Here, we report the heterogeneous reactivity of HOCl with wood smoke aerosol particles. After exposure to gas-phase HOCl, the particle chlorine content increased reaching chlorine-to-organic mass ratios of 0.07 with the chlorine covalently bound as organochlorine species, many of which are aromatic. Investigating individual potential BB components, we observed that unsaturated species such as coniferaldehyde and furfural react efficiently with HOCl. These observations indicate that organochlorine pollutants will form indoors when bleach cleaning a wildfire impacted space. The chlorine component of particles internally mixed with BB material and chloride initially increased, upon HOCl exposure, indicating that active chlorine recycling in the outdoor environment will be suppressed in the presence of BB emissions.

Spectrometric fluorescence and Raman lidar: absolute calibration of aerosol fluorescence spectra and fluorescence correction of humidity measurements

Abstract. RAMSES is the operational spectrometric fluorescence and Raman lidar at the Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory. It employs three spectrometers, with the UVA spectrometer (378–458 nm spectral range) being the latest to be implemented in 2018. The UVA spectrometer extends the fluorescence measurement range to shorter wavelengths than previously accessible, and its water vapor measurements can be corrected for fluorescence effects. First the new experimental setup of the RAMSES near-range receiver, which integrates the UVA spectrometer, is described. Then it is detailed how the fluorescence measurement with the UVA spectrometer is absolutely calibrated and how the fluorescence spectra are merged with those obtained with the second fluorescence spectrometer (440–750 nm spectral range). The second part of this study is dedicated to the effect of aerosol fluorescence on water vapor measurements with Raman lidars. When aerosols are present, a fluorescence-induced error always arises and therefore requires thorough analysis, even though it is particularly significant (in relative terms) only when the atmosphere is dry, the fluorescence signal strong, or the bandwidth of the Raman detection channels wide. For moisture measurements with the UVA spectrometer, a method is introduced that effectively eliminates the systematic fluorescence error. However, the increase in trueness comes at the expense of precision. The investigations further show that an accurate correction for fluorescence is impossible when the Raman lidar is not equipped with a spectrometer but with a single fluorescence receiver channel only, at least for biomass burning aerosol, because for a given fluorescence backscatter coefficient at the wavelength of the auxiliary detection channel, the induced error in humidity can vary widely due to the changing shape of the fluorescence spectrum, which depends on aerosol type and atmospheric state and possibly also on other factors.

Kinetics of hypochlorous acid reactions with organic and chloride-containing tropospheric aerosol.

Chlorine plays an important role in tropospheric oxidation processes, in both marine and continental environments. Although modeling studies have explored the importance of halogen chemistry, uncertainty remains in associated chemical mechanisms and fundamental kinetics parameters. Prior kinetics measurements of multiphase halogen recycling reactions have been largely performed with dilute, bulk solutions, leaving unexplored more realistic chemical systems which have high solute concentrations and are internally mixed with both halide and organic components. Here, we address the multiphase kinetics of gaseous HOCl using an aerosol flow tube and aerosol mass spectrometer to study its reactions with particulate chloride, using atmospherically relevant particle acidity, solute concentrations, and ionic strength. We also investigate the chemistry that results when biomass burning (BB) aerosol components and chloride are internally mixed. Using pH-buffered deliquesced particles, we show that the rate constant for reaction of dissolved HOCl with H+ and Cl- at high relative humidity (RH) (80-85%) is within a factor of two of the literature value for bulk phase conditions. However, at lower RH values (60-70%) where the particles are considerably more concentrated, the rate constant for chloride loss from the particles is an order of magnitude higher. For pure organic compounds commonly found in biomass burning (BB) aerosol, such as coniferaldehyde, salicylic acid and furfural, an increase in the aerosol chlorine content occurs with HOCl exposure, indicating the formation of organochlorine species. Together, these independent findings explain results for internally mixed aerosol particles with both chloride and BB components present where we observed behavior consistent with both chloride loss and organochlorine formation occurring simultaneously upon HOCl exposure. Our results indicate that chlorine recycling via HOCl uptake by chloride-containing particles will occur in the atmosphere efficiently over a wide range of RH conditions, even when reactive organic compounds are present in the same particles as chloride. Simultaneously, formation of organochlorine compounds, which are commonly toxic, is likely occurring when reactive organic components are present.

Investigating the mechanisms driving the seasonal variations in surface PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations over East Africa with the WRF-Chem model

Most previous studies on surface PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations over East Africa focused on short-term in situ observations. In this study, the WRF-Chem model combined with in situ observations is used to investigate the seasonal variation in surface PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations over East Africa. WRF-Chem simulations are conducted from April to September 2017. Generally, the simulated AOD is consistent with satellite retrieval throughout the period, and the simulations depicted the seasonal variation in PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations from April to September but underestimated the concentrations throughout the period due to the uncertainties in local and regional emissions over the region. The composition analysis of surface PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations revealed that the dominant components were OIN and OC, accounting for 80% and 15% of the total concentrations, respectively, and drove the seasonal variation. The analysis of contributions from multiple physical and chemical processes indicated that the seasonal variation in surface PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations was controlled by the variation in transport processes, PBL mixing, and dry and wet deposition. The variation in PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations from May to July is due to wind direction changes that control the transported biomass burning aerosols from southern Africa, enhanced turbulent mixing of transported aerosols at the upper level to the surface and decreased wet deposition from decreased rainfall from May to July.

Application of the CHIMERE-WRF model complex to study the radiative effects of Siberian biomass burning aerosol in the eastern Arctic

Application of the CHIMERE-WRF model complex to study the radiative effects of Siberian biomass burning aerosol in the eastern Arctic

Optical properties of biomass burning aerosol during the 2021 Oregon fire season: comparison between wild and prescribed fires

The Mt. Bachelor Observatory was frequently impacted by biomass burning smoke in 2021, an extreme forest fire year in the state of Oregon.

Examining the Chemical and Optical Properties of Biomass-burning Aerosols and their Impact on Oxidative Potential

Examining the Chemical and Optical Properties of Biomass-burning Aerosols and their Impact on Oxidative Potential

An evaluation of biomass burning aerosol mass, extinction, and size distribution in GEOS using observations from CAMP2Ex

Abstract. Biomass burning aerosol impacts aspects of the atmosphere and Earth system through direct and semi-direct effects, as well as influencing air quality. Despite its importance, the representation of biomass burning aerosol is not always accurate in numerical weather prediction and climate models or reanalysis products. Using observations collected as part of the Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) in August through October of 2019, aerosol concentration and optical properties are evaluated within the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) and its underlying aerosol module, GOCART. In the operational configuration, GEOS assimilates aerosol optical depth observations at 550 nm from AERONET and MODIS to constrain aerosol fields. Particularly for biomass burning aerosol, without the assimilation of aerosol optical depth, aerosol extinction is underestimated compared to observations collected in the Philippines region during the CAMP2Ex campaign. The assimilation process adds excessive amounts of carbon to account for the underestimated extinction, resulting in positive biases in the mass of black and organic carbon, especially within the boundary layer, relative to in situ observations from the Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment. Counteracting this, GEOS is deficient in sulfate and nitrate aerosol just above the boundary layer. Aerosol extinction within GEOS is a function of the mass of different aerosol species, the ambient relative humidity, the assumed spectral optical properties, and particle size distribution per species. The relationship between dry and ambient extinction in GEOS reveals that hygroscopic growth is too high within the model for biomass burning aerosol. An additional concern lies in the assumed particle size distribution for GEOS, which has a single mode radius that is too small for organic carbon. Variability in the observed particle size distribution for biomass burning aerosol within a single flight also illuminates the fact that a single assumed particle size distribution is not sufficient and that for a proper representation, a more advanced aerosol module within GEOS may be necessary.

Instant and delayed effects of March biomass burning aerosols over the Indochina Peninsula

Abstract. By analyzing observations and simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), we investigated instant and delayed responses of large-scale atmospheric circulations and precipitation to biomass burning (BB) aerosols over the Indochina Peninsula (ICP) in the peak emission of March. The results show that the BB aerosols inhibit precipitation over the ICP in March and promote precipitation from early April to mid April. Specifically, the March BB aerosols over the ICP can induce mid- to lower-tropospheric heating and planetary boundary layer cooling to enhance local atmospheric stability; meanwhile, the perturbation heating can trigger an anomalous low in the lower troposphere to moisten the mid troposphere. However, the convection suppression due to the stabilized atmosphere dominates over the favorable water-vapor condition induced by large-scale circulation responses, leading to overall reduced precipitation over the ICP in March. For the delayed effect, the anomalous low can provide more water vapor as the monsoon advances in early April, although it becomes much weaker without BB aerosols' strong heating. On the other hand, the convective instability above 850 hPa is enhanced by more water vapor, resulting in enhanced precipitation over the ICP, northern South China Sea, and southern China. Thereafter, the condensational latent heating gradually takes over from the BB aerosol radiative heating, acting as the main driver for maintaining the anomalous circulation and thus the delayed effect in mid April.

Investigating Southeast Asian biomass burning by the WRF-CMAQ two-way coupled model: Emission and direct aerosol radiative effects

Southeast Asia (SEA) is one of the world's major sources of biomass burning (BB). In this study, the recently released Weather Research and Forecasting-Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ) two-way coupled model was used with the Global Fire Emissions Database Version 4, to investigate the effect of BB emissions on the meteorology and air quality over SEA in March and April 2015. The results show that the model performance was improved by considering BB emissions. When BB pollutants reach the free troposphere, they can be transported by westerly and southwesterly winds to downstream regions. The contributions of BB were up to 48.4 and 35.5 ppbv to surface O3 concentrations and 251.0 and 104.4 μg/m3 to surface PM2.5 concentrations in March and April, respectively. The BB emission caused aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE) on the monthly mean clear-sky downward shortwave flux at the ground surface to decrease by −65.4 and −33.6 W/m2 in March and April, respectively. The surface temperature decreased over the land (by a maximum of −0.24 °C in March) and increased over the sea, while the temperature at higher levels tended to increase (to a maximum of 0.12 °C in March). The BB aerosol DRE caused the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) to decrease by a maximum of −91.2 m in March. Surface O3 concentrations decreased generally owing to variations in the shortwave flux and temperature. Moreover, the decreased PBLH worsened the diffusion condition within the PBL but also caused larger amounts of BB emissions to penetrate the free atmosphere. This led to a decrease in surface PM2.5 concentrations in southern Indochina and an increase in Myanmar. These findings highlight the key effects of BB emissions on local and downwind meteorology and air quality over SEA and demonstrate the practical applications of the WRF-CMAQ coupled model.

Internal variability and forcing influence model–satellite differences in the rate of tropical tropospheric warming

Climate-model simulations exhibit approximately two times more tropical tropospheric warming than satellite observations since 1979. The causes of this difference are not fully understood and are poorly quantified. Here, we apply machine learning to relate the patterns of surface-temperature change to the forced and unforced components of tropical tropospheric warming. This approach allows us to disentangle the forced and unforced change in the model-simulated temperature of the midtroposphere (TMT). In applying the climate-model-trained machine-learning framework to observations, we estimate that external forcing has produced a tropical TMT trend of 0.25 ± 0.08 K⋅decade-1 between 1979 and 2014, but internal variability has offset this warming by 0.07 ± 0.07 K⋅decade-1. Using the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) large ensemble, we also find that a discontinuity in the variability of prescribed biomass-burning aerosol emissions artificially enhances simulated tropical TMT change by 0.04 K⋅decade-1. The magnitude of this aerosol-forcing bias will vary across climate models, but since the latest generation of climate models all use the same emissions dataset, the bias may systematically enhance climate-model trends over the satellite era. Our results indicate that internal variability and forcing uncertainties largely explain differences in satellite-versus-model warming and are important considerations when evaluating climate models.

Aerosol optical properties over an urban industrial area, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

Optical properties of aerosols including Aerosol optical depth (AOD), Angstrom exponent (AE) and Single scattering albedo (SSA)) were derived and analyzed for classifying the aerosols and identification of possible sources with percentage contribution over an urban-industrial city Raipur, India, during the year 2019 to 2021. The mean annual values of AOD and AE during 2019–2021 were 0.53 ± 0.2 and 1.20 ± 0.33 respectively, with the highest AOD (AE) values in summer:(0.67 ± 0.21 (0.98 ± 0.13)), spring: (0.52 ± 0.17 (0.93 ± 0.23)), autumn: (0.59 ± 0.21 (1.36 ± 0.26)) and winter: (0.44 ± 0.15 (1.49 ± 0.15)) respectively. The results revealed the dominance of finer aerosols with higher (lower) AE value during the winter (summer) season. Whereas, lower (higher) SSA values during the winter (summer) indicated the presence of absorbing types of aerosols. Based on the aerosol optical characteristics (AOD versus AE), three distinct aerosol types were discovered throughout the study period, namely mixed aerosols (60%), biomass-urban (37%), and dust aerosols (3%). To discriminate between urban and biomass burning aerosols, optical characteristics (AE versus SSA) were examined and found three main sources: mixed aerosols (71%) urban-industrial (21%) and biomass burning aerosols (8%). These findings will be useful for identifying potential sources as well as serve as an input for estimating the radiative forcing caused by regional aerosols.

Direct Detection of Severe Biomass Burning Aerosols from Satellite Data

The boundary between high-concentration aerosols (haze) and clouds is ambiguous and the mixing of aerosols and clouds is complex in terms of composition and structure. In particular, the contribution of biomass burning aerosols (BBAs) to global warming is a source of uncertainty in the global radiation budget. In a previous study, we proposed a method to detect absorption aerosols such as BBAs and dust using a simple indicator based on the ratio of violet to near-ultraviolet wavelengths from the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate/Second-Generation Global Imager (GCOM-C/SGLI) satellite data. This study adds newly obtained SGLI data and proposes a method for the direct detection of severe biomass burning aerosols (SBBAs). Moreover, polarization data derived from polarization remote sensing was incorporated to improve the detection accuracy. This is possible because the SGLI is a multi-wavelength sensor consisting of 19 channels from 380 nm in the near-ultraviolet to thermal infrared, including red (674 nm) and near-infrared (869 nm) polarization channels. This method demonstrated fast SBBA detection directly from satellite data by using two types of wavelength ratio indices that take advantage of the characteristics of the SGLI data. The SBBA detection algorithm derived from the SGLI observation data was validated by using the polarized reflectance calculated by radiative transfer simulations and a regional numerical model—scalable computing for advanced library and environment (SCALE). Our algorithm can be applied to the detection of dust storms and high-concentration air pollution particles, and identifying the type of high-concentration aerosol facilitates the subsequent detailed characterization of the aerosol. This work demonstrates the usefulness of polarization remote sensing beyond the SGLI data.