Changes in solar radiation partitioning reaching the surface due to biomass burning aerosol particles in the Amazon Basin

Abstract. We introduce the Coupled Aerosol and Tracer Transport model to the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CATT-BRAMS). CATT-BRAMS is an on-line transport model fully consistent with the simulated atmospheric dynamics. Emission sources from biomass burning and urban-industrial-vehicular activities for trace gases and from biomass burning aerosol particles are obtained from several published datasets and remote sensing information. The tracer and aerosol mass concentration prognostics include the effects of sub-grid scale turbulence in the planetary boundary layer, convective transport by shallow and deep moist convection, wet and dry deposition, and plume rise associated with vegetation fires in addition to the grid scale transport. The radiation parameterization takes into account the interaction between the simulated biomass burning aerosol particles and short and long wave radiation. The atmospheric model BRAMS is based on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), with several improvements associated with cumulus convection representation, soil moisture initialization and surface scheme tuned for the tropics, among others. In this paper the CATT-BRAMS model is used to simulate carbon monoxide and particulate material (PM2.5) surface fluxes and atmospheric transport during the 2002 LBA field campaigns, conducted during the transition from the dry to wet season in the southwest Amazon Basin. Model evaluation is addressed with comparisons between model results and near surface, radiosondes and airborne measurements performed during the field campaign, as well as remote sensing derived products. We show the matching of emissions strengths to observed carbon monoxide in the LBA campaign. A relatively good comparison to the MOPITT data, in spite of the fact that MOPITT a priori assumptions imply several difficulties, is also obtained.

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Deliquescence and Efflorescence of Potassium Salts Relevant to Biomass-Burning Aerosol Particles

Aerosol Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/02786820902946620 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 43 (8) ◽

pp. 799-807 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Evelyn J. Freney ◽

Scot T. Martin ◽

Peter R. Buseck

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Potassium Salts ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol

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PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOMASS BURNING AEROSOL PARTICLES FROM THE EFEU EXPERIMENT

Journal of Aerosol Science ◽

10.1016/s0021-8502(19)30312-x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. S1165-S1166 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

K. ŽEROMSKIENE ◽

A. WIEDENSOHLER ◽

A. MASSLING ◽

O. SCHMID ◽

R.S. PARMAR ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol

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Sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the Amazon Basin

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-10-29923-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 29923-29969 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. Gilardoni ◽

E. Vignati ◽

E. Marmer ◽

F. Cavalli ◽

C. Belis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Amazon Basin ◽

Elemental Carbon ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Dry Season ◽

Carbonaceous Aerosol ◽

Wet Season ◽

Aerosol Mass ◽

Aerosol Sources ◽

Coarse Aerosol

Abstract. The quantification of sources of carbonaceous aerosol is important to understand their atmospheric concentrations and regulating processes and to study possible effects on climate and air quality, in addition to develop mitigation strategies. In the framework of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate Interaction (EUCAARI) project fine (Dp < 2.5 μm) and coarse (2.5 μm < Dp < 10 μm) aerosol particles were sampled from February to June (wet season) and from August to September (dry season) 2008 in the Central Amazon Basin. The mass of fine particles averaged 2.4 μg m−3 during the wet season and 4.2 μg m−3 during the dry season. The average coarse aerosol mass concentration during wet and dry periods was 7.9 and 7.6 μg m−3, respectively. The overall chemical composition of fine and coarse mass did not show any seasonality with the largest fraction of fine and coarse aerosol mass explained by organic carbon (OC); the average OC to mass ratio was 0.4 and 0.6 in fine and coarse aerosol modes, respectively. The mass absorbing cross section of soot was determined by comparison of elemental carbon and light absorption coefficient measurements and it was equal to 4.7 m2 g−1 at 637 nm. Carbon aerosol sources were identified by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis of thermograms: 43% of fine total carbon mass was assigned to biomass burning, 34% to secondary organic aerosol (SOA), and 23% to volatile species that are difficult to apportion. In the coarse mode, primary biogenic aerosol particles (PBAP) dominated the carbonaceous aerosol mass. The results confirmed the importance of PBAP in forested areas. The source apportionment results were employed to evaluate the ability of global chemistry transport models to simulate carbonaceous aerosol sources in a regional tropical background site. The comparison showed an overestimation of elemental carbon (EC) by the TM5 model during the dry season and OC both during the dry and wet periods. The overestimation was likely due to the overestimation of biomass burning emission inventories and SOA production over tropical areas.

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Hygroscopic properties of levoglucosan and related organic compounds characteristic to biomass burning aerosol particles

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/2004jd004962 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 109 (D21) ◽

pp. n/a-n/a ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

Michihiro Mochida ◽

Kimitaka Kawamura

Keyword(s):

Organic Compounds ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Hygroscopic Properties ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol

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Light absorption properties of aerosols over Southern West Africa

10.5194/acp-2019-587 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Cyrielle Denjean ◽

Thierry Bourrianne ◽

Frederic Burnet ◽

Marc Mallet ◽

Nicolas Maury ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

West Africa ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Anthropogenic Pollution ◽

Absorption Properties ◽

Air Masses ◽

Carbon Particles ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol ◽

Biomass Burning Particles

Abstract. Southern West Africa (SWA) is an African pollution hotspot but a relatively poorly sampled region of the world. We present an overview of in-situ aerosol optical measurements collected over SWA in June and July 2016 as part as the DACCIWA (Dynamics–Aerosol–Chemistry–Clouds Interactions in West Africa) airborne campaign. The aircraft sampled a wide range of air masses, including anthropogenic pollution plumes emitted from the coastal cities, long-range transported biomass burning plumes from Central and Southern Africa and dust plumes from the Sahara and Sahel region, as well as mixtures of these plumes. The specific objective of this work is to characterize the regional variability of the vertical distribution of aerosol particles and their spectral optical properties (single scattering albedo: SSA, asymmetry parameter, extinction mass efficiency, scattering Ångström exponent and absorption Ångström exponent: AAE). First findings indicate that aerosol optical properties in the planetary boundary layer were dominated by a widespread and persistent biomass burning loading from the Southern Hemisphere. Despite a strong increase of aerosol number concentration in air masses downwind of urban conglomerations, spectral SSA were comparable to the background and showed signatures of the absorption characteristics of biomass burning aerosols. In the free troposphere, moderately to strongly absorbing aerosol layers, dominated by either dust or biomass burning particles, occurred occasionally. In aerosol layers dominated by mineral dust particles, SSA varied from 0.81 to 0.92 at 550 nm depending on the variable proportion of anthropogenic pollution particles externally mixed with the dust. Biomass burning aerosol particles were significantly more light absorbing than those previously measured in other areas (e.g. Amazonia, North America) with SSA ranging from 0.71 to 0.77 at 550 nm. The variability of SSA was mainly controlled by variations in aerosol composition rather than in aerosol size distribution. Correspondingly, values of AAE ranged from 0.9 to 1.1, suggesting that lens-coated black carbon particles were the dominant absorber in the visible range for these biomass burning aerosols. Comparison with literature shows a consistent picture of increasing absorption enhancement of biomass burning aerosol from emission to remote location and underscores that the evolution of SSA occurred a long time after emission. The results presented here build a fundamental basis of knowledge about the aerosol optical properties observed over SWA during the monsoon season and can be used in climate modelling studies and satellite retrievals. In particular and regarding the very high absorbing properties of biomass burning aerosols over SWA, our findings suggest that considering the effect of internal mixing on absorption properties of black carbon particles in climate models should help better assessing the direct and semi-direct radiative effects of biomass burning particles.

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Radiação global e difusa diária na região de transição Cerrado-Amazônia brasileira

Ciência e Natura ◽

10.5902/2179460x39775 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. e37

Author(s):

Tamara Zamadei ◽

Adilson Pacheco de Souza ◽

Frederico Terra de Almeida ◽

João Franscisco Escobedo

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

Aerosol Particles ◽

Global Radiation ◽

Diffuse Radiation ◽

Correction Factors ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Energy Incident ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol ◽

Atmospheric Transmissivity

This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variations in atmospheric transmissivity and solar radiation (global and diffuse) on the horizontal surface in Sinop, Mato Grosso (MT) (11.865°S, 55.485°W, and altitude of 371 m) from 06/02/2011 to 12/31/2014. The values of diffuse radiation were measured using the Melo-Escobedo-Oliveira (MEO) shadow ring, with application of astronomical, geometric, and anisotropic correction factors. The analysis of atmospheric transmissivity was based on the classification of sky cover as cloudy, partly cloudy, partially clear, or clear. The diffuse radiation showed similar behavior to the radiation at the top of the atmosphere, reaching a maximum between October and April (rainy season), while the global radiation displayed higher levels during the dry season (May to September). The average daily global radiation ranged from 22.75±0.61 MJ m−2 d−1 in August to 16.44±1.45 MJ m−2 d−1 in January. In Sinop, cloudy and partly cloudy skies occurred on 45.6% of days and atmospheric transmissivity of global radiation was greater than 55% on 54.6% of days. The variations in diffuse radiation in the region were influenced by cloudiness and the concentration of biomass burning aerosol particles. The diffuse radiation can represent 8.02%–99.12% of the global radiation and 5.33%–29.01% of solar energy incident at the top of the atmosphere.

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Modeling the radiative effects of biomass burning aerosols on carbon fluxes in the Amazon region

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-17-14785-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 14785-14810 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Demerval S. Moreira ◽

Karla M. Longo ◽

Saulo R. Freitas ◽

Marcia A. Yamasoe ◽

Lina M. Mercado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

South America ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Radiation Effect ◽

Diffuse Radiation ◽

Amazon Region ◽

Co2 Fluxes ◽

Biomass Burning Aerosol ◽

Aerosol Effects ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Every year, a dense smoke haze covers a large portion of South America originating from fires in the Amazon Basin and central parts of Brazil during the dry biomass burning season between August and October. Over a large portion of South America, the average aerosol optical depth at 550 nm exceeds 1.0 during the fire season, while the background value during the rainy season is below 0.2. Biomass burning aerosol particles increase scattering and absorption of the incident solar radiation. The regional-scale aerosol layer reduces the amount of solar energy reaching the surface, cools the near-surface air, and increases the diffuse radiation fraction over a large disturbed area of the Amazon rainforest. These factors affect the energy and CO2 fluxes at the surface. In this work, we applied a fully integrated atmospheric model to assess the impact of biomass burning aerosols in CO2 fluxes in the Amazon region during 2010. We address the effects of the attenuation of global solar radiation and the enhancement of the diffuse solar radiation flux inside the vegetation canopy. Our results indicate that biomass burning aerosols led to increases of about 27 % in the gross primary productivity of Amazonia and 10 % in plant respiration as well as a decline in soil respiration of 3 %. Consequently, in our model Amazonia became a net carbon sink; net ecosystem exchange during September 2010 dropped from +101 to −104 TgC when the aerosol effects are considered, mainly due to the aerosol diffuse radiation effect. For the forest biome, our results point to a dominance of the diffuse radiation effect on CO2 fluxes, reaching a balance of 50–50 % between the diffuse and direct aerosol effects for high aerosol loads. For C3 grasses and savanna (cerrado), as expected, the contribution of the diffuse radiation effect is much lower, tending to zero with the increase in aerosol load. Taking all biomes together, our model shows the Amazon during the dry season, in the presence of high biomass burning aerosol loads, changing from being a source to being a sink of CO2 to the atmosphere.

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