On the Radiative Impact of Biomass-Burning Aerosols in the Arctic: The August 2017 Case Study

Boreal fires have increased during the last years and are projected to become more intense and frequent as a consequence of climate change. Wildfires produce a wide range of effects on the Arctic climate and ecosystem, and understanding these effects is crucial for predicting the future evolution of the Arctic region. This study focuses on the impact of the long-range transport of biomass-burning aerosol into the atmosphere and the corresponding radiative perturbation in the shortwave frequency range. As a case study, we investigate an intense biomass-burning (BB) event which took place in summer 2017 in Canada and subsequent northeastward transport of gases and particles in the plume leading to exceptionally high values (0.86) of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 500 nm measured in northwestern Greenland on 21 August 2017. This work characterizes the BB plume measured at the Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory (THAAO; 76.53∘N, 68.74∘W) in August 2017 by assessing the associated shortwave aerosol direct radiative impact over the THAAO and extending this evaluation over the broader region (60∘N–80∘N, 110∘W–0∘E). The radiative transfer simulations with MODTRAN6.0 estimated an aerosol heating rate of up to 0.5 K/day in the upper aerosol layer (8–12 km). The direct aerosol radiative effect (ARE) vertical profile shows a maximum negative value of −45.4 Wm−2 for a 78∘ solar zenith angle above THAAO at 3 km altitude. A cumulative surface ARE of −127.5 TW is estimated to have occurred on 21 August 2017 over a portion (∼3.1×106 km2) of the considered domain (60∘N–80∘N, 110∘W–0∘E). ARE regional mean daily values over the same portion of the domain vary between −65 and −25 Wm−2. Although this is a limited temporal event, this effect can have significant influence on the Arctic radiative budget, especially in the anticipated scenario of increasing wildfires.

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Study of Chemical and Optical Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols during Long-Range Transport Events toward the Arctic in Summer 2017

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11010084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 84 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tymon Zielinski ◽

Ezio Bolzacchini ◽

Marco Cataldi ◽

Luca Ferrero ◽

Sandra Graßl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Arctic Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Aerosol Chemistry ◽

Radiative Balance ◽

Daily Average ◽

Radiative Impact ◽

Range Transport ◽

Reported Data ◽

The Impact

Biomass burning related aerosol episodes are becoming a serious threat to the radiative balance of the Arctic region. Since early July 2017 intense wildfires were recorded between August and September in Canada and Greenland, covering an area up to 4674 km2 in size. This paper describes the impact of these biomass burning (BB) events measured over Svalbard, using an ensemble of ground-based, columnar, and vertically-resolved techniques. BB influenced the aerosol chemistry via nitrates and oxalates, which exhibited an increase in their concentrations in all of size fractions, indicating the BB origin of particles. The absorption coefficient data (530 nm) at ground reached values up to 0.6 Mm–1, highlighting the impact of these BB events when compared to average Arctic background values, which do not exceed 0.05 Mm–1. The absorption behavior is fundamental as implies a subsequent atmospheric heating. At the same time, the AERONET Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data showed high values at stations located close to or in Canada (AOD over 2.0). Similarly, increased values of AODs were then observed in Svalbard, e.g., in Hornsund (daily average AODs exceeded 0.14 and reached hourly values up to 0.5). Elevated values of AODs were then registered in Sodankylä and Andenes (daily average AODs exceeding 0.150) a few days after the Svalbard observation of the event highlighting the BB columnar magnitude, which is crucial for the radiative impact. All the reported data suggest to rank the summer 2017 plume of aerosols as one of the biggest atmosphere related environmental problems over Svalbard region in last 10 years.

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Reactive nitrogen, ozone and ozone production in the Arctic troposphere and the impact of stratosphere-troposphere exchange

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-11-13181-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 13181-13199 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Q. Liang ◽

J. M. Rodriguez ◽

A. R. Douglass ◽

J. H. Crawford ◽

J. R. Olson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Stratospheric Ozone ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Ozone Production ◽

The Arctic ◽

Subsequent Formation ◽

Air Masses ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Mixing Ratios ◽

The Impact

Abstract. We use aircraft observations obtained during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission to examine the distributions and source attributions of O3 and NOy in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. Using a number of marker tracers, we distinguish various air masses from the background troposphere and examine their contributions to NOx, O3, and O3 production in the Arctic troposphere. The background Arctic troposphere has a mean O3 of ~60 ppbv and NOx of ~25 pptv throughout spring and summer with CO decreasing from ~145 ppbv in spring to ~100 ppbv in summer. These observed mixing ratios are not notably different from the values measured during the 1988 ABLE-3A and the 2002 TOPSE field campaigns despite the significant changes in emissions and stratospheric ozone layer in the past two decades that influence Arctic tropospheric composition. Air masses associated with stratosphere-troposphere exchange are present throughout the mid and upper troposphere during spring and summer. These air masses, with mean O3 concentrations of 140–160 ppbv, are significant direct sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere. In addition, air of stratospheric origin displays net O3 formation in the Arctic due to its sustainable, high NOx (75 pptv in spring and 110 pptv in summer) and NOy (~800 pptv in spring and ~1100 pptv in summer). The air masses influenced by the stratosphere sampled during ARCTAS-B also show conversion of HNO3 to PAN. This active production of PAN is the result of increased degradation of ethane in the stratosphere-troposphere mixed air mass to form CH3CHO, followed by subsequent formation of PAN under high NOx conditions. These findings imply that an adequate representation of stratospheric NOy input, in addition to stratospheric O3 influx, is essential to accurately simulate tropospheric Arctic O3, NOx and PAN in chemistry transport models. Plumes influenced by recent anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions observed during ARCTAS show highly elevated levels of hydrocarbons and NOy (mostly in the form of NOx and PAN), but do not contain O3 higher than that in the Arctic tropospheric background except some aged biomass burning plumes sampled during spring. Convection and/or lightning influences are negligible sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere but can have significant impacts in the upper troposphere in the continental sub-Arctic during summer.

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Reactive nitrogen, ozone and ozone production in the Arctic troposphere and the impact of stratosphere-troposphere exchange

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-11-10721-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 10721-10767 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Q. Liang ◽

J. M. Rodriguez ◽

A. R. Douglass ◽

J. H. Crawford ◽

E. Apel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Tropospheric Chemistry ◽

Ozone Production ◽

The Arctic ◽

Source Attribution ◽

Air Masses ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Mixing Ratios ◽

The Impact

Abstract. We analyze the aircraft observations obtained during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellite (ARCTAS) mission together with the GEOS-5 CO simulation to examine O3 and NOy in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region and their source attribution. Using a number of marker tracers and their probability density distributions, we distinguish various air masses from the background troposphere and examine their contribution to NOx, O3, and O3 production in the Arctic troposphere. The background Arctic troposphere has mean O3 of ~60 ppbv and NOx of ~25 pptv throughout spring and summer with CO decreases from ~145 ppbv in spring to ~100 ppbv in summer. These observed CO, NOx and O3 mixing ratios are not notably different from the values measured during the 1988 ABLE-3A and the 2002 TOPSE field campaigns despite the significant changes in the past two decades in processes that could have changed the Arctic tropospheric composition. Air masses associated with stratosphere-troposphere exchange are present throughout the mid and upper troposphere during spring and summer. These air masses with mean O3 concentration of 140–160 ppbv are the most important direct sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere. In addition, air of stratospheric origin is the only notable driver of net O3 formation in the Arctic due to its sustainable high NOx (75 pptv in spring and 110 pptv in summer) and NOy (~800 pptv in spring and ~1100 pptv in summer) levels. The ARCTAS measurements present observational evidence suggesting significant conversion of nitrogen from HNO3 to NOx and then to PAN (a net formation of ~120 pptv PAN) in summer when air of stratospheric origin is mixed with tropospheric background during stratosphere-to-troposphere transport. These findings imply that an adequate representation of stratospheric O3 and NOy input are essential in accurately simulating O3 and NOx photochemistry as well as the atmospheric budget of PAN in tropospheric chemistry transport models of the Arctic. Anthropogenic and biomass burning pollution plumes observed during ARCTAS show highly elevated hydrocarbons and NOy (mostly in the form of NOx and PAN), but do not contribute significantly to O3 in the Arctic troposphere except in some of the aged biomass burning plumes sampled during spring. Convection and/or lightning influences are negligible sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere but can have significant impacts in the upper troposphere in the continental sub-Arctic during summer.

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A MODELING SYSTEM FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RISK ASSESSMENT, MANAGEMENT AND HEDGING IN COASTAL AREAS

Proceedings of International Conference "Managinag risks to coastal regions and communities in a changinag world" (EMECS'11 - SeaCoasts XXVI) ◽

10.31519/conferencearticle_5b1b9398d1adf1.08545898 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Sergei Soldatenko ◽

Genrikh Alekseev ◽

Alexander Danilov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Risk Assessment ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

System Structure ◽

The Arctic ◽

Risk Modeling ◽

Wide Range ◽

Adverse Weather ◽

The Impact

Every aspect of human operations faces a wide range of risks, some of which can cause serious consequences. By the start of 21st century, mankind has recognized a new class of risks posed by climate change. It is obvious, that the global climate is changing, and will continue to change, in ways that affect the planning and day to day operations of businesses, government agencies and other organizations and institutions. The manifestations of climate change include but not limited to rising sea levels, increasing temperature, flooding, melting polar sea ice, adverse weather events (e.g. heatwaves, drought, and storms) and a rise in related problems (e.g. health and environmental). Assessing and managing climate risks represent one of the most challenging issues of today and for the future. The purpose of the risk modeling system discussed in this paper is to provide a framework and methodology to quantify risks caused by climate change, to facilitate estimates of the impact of climate change on various spheres of human activities and to compare eventual adaptation and risk mitigation strategies. The system integrates both physical climate system and economic models together with knowledge-based subsystem, which can help support proactive risk management. System structure and its main components are considered. Special attention is paid to climate risk assessment, management and hedging in the Arctic coastal areas.

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Evaluating the efficacy of technical measures: a case study of selection device legislation in the UK Crangon crangon (brown shrimp) fishery

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsn016 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 267-275 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Tom L. Catchpole ◽

Andrew S. Revill ◽

James Innes ◽

Sean Pascoe

Keyword(s):

Brown Shrimp ◽

Crangon Crangon ◽

Shrimp Fishery ◽

The North ◽

Ex Post ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact ◽

Technical Measures

Abstract Catchpole, T. L., Revill, A. S., Innes, J., and Pascoe, S. 2008. Evaluating the efficacy of technical measures: a case study of selection device legislation in the UK Crangon crangon (brown shrimp) fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 267–275. Bycatch reduction devices are being introduced into a wide range of fisheries, with shrimp and prawn fisheries particularly targeted owing to the heavy discarding common in these fisheries. Although studies are often undertaken to estimate the impact of a technical measure on the fishery before implementation, rarely have the impacts been assessed ex post. Here, the efficacy of the UK legislation pertaining to the use of sievenets in the North Sea Crangon crangon fishery is assessed. Three impacts were evaluated: on fisher behaviour (social), on the level of bycatch (biological), and on vessel profitability (economic). An apparent high level of compliance by skippers was identified despite a low level of enforcement. The estimated reduction in fleet productivity following the introduction of the legislation was 14%, equalling the mean loss of Crangon landings when using sievenets calculated from catch comparison trawls. Sievenets did reduce the unnecessary capture of unwanted marine organisms, but were least effective at reducing 0-group plaice, which make up the largest component of the bycatch. Clearly the legislation has had an effect in the desired direction, but it does not address sufficiently the bycatch issue in the Crangon fishery.

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One year of Raman lidar observations of free-tropospheric aerosol layers over South Africa

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-15-5429-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. 5429-5442 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

E. Giannakaki ◽

A. Pfüller ◽

K. Korhonen ◽

T. Mielonen ◽

L. Laakso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Biomass Burning ◽

Mean Value ◽

Aerosol Layer ◽

Raman Lidar ◽

Tropospheric Aerosol ◽

Wide Range ◽

Significant Difference ◽

532 Nm

Abstract. Raman lidar data obtained over a 1 year period has been analysed in relation to aerosol layers in the free troposphere over the Highveld in South Africa. In total, 375 layers were observed above the boundary layer during the period 30 January 2010 to 31 January 2011. The seasonal behaviour of aerosol layer geometrical characteristics, as well as intensive and extensive optical properties were studied. The highest centre heights of free-tropospheric layers were observed during the South African spring (2520 ± 970 m a.g.l., also elsewhere). The geometrical layer depth was found to be maximum during spring, while it did not show any significant difference for the rest of the seasons. The variability of the analysed intensive and extensive optical properties was high during all seasons. Layers were observed at a mean centre height of 2100 ± 1000 m with an average lidar ratio of 67 ± 25 sr (mean value with 1 standard deviation) at 355 nm and a mean extinction-related Ångström exponent of 1.9 ± 0.8 between 355 and 532 nm during the period under study. Except for the intensive biomass burning period from August to October, the lidar ratios and Ångström exponents are within the range of previous observations for urban/industrial aerosols. During Southern Hemispheric spring, the biomass burning activity is clearly reflected in the optical properties of the observed free-tropospheric layers. Specifically, lidar ratios at 355 nm were 89 ± 21, 57 ± 20, 59 ± 22 and 65 ± 23 sr during spring (September–November), summer (December–February), autumn (March–May) and winter (June–August), respectively. The extinction-related Ångström exponents between 355 and 532 nm measured during spring, summer, autumn and winter were 1.8 ± 0.6, 2.4 ± 0.9, 1.8 ± 0.9 and 1.8 ± 0.6, respectively. The mean columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD) obtained from lidar measurements was found to be 0.46 ± 0.35 at 355 nm and 0.25 ± 0.2 at 532 nm. The contribution of free-tropospheric aerosols on the AOD had a wide range of values with a mean contribution of 46%.

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The Rossby radius in the Arctic Ocean

Ocean Science ◽

10.5194/os-10-967-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 967-975 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

A. J. G. Nurser ◽

S. Bacon

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

General Circulation ◽

Circulation Model ◽

Ocean General Circulation Model ◽

High Arctic ◽

The Arctic ◽

Hudson Bay ◽

Ocean Eddies ◽

Shelf Seas ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The first (and second) baroclinic deformation (or Rossby) radii are presented north of ~60° N, focusing on deep basins and shelf seas in the high Arctic Ocean, the Nordic seas, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, derived from climatological ocean data. In the high Arctic Ocean, the first Rossby radius increases from ~5 km in the Nansen Basin to ~15 km in the central Canadian Basin. In the shelf seas and elsewhere, values are low (1–7 km), reflecting weak density stratification, shallow water, or both. Seasonality strongly impacts the Rossby radius only in shallow seas, where winter homogenization of the water column can reduce it to below 1 km. Greater detail is seen in the output from an ice–ocean general circulation model, of higher resolution than the climatology. To assess the impact of secular variability, 10 years (2003–2012) of hydrographic stations along 150° W in the Beaufort Gyre are also analysed. The first-mode Rossby radius increases over this period by ~20%. Finally, we review the observed scales of Arctic Ocean eddies.

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Clouds damp the radiative impacts of polar sea ice loss

The Cryosphere ◽

10.5194/tc-14-2673-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 2673-2686 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ramdane Alkama ◽

Patrick C. Taylor ◽

Lorea Garcia-San Martin ◽

Herve Douville ◽

Gregory Duveiller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Climate Models ◽

Surface Radiation ◽

Radiation Budget ◽

The Arctic ◽

Cloud Properties ◽

Surface Radiation Budget ◽

Cloud Radiative Effect ◽

Radiative Impact ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Clouds play an important role in the climate system: (1) cooling Earth by reflecting incoming sunlight to space and (2) warming Earth by reducing thermal energy loss to space. Cloud radiative effects are especially important in polar regions and have the potential to significantly alter the impact of sea ice decline on the surface radiation budget. Using CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) data and 32 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) climate models, we quantify the influence of polar clouds on the radiative impact of polar sea ice variability. Our results show that the cloud short-wave cooling effect strongly influences the impact of sea ice variability on the surface radiation budget and does so in a counter-intuitive manner over the polar seas: years with less sea ice and a larger net surface radiative flux show a more negative cloud radiative effect. Our results indicate that 66±2% of this change in the net cloud radiative effect is due to the reduction in surface albedo and that the remaining 34±1 % is due to an increase in cloud cover and optical thickness. The overall cloud radiative damping effect is 56±2 % over the Antarctic and 47±3 % over the Arctic. Thus, present-day cloud properties significantly reduce the net radiative impact of sea ice loss on the Arctic and Antarctic surface radiation budgets. As a result, climate models must accurately represent present-day polar cloud properties in order to capture the surface radiation budget impact of polar sea ice loss and thus the surface albedo feedback.

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Small States and the Struggle for Power in the Arctic Region: A Case Study of Denmark

Politologija ◽

10.15388/polit.2019.94.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 81-108

Author(s):

Gabija Lukšaitė

Keyword(s):

Foreign Policy ◽

Arctic Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Small States ◽

Small State ◽

Theoretical Approaches ◽

International Environment ◽

Foreign Policy Strategies ◽

The Arctic Region

This paper examines the specifics of foreign policy strategies used by Denmark as a small state in the Arctic region. Based upon a number of theoretical approaches in terms of analyzing small state foreign policy, this study is primarily focused on how small states manage to pursue their goals in an international environment typically dominated by large powers.

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Regional features of the arctic states

Journal of Political Research ◽

10.12737/2587-6295-2020-116-128 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 116-128

Author(s):

P. Sevost'yanov ◽

Yu. Davydova ◽

A. Matyukhin

Keyword(s):

System Analysis ◽

Arctic Region ◽

State Regulation ◽

The Arctic ◽

Modern World ◽

Regional Features ◽

Eastern Hemisphere ◽

Wide Range ◽

Historical Methods ◽

The Arctic Region

The purpose of the article is to identify regional features of the Arctic States of the Eastern hemisphere. The Arctic region has enormous geopolitical and economic potential, and in the twenty-first century it is becoming one of the main objects of conflict of interests of the leading powers of the modern world. In their research, the authors used experimental-theoretical methods, as well as system analysis, logical and historical methods. The results of the analysis of the literature used, actual data, and research searches have shown that the key element in determining the region is its borders. There are many definitions of the Arctic, but due to the Northern features, none of them fully corresponds to the tasks of state regulation of territories. Along with the General assessment of the region and space, the article analyzes in detail various approaches to determining the borders of the Arctic region of all the countries participating in the Eastern hemisphere: Denmark, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland. A retrospective analysis of the existing definitions for a wide range is carried out. The conclusions summarize that among the Arctic countries, the astronomical approach in combination with the administrative and political definitions of the participating countries themselves prevails, which begins to form trends towards changing approaches to the Arctic as a whole.

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