Black Carbon Emissions from the Siberian Fires 2019: Modelling of the Atmospheric Transport and Possible Impact on the Radiation Balance in the Arctic Region

Abstract

The work is devoted to the study of the climatic effects of black carbon (BC) transferred from forest fires to the Arctic zone. The HYSPLIT (The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model) trajectory model was used to initially assess the potential for particle transport from fires. The results of the trajectory analysis of the 2019 fires showed that the probability of the transfer of particles to the Arctic ranges from 1% to 10%, and in some cases increases to 20%. Detailed studies of the possible influence of BC ejected as a result of fires became possible by using the climate model of the INMCM5 (Institute of Numerical Mathematics Climate Model). The results of the numerical experiments have shown that the maximum concentration of BC in the Arctic atmosphere is observed in July and August and is associated with emissions from fires. The deposition of BC in the Arctic increases by about 1.5–2 times in the same months, in comparison with simulation without forest fire emissions. This caused an average decrease in solar radiation forcing of 0.3–0.4 Wt/m2 and an increase in atmospheric radiation heating of up to 5–6 Wt/m2. To assess the radiation forcing from BC contaminated snow, we used the dependences of the change in the snow albedo on the snow depth, and the albedo of the underlying surface for a given amount of BC fallen on the snow. These dependences were constructed on the basis of the SNICAR (Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative) model. According to our calculations, the direct radiative forcing from BC in the atmosphere with a clear sky is a maximum of 4–5 W/m2 in July and August.

Air Contaminants and Atmospheric Black Carbon Association with White Sky Albedo at Hindukush Karakorum and Himalaya Glaciers

“…In the 2017-2018 seasons, BC in the air from the glaciers at HKH was summarized in Figure 7. The highest BC levels were observed in summer (May) and the results were consistent with Kostrykin et al [41], while the lowest was recorded in September. It was consistently low from February to May.…”

The costs and benefits of fire management for carbon mitigation in Alaska through 2100

“…These collectively can more than double the radiative forcing from boreal fires compared to CO 2 alone (Huang et al 2016). Fires also release organic and black carbon aerosols, which can impact the atmospheric radiative budget and generate large positive surface forcings when deposited on snow and ice (Flanner et al 2007, Kostrykin et al 2021. Moreover, by removing insulating organic layers, combustion can initiate permafrost degradation, leading to subsequent GHG emissions (Genet et al 2013, Jafarov et al 2013, Holloway et al 2020, Treharne et al 2022.…”

Aerosol Optical Properties of Extreme Global Wildfires and Estimated Radiative Forcing With GCOM‐C SGLI

“…Black carbon leads to positive forcing because it absorbs the entire solar spectrum and heats the air. Particularly in snow‐covered areas, the deposition of the black carbon aerosols amplify the heating effect due to the enhancing absorption of sunlight, which promotes melting and causes positive climate warming feedback (Kostrykin et al., 2021; Y. Li et al., 2016). On the other hand, organic carbon basically reflects solar radiation and causes a negative forcing.…”