Impact of Biomass Burning on Black Carbon and NO2 Over North Eastern Region of India Using Multi-satellite Observations

Abstract

Large scale biomass burning like forest fires and crop residue burning can significantly impact the physical environment, including land cover, land use, ecology, habitats, and climate change. We investigated the effect of fire counts on surface Black Carbon mass concentration (BCC) and Tropospheric Columnar NO 2 (TCN) over the North Eastern Region (NER) of India in the domain: 20° N–30° N and 88° E–98° E for 15 years from 2006 to 2020 using MODIS, MERRA-2 and OMI data. Significant fire counts are recorded in January, February, March, and April. An average of 65,000 fire counts is recorded in March and April during the 15 years of study over the domain. TCN is high in Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland, followed by Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya in March and April, which varies from 18.79 × 10 14 to 29.08 × 10 14 cm −2 in March, 10.76 × 10 14 –15.81 × 10 14 cm −2 in January and February, and 12.67 × 10 14 –14.2 × 10 14 cm −2 in April. Spatially averaged BC varies from 1.80 to 2.76 µg m −3 in January and February and 1.82–2.36 µg m −3 in March. BCC is high in Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, and Brahmaputra valley of Assam than in the rest of the NER.

ML‐Based Hybrid SAR and Optical Image LULC Mapping and Change Analysis With Variations in the Air Quality of the Imphal Valley, North‐East India

“…CO concentration demonstrated an upward trend during shifting cultivation or forest fires season, with elevated levels observed from January to April in 2019, 2020, and 2021. This increase in CO concentration can be attributed to the burning of vegetation during shifting cultivation and forest fires (Borgohain et al., 2023). Furthermore, the HCHO, aerosol index, and NO 2 concentrations analysis demonstrated similar trends across the different land cover types and seasons with slight variations in SO 2 .…”

“…Localized studies in specific regions, like the Imphal Valley, Manipur, are necessary to capture the intricate dynamics of LULCC and its influence on concentration of air pollutants. Thus, by studying the impact of forest fires (Borgohain et al, 2023), shifting cultivation (Puri et al, 2011), and LULCC on air pollutants, this research is in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.…”

“…Land use and land cover changes (LULCC) have widespread impacts on ecosystems, air quality and climate patterns in the long run, making it a global concern. Urbanization, deforestation, agricultural expansion, forest fires, and shifting cultivation practices driven by human activities have accelerated LULCC rates, posing environmental challenges (Borgohain et al., 2023; Gupta et al., 2023; Puri et al., 2011; Roy et al., 2022; Yilmaz et al., 2023). LULCC significantly affects air quality by influencing the dispersion and concentration of air pollutants in the atmosphere (Yilmaz et al., 2023; Yin et al., 2019).…”

“…It is crucial to study LULCC and their impact on air quality. Air pollutants, such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), Formaldehyde (HCHO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), significantly affect Earth's energy balance and climate patterns (Borgohain et al., 2023). CO originates from the combustion of fossil fuels, biomass burning, and the atmospheric oxidation of methane and other hydrocarbons (Copernicus Sentinel data, 2023; Landgraf et al., 2022).…”