Study Finds Wildfire Smoke Impacts Climate Less Than We Thought
Study Finds Wildfire Smoke Impacts Climate Less Than We Thought
New research recently published in JGR: Atmospheres and supported by the New Mexico Consortium suggests that the climate impacts of particles found in wildfire smoke may be less significant than previously believed. The study found that chemical reactions occurring as smoke plumes mix with cleaner air can reduce the particles’ ability to absorb sunlight, thereby decreasing their warming effect on the climate.
In this megafire study, a team of researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and New Mexico Tech investigated smoke produced by Arizona’s massive Woodbury Fire during the summer of 2019. The scientists conducted real-time measurements of ambient trace gases and aerosol concentrations within four large smoke plumes, analyzing their physical, chemical, and optical properties as they traveled across the region.
The researchers discovered that both the composition of the smoke plumes and the properties of the aerosols they contained were more variable than existing models had predicted. Their findings showed that as smoke particles undergo oxidation, their capacity to absorb sunlight decreases, reducing their overall influence on atmospheric warming.
The team also tracked both dispersed and intact smoke plumes as they aged over approximately half a day while traveling nearly 300 miles across New Mexico. These observations provided valuable insight into how wildfire smoke evolves over time and how its properties change as it mixes with cleaner surrounding air.
The study improves scientists’ understanding of the complex processes that govern wildfire smoke behavior in the atmosphere and may help refine future climate and air-quality models.
This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), the Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program, and the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists. Additional support was provided by the National Science Foundation, the Los Alamos Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, and the New Mexico Consortium.
To read the entire publication see:
To read more see entire AZO CleanTech article:
Light-Absorbing Aerosols in Wildfire Smoke Could Impact Climate Less