Sensitivity of mesoscale modeling of smoke direct radiative effect to the emission inventory

A case study in northern sub-Saharan African region

Bibliographic Data

ID15548947
AuthorsFeng Zhang (0000-0002-7444-1103, Institute of Atmospheric Physics), Jun Wang (0000-0003-4485-7201, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, corresponding author), Charles Ichoku (0000-0003-3244-4549, Goddard Space Flight Center), E J Hyer (0000-0001-8636-2026, Goddard Space Flight Center), Zhifeng Yang (0009-0007-7769-4505, University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Cui Ge (0000-0002-6182-6856, University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Shenjian Su (Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center), Xiaoyang Zhang (0000-0001-8456-0547, South Dakota State University), Shobha Kondragunta (0000-0001-8593-8046, NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research), Johannes W Kaiser (0000-0003-3696-9123, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry), Christine Wiedinmyer (0000-0001-9738-6592, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research), Arlindo da Silva (0000-0002-3381-4030, Goddard Space Flight Center)
Year2014
Volume9
Issue7
Pages075002-075002
Publication date2014-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Research Letters (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326
PublisherIOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1088/1748-9326/9/7/075002
OpenAlexW2088012374
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited29

An ensemble approach is used to examine the sensitivity of smoke loading and smoke direct radiative effect in the atmosphere to uncertainties in smoke emission estimates. Seven different fire emission inventories are applied independently to WRF-Chem model (v3.5) with the same model configuration (excluding dust and other emission sources) over the northern sub-Saharan African (NSSA) biomass-burning region. Results for November and February 2010 are analyzed, respectively representing the start and end of the biomass burning season in the study region. For February 2010, estimates of total smoke emission vary by a factor of 12, but only differences by factors of 7 or less are found in the simulated regional (15degW-42degE, 13degS-17degN) and monthly averages of column PM(sub 2.5) loading, surface PM(sub 2.5) concentration, aerosol optical depth (AOD), smoke radiative forcing at the top-of-atmosphere and at the surface, and air temperature at 2 m and at 700 hPa. The smaller differences in these simulated variables may reflect the atmospheric diffusion and deposition effects to dampen the large difference in smoke emissions that are highly concentrated in areas much smaller than the regional domain of the study. Indeed, at the local scale, large differences (up to a factor of 33) persist in simulated smoke-related variables and radiative effects including semi-direct effect. Similar results are also found for November 2010, despite differences in meteorology and fire activity. Hence, biomass burning emission uncertainties have a large influence on the reliability of model simulations of atmospheric aerosol loading, transport, and radiative impacts, and this influence is largest at local and hourly-to-daily scales. Accurate quantification of smoke effects on regional climate and air quality requires further reduction of emission uncertainties, particularly for regions of high fire concentrations such as NSSA

Aerosol · Atmosphere (unit · Atmospheric sciences · Biomass burning · Climatology · Geography · Mesoscale meteorology · Meteorology · Physics · Radiative forcing · Radiative transfer · Smoke · Weather Research and Forecasting Model · Atmospheric aerosols and clouds · Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols · Environmental Science · Fire effects on ecosystems · Geology

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access