Pyrocumulonimbus affect average stratospheric aerosol composition

J. M. Katich, E. C. Apel, I. Bourgeois, C. A. Brock, T. P. Bui, P. Campuzano-Jost, R. Commane, B. Daube, M. Dollner, M. Fromm, K. D. Froyd, A. J. Hills, R. S. Hornbrook, J. L. Jimenez, A. Kupc, K. D. Lamb, K. McKain, F. Moore, D. M. Murphy, B. A. NaultJ. Peischl, A. E. Perring, D. A. Peterson, E. A. Ray, K. H. Rosenlof, T. Ryerson, G. P. Schill, J. C. Schroder, B. Weinzierl, C. Thompson, C. J. Williamson, S. C. Wofsy, P. Yu, J. P. Schwarz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) are wildfire-generated convective clouds that can inject smoke directly into the stratosphere. PyroCb have been tracked for years, yet their apparent rarity and episodic nature lead to highly uncertain climate impacts. In situ measurements of pyroCb smoke reveal its distinctive and exceptionally stable aerosol properties and define the long-term influence of pyroCb activity on the stratospheric aerosol budget. Analysis of 13 years of airborne observations shows that pyroCb are responsible for 10 to 25% of the black carbon and organic aerosols in the “present-day” lower stratosphere, with similar impacts in both the North and South Hemispheres. These results suggest that, should pyroCb increase in frequency and/or magnitude in future climates, they could generate dominant trends in stratospheric aerosol.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)815-820
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume379
Issue number6634
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 24 2023
Externally publishedYes

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