Communications Earth & Environment (May 2023)
African biomass burning affects aerosol cycling over the Amazon
- Bruna A. Holanda,
- Marco A. Franco,
- David Walter,
- Paulo Artaxo,
- Samara Carbone,
- Yafang Cheng,
- Sourangsu Chowdhury,
- Florian Ditas,
- Martin Gysel-Beer,
- Thomas Klimach,
- Leslie A. Kremper,
- Ovid O. Krüger,
- Jost V. Lavric,
- Jos Lelieveld,
- Chaoqun Ma,
- Luiz A. T. Machado,
- Robin L. Modini,
- Fernando G. Morais,
- Andrea Pozzer,
- Jorge Saturno,
- Hang Su,
- Manfred Wendisch,
- Stefan Wolff,
- Mira L. Pöhlker,
- Meinrat O. Andreae,
- Ulrich Pöschl,
- Christopher Pöhlker
Affiliations
- Bruna A. Holanda
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Marco A. Franco
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- David Walter
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Paulo Artaxo
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo
- Samara Carbone
- Institute of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia
- Yafang Cheng
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Sourangsu Chowdhury
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Florian Ditas
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Martin Gysel-Beer
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute
- Thomas Klimach
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Leslie A. Kremper
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Ovid O. Krüger
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Jost V. Lavric
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
- Jos Lelieveld
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Chaoqun Ma
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Luiz A. T. Machado
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Robin L. Modini
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute
- Fernando G. Morais
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo
- Andrea Pozzer
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Jorge Saturno
- Biogeochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Hang Su
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Manfred Wendisch
- Leipzig Institute for Meteorology, Leipzig University
- Stefan Wolff
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Mira L. Pöhlker
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Meinrat O. Andreae
- Biogeochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Ulrich Pöschl
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- Christopher Pöhlker
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00795-5
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 4,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 15
Abstract
Abstract Smoke from vegetation fires affects air quality, atmospheric cycling, and the climate in the Amazon rain forest. A major unknown has remained the quantity of long-range transported smoke from Africa in relation to local and regional fire emissions. Here we quantify the abundance, seasonality, and properties of African smoke in central Amazonia. We show that it accounts for ~ 60% of the black carbon concentrations during the wet season and ~ 30% during the dry season. The African smoke influences aerosol-radiation interactions across the entire Amazon, with the strongest impact on the vulnerable eastern basin, a hot spot of climate and land use change. Our findings further suggest that the direct influence of African smoke has been historically relevant for soil fertilization, the carbon and water cycles, and, thus, the development of the Amazon forest ecosystem, even in the pre-industrial era.
