Version 1
: Received: 22 December 2023 / Approved: 22 December 2023 / Online: 25 December 2023 (11:22:50 CET)
How to cite:
Yurganov, L. Interconnections of Coal and Forest Fires in Siberia and Australia: Satellite CO Measurements. Preprints2023, 2023121791. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1791.v1
Yurganov, L. Interconnections of Coal and Forest Fires in Siberia and Australia: Satellite CO Measurements. Preprints 2023, 2023121791. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1791.v1
Yurganov, L. Interconnections of Coal and Forest Fires in Siberia and Australia: Satellite CO Measurements. Preprints2023, 2023121791. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1791.v1
APA Style
Yurganov, L. (2023). Interconnections of Coal and Forest Fires in Siberia and Australia: Satellite CO Measurements. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1791.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Yurganov, L. 2023 "Interconnections of Coal and Forest Fires in Siberia and Australia: Satellite CO Measurements" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.1791.v1
Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in wildfire plumes are easily measured from satellites. This gas can be used as a proxy for carbon dioxide. Forest fires play an important role in the carbon balance and in particular the CO balance. The most likely causes of mega-fires of 2003, 2012, 2021, and 2023 in the Northern hemisphere are heat waves and severe droughts associated with changes in general circulation. Here we analyze satellite data obtained by two different sounders, AIRS and TROPOMI. Different sensitivity to the lowest troposphere allows obtaining information about anthropogenic or pyrogenic contamination of the boundary layer. Shapes of areas polluted by mega-fires in 2019-2020 (Southeastern Australia) and 2021 (Central Siberia) coincide with the areas occupied by coal deposits. The Siberian Lena and Tunguska coal basins are the two largest coal fields in the world. In 2021, their combined area accounted for 90% of fire CO emission from the entire Russian Federation. So strong fires have not observed in this area before. Under- and sub-ground coal combustion may be included into the list of wildfire fuels, at least their role for ignition should be admitted. Further research is needed to assess the importance of coal fires to global climate.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
