Abstract
Biomass Burning (BB) aerosol has attracted considerable attention due to its detrimental effects on climate through its radiative properties. In Africa, fire patterns are anticorrelated with the southward-northward movement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Each year between June and September, BB occurs in the southern hemisphere of Africa, and aerosols are carried westward by the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) and advected at an altitude of between 2 and 4 km. Observations made during a field campaign of Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) (Knippertz et al., Bull Am Meteorol Soc 96:1451–1460, 2015) during the West African Monsoon (WAM) of June–July 2016 have revealed large quantities of BB aerosols in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) over southern West Africa (SWA).
This chapter examines the effects of the long-range transport of BB aerosols on the climate over SWA by means of a modeling study, and proposes several adaptation and mitigation strategies for policy makers regarding this phenomenon. A high-resolution regional climate model, known as the Consortium for Small-scale Modelling – Aerosols and Reactive Traces (COSMO-ART) gases, was used to conduct two set of experiments, with and without BB emissions, to quantify their impacts on the SWA atmosphere. Results revealed a reduction in surface shortwave (SW) radiation of up to about 6.5 W m−2 and an 11% increase of Cloud Droplets Number Concentration (CDNC) over the SWA domain. Also, an increase of 12.45% in Particulate Matter (PM25) surface concentration was observed in Abidjan (9.75 μg m−3), Accra (10.7 μg m−3), Cotonou (10.7 μg m−3), and Lagos (8 μg m−3), while the carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratio increased by 90 ppb in Abidjan and Accra due to BB. Moreover, BB aerosols were found to contribute to a 70% increase of organic carbon (OC) below 1 km in the PBL, followed by black carbon (BC) with 24.5%. This work highlights the contribution of the long-range transport of BB pollutants to pollution levels in SWA and their effects on the climate. It focuses on a case study of 3 days (5–7 July 2016). However, more research on a longer time period is necessary to inform decision making properly.
This study emphasizes the need to implement a long-term air quality monitoring system in SWA as a method of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Abbreviations
- ADF:
-
Abidjan domestic fire
- AEJ:
-
African easterly jet
- AGL:
-
Altitude above ground level
- AOD:
-
Aerosol optical depth
- BB:
-
Biomass burning
- BC:
-
Black carbon
- CDNC:
-
Cloud droplets number concentration
- CO:
-
Carbon monoxide
- COSMO-ART:
-
Consortium for Small-scale Modelling – Aerosols and Reactive Traces gases
- DACCIWA:
-
Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa
- DMS:
-
Dimethyl sulfide
- DWD:
-
German weather service
- EDGAR HTAP_v2:
-
Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution version 2
- FRP:
-
Fire radiative power
- GFAS:
-
Global Fire Assimilation System
- ICON:
-
Icosahedral nonhydrostatic
- ITCZ:
-
Intertropical convergence zone
- ITD:
-
Intertropical discontinuity
- MODIS:
-
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
- MOZART:
-
Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers
- NOx:
-
Nitrogen oxide
- OC:
-
Organic carbon
- PBL:
-
Planetary boundary layer
- PM:
-
Particulate matter
- STRATOZ:
-
Stratospheric ozone experiment
- SW:
-
Shortwave
- SWA:
-
Southern West Africa
- TOA:
-
Top of atmosphere
- TROPOZ:
-
Tropospheric ozone experiment
- WAM:
-
West African monsoon
- WHO:
-
World Health Organisation
- WRF-Chem:
-
Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry
References
Adebiyi AA, Zuidema P (2016) The role of the southern African easterly jet in modifying the Southeast Atlantic aerosol and cloud environments. Q J R Meteorol Soc. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2765
Adon AJ, Liousse C, Doumbia ET, Baeza-Squiban A et al (2020) Physico-chemical characterization of urban aerosols from specific combustion sources in West Africa at Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and Cotonou in Benin in the frame of the DACCIWA program. Atmos Chem Phys 20: 5327–5354. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5327-2020
Athanasopoulou E, Vogel H, Vogel B et al (2013) Modeling the meteorological and chemical effects of secondary organic aerosols during an EUCAARI campaign. Atmos Chem Phys 13:625–645. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-625-2013
Bangert M, Nenes A, Vogel B et al (2012) Saharan dust event impacts on cloud formation and radiation over Western Europe. Atmos Chem Phys 12:4045–4063. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-4045-2012
Barbosa PM, Stroppiana D, Grégoire JM, Pereira JMC (1999) An assessment of vegetation fire in Africa (1981–1991): burned areas, burned biomass, and atmospheric emissions. Global Biogeochem Cycles. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GB900042
Bowman DMJS, Balch J, Artaxo P et al (2011) The human dimension of fire regimes on earth. J Biogeogr 38:2223–2236. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02595.x
Chatfield RB, Vastano JA, Li L et al (1998) The Great African Plume from biomass burning: generalizations from a three-dimensional study of TRACE A carbon monoxide. J Geophys Res Atmos 103:28059–28077. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JD03363
Dajuma A, Ogunjobi KO, Vogel H et al (2020) Downward cloud venting of the central African biomass burning plume during the West Africa summer monsoon. Atmos Chem Phys 20:5373–5390. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-5373-2020
Deetz K, Vogel B (2017) Development of a new gas-flaring emission dataset for southern West Africa. Geosci Model Dev 10:1607–1620. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-1607-2017
Deetz K, Vogel H, Knippertz P et al (2018) Numerical simulations of aerosol radiative effects and their impact on clouds and atmospheric dynamics over southern West Africa. Atmos Chem Phys 18:9767–9788. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9767-2018
Deroubaix A, Flamant C, Menut L et al (2018) Interactions of atmospheric gases and aerosols with the monsoon dynamics over the Sudano-Guinean region during AMMA. Atmos Chem Phys 18:445–465. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-445-2018
Deroubaix A, Menut L, Flamant C et al (2019) Diurnal cycle of coastal anthropogenic pollutant transport over southern West Africa during the DACCIWA campaign. Atmos Chem Phys 19:473–497. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-473-2019
Djossou J, Léon JF, Barthélemy AA et al (2018) Mass concentration, optical depth and carbon composition of particulate matter in the major southern West African cities of Cotonou (Benin) and Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). Atmos Chem Phys 18:6275–6291. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6275-2018
Doumbia M, Toure NE, Silue S et al (2018) Emissions from the road traffic of West African cities: assessment of vehicle fleet and fuel consumption. Energies 11:1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092300
Edgar (2010) EDGAR – Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research. Glob Emiss EDGAR v42 (November 2011). https://doi.org/10.2904/EDGARv4.2
Emmons LK, Walters S, Hess PG et al (2010) Description and evaluation of the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4). Geosci Model Dev 3:43–67. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-3-43-2010
Evans MJ, Knippertz P, Aristide A, Allan RP (2019) Policy-relevant findings of the DACCIWA. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1476843
Flamant C, Deroubaix A, Chazette P et al (2018) Aerosol distribution in the northern Gulf of Guinea: local anthropogenic sources, long-range transport, and the role of coastal shallow circulations. Atmos Chem Phys 18:12363–12389. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12363-2018
Hao WM, Liu MH (1994) Spatial and temporal distribution of tropical biomass burning. Global Biogeochem Cycles. https://doi.org/10.1029/94GB02086
Haslett SL, Taylor JW, Evans M et al (2019) Remote biomass burning dominates southern West African air pollution during the monsoon. Atmos Chem Phys 19:15217–15234. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15217-2019
Huang J, Adams A, Wang C, Zhang C (2013) Black Carbon and West African Monsoon precipitation: observations and simulations. Ann Geophys 27:4171–4181
Huang X, Ding A, Liu L et al (2016) Effects of aerosol-radiation interaction on precipitation during biomass-burning season in East China. Atmos Chem Phys 16:10063–10082. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10063-2016
Jiang Y, Lu Z, Liu X et al (2016) Impacts of global open-fire aerosols on direct radiative, cloud and surface-albedo effects simulated with CAM5. Atmos Chem Phys 16:14805–14824. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14805-2016
Kaiser JW, Heil A, Andreae MO et al (2012) Biomass burning emissions estimated with a global fire assimilation system basedon observed fire radiative power. Biogeosciences 9:527–554. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-527-2012
Knippertz P, Evans MJ, Field PR et al (2015) The possible role of local air pollution in climate change in West Africa. Nat Clim Chang 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2727
Knippertz P, Fink AH, Deroubaix A et al (2017) A meteorological and chemical overview of the DACCIWA field campaign in West Africa in June-July 2016. Atmos Chem Phys 17:10893–10918. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10893-2017
Knote C, Brunner D, Vogel H et al (2010) Online-coupled chemistry and aerosols: COSMO-ART modelperformance
Lana A., Bell T. G,. Simó R., et al (2011) An updated climatology of surface dimethlysulfide concentrations and emission fluxes in the global ocean. Global Biogeochem Cycles 25:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GB003850
Lelieveld J, Fnais M, Evans JS et al (2015) The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale. Nature 525:367–371. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15371
Marenco A, Medale JC, Prieur S (1990) Study of tropospheric ozone in the tropical belt (Africa, America) from STRATOZ and TROPOZ campaign. Atmos Environ 24:2823–2834. https://doi.org/10.1016/0960-1686(90)90169-N
Mari CH, Cailley G, Corre L et al (2008) Tracing biomass burning plumes from the Southern Hemisphere during the AMMA 2006 wet season experiment. Atmos Chem Phys 8:3951–3961. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-8-3951-2008
Mauderly JL, Chow JC (2008) Health effects of organic aerosols. Inhal Toxicol 20:257–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958370701866008
Mbow C, Nielsen TT, Rasmussen KC (2000) Savanna fires in East-Central Senegal: distribution patterns, resource management and perceptions. Hum Ecol 28(4):561–583
Menut L, Flamant C, Turquety S et al (2018) Impact of biomass burning on pollutant surface concentrations in megacities of the Gulf of Guinea. Atmos Chem Phys 18:2687–2707. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2687-2018
N’Datchoh ET, Konaré A, Diedhiou A et al (2015) Effects of climate variability on savannah fire regimes in West Africa. Earth Syst Dynam 6:161–174. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-161-2015
Pani SK, Wang SH, Lin NH et al (2016) Radiative effect of springtime biomass-burning aerosols over northern Indochina during 7-SEAS/BASELInE 2013 campaign. Aerosol Air Qual Res 16:2802–2817. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2016.03.0130
Real E, Orlandi E, Law KS et al (2010) Cross-hemispheric transport of central African biomass burning pollutants: implications for downwind ozone production. Atmos Chem Phys 10:3027–3046. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3027-2010
Reddington CL, Butt EW, Ridley DA et al (2015) Air quality and human health improvements from reductions in deforestation-related fire in Brazil. Nat Geosci 8:768–771. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2535
Stowe LL, Jacobowitz H, Ohring G et al (2002) The advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) pathfinder atmosphere (PATMOS) climate dataset: initial analyses and evaluations. J Clim 15:1243–1260. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1243:TAVHRR>2.0.CO;2
Swap RJ, Annegarn HJ, Suttles JT et al (2002) The southern African regional science initiative (SAFARI 2000): overview of the dry season field campaign. S Afr J Sci 98:125–130
Thornhill GD, Ryder CL, Highwood EJ et al (2018) The effect of south American biomass burning aerosol emissions on the regional climate. Atmos Chem Phys 18:5321–5342. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-5321-2018
Twomey S (1977) The influence of pollution on the shortwave albedo of clouds. J Atmos Sci 34:1149–1152. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1977)034<1149:TIOPOT>2.0.CO;2
UNO (2018) The world’s cities in 2018. https://doi.org/10.18356/c93f4dc6-en
Vogel B, Vogel H, Bäumer D et al (2009) The comprehensive model system COSMO-ART – radiative impact of aerosol on the state of the atmosphere on the regional scale. Atmos Chem Phys 9:8661–8680. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8661-2009
Walter C, Freitas SR, Kottmeier C et al (2016) The importance of plume rise on the concentrations and atmospheric impacts of biomass burning aerosol. Atmos Chem Phys 16:9201–9219. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9201-2016
Zängl G, Reinert D, Rípodas P, Baldauf M (2015) The ICON (ICOsahedral non-hydrostatic) modelling framework of DWD and MPI-M: description of the non-hydrostatic dynamical core. Q J R Meteorol Soc 141:563–579. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2378
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Dajuma, A. et al. (2020). Biomass Burning Effects on the Climate over Southern West Africa During the Summer Monsoon. In: Leal Filho, W., Ogugu, N., Adelake, L., Ayal, D., da Silva, I. (eds) African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42091-8_86-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42091-8_86-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-42091-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-42091-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Biomass Burning Effects on the Climate over Southern West Africa During the Summer Monsoon- Published:
- 25 September 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42091-8_86-2
-
Original
Biomass Burning Effects on the Climate over Southern West Africa During the Summer Monsoon- Published:
- 04 August 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42091-8_86-1