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Daily and 3-hourly Variability in Global Fire Emissions and Consequences for Atmospheric Model Predictions of Carbon MonoxideAttribution of the causes of atmospheric trace gas and aerosol variability often requires the use of high resolution time series of anthropogenic and natural emissions inventories. Here we developed an approach for representing synoptic- and diurnal-scale temporal variability in fire emissions for the Global Fire Emissions Database version 3 (GFED3). We disaggregated monthly GFED3 emissions during 2003.2009 to a daily time step using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) ]derived measurements of active fires from Terra and Aqua satellites. In parallel, mean diurnal cycles were constructed from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Wildfire Automated Biomass Burning Algorithm (WF_ABBA) active fire observations. Daily variability in fires varied considerably across different biomes, with short but intense periods of daily emissions in boreal ecosystems and lower intensity (but more continuous) periods of burning in savannas. These patterns were consistent with earlier field and modeling work characterizing fire behavior dynamics in different ecosystems. On diurnal timescales, our analysis of the GOES WF_ABBA active fires indicated that fires in savannas, grasslands, and croplands occurred earlier in the day as compared to fires in nearby forests. Comparison with Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) and Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) column CO observations provided evidence that including daily variability in emissions moderately improved atmospheric model simulations, particularly during the fire season and near regions with high levels of biomass burning. The high temporal resolution estimates of fire emissions developed here may ultimately reduce uncertainties related to fire contributions to atmospheric trace gases and aerosols. Important future directions include reconciling top ]down and bottom up estimates of fire radiative power and integrating burned area and active fire time series from multiple satellite sensors to improve daily emissions estimates.
Document ID
20120013667
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Mu, M.
(California Univ. Irvine, CA, United States)
Randerson, J. T.
(California Univ. Irvine, CA, United States)
vanderWerf, G. R.
(VU Univ. Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Giglio, L.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Kasibhatla, P.
(Duke Univ. Durham, NC, United States)
Morton, D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Collatz, G. J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
DeFries, R. S.
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Hyer, E. J.
(Naval Research Lab. Monterey, CA, United States)
Prins, E. M.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
Griffith, D. W. T.
(Wollongong Univ. Australia)
Wunch, D.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Toon, G. C.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Sherlock, V.
(National Inst. of Water and Atmospheric Research Wellington, New Zealand)
Wennberg, P. O.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
December 24, 2011
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Volume: 116
Subject Category
Geosciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.6428.2012
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: CO1X0406
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX08AF64G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS7-03001
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX08AI86G
CONTRACT_GRANT: CO1X0204
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX10AT83G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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