Biomass burning aerosols in most climate models are too absorbing

Hunter Brown, Xiaohong Liu (), Rudra Pokhrel, Shane Murphy, Zheng Lu, Rawad Saleh, Tero Mielonen, Harri Kokkola, Tommi Bergman, Gunnar Myhre, Ragnhild B. Skeie, Duncan Watson-Paris, Philip Stier, Ben Johnson, Nicolas Bellouin, Michael Schulz, Ville Vakkari, Johan Paul Beukes, Pieter Gideon Zyl, Shang Liu and Duli Chand
Additional contact information
Hunter Brown: University of Wyoming
Xiaohong Liu: University of Wyoming
Rudra Pokhrel: University of Wyoming
Shane Murphy: University of Wyoming
Zheng Lu: University of Wyoming
Rawad Saleh: University of Georgia
Tero Mielonen: Finnish Meteorological Institute
Harri Kokkola: Finnish Meteorological Institute
Tommi Bergman: Climate System Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Gunnar Myhre: Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO)
Ragnhild B. Skeie: Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO)
Duncan Watson-Paris: University of Oxford
Philip Stier: University of Oxford
Ben Johnson: Met Office
Nicolas Bellouin: University of Reading
Michael Schulz: Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Ville Vakkari: Finnish Meteorological Institute
Johan Paul Beukes: North-West University
Pieter Gideon Zyl: North-West University
Shang Liu: University of Science and Technology of China
Duli Chand: Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Uncertainty in the representation of biomass burning (BB) aerosol composition and optical properties in climate models contributes to a range in modeled aerosol effects on incoming solar radiation. Depending on the model, the top-of-the-atmosphere BB aerosol effect can range from cooling to warming. By relating aerosol absorption relative to extinction and carbonaceous aerosol composition from 12 observational datasets to nine state-of-the-art Earth system models/chemical transport models, we identify varying degrees of overestimation in BB aerosol absorptivity by these models. Modifications to BB aerosol refractive index, size, and mixing state improve the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) agreement with observations, leading to a global change in BB direct radiative effect of −0.07 W m−2, and regional changes of −2 W m−2 (Africa) and −0.5 W m−2 (South America/Temperate). Our findings suggest that current modeled BB contributes less to warming than previously thought, largely due to treatments of aerosol mixing state.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-20482-9

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20482-9

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