Characterization of Stratospheric Smoke Particles over the Antarctica by Remote Sensing Instruments

• Published in: Remote Sensing
• Main Authors: Ramiro González, Carlos Toledano, Roberto Román, David Mateos, Eija Asmi, Edith Rodríguez, Ian C. Lau, Jonathan Ferrara, Raúl D’Elia, Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez, Victoria E. Cachorro, Abel Calle, Ángel M. de Frutos
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020
• Subjects: Antarctica; aerosol; optical properties; biomass burning; Australian fires; smoke ageing; Science; Q; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Pacific; Marambio; Aerosol Robotic Network; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12223769; https://doaj.org/article/c504936940674b71b86328fc00243c4c

Australian smoke from the extraordinary biomass burning in December 2019 was observed over Marambio, Antarctica from the 7th to the 10th January, 2020. The smoke plume was transported thousands of kilometers over the Pacific Ocean, and reached the Antarctic Peninsula at a hight of 13 km, as determined by satellite lidar observations. The proposed origin and trajectory of the aerosol are supported by back-trajectory model analyses. Ground-based Sun–Sky–Moon photometer belonging to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measured aerosol optical depth (500 nm wavelength) above 0.3, which is unprecedented for the site. Inversion of sky radiances provide the optical and microphysical properties of the smoke over Marambio. The AERONET data near the fire origin in Tumbarumba, Australia, was used to investigate the changes in the measured aerosol properties after transport and ageing. The analysis shows an increase in the fine mode particle radius and a reduction in absorption (increase in the single scattering albedo). The available long-term AOD data series at Marambio suggests that smoke particles could have remained over Antarctica for several weeks after the analyzed event.