Gohil et al. (2025) Global Simulations Suggest Biomass Burning Aerosol Emissions From Grassland Fires Could Be Important Ice Nucleating Particles

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-13
• Authors: Kanishk Gohil, Noah Asch, Ryan C. Sullivan, Paul J. DeMott, Hamish Gordon
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd043647

Research Groups

UK Met Office

Short Summary

This study investigates the global importance of biomass burning aerosols (BBA) as immersion-mode ice nucleating particles (INP) using a global aerosol-climate model. It finds that BBA can be a more significant INP source than mineral dust and marine INP in specific atmospheric regions and seasons, particularly over the Southern Hemisphere during June-September.

Objective

• To investigate the potential global importance of biomass burning aerosols (BBA) as immersion-mode ice nucleating particles (INP) and quantify their relative importance compared to other INP sources.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on the region between 15°S and 50°S.
• Temporal Scale: Seasonal, specifically June–September, and seasons characterized by frequent grassland fires.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: UK Met Office Unified Model (UM), a global aerosol-climate model.
• Data sources: Field campaign data sets (used for model evaluation).

Main Results

• Biomass burning aerosols (BBA) are capable of nucleating ice crystals via immersion freezing at temperatures between approximately -30°C and -15°C.
• Averaged over June–September between 15°S and 50°S, BBA is a more important INP source than dust and marine INP approximately 30% of the time at altitudes with temperatures between -30°C and -20°C.
• Simulations suggest that BBA INPs may be at least as important as mineral dust and marine INP over atmospheric regions and seasons where grassland fires are frequent.
• The study also examined potential uncertainties in fuel types and particle sizes on BBA-based INP concentrations.

Contributions

• Provides a quantification of the potential global importance of BBA as INP using a global aerosol-climate model.
• Offers insights into the relative contribution of BBA INP compared to established sources like mineral dust and marine INP in specific regions and seasons.
• Highlights the influence of uncertainties in fuel types and particle sizes on BBA-based INP concentrations.

Funding

Not specified in the provided abstract.

Citation

@article{Gohil2025Global,
  author = {Gohil, Kanishk and Asch, Noah and Sullivan, Ryan C. and DeMott, Paul J. and Gordon, Hamish},
  title = {Global Simulations Suggest Biomass Burning Aerosol Emissions From Grassland Fires Could Be Important Ice Nucleating Particles},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd043647},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd043647}
}