Modeling the solar radiative impact of aerosols from biomass burning during the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI‐2000) experiment

Abstract

In this study, we model the radiative impact of biomass burning aerosols with meteorological data for the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI‐2000) experiment campaign period. Satellite, ground‐based, and aircraft observations are used in the validation of the modeled aerosol optical depth (AOD), vertical profiles, and radiative impact of the aerosols. The modeled pattern and magnitude of the AOD is generally in good agreement with the observations. The meteorological conditions are found to be important in determining the distribution of the aerosols. The modeled radiative impact of the biomass aerosols compares well to measurements. During September 2000, the modeled radiative impact of biomass aerosols reaches −50 W m −2 locally.