Increases in Land Surface Temperature in Response to Fire in Siberian Boreal Forests and Their Attribution to Biophysical Processes

Zhihua Liu; Ashley P. Ballantyne; L. Annie Cooper

doi:10.1029/2018GL078283

Increases in Land Surface Temperature in Response to Fire in Siberian Boreal Forests and Their Attribution to Biophysical Processes

Zhihua Liu
, Ashley P. Ballantyne
, L. Annie Cooper

University of Montana

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Wildfire is the most prevalent natural disturbance in boreal forests and impacts climate through biogeochemical (e.g., greenhouse gas emission from biomass burning) and biophysical (e.g., albedo [α], evapotranspiration [ET], and roughness) processes. We used satellite observations to investigate the immediate (i.e., 1 year after fire) biophysical effects of fire in Siberian boreal forests. We found that boreal forest fires have a net annual warming effect (0.0728 to 0.325 K) due to strong summer warming and weak winter cooling. Fires also increased the diurnal temperature range and seasonal amplitude. These effects are strongest in summer and significantly higher in evergreen than in deciduous coniferous forests. Decreases in ET contributed to warming effects in summer, and increases in α contributed to cooling in winter. Our results suggest that the increase in observed land surface temperature immediately following fires in boreal ecosystems is most likely due to reduced ET leading to a strong positive feedback on the surface radiative budget.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6485-6494
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	45
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078283
State	Published - Jul 16 2018

Funding

Z.L. was supported by an NSF grant (1550932), NSFC (31470517), and CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program. L.A.C. was supported by a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NNX15AN16H). All data analyzed in this study are publicly available. MODIS data are available from the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC: https://lpdaac.usgs. gov/). ET data are available from the NTSG group at the University of Montana (http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/). Radiation data are available from the NASA Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) website (https://ceres.larc.nasa.gov/index.php). Z.L. was supported by an NSF grant (1550932), NSFC (31470517), and CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program. L.A.C. was supported by a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NNX15AN16H). All data analyzed in this study are publicly available. MODIS data are available from the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC: https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/). ET data are available from the NTSG group at the University of Montana (http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/). Radiation data are available from the NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) website (https://ceres.larc.nasa.gov/index.php).

Funders	Funder number
1550932
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NNX15AN16H
National Natural Science Foundation of China	31470517

Keywords

boreal fire
climate
disturbance
forest
land surface temperature
remote sensing

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1029/2018GL078283

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title = "Increases in Land Surface Temperature in Response to Fire in Siberian Boreal Forests and Their Attribution to Biophysical Processes",

abstract = "Wildfire is the most prevalent natural disturbance in boreal forests and impacts climate through biogeochemical (e.g., greenhouse gas emission from biomass burning) and biophysical (e.g., albedo [α], evapotranspiration [ET], and roughness) processes. We used satellite observations to investigate the immediate (i.e., 1 year after fire) biophysical effects of fire in Siberian boreal forests. We found that boreal forest fires have a net annual warming effect (0.0728 to 0.325 K) due to strong summer warming and weak winter cooling. Fires also increased the diurnal temperature range and seasonal amplitude. These effects are strongest in summer and significantly higher in evergreen than in deciduous coniferous forests. Decreases in ET contributed to warming effects in summer, and increases in α contributed to cooling in winter. Our results suggest that the increase in observed land surface temperature immediately following fires in boreal ecosystems is most likely due to reduced ET leading to a strong positive feedback on the surface radiative budget.",

keywords = "boreal fire, climate, disturbance, forest, land surface temperature, remote sensing",

author = "Zhihua Liu and Ballantyne, \{Ashley P.\} and Cooper, \{L. Annie\}",

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AU - Liu, Zhihua

AU - Ballantyne, Ashley P.

AU - Cooper, L. Annie

PY - 2018/7/16

Y1 - 2018/7/16

N2 - Wildfire is the most prevalent natural disturbance in boreal forests and impacts climate through biogeochemical (e.g., greenhouse gas emission from biomass burning) and biophysical (e.g., albedo [α], evapotranspiration [ET], and roughness) processes. We used satellite observations to investigate the immediate (i.e., 1 year after fire) biophysical effects of fire in Siberian boreal forests. We found that boreal forest fires have a net annual warming effect (0.0728 to 0.325 K) due to strong summer warming and weak winter cooling. Fires also increased the diurnal temperature range and seasonal amplitude. These effects are strongest in summer and significantly higher in evergreen than in deciduous coniferous forests. Decreases in ET contributed to warming effects in summer, and increases in α contributed to cooling in winter. Our results suggest that the increase in observed land surface temperature immediately following fires in boreal ecosystems is most likely due to reduced ET leading to a strong positive feedback on the surface radiative budget.

AB - Wildfire is the most prevalent natural disturbance in boreal forests and impacts climate through biogeochemical (e.g., greenhouse gas emission from biomass burning) and biophysical (e.g., albedo [α], evapotranspiration [ET], and roughness) processes. We used satellite observations to investigate the immediate (i.e., 1 year after fire) biophysical effects of fire in Siberian boreal forests. We found that boreal forest fires have a net annual warming effect (0.0728 to 0.325 K) due to strong summer warming and weak winter cooling. Fires also increased the diurnal temperature range and seasonal amplitude. These effects are strongest in summer and significantly higher in evergreen than in deciduous coniferous forests. Decreases in ET contributed to warming effects in summer, and increases in α contributed to cooling in winter. Our results suggest that the increase in observed land surface temperature immediately following fires in boreal ecosystems is most likely due to reduced ET leading to a strong positive feedback on the surface radiative budget.

KW - boreal fire

KW - climate

KW - disturbance

KW - forest

KW - land surface temperature

KW - remote sensing

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Increases in Land Surface Temperature in Response to Fire in Siberian Boreal Forests and Their Attribution to Biophysical Processes

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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