Assessing the Climatic Impacts of Biomass Burning Aerosols over Southeast Asian Maritime Continent Using Mesoscale Model and Multi-sensor Satellite Observations

The influences of anthropogenic aerosols have been suggested as an important reason for climate changes over Southeast Asia (SE Asia, 10S~20N and 90E~135E). Accurate observations and modelling of aerosols effects on the weather and climate patterns is crucial for a better understanding and mitigation of anthropogenic climate change. This study uses NASA satellite observations along with online-coupled Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to evaluate aerosols impacts on climate over SE Asia. We assess the direct and semi-direct radiative effects of smoke particles over this region during September, 2009 when a significant El Niņo event caused the highest biomass burning activity during the last 15 years. Quantification efforts are made to assess how radiative and non radiative parameters (sensible and latent heat) affect regional climate process such as precipitations, clouds and planetary boundary layer process. Comparison of model simulations for the current land cover conditions against surface meteorological observations and satellite observations of precipitations and cloudiness show satisfactory performance of the model over our study area. In order to quantitatively validate the model results, several experiments will be performed to test the aerosols radiative feedback under different radiation schemes and with/without considering aerosol effects explicitly in the model. Relevant ground-based data (AERONET), along with aerosol vertical profile data from CALIPSO, will also be applied.