Regional Climate Impacts of El-Nino Induced Extreme Biomass Burning Emissions in Equatorial Asia

Abstract:

We use an ensemble of simulations of large El Nino events, using the UK Earth System Model 1 (UKESM1) coupled composition-climate model, to study the climate impact of the large biomass-burning events that typically occur in equatorial Asia in extreme El Nino years, which are well-known for releasing huge quantities of smoke into the atmosphere and severely affecting the whole region when they occur. By comparing coupled atmosphere-ocean simulations with observed regional emissions versus emissions from a non-El Nino year, we investigate the radiative forcing, subsequent climate impacts, and potential ENSO feedbacks, during and in the months succeeding these extreme biomass-burning events.