Impact of biomass burning aerosol from Amazon associated with changes of snow albedo over the Central Andes mountains using satellite remote sensing data

BOLAÑO-ORTIZ, TOMÁS R.; RUGGERI, M. FLORENCIA; BERNÁ PEÑA, LUCAS LUCIANO; PULIAFITO ENRIQUE; LAKKIS, GABRIELA; CERECEDA-BALIC, FRANCISCO

Conferencia; IGAC 2021 Virtual Conference; 2021

IGAC

Each year, biomass burning in Amazonia (BBA) remains to release large amounts of aerosol particles into the South American atmosphere. The orographic control of the Andes favoring winds in a north-south direction. This situation conducive BBA aerosols to travel thousands of km to reach the Central Andes mountains (CA) of Argentina and Chile (30ºS to 40ºS) where it can reach the snowy areas and deposit it there, reducing its surface albedo and therefore increasing its melting rate. In 2019 there were more sources of burning than the historical average. Also, the high BBA emissions coincided with prevailing northerlies winds from August 22 to 27 of this year and smoke plumes that reached the east side of CA.