Black carbon’s role in firestorm-induced climate effects

Pyrocumulonimbus clouds. Credit: NOAA

Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds, powerful storm clouds produced during some wildfires, can send large amounts of a potent climate warmer called black carbon high into the atmosphere, where it can linger for months. A new study, partially supported by the Climate Program Office’s Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle and Climate (AC4) program, used advanced methods to measure black carbon particles from within a pyroCb cloud, focusing on how these particles absorb light. The findings, published in Nature Communications, show that black carbon particles with thicker coatings of other materials absorb more light, potentially doubling their warming effect. This research improves scientists’ understanding of the warming effects of black carbon and accurately assesses their impact on the atmosphere and climate.