Observation Requirements for Global Biomass Burning Emission Monitoring

Abstract

Observation Requirements for Global Biomass Burning Emission Monitoring

Kaiser J.W., Schultz M.G., J.M. Grégoire, E. Bartholomé, M. Leroy, Engelen R., Simmons A., Hollingsworth A.

European Centre for Medium−Range Weather Forecasts, MPI Meteorologie, Joint Research Centre, Medias−France

2006 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference – Session: Global Environmental Monitoring. Helsinki, Finland,12 – 16 June 2006.

ABSTRACT Biomass burning changes the land surface drastically and constitutes a significant source for atmospheric trace gases and aerosols. It is the dominant source for some aspects of atmospheric composition variability. Therefore biomass burning and its emissions need to be observed and modelled accurately for the monitoring of the global environment. HALO is a GMES Specific Support Action (SSA). It supports the joint transition of the integrated projects (IPs) MERSEA, GEOLAND, and GEMS to operational status within the GMES framework. The monitoring of biomass burning emissions has emerged as an important issue in HALO. GEMS and GEOLAND are the Ips for the atmosphere and the land cover and vegetation themes of the GMES backbone, respectively. Thus bothneed to monitor aspects of biomass burning. <http://www.ecmwf.int/research/EU_projects/HALO> GEMS aims at creating a new European operational system for global monitoring of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and an operational system to produce improved medium−range and short−range air−chemistry forecasts through much improved exploitation of satellite data. We will present an overview of the GEMS requirements on biomass burning emission observations, including an outlook onto further developments that will have to occur during the transition to operational status. We propose a strategy that will progressively meet the GEMS needs and has been designed to interfere only minimally with other developments in the GEMS system. Its requirements on the global fire products generated by the observation system will be formulated.