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Strong Wildfires in the Russian Federation in 2021 Detected Using Satellite Data

  • USE OF SPACE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTH STUDYING CATASTROPHIC NATURAL PROCESSES FROM SPACE
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Abstract

On the basis of satellite monitoring data, the features of large natural fires and the volumes of CO, CO2, and PM2.5 emissions caused by them on the territory of Russian Federation and in its individual regions from April to October 2001–2021 have been studied. It has been found that, in July and August 2021, the average monthly values of the areas covered by fire throughout Russia exceeded by 25 000 and 24 500 km2 similar values recorded in these months for the period from 2001 to 2020. Excess values of the areas covered by fire in the territory of large regions in 2021 compared to 2020 were revealed: in April in the European part of Russia (by 2100 km2), in May in the Ural Federal District (by 6700 km2), in the Siberian Federal District (by 8400 km2), and in July and August in the Far Eastern Federal District (by 18 400 and 27 000 km2, respectively). It has been found that, in certain months of 2021, an increase in the contribution of emissions caused by natural fires in the territories of these regions to the total emissions in the country reached 44.9% when compared to 2020. Using satellite data, an analysis was carried out of changes in the gas composition of the atmosphere during the period of strong fires in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in July 2021, which revealed areas of anomalously high CO and CH4 concentrations and an increase in the aerosol index (AI) from 1.4 to 3.7.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.G. Bondur for scientific guidance, useful discussions, and advice during research.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, agreement no. 075-15-2020-776.

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  1. AEROCOSMOS Institute for Scientific Research of Aerospace Monitoring, 105064, Moscow, Russia

    O. S. Voronova, K. A. Gordo, A. L. Zima & N. V. Feoktistova

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  1. O. S. Voronova
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  2. K. A. Gordo
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Translated by V. Selikhanovich

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Voronova, O.S., Gordo, K.A., Zima, A.L. et al. Strong Wildfires in the Russian Federation in 2021 Detected Using Satellite Data. Izv. Atmos. Ocean. Phys. 58, 1065–1076 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001433822090225

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