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Climate change

Remote Sensing Research Reveals New Insights into Long-Range Transport of Wildfire Aerosol Plumes

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research by the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has shed new light on the long-range transport of wildfire-generated aerosol plumes to the city of Sao Paulo. The study, which examined data from 2024, found that the city experienced record-breaking wildfire activity, highlighting the escalating influence of climate change. The research team, led by Gabriel Marques da Silva, used a combination of satellite and ground-based observations to track the origin and properties of aerosol plumes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that the city of Sao Paulo experienced record-breaking wildfire activity in 2024, with intense fire outbreaks in Para and Mato Grosso do Sul states.
  • The research team used a combination of satellite and ground-based observations, including lidar measurements, EarthCARE satellite data, and AERONET and Raman lidar measurements, to track the origin and properties of aerosol plumes.
  • The study identified three transport pathways originating from active fire zones, with coinciding AOD values (0.7-1.1) and elevated LR (60-100 sr), indicative of dense smoke plumes.
  • Compositional analysis revealed a significant black carbon component, implicating wildfires near Corumba (Mato Grosso do Sul) and Sao Felix do Xingu (Para) as probable emission sources.
  • The research concluded that satellite-based lidar systems, such as Atmospheric Lidar (ATLID) onboard EarthCARE, are effective in atmospheric monitoring, particularly in data-sparse regions where ground instrumentation is limited.
  • The study highlights the importance of remote sensing in understanding the impact of climate change on urban areas.
  • The research team included Gabriel Marques da Silva, Mateus Fernandes Rodrigues, Laura Silva Pelicer, Gregori de Arruda Moreira, Alexandre Cacheffo, Fabio Juliano da Silva Lopes, Luisa D'Antola de Mello, Giovanni Souza, and Eduardo Landulfo.

Statistics:

  • The city of Sao Paulo experienced record-breaking wildfire activity in 2024, with intense fire outbreaks in Para and Mato Grosso do Sul states.
  • The study found that the AOD values (0.7-1.1) and elevated LR (60-100 sr) indicative of dense smoke plumes, highlighted the efficacy of satellite-based lidar systems in atmospheric monitoring.
  • The study's compositional analysis revealed a significant black carbon component, implicating wildfires near Corumba (Mato Grosso do Sul) and Sao Felix do Xingu (Para) as probable emission sources.

Sources:

  • "Long-Range Plume Transport from Brazilian Burnings to Urban Sao Paulo: A Remote Sensing Analysis." Atmosphere, 2025,16(9):1022. (Atmosphere - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/). The publisher for Atmosphere is MDPI AG.
  • NewsRx. Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research Researchers Reveal New Findings on Remote Sensing (Long-Range Plume Transport from Brazilian Burnings to Urban Sao Paulo: A Remote Sensing Analysis). Journal of Engineering. October 13, 2025; p 1196.

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