Large-scale hazes over Eurasia in July 2016: Siberian smoke haze evolution

Using the aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from the MODIS satellite instruments, the hazes over Eurasia in July 2016 were analyzed. Total area of the haze blanketing was estimated to be approximately 20 million km2, including the Siberian smoke haze (SSH) with a maximum area of 16 million km2, spreaded over European territory of Russia, Kazakhstan and many European countries. The evolution of AOD in SSH has been analyzed. The total mass of smoke at different stages of the SSH evolution was ranged from 1.6 to 3.7 million tons. When using the aerosol index data from the OMI UV measurements, the essential changes in the qualitative composition of smoke aerosol transported away from the fire places at a distance of 1000-2000 km were detected. The average aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere and at the stage of maximum development of the SSH was estimated to be -38 W/m2.