They suggest that fire emissions could contribute a lot more
to the observed climate warming than current estimates show.
Particle analysis shows “tar ball” effect is significant
Wildfires produce a witch’s brew of carbon-containing
particles, as anyone downwind of a forest fire can attest. A range of fine carbonaceous particles rising
high into the air significantly degrade air quality, damaging human and
wildlife health, and interacting with sunlight to affect climate. But measurements taken during the 2011 Las
Conchas fire near Los Alamos National Laboratory show that the actual
carbon-containing particles emitted by fires are very different than those used
in current computer models, providing the potential for inaccuracy in current
climate-modeling results.