Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3152
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3152
02 Jul 2025
 | 02 Jul 2025

Stratospheric impact of the anomalous 2023 Canadian wildfires: the two vertical pathways of smoke

Sergey Khaykin, Slimane Bekki, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Michael D. Fromm, Philippe Goloub, Qiaoyun Hu, Béatrice Josse, Alexandra Laeng, Mehdi Meziane, David A. Peterson, Sophie Pelletier, and Valérie Thouret

Abstract. The climate-altering potential of wildfires through their emissions into the stratosphere has only recently been realized following the major wildfire outbreaks in Canada and Australia. The 2023 Canadian wildfire season stood out for its extended burned area and duration, by far exceeded the previous record-breaking events, including the Australian “Black Summer” in terms of the emitted power and pyroCb count with a total number of 142 Canadian pyroCb events over the season. The incessant fire activity all across Canada produced a succession of smoke injections into the lower stratosphere. Here, we use various satellite data sets, airborne and ground-based observations together with chemistry-transport model simulations to show that despite the exceptional vigor of the 2023 Canadian wildfires, the depth of their stratospheric impact was surprisingly shallow and limited to the lowermost stratosphere. Conversely, the incessant fire activity featuring a long succession of moderate-strength pyroCb events, combined with numerous episodes of synoptic-scale smoke uplift through the warm conveyor belt, led to unparalleled levels of pollution at commercial aircraft cruising altitudes throughout the season.

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Sergey Khaykin, Slimane Bekki, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Michael D. Fromm, Philippe Goloub, Qiaoyun Hu, Béatrice Josse, Alexandra Laeng, Mehdi Meziane, David A. Peterson, Sophie Pelletier, and Valérie Thouret

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  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3152', Anonymous Referee #1, 08 Jul 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3152', Anonymous Referee #2, 10 Aug 2025
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3152', Anonymous Referee #3, 26 Aug 2025
  • RC4: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3152', Anonymous Referee #4, 02 Sep 2025
Sergey Khaykin, Slimane Bekki, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Michael D. Fromm, Philippe Goloub, Qiaoyun Hu, Béatrice Josse, Alexandra Laeng, Mehdi Meziane, David A. Peterson, Sophie Pelletier, and Valérie Thouret
Sergey Khaykin, Slimane Bekki, Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Michael D. Fromm, Philippe Goloub, Qiaoyun Hu, Béatrice Josse, Alexandra Laeng, Mehdi Meziane, David A. Peterson, Sophie Pelletier, and Valérie Thouret

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Short summary
In 2023, massive wildfires in Canada injected huge amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. Surprisingly, despite their intensity, the smoke didn’t rise very high but lingered at flight cruising altitudes, causing widespread pollution. This study shows how two different pathways lifted smoke into the lower stratosphere and reveals new insights into how wildfires affect air quality and climate, challenging what we thought we knew about fire and atmospheric impacts.
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