Wildfire smoke cools summer river and stream water temperatures

Type: 
Literature
Publication: 
David, Aaron T.; Asarian, J. Eli; Lake, Frank K. 2018. Wildfire smoke cools summer river and stream water temperatures. Water Resources Research. 54. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022964.
Year Published: 
2018
Organization: 
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Description: 

To test the hypothesis that wildfire smoke can cool summer river and stream water temperatures by attenuating solar radiation and air temperature, we analyzed data on summer wildfire smoke, solar radiation, air temperatures, precipitation, river discharge, and water temperatures in the lower Klamath River Basin in Northern California. Previous studies have focused on the effect of combustion heat on water temperatures during fires and the effect of riparian vegetation losses on postfire water temperatures, but we know of no studies of the effects of wildfire smoke on river or stream water temperatures. 

Category: 
aerosol optical thickness, Klamath Basin, rivers, water temperature, wildfire smoke, solar radiation, air temperatures, water temperatures