Microwave Scattering Properties of Laboratory‐Produced Pyrometeors and Carbonaceous Aerosols

Microwave Scattering Properties of Laboratory‐Produced Pyrometeors and Carbonaceous Aerosols

Overview

This work combines measured refractive indices with electromagnetic calculations to explain the distinct microwave-scattering signatures of black carbon, brown carbon, and coarse pyrometeors in wildfire plumes.

Core Contributions

• Integrates experimentally derived refractive indices with discrete dipole approximation and Mie calculations.
• Shows that coarse pyrometeors dominate radar reflectivity despite being far less numerous than carbonaceous aerosols.
• Explains contrasting differential-reflectivity signatures between pyrometeors and lofted black- and brown-carbon aerosols.

Publication Information

• Authors: Yuxin Miao, Zhenhai Qin, Yuping Sun, Xiaoyan Liu, Yixin Ji, Yong Jiang, Qixing Zhang
• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
• Publication date: 2026-06-30
• DOI: 10.1029/2026JD046611
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• Status: Published online

Citation

Yuxin Miao, Zhenhai Qin, Yuping Sun, Xiaoyan Liu, Yixin Ji, Yong Jiang, Qixing Zhang. “Microwave Scattering Properties of Laboratory‐Produced Pyrometeors and Carbonaceous Aerosols.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, vol. 131, no. 13, e2026JD046611 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd046611

Keywords

wildfire plume, black carbon, brown carbon, pyrometeors, radar reflectivity

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