A Multi-Site Photometric Analysis of Biomass Burning Activity in South-East Asia During October 2023

Satellite and ground level observations during the period of August to October 2023 captured an elevated number of fire hot spots and biomass burning (smoke) activity over the South-East Asia landmasses of Sumatra and Borneo. Over this region, fire activity can be a yearly occurrence due to prevalent regional dryness and low rainfall, such activity can also be enhanced by other tropical phenomena like El Nino Southern Oscillation. In this paper, we present a multi—site photometric analysis of smoke emissions during this period with emphasis on aerosol physical and optical characteristics that would allow us to differentiate the source levels of emissions, aerosol composition and possibly transport pathways to downwind receptor sites.