Global simulations of smoke from Kuwaiti oil fires and possible effects on climate
The Los Alamos Global Climate Model has bee used to simulate the global evolution of the Kuwaiti oil fire smoke and its potential effects on the climate. The initial simulations were done shortly before the fires were lit in January 1991. They indicated that such an event would not result in a ``Mini Nuclear Winter`` as some people were suggesting. Further simulations during the year suggested that the smoke could be responsible for subtle regional climate changes in the spring such as a 5 degree centigrade decrease in the surface temperature in Kuwait, a 10% decrease in precipitation in Saudi Arabia and a 10% increase in precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau region. These results are in qualitative agreement with the observations this year.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10110152
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-91-3950; CONF-9110127-1; ON: DE92005068
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference on global climate change: its mitigation through improved production and utilization of energy,Los Alamos, NM (United States),21-24 Oct 1991; Other Information: PBD: [1991]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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