Characterization of high-altitude fire smoke layers due to Canadian wildfires crossing the urban area of Naples (Italy).

In the summer of 2017 huge wildfires occurred in British Columbia (Canada), leading to the injection of an unusually high concentration of biomass burning aerosol in the atmosphere. An uncommon load of smoke ensued in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in August 2017, which crossed the European area at altitudes between 3--18 km in the following weeks. Smoke particles that were transported across the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe at high altitudes (12 km) were observed over Naples using both active and passive remote sensing instruments, operational at University of Naples Federico II. In this communication we will report on the optical and microphysical properties of the aged biomass burning aerosol. These properties were characterised both along the atmospheric profile by means of a multi-wavelength elastic-Raman lidar device and integrated over the atmospheric column by a sun-sky-lunar photometer operating within the AERONET global network. The features of the aerosol originating from the Canadian wildfires will be compared to those resulting from fresh biomass burning aerosol ensuing huge multiple fires occurred in July 2017 on the Mount Vesuvius near Naples.