Transcontinental transport of a massive SO 2 plume from the Tehran refinery explosion in March 2026 observed from space
Abstract
Conflict-induced explosions can inject pollutants into the middle-to-upper troposphere, producing long-range transport with environmental impacts beyond the local scale. In March 2026, airstrikes on Tehran's refinery complex triggered massive explosions and fires, releasing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbonaceous aerosols. This study utilizes the data from a hyperspectral infrared satellite constellation (CrIS, IASI, and HIRAS) to track the explosion-related SO2 plume with high frequency. The plume was first detected by CrIS at 22:01 UTC on 7 March at approximately 8.2 km altitude. Retrievals yield a peak SO2 mass of approximately 3 kt, equivalent to the emissions of a minor volcanic eruption. Satellite observations capture the plume's transcontinental transport over roughly four days, demonstrating good agreement with HYSPLIT forward trajectories simulations. Comparison with CAMS SO2 forecasts reveal that the model reproduces the transport of regional anthropogenic SO2 but fails to capture the explosion plume. This study highlights the importance of satellite observations in monitoring emissions from conflict-induced extreme events and accurately assessing their long-range environmental impacts. The Tehran event also provides new insights into the potential global atmospheric impacts from a wider conflict.
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BibTeX
@misc{liu2026transcontinental,
title = {{Transcontinental transport of a massive SO 2 plume from the Tehran refinery explosion in March 2026 observed from space}},
author = {Shangyi Liu and Cathy Clerbaux and Anne Boynard and Mingjian Gu and Chengli Qi and Bruno Franco and Lieven Clarisse and Shan Han and Mengya Sheng and Nicolas Theys and Zhao-Cheng Zeng},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5194/egusphere-2026-5017},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05769014v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Transcontinental transport of a massive SO 2 plume from the Tehran refinery explosion in March 2026 observed from space
AU - Shangyi Liu
AU - Cathy Clerbaux
AU - Anne Boynard
AU - Mingjian Gu
AU - Chengli Qi
AU - Bruno Franco
AU - Lieven Clarisse
AU - Shan Han
AU - Mengya Sheng
AU - Nicolas Theys
AU - Zhao-Cheng Zeng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
PB - HAL
DO - 10.5194/egusphere-2026-5017
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05769014v1
AB - Conflict-induced explosions can inject pollutants into the middle-to-upper troposphere, producing long-range transport with environmental impacts beyond the local scale. In March 2026, airstrikes on Tehran's refinery complex triggered massive explosions and fires, releasing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbonaceous aerosols. This study utilizes the data from a hyperspectral infrared satellite constellation (CrIS, IASI, and HIRAS) to track the explosion-related SO2 plume with high frequency. The plume was first detected by CrIS at 22:01 UTC on 7 March at approximately 8.2 km altitude. Retrievals yield a peak SO2 mass of approximately 3 kt, equivalent to the emissions of a minor volcanic eruption. Satellite observations capture the plume's transcontinental transport over roughly four days, demonstrating good agreement with HYSPLIT forward trajectories simulations. Comparison with CAMS SO2 forecasts reveal that the model reproduces the transport of regional anthropogenic SO2 but fails to capture the explosion plume. This study highlights the importance of satellite observations in monitoring emissions from conflict-induced extreme events and accurately assessing their long-range environmental impacts. The Tehran event also provides new insights into the potential global atmospheric impacts from a wider conflict.
ER -