Fire aerosols slow down the global water cycle

They decrease the continental precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff by 4.1 +/- 1.8, 2.5 +/- 0.5, and 1.5 +/- 1.4 x10(3) km(3) yr(-1) as well as ocean evaporation, precipitation, and water vapor transport from ocean to land by 8.1 +/- 1.9, 6.6 +/- 2.3, and 1.5 +/- 1.4 x10(3) km(3) yr(-1). The impacts of fire aerosols are most clearly seen in the tropics and the Arctic-boreal zone. Fire aerosols affect the global water cycle mainly by cooling the surface, which reduces ocean evaporation, land soil evaporation, and plant transpiration.

The decreased water vapor load in the atmosphere leads to a decrease in precipitation, which contributes to reduced surface runoff and subsurface drainage.