scholarly journals Interannual variability of tropospheric trace gases and aerosols: The role of biomass burning emissions

2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (14) ◽  
pp. 7157-7173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apostolos Voulgarakis ◽  
Miriam E. Marlier ◽  
Greg Faluvegi ◽  
Drew T. Shindell ◽  
Kostas Tsigaridis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Trace Gases

Interannual variability of stratospheric trace gases: The role of extratropical wave driving

2004 ◽  
Vol 130 (602) ◽  
pp. 2459-2474 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ma ◽  
D.W. Waugh ◽  
A.R. Douglass ◽  
S.R. Kawa ◽  
P.A. Newman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Stratospheric Trace Gases

Quantifying sources and sinks of trace gases using space-borne measurements: current and future science

2008 ◽  
Vol 366 (1885) ◽  
pp. 4509-4528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul I Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Trace Gases ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Biological Interactions ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Sources And Sinks ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
New Generation

We have been observing the Earth's upper atmosphere from space for several decades, but only over the past decade has the necessary technology begun to match our desire to observe surface air pollutants and climate-relevant trace gases in the lower troposphere, where we live and breathe. A new generation of Earth-observing satellites, capable of probing the lower troposphere, are already orbiting hundreds of kilometres above the Earth's surface with several more ready for launch or in the planning stages. Consequently, this is one of the most exciting times for the Earth system scientists who study the countless current-day physical, chemical and biological interactions between the Earth's land, ocean and atmosphere. First, I briefly review the theory behind measuring the atmosphere from space, and how these data can be used to infer surface sources and sinks of trace gases. I then present some of the science highlights associated with these data and how they can be used to improve fundamental understanding of the Earth's climate system. I conclude the paper by discussing the future role of satellite measurements of tropospheric trace gases in mitigating surface air pollution and carbon trading.

Variability and sources of non-methane hydrocarbons at a Mediterranean urban atmosphere: The role of biomass burning and traffic emissions

2021 ◽  
pp. 149389
Author(s):  
Anastasia Panopoulou ◽  
Eleni Liakakou ◽  
Stephane Sauvage ◽  
Valerie Gros ◽  
Nadine Locoge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Traffic Emissions ◽  
Urban Atmosphere

scholarly journals Interannual Variability of Tropical Cyclones in the Australian Region: Role of Large-Scale Environment

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1083-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish A. Ramsay ◽  
Lance M. Leslie ◽  
Peter J. Lamb ◽  
Michael B. Richman ◽  
Mark Leplastrier
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Relative Vorticity ◽  
Vertical Shear ◽  
Scale Parameters ◽  
Australian Region ◽  
Sst Variability

Abstract This study investigates the role of large-scale environmental factors, notably sea surface temperature (SST), low-level relative vorticity, and deep-tropospheric vertical wind shear, in the interannual variability of November–April tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the Australian region. Extensive correlation analyses were carried out between TC frequency and intensity and the aforementioned large-scale parameters, using TC data for 1970–2006 from the official Australian TC dataset. Large correlations were found between the seasonal number of TCs and SST in the Niño-3.4 and Niño-4 regions. These correlations were greatest (−0.73) during August–October, immediately preceding the Australian TC season. The correlations remain almost unchanged for the July–September period and therefore can be viewed as potential seasonal predictors of the forthcoming TC season. In contrast, only weak correlations (<+0.37) were found with the local SST in the region north of Australia where many TCs originate; these were reduced almost to zero when the ENSO component of the SST was removed by partial correlation analysis. The annual frequency of TCs was found to be strongly correlated with 850-hPa relative vorticity and vertical shear of the zonal wind over the main genesis areas of the Australian region. Furthermore, correlations between the Niño SST and these two atmospheric parameters exhibited a strong link between the Australian region and the Niño-3.4 SST. A principal component analysis of the SST dataset revealed two main modes of Pacific Ocean SST variability that match very closely with the basinwide patterns of correlations between SST and TC frequencies. Finally, it is shown that the correlations can be increased markedly (e.g., from −0.73 to −0.80 for the August–October period) by a weighted combination of SST time series from weakly correlated regions.

scholarly journals Global XCO<sub>2</sub> anomalies as seen by Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Hakkarainen ◽  
Iolanda Ialongo ◽  
Shamil Maksyutov ◽  
David Crisp
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Complex Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Local Concentration ◽  
Fossil Fuel Combustion ◽  
Annual Variations ◽  
Middle Latitudes ◽  
Eastern Usa ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract. NASA's carbon dioxide mission, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, has been operating for three full years (2015–2017). Here, we provide a global (60° S–60° N) view of the XCO2 anomalies along with their annual variations and seasonal patterns. We show that the XCO2 anomaly patterns are robust and consistent from year-to-year. We compare these anomalies to fluxes from anthropogenic, biospheric and biomass burning and to model-simulated local concentration enhancements. We find that, despite the simplicity of the method, the anomalies describe the spatio-temporal variability of XCO2 (including anthropogenic emissions and seasonal variability related to vegetation and biomass burning) consistently with more complex model-based approaches. We see, for example, that positive anomalies correspond to fossil fuel combustion over the major industrial areas (e.g., China, eastern USA, central Europe, India, and the Highveld region in South Africa), shown as large positive XCO2 enhancements in the model simulations. Also, we find corresponding positive anomalies and fluxes over biomass burning areas during different fire seasons. On the other hand, the largest negative anomalies correspond to the growing season in the northern middle latitudes, characterized by negative XCO2 enhancements from simulations and high SIF values (indicating the occurrence of photosynthesis). Finally, we show how XCO2 anomalies facilitate the detection of anthropogenic signatures for several local scale case studies, both in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The results demonstrate the potential of satellite-based XCO2 observations for understanding the role of man-made and natural contributions to the atmospheric CO2 levels.

scholarly journals Evolution of trace gases and particles emitted by a chaparral fire in California

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1397-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Akagi ◽  
J. S. Craven ◽  
J. W. Taylor ◽  
G. R. McMeeking ◽  
R. J. Yokelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Scattering ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Barometric Pressure ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Gaseous Ammonia ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Aging Period ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Biomass burning (BB) is a major global source of trace gases and particles. Accurately representing the production and evolution of these emissions is an important goal for atmospheric chemical transport models. We measured a suite of gases and aerosols emitted from an 81 hectare prescribed fire in chaparral fuels on the central coast of California, US on 17 November 2009. We also measured physical and chemical changes that occurred in the isolated downwind plume in the first ~4 h after emission. The measurements were carried out onboard a Twin Otter aircraft outfitted with an airborne Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (AFTIR), aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), single particle soot photometer (SP2), nephelometer, LiCor CO2 analyzer, a chemiluminescence ozone instrument, and a wing-mounted meteorological probe. Our measurements included: CO2; CO; NOx; NH3; non-methane organic compounds; organic aerosol (OA); inorganic aerosol (nitrate, ammonium, sulfate, and chloride); aerosol light scattering; refractory black carbon (rBC); and ambient temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and three-dimensional wind velocity. The molar ratio of excess O3 to excess CO in the plume (ΔO3/ΔCO) increased from −5.13 (±1.13) × 10−3 to 10.2 (±2.16) × 10−2 in ~4.5 h following smoke emission. Excess acetic and formic acid (normalized to excess CO) increased by factors of 1.73 ± 0.43 and 7.34 ± 3.03 (respectively) over the same time since emission. Based on the rapid decay of C2H4 we infer an in-plume average OH concentration of 5.27 (±0.97) × 106 molec cm−3, consistent with previous studies showing elevated OH concentrations in biomass burning plumes. Ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate all increased over the course of 4 h. The observed ammonium increase was a factor of 3.90 ± 2.93 in about 4 h, but accounted for just ~36% of the gaseous ammonia lost on a molar basis. Some of the gas phase NH3 loss may have been due to condensation on, or formation of, particles below the AMS detection range. NOx was converted to PAN and particle nitrate with PAN production being about two times greater than production of observable nitrate in the first ~4 h following emission. The excess aerosol light scattering in the plume (normalized to excess CO2) increased by a factor of 2.50 ± 0.74 over 4 h. The increase in light scattering was similar to that observed in an earlier study of a biomass burning plume in Mexico where significant secondary formation of OA closely tracked the increase in scattering. In the California plume, however, ΔOA/ΔCO2 decreased sharply for the first hour and then increased slowly with a net decrease of ~20% over 4 h. The fraction of thickly coated rBC particles increased up to ~85% over the 4 h aging period. Decreasing OA accompanied by increased scattering/particle coating in initial aging may be due to a combination of particle coagulation and evaporation processes. Recondensation of species initially evaporated from the particles may have contributed to the subsequent slow rise in OA. We compare our results to observations from other plume aging studies and suggest that differences in environmental factors such as smoke concentration, oxidant concentration, actinic flux, and RH contribute significantly to the variation in plume evolution observations.

scholarly journals Tropospheric CO vertical profiles measured by IAGOS aircraft in 2002&ndash;2017 and the role of biomass burning

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-41
Author(s):  
Hervé Petetin ◽  
Bastien Sauvage ◽  
Mark Parrington ◽  
Hannah Clark ◽  
Alain Fontaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
South India ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Range Transport

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> This study investigates the role of biomass burning and long-range transport in the anomalies of carbon monoxide (CO) regularly observed along the tropospheric vertical profiles measured in the framework of IAGOS. Considering the high interannual variability of biomass burning emissions and the episodic nature of pollution long-range transport, one strength of this study is the amount of data taken into account, namely 30,000 vertical profiles at 9 clusters of airports in Europe, North America, Asia, India and southern Africa over the period 2002&amp;ndash;2017. </p> <p> As a preliminary, a brief overview of the spatio-temporal variability, latitudinal distribution, interannual variability and trends of biomass burning CO emissions from 14 regions is provided. The distribution of CO mixing ratios at different levels of the troposphere is also provided based on the entire IAGOS database (125 million CO observations). </p> <p> This study focuses on the free troposphere (altitudes above 2<span class="thinspace"></span>km) where the long-range transport of pollution is favoured. Anomalies at a given airport cluster are here defined as departures from the local seasonally-averaged climatological vertical profile. The intensity of these anomalies varies significantly depending on the airport, with maximum (minimum) CO anomalies of 110&amp;ndash;150 (48)<span class="thinspace"></span>ppbv in Asia (Europe). Looking at the seasonal variation of the frequency of occurrence, the 25<span class="thinspace"></span>% strongest CO anomalies appears reasonably well distributed along the year, in contrast to the 5<span class="thinspace"></span>% or 1<span class="thinspace"></span>% strongest anomalies that exhibit a strong seasonality with for instance more frequent anomalies during summertime in northern United-States, during winter/spring in Japan, during spring in South-east China, during the non-monsoon seasons in south-east Asia and south India, and during summer/fall at Windhoek, Namibia. Depending on the location, these strong anomalies are observed in different parts of the free troposphere. </p> <p> In order to investigate the role of biomass burning emissions in these anomalies, we used the SOFT-IO v1.0 IAGOS added-value products that consist of FLEXPART 20-days backward simulations along all IAGOS aircraft trajectories, coupled with anthropogenic (MACCity) and biomass burning (GFAS) CO emission inventories and vertical injections. SOFT-IO estimates the contribution (in ppbv) of the recent (less than 20 days) primary worldwide CO emissions, tagged per source region. Biomass burning emissions are found to play an important role in the strongest CO anomalies observed at most airport clusters. The regional tags indicate a large contribution from boreal regions at airport clusters in Europe and North America during summer season. In both Japan and south India, the anthropogenic emissions dominate all along the year, except for the strongest summertime anomalies observed in Japan that are due to Siberian fires. The strongest CO anomalies at airport clusters located in south-east Asia are induced by fires burning during spring in south-east Asia and during fall in equatorial Asia. In southern Africa, the Windhoek airport was mainly impacted by fires in southern hemisphere Africa and South America. </p> <p> To our knowledge, no other studies have used such a large dataset of in situ vertical profiles for deriving a climatology of the impact of biomass burning versus anthropogenic emissions on the strongest CO anomalies observed in the troposphere, in combination with information on the source regions. This study therefore provides both qualitative and quantitative information for interpreting the highly variable CO vertical distribution in several regions of interest.</p>

scholarly journals Interannual variability of global biomass burning emissions from 1997 to 2004

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 3175-3226 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. van der Werf ◽  
J. T. Randerson ◽  
L. Giglio ◽  
G. J. Collatz ◽  
P. S. Kasibhatla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Fire Emissions

Abstract. Biomass burning represents an important source of atmospheric aerosols and greenhouse gases, yet little is known about its interannual variability or the underlying mechanisms regulating this variability at continental to global scales. Here we investigated fire emissions during the 8 year period from 1997 to 2004 using satellite data and the CASA biogeochemical model. Burned area from 2001–2004 was derived using newly available active fire and 500 m burned area datasets from MODIS following the approach described by Giglio et al. (2005). ATSR and VIRS satellite data were used to extend the burned area time series back in time through 1997. In our analysis we estimated fuel loads, including peatland fuels, and the net flux from terrestrial ecosystems as the balance between net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), and biomass burning, using time varying inputs of precipitation (PPT), temperature, solar radiation, and satellite-derived fractional absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR). For the 1997–2004 period, we found that on average approximately 58 Pg C year−1 was fixed by plants, and approximately 95% of this was returned back to the atmosphere via Rh. Another 4%, or 2.5 Pg C year−1 was emitted by biomass burning; the remainder consisted of losses from fuel wood collection and subsequent burning. At a global scale, burned area and total fire emissions were largely decoupled from year to year. Total carbon emissions tracked burning in forested areas (including deforestation fires in the tropics), whereas burned area was largely controlled by savanna fires that responded to different environmental and human factors. Biomass burning emissions showed large interannual variability with a range of more than 1 Pg C year−1, with a maximum in 1998 (3.2 Pg C year−1) and a minimum in 2000 (2.0 Pg C year−1).

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