Abstract
Abstract. This paper compares measurements of gaseous and particulate emissions from a wide range of biomass-burning plumes intercepted by the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during the three phases of the ARCTAS-2008 experiment: ARCTAS-A, based out of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA (3 April to 19 April 2008); ARCTAS-B based out of Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada (29 June to 13 July 2008); and ARCTAS-CARB, based out of Palmdale, California, USA (18 June to 24 June 2008). Approximately 500 smoke plumes from biomass burning emissions that varied in age from minutes to days were segregated by fire source region and urban emission influences. The normalized excess mixing ratios (NEMR) of gaseous (carbon dioxide, acetonitrile, hydrogen cyanide, toluene, benzene, methane, oxides of nitrogen and ozone) and fine aerosol particulate components (nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, chloride, organic aerosols and water soluble organic carbon) of these plumes were compared. A detailed statistical analysis of the different plume categories for different gaseous and aerosol species is presented in this paper. The comparison of NEMR values showed that CH4 concentrations were higher in air-masses that were influenced by urban emissions. Fresh biomass burning plumes mixed with urban emissions showed a higher degree of oxidative processing in comparison with fresh biomass burning only plumes. This was evident in higher concentrations of inorganic aerosol components such as sulfate, nitrate and ammonium, but not reflected in the organic components. Lower NOx NEMRs combined with high sulfate, nitrate and ammonium NEMRs in aerosols of plumes subject to long-range transport, when comparing all plume categories, provided evidence of advanced processing of these plumes.
Highlights
Bio-fuels, prescribed burns and natural fires are sources of biomass burning smoke
This includes the boreal fires recorded in Northern Canada during ARCTASB discussed above, smoke plumes from springtime measurements in the Arctic (ARCTAS-A), and plumes encountered over California (ARCTAS-CARB)
The nitrate normalized excess mixing ratios (NEMR) values were generally similar in ARCTAS-CARB biomass burning plumes that were mixed with urban emissions and Siberian and Siberian-Asian plumes
Summary
Fire emissions are an important source for a wide range of atmospheric trace gases and aerosol particles that can impact biogeochemical cycles, air quality, human health, and have direct and indirect effects on the climate through influencing the global radiation budget (Crutzen et al, 1979; Crutzen and Andreae, 1990; Yamasoe et al, 2000; Guyon et al, 2003; Bein et al, 2008). A. Hecobian et al.: Chemical characteristics of 495 biomass burning plumes burning episodes and the persistence of these emissions in the atmosphere for weeks mean that smoke can be transported over great distances and have both regional and global impacts (LeCanut et al, 1996; Scholes and Andreae, 2000; Dickerson et al, 2002; Allen et al, 2004; Duan et al, 2004; Honrath et al, 2004; Engling et al, 2006; Fu et al, 2009). The frequency and intensity of biomass burning events and their effects are expected to be amplified in the future due to anticipated increases in global temperatures and alterations in precipitation patterns resulting from climate change (Penner et al, 1994; Narukawa et al, 1999; Reddy and Boucher, 2004; Stocks et al, 2004; Turetsky et al, 2011)
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