Simulation of the Sensitivity of Rural Tropospheric Ozone Levels to BVOCs Emissions over a European Atlantic Coastal Region (Galicia, NW of Spain)

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key species for the production of tropospheric ozone, and biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) emissions are significantly important in rural areas because of their amount and the photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) of biogenic species.Galicia is an Atlantic coastal region located in northwestern Spain, with forestry as the most important land use, including both deciduous (oak, chestnut, birch) and evergreen (pine, eucalyptus) species. In this region, because of its changeable weather conditions and its local Atlantic forest species, BVOCs emissions are highly variable, depending on meteorological (temperature, PAR and moisture) and seasonal parameters (leaf area index and daylight hours).This work is focused on the sensitivity analysis of the rural tropospheric ozone levels due to influence of BVOCs emissions from the European Atlantic forest.