understanding the impact of biomass burning on ozone

Understanding the Impact of Biomass Burning on Ozone

Conditions in the ArcticAudra McClure-Begley1,2, Sara Crepinsek1,3, Irina Petropavlovskikh1,2, Anna Yudina1,2, Taniel Uttal3, Simone Tilmes4, Anne Jefferson1,2, Detlev Helmig5

1. University of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in Evironmental Sciences, Boulder Colorado, USA

2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Monitoring Division, Boulder Colorado USA

3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Physical Sciences Division, Boulder Colorado USA

4. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado USA

5. University of Colorado INSTAAR, Boulder Colorado USA

IGAC CATCH Workshop April 20, 2017: Guyancourt, France

Agenda• A Brief Overview • Measurement Locations• Wildfire Season (April-September)

• Case Study #1: June 2008, Barrow, Alaska• Case Study #2: July 2014, Summit Greenland• Station Comparison

• Conclusions and Future Research

What is the Impact of Forest fires and long-range transport of biomass burning species on

surface/tropospheric ozone in the Arctic? (IASOA Ozone and Trace Gases Working Group)


Tropospheric Ozone in the Arctic• Central species in the photochemical oxidation and radiative forcing

processes of the atmosphere• Secondary Pollutant, formed from reactions of primary pollutants

• Photochemical Smog• Greenhouse Gas• High levels negatively impact human health and ecosystem

functioning

IGAC CATCH Workshop April 20, 2017: Guyancourt, FranceImage: P.S Monks et.al 2015

Previous Research: Ozone and Biomass Burning

• Fire emissions are different for each fire

• Material burned• Smoldering/flaming

• Biomass burning releases a suite of compounds into the atmosphere (Andrae and Merlet, 2001)

• Many are ozone precursor pollutants

• Global circulation and climate patterns impact biomass burning and the transport of associated pollutants to the arctic. (Eckhardt et. al, 2003 and Stohl et. al, 2007)

• Complex interactions of pollutants and meteorological conditions which vary between episodes. (Jaffe and Widger, 2008)

IGAC CATCH Workshop April 20, 2017: Guyancourt, France Image: NASA Earth Observatory

CO PM VOC’s

Measurement Locations



How are Episodes Identified? • Co-Located Measurements

• Carbon Monoxide• Acetylene• Ethane• Aerosol Properties

• Satellite Imagery• Back-Trajectory Analysis

• NOAA ARL Hysplit• Models

• NCAR Community Earth System Model• MERRA, FINN, MEGAN

2.0

Case Study #1: Barrow Alaska June 2008 – Identification Method

Case Study #1: Barrow Alaska June 2008 – Identification Method

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Black Carbon Scattering 550 nm (MERRA-2)

Case Study #2: Summit Greenland July 2014- Long Range


MERRA-2 Black Carbon 550 nm OverlayNOAA HYSPLIT Back Trajectory: 7 days

Case Study #2: July 2014, Spatial Variability


Case Study #2: July 2014, Spatial VariabilityA closer look at Tiksi


During the time period where Summit was observing elevated ozone, Tiksi

remained relatively “clean”. However, the next day, Tiksi observed high ozone-that was related to a different biomass

burning plume.

Conclusions• Co-located measurements of VOC’s, Meteorology, Aerosols, and

model results are essential for determining the impact of biomass burning on ozone conditions

• Biomass burning episodes are variable in space and time, generalized (ex. Monthly) studies are often not sufficient to identify the influence


Future Research• Apply the methods defined

to investigate long term variation in frequency of biomass burning related high ozone events for each station

• Spatial analysis including all arctic ozone measurement sites

Questions? Thank you to NOAA GMD, NOAA PSD, University of Colorado-Boulder, Summit Science Station, Roshydromet, NSF, IASOA, IGAC, Co-authors, Data providers, Model groups, Station Technicians, and all supporters of this research.

Eckhardt, S. et. al (2003). The North Atlantic Oscillation Controls Air Pollution Transport to the Arctic. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Lewis, A. C. et. al (2013) The Influence of Biomass Burning on the Global Distribution of Selected Non-Methane Organic Compounds. Atmosphere Chemistry and Physics.

Monks, P. S. et al. (2015) Tropospheric Ozone and its precursors from the urban to global scale from air quality to short-lived climate forcer. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Stohl, A. et. al (2007) Arctic smoke- Record High Air Pollution Levels in the European Arctic due to Agricultural fires in Eastern Europe in Spring 2006. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Wiedinmyer, C. et. al (2011) The Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN): A high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning. Geoscientific Model Development.

NASA Earth Observatory

OMPS AOD ImageryNASA Giovanni: Merra-2 Black Carbon

NOAA HYSPLIT: Reanalysis


Additional Slides


Summit, Greenland72.58 N, 38.48 W 3210 M

Ozone Measurements: 2000-CurrentHigh Elevation, Arctic Inland

NOAA GMD US National Science Foundation

Summit ScienceCH2M Hill Polar Services

Alert, Canada82.492 N, 62.508 W 10 M

Ozone Measurements: 1993-2012Arctic Maritime

Environment CanadaMeteorological Service of Canada

Eureka, Canada80.083 N, 86.417 W 10 M

Ozone Measurements: 2016-CurrentArctic Maritime

University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, University of Sherbrooke, University of Waterloo,

University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Wisconsin, NOAA PSD, Environment

Canada

Pallas-Sodankyla, Finland67.967 N, 24.117 E 180m

Ozone Measurements: 1995-2012Arctic Inland

Finnish Meteorological Institute

Villum Station, Greenland

81.43 N, 16.667 W 10 MASLOzone Measurements: 1997-CurrentNorthern Greenland, Arctic Maritime

Danish Environmental Protection AgencyDanish Meteorological Institute

Tiksi, Russia71.596 N, 128.889 E 11 MASL

Ozone Measurements: 2010-CurrentNorthern Siberia, Arctic Maritime

NOAA PSDNOAA GMD

RoshydrometFinnish Meteorological Institute

Tiksi, Russia April 2015—Local Influence

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understanding the impact of biomass burning on ozone

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