Atmospheric Evolution of Brown Carbon from Wildfires in North America.

Atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) from wildfires is a key component of light-absorbing carbon that significantly contributes to global radiative forcing, but its atmospheric evolution and lifetime remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate BrC evolution by synthesizing data from one laboratory campaign and four aircraft campaigns spanning diverse spatial scales across North America. To estimate initial conditions for evaluating plume evolution, we develop a method to parametrize the emission ratios of BrC and other species using commonly measured inert tracers, acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide.

Investigating processes influencing simulation of local Arctic wintertime anthropogenic pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska, during ALPACA-2022.

Lagrangian tracer simulations are deployed to investigate processes influencing vertical and horizontal dispersion of anthropogenic pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) 2022 field campaign. Simulated concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide ( ), and nitrogen oxides ( ), including surface and elevated sources, are the highest at the surface under very cold stable conditions. Pollution enhancements above the surface (50-300 m) are mainly attributed to elevated power plant emissions.

Overview of the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) Field Experiment.

The Alaskan Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field experiment was a collaborative study designed to improve understanding of pollution sources and chemical processes during winter (cold climate and low-photochemical activity), to investigate indoor pollution, and to study dispersion of pollution as affected by frequent temperature inversions. A number of the research goals were motivated by questions raised by residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, where the study was held. This paper describes the measurement strategies and the conditions encountered during the January and February 2022 field experiment, and reports early examples of how the measurements addressed research goals, particularly those of interest to the residents.

Impact of Biomass Burning Organic Aerosol Volatility on Smoke Concentrations Downwind of Fires.

Biomass burning particulate matter (BBPM) affects regional air quality and global climate, with impacts expected to continue to grow over the coming years. We show that studies of North American fires have a systematic altitude dependence in measured BBPM normalized excess mixing ratio (NEMR; ΔPM/ΔCO), with airborne and high-altitude studies showing a factor of 2 higher NEMR than ground-based measurements. We report direct airborne measurements of BBPM volatility that partially explain the difference in the BBPM NEMR observed across platforms.

Atmospheric biogenic volatile organic compounds in the Alaskan Arctic tundra: constraints from measurements at Toolik Field Station.

The Arctic is a climatically sensitive region that has experienced warming at almost 3 times the global average rate in recent decades, leading to an increase in Arctic greenness and a greater abundance of plants that emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). These changes in atmospheric emissions are expected to significantly modify the overall oxidative chemistry of the region and lead to changes in VOC composition and abundance, with implications for atmospheric processes. Nonetheless, observations needed to constrain our current understanding of these issues in this critical environment are sparse.

Ozone chemistry in western U.S. wildfire plumes.

Wildfires are a substantial but poorly quantified source of tropospheric ozone (O). Here, to investigate the highly variable O chemistry in wildfire plumes, we exploit the in situ chemical characterization of western wildfires during the FIREX-AQ flight campaign and show that O production can be predicted as a function of experimentally constrained OH exposure, volatile organic compound (VOC) reactivity, and the fate of peroxy radicals. The O chemistry exhibits rapid transition in chemical regimes.

Variability and Time of Day Dependence of Ozone Photochemistry in Western Wildfire Plumes.

Understanding the efficiency and variability of photochemical ozone (O) production from western wildfire plumes is important to accurately estimate their influence on North American air quality. A set of photochemical measurements were made from the NOAA Twin Otter research aircraft as a part of the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) experiment. We use a zero-dimensional (0-D) box model to investigate the chemistry driving O production in modeled plumes.

Highly Speciated Measurements of Terpenoids Emitted from Laboratory and Mixed-Conifer Forest Prescribed Fires.

Wildland fires in the western United States are projected to increase in frequency, duration, and size. Characterized by widespread and diverse conifer forests, burning within this region may lead to significant terpenoid emissions. Terpenoids constitute a major class of highly reactive secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, with significant structure-dependent variability in reactivity and SOA-formation potential.