AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Fire Aerosols: Exceptionally Common
CHRISTINE WIEDINMYER, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Abstract Number: 149 Working Group: Invited by Conference Chair
Abstract Fire emissions and the downwind chemistry in and out of biomass burning plumes degrade air quality, impact regional climate, and contribute to negative human health outcomes. Fires, and specifically the burning of biomass, produce aerosols from incomplete combustion processes and contribute substantially to the global atmospheric burden of carbonaceous aerosol in terms of both mass and number. These fire aerosols are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and have been identified at all scales from the indoor environment to the stratosphere. Despite great advances in the ability to identify and quantify emissions from biomass burning, the techniques used to predict emissions and understand their fate and transport in the in the atmosphere are uncertain, and the subsequent estimates of the impacts are difficult to assess. Global change driven by climate, policy, and social behaviors alter fire activity and its impacts. Quantification of the feedbacks and interactions between fire activity and global change remain critical open questions. This presentation will detail efforts to identify and quantify biomass burning emissions across scales, and highlight their importance and confounding factors in air quality, health, and climate impact assessments.