10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Abstract View
Modeling the Effects of Central American Fire Emissions on Air Quality in Texas
QIANJIN ZHENG, Min Zhong, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Abstract Number: 1564 Working Group: Aerosol Modeling
Abstract Natural and anthropogenic fires emit the significant number of particles and gaseous air pollutants. Each year during the spring season, large amounts of smoke from the Yucatan Peninsula and southern Mexico transport across the Gulf of Mexico and reach the south-central United States. This long-range transported smoke causes deteriorating air quality periodically in Texas. As anthropogenic emissions continue to decline steadily, the contribution of emissions from long-range smoke will likely increase. This research leverages the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to study the impact of fire emissions from Central America on surface fine particle matter (PM2.5), aerosol optical depth (AOD), carbon monoxide (CO), and Ozone (O3) in Texas. The model domain covers multiples states in southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America at 12 km horizontal resolution. The anthropogenic emissions inventory is based on a global emission inventory; the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (HTAP_V2.2) and Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) is used for fire emissions. The initial and lateral boundary conditions for chemical species are taken from the MOZART global chemical transport model. The gas-phase and aerosol chemistry are represented by the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM) and the Model Aerosol Dynamics for Europe with the Secondary Organic Aerosol Model (MADE/SORGAM), respectively. In-situ ground measurements and satellite observations are applied to evaluate the WRF-Chem model performance in March-May 2013. We find that smoke from Central America spreads across certain areas in Texas and significantly affects the local and regional air quality. Our study indicates that long-range fire emissions should be considered in evaluating the relative effectiveness of local emissions control program.